Marrakech

I took a trip to Marrakech, Morocco for my birthday in 2018. The city felt safe but it is a place where you have to have your wits about yourself. The city definitely caters to the western tourist but retains the historical value that I felt set it apart from any other location I've visited before. We read a lot of advice on traveling to Morocco before going in order to be best prepared, but quite a few write-ups  exaggerated a lot. This is what we found:

1. Dress: It is a Muslim country, and though you will see white tourists wearing short dresses and bearing their midriffs, as a young girl I would cover up at the most basic level (loose pants, long dresses, etc.)
2. Food and Water: Our hotel told us you can drink the tap water, I wouldn't. Gauge the food you're eating, this is a place where you could get food poisoning if something looks dodgy.
3. Souks: Keep a hand on your bag in case of the odd pickpocket. The markets are meant to be bargained at, we read the correct price is the price you are willing to pay for something which sounded annoying advice at first but everything is relatively cheap anyway. You could Google the worth of something if you have no idea. My tactic for haggling was getting the seller to tell me their bargain price for two of the same item and then halving it and convincing them to sell me one for that price.
4. Taxis: Agree on a fare BEFORE you start the trip
5. Scams: A common scam we were warned about and encountered frequently were people on the street telling you that you're going the wrong way and trying to lead you off in another direction. Marrakech is a maze of streets and the scam is that they get you lost and then demand money to take you back. Don't go off with anyone.

We stayed at Riad Asna, which was walking distance from the medina. The rooms here were nice, the service was excellent, the free breakfast was great, and the manager had the best food recommendations.

We were there for under a week, so obviously I have limited knowledge of the city. We tried a lot of food and went to a lot of places but here's what's actually worth finding.

Everything is linked for your convenience.

Food

• Snack Toubkal [We had a lot of tajines but the best ones were here for sure)
• Dar Marjana [Gorgeous restaurant with great food]
• Get a mint tea at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the main square, Jemaa el-Fnaa. You'll have to order something in order to go up there but the view is nice.

Things To Do

• The souks [The ones in Jmaa el-Fnaa are amazing. I can't really tell you which stalls to go to but just know there is 100% a tourist premium on everything, never buy for asking price. As a rule of thumb, obviously don't buy junk but I regret not buying things like cute cheap little pieces of jewelry]
• Yves Saint Laurent Museum [Go to the museum and the gardens, they're both great. The architecture is gorgeous and the gardens are really lovely]
• House of Photography in Marrakech ["La Maison de la Photographie"]
• Waterfall Tour [I wouldn't be bummed if you missed this, the tour we went on was a bit slack. However, they take you round to ladies making argan oil -and to their gift shop; help you climb up a waterfall which seemed honestly a bit dangerous but went by incident free - and to their overpriced restaurant on the water; to a pottery den where you can watch people make tajines and other knickknacks - and to their shop, to a Berber household where you can see a traditional household of the indigenous peoples - and to their restaurant]