Hotel Ali

If you are going to Marrakech and need a cheap place to stay. Hotel Ali is a great option. It is right by Djemma El Fna (place of the dead) which is the main square in town and where you will see snake charmers, story tellers, accrobats and fortune tellers amongst other things. The Kabba is right outside and the souks are just the other side of the square. Remember though that silver is rarely silver in the souks after all you should not expect to buy a precious metal for the cost of a bag of sugar. Leather is a good buy though and you can also walk through the souks to a couple of local tanneries. The baja and Badia palaces are also just minutes away and are worth a visit - especially if you want to get close to a stork on its nest.

At hotel Ali rooms are basic but comfy and its cheap. the food is top notch and in the warmer months dinner is served on the terrace, overlooking the square. You could eat in the square too, where you can sample sheeps brains or testicles if you are so inclined. Th ehotel used to have a garage in the basement that serviced trucks for the overland travel companies but this has now been turned into a haman (steam bath).

If you want to do a trek in the Atlas ranges, ask for Brahim, he will organise guides for you and can also accommodate you in the village of Aremnd which acts as a strat point for treks to the top of Toubkal, the highhest point in North Africa. Whilst at Hotel Ali, if you want soem great evening entertainment ask for a taxi to 'Chez Ali', you get a massive dinner their, served in a bedhuin tent and will then witness some superb Arabian horesmanship.

Budget digs in Marrakech? It has to be Hotel Ali!