It’s time to bring back our real life bride Kim with a Coronavirus wedding update for planning their wedding, and this time she shares her hen party!
If I cast my memory back to February 2020, it was a time when face masks, furlough, social distancing and corona virus were not really a thing and we were all blissfully unaware of what was about to come.
It was also a time when I had just under three months to go before my wedding day and it was time for my Hen Party! When I look back, I am so pleased that I got to squeeze in a carefree, fun- filled trip before lockdown happened and the ‘new normal’ begins…
So, before I go into detail I must give a special mention to my amazing sister and maid of honour who organised the whole trip. I am a complete control freak and love planning so there are not many people I would want to give the job of organising a weekend trip away but my sister planned everything to perfection!
So….where did we go?
Marrakech was the destination of choice. As my hen was going to be in February, we were all keen for some winter sun without travelling too far, so Marrakech was the perfect destination. Hot, sunny weather and only a three-and-a-half-hour flight away.
So on a cold Friday morning eight of my closest friends and family arrived at Gatwick airport. Despite the time (our flight took off at 7:30am) we managed to spend the majority of the flight chatting and drinking prosecco without annoying the other passengers, too much (I hope)!
Where did we stay?
My sister had organised the most amazing accommodation; the stunning Le Jardin Djahane, a riad we had all to ourselves. To be honest it is probably one of the nicest places I have ever stayed! It was spacious enough for everyone to have their own room or share if you wanted to and all of our rooms were located off a central courtyard with a pool. The riad also had two amazing rooftop terraces as well as plenty of seats and sun loungers around the pool. The riad came with staff including Marion our host, who went above and beyond to make our stay so special, from welcoming us with Moroccan afternoon tea, making sure the bubbly was always chilled to driving us wherever we needed to go, they were amazing!
What did we do?
We spent three fun filled days in Marrakech where we explored the medina, shopped in the souks, ate in amazing restaurants and sun bathed back in the riad. My sister also organised a day trip into the Atlas Mountains where we had a private tour including camel riding, visiting a berber village and seeing how argon oil was made.
Where did we eat?
Marrakech is not short of delicious places to eat. What I love about the restaurants in Marrakesh is that one minute you can be in the hustle and bustle of the mazes of the souks and the next minute you can wander down a small side street and you will find yourself in the tranquillity of stunning restaurants. Le Jardin definitely offered this and was one of my favourites. Located in the centre of the medina Le Jardin was a cool, calm oasis, serving traditional Moroccan cuisine and just what we needed after an afternoon of shopping!
Obviously, no hen is complete without a night out! For this we headed to Comptoir Darna which is a nightclub/restaurant. We sipped cocktails, ate delicious food whilst being entertained by the live shows including belly dancing of course!
We also had a private dinner in our riad, where Marion our host cooked us a three course dinner. This was such a nice evening for the first night where we could all chat, drink and play games in the comfort of our own riad.
The entire trip was so much fun and I can’t thank my hens enough for making It so special. I feel so lucky to have these memories and particularly grateful that I got to spend time with my friends and family before the chaos of Corona Virus. I had the most amazing time and I would recommend Marrakech as a place to visit for anyone not just hen parties but if you are thinking about Morocco for a hen, then below are my top tips!
Top tips for a hen party in Marrakech
- Alcohol is very expensive so buy as much as you are allowed at duty free!
- Stay in a riad – you will get better value for money as well as being able to have all of your hens in one place
- The roads are very tricky if you want to wear heels!
- You will get approached but not at one point did I feel unsafe
- There are not very many cash points so if you want to shop at the souks then it is best to get cash before at the airports
