Fez in Spat Over Spa Segregation

Morocco was crowned the best spa destination in Africa at the "World Spa Awards" awards ceremony recently held in Italy

A report from the official Maghreb Arabe Presse says that the Kingdom won the "Africa's Best Spa Destination 2016" thanks to "its spas and modern luxury facilities offering a wide range of body treatments and massages."

And, according to The Economist, the tourism wellness industry displays a growth rate of 10% per year even as other segments of the sector stagnated in Morocco. In September 2014, the annual turnover of the Moroccan wellness tourism market was estimated at $253 million. The cities of Marrakech, Agadir, Fez and Tetouan all have several centres of thalassotherapy, fitness and spas.

In light of this it was strange to read news this week that the Fez City Council was moving against hairdressing salons, spas and beauty salons that have mixed sex spaces. Controversy followed the Fez City Council’s ordinance, with a backlash on social media and in the press. According to The Economist  Fez Mayor Idrizz El Azami decided during a Communal Council to implement a segregation order on spas and beauty centres in Fez, ruling that these establishments will have to provide separates spaces for men and women.

The public reaction prompted a quick toning down of the original conservative message. "The order does not rule on the question of the prohibition of diversity in beauty salons, and does not apply to spas and massage parlours," said Mayor of Fez, Driss El Azami Idrissi. So, it was "fake news"!

Mixing is practiced in hotel spas and, according to some newspapers, is strictly reserved for tourists. As if the Moroccans, in their own country, was a second-class citizen. Regardless of whether a couple is married, they can not benefit from the same benefits. In his own country, the Moroccan is the victim of discrimination, does not have the same freedom granted to his honourable visitors. - Meriem H. Hamou Huffington Post

Writing in the Huffington Post, Meriem H. Hamou points out that "the reason given by the council of the city is to 'organise these professions' and to fight against the use of certain spaces as a screen for practicing prostitution. It is not by creating different spaces in hairdressers that those who take advantage of this kind of practices, condemnable in all respects, will stop suddenly. The very notion of separation is "segregationist", in contradiction with the spirit of freedom and gender equality".

So, for the moment, the spat is over...jacuzzi. anyone?

Spa and massage at Hotel Sarai in Fez - business as usual

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Visiting a Moroccan Hammam - A Beginners' Guide

What should I expect when I visit a Moroccan hammam?

A visit to a Moroccan hammam (bathhouse) is a wonderful experience and one of the best ways to meet up with Moroccans. So if you are a visitor to Morocco, don't miss out on a cleansing and cultural experience. Hammam etiquette is not an absolute, but here is a general guide to getting the most from the traditional way of Moroccan bathing.

Where to find a hammam

You will find public hammams in almost every town in Morocco, and in every neighborhood in the cities. Your hotel reception desk will know where to find a local hammam. Taxi drivers, waiters and people in the street will also be happy to give you directions.

The larger hammams have separate bathing rooms (and entrances) for men and women, some exclusively serve either gender. A third category have days of the week for men, and other days for women, or certain hours for men and others for women. You will not find "mixed" public hammams anywhere in Morocco.

A public hammam in the Fez Medina

Quite a few upmarket hotels and riads offer private hammams to their guests. Some also allow non-guests to use their baths. While these private hammams are usually more elaborate and luxurious, they also tend to be much more expensive than public bathhouses.

Some hotels and riads allow people from both genders to bathe together. Ask about their policy before you book.

What to bring to a hammam

Moroccans take the following toiletries to the bathhouse:

• soap,
• shampoo,
• scrub glove,
• towel,
• small, jug-style plastic bucket to pour water over your body,
• swimsuit or extra underwear
• shaving cream and razor.

Hammams usually sell travel-size bottles of shampoo and soap. When available, buy "sabon beldi," a unique black olive oil soap. You will find this easily in the souks.  Also ask if they sell "ghasoul" or "rhassoul", a lava clay that is used to scrub the skin. The rhassoul or ghassoul is a natural mineral clay mined in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco since the eighth century. It is combined with water to clean the body and has been used by Moroccan women for centuries to care for their skin and hair. Rhassoul contains silicon, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, lithium, and trace elements.

sabon beldi

rhassoul

Kiis (scrub glove):  Part of the bath ritual is getting scrubbed down by the hammam attendant or by a friend – all depends on whether you have a friend who will scrub your back for you (everyone scrubs each other in the bathhouse – another cultural thing that would normally be out of place in Western culture). A "kiis" (not "kiss") costs about 10 to 15 dirham /1.00 to 1.50€ for a really good one in the souks  Scrub gloves and the small plastic buckets are available at souks (markets) and épiceries (drugstores). They both cost no more than around 10 dirham. Sabon beldi and rhassoul are also widely available in shops.

You can also rent towels for a few dirham at the front desk.

Hammam layout

When you enter a hammam, you pay the man at the front desk the entry fee and continue to the changing room. Here, you change into a swim suit or a piece of underwear. You leave your clothes on shelves in the room.

There is usually no locker-type storage available, but staff will keep an eye on your belongings. It's very rare for clothing or shoes to be stolen from a hammam, but you should not bring valuable items to a bathhouse.

The changing room often doubles as a place for people to rest after their bath. A lot of hammams serve coffee or tea in this room. So while changing, you will be surrounded by other guests. Be careful to wrap a towel around your waist as you change - full-frontal nudity is offensive.

Beyond the changing room are three areas separated by walls and connected by small openings in these walls. The first room is cool, the second room is warm and the third room is steaming hot.

The hammam ritual

After changing, the usual path through a hammam is:

• (1) Warm room
  Here, you get your body accustomed to the heat in the hammam and fill two of the many available large buckets, one with cold water and one with warm water.
  
  You use some of the water to clean the floor of the space you'll be sitting on. Then you wash a first time, but just superficially, to get rid of the basic dirt on your skin and in your hair.
• (2) Hot room
  The heat in the hot room allows your pores to open wide and let your sweat out. This brings all the dirt out that's hidden in your pores and does wonders for your skin.
  
  How much time you spend in this room, depends on your tolerance for heat. You can use the water in your buckets to refresh from time to time, although most Moroccans leave their buckets in the warm room.
  
• (3) Warm room
  You return to the warm room for a more thorough washing. This is when you soap in completely, using the water from one bucket in the process. A fellow bather may offer to wash your back for you. This is a courtesy, don't misinterpret it for anything else.
  
  After you wash your skin and hair, you use the water from the second bucket to rinse the soap and dirt off your body.
  
  When your bath is done, you carefully empty the remaining water from your buckets along the walls of the warm room.
  
• (4) Cold room
  After your bath, you step into the cold room. Many hammams have communal showers in this room, so you can rinse the last remaining dirt and sweat off your body. There are also benches in this room where you can relax for a while and let your body get used to normal temperatures again.
• 
  

Getting a massage

Many hammams, but by far not all, have staff who can massage you. The more upscale (often private) hammams use scented oils for this. Here, you can also choose to be washed by staff. Such a "gommage" often involves rich olive oil soap and is a real treat.

Visitor, Michael Palin, having a massage in Fez

In the more basic, public hammams, a fellow bather may offer to massage you. There's nothing suspicious about such an offer. It's a very kind gesture, usually without financial motives, although returning the favor is somewhat expected.

People with a bad back or other ailments would be wise to abstain from a massage. Even at the hand of a professional, a massage can be quite painful, although afterwards you'll feel as new.

Getting a massage is always an option, never compulsory.

Hammam etiquette

There are a couple of things that you can do to upset Moroccans in a hammam. Wasting water is one of them. Water is scarce in Morocco and splashing it around in large quantities is considered imprudent and rude. Only use as much water as you need to wash and rinse.

Even more seriously offensive is stripping completely naked in a hammam. There are no exceptions in men's bathhouses, but in some women's hammams people have reported Moroccan women going complete naked. Still, women tourists should only bare all when they see Moroccans doing it. As a general rule keep panties on! (take a spare dry pair to change into afterwards).

Although hammams are basically for hygiene, they also have an important social function. This is especially true for more "traditional" women, who rarely leave their house except for a visit to the hammam. People like to chat in hammams, discussing the latest news and gossip.

As a tourist, you may be quite an event in a public hammam. You will receive a lot of attention. Enjoy your special status - a hammam is a great place to get to know Moroccans. Don't be surprised if you're invited over for drinks or dinner.

How much a hammam costs

A bath in a public hammam usually costs around 6 or 15 dirham. Towels, soap and other toiletries are available for a couple of dirhams.

If you take a massage from one of the staff in a public hammam, you are expected to tip him 10 or 15 dirham .

As you leave the bathhouse, it's custom to tip the front desk attendant one or two dirham.

Hammams in hotels and riads ask up to 300 to 500 dirham for a hammam experience. Expect to pay another few hundred dirham extra for a massage.

Luxury Hammam or Spa

If you are hesitant to dive into the world of a traditional hammam, then investigate the more expensive hotel/resort spas.

Part of the Nausikaa hammam

In Fez there are a number of high-end hammam and spa opportunities.

The Nausikaa Wellness Centre (See our report here). can be found on Avenue Bahnini – Route Ain Smen, in Fes. There is a separate hammam for men, a hair and make up salon, many different kinds of hydro-, seaweed and other therapies provided by staff trained in France, as well as a fully equipped modern gym with personal trainers.
Tel: (+212)035 61 00 06
(+212)035 61 00 16
e-mail: info@nausikaa-spa.com
website : http://nausikaaspa.com/

Riad Laaroussa - Spa Laaroussa (see our story here) is a private authentic hammam with traditional massage in the heart of the medina of Fez. Reservations are available on the hour. Open from 12pm to 8pm.
Email: contact@riad-laaroussa.com  Tel: +212 (0) 6 74 18 76 39 Website: http://www.spalaaroussafez.com/

The hammam at Riad Laaroussa

Palais Amani - Another luxury plus hammam with some interesting products including a hand and foot bath with sea salt crystals. Pumice stone foot scrub, Black soap with argan oil and wild mint and body clay mask and wrap.
12 Derb el Miter  Email: contact@palaisamani.com  Telephone:  +212 535 63 32 09
Website: http://www.palaisamani.com/wellbeing/hammam-rituals-at-les-bains-amani.htm

Marrakech

In Marrakech there are dozens of very fine spas and hammams.  A good example is the Riad Zamzam Spa which as well as hammam offers acupuncture, hot stone therapy and reflexology. All spa products are sourced or made locally. Most are organic, made using ancient recipes handed down by elders.
Telephone: +212 661 215 062 Email: zamzamriad@gmail.com
Website: http://www.riadzamzam.com/spa/

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Fez Dreaming - a personal story

Today we have a contribution to The View from Fez by Céline Vlaminck. Hers is a personal story of how it came about that she is leaving Fez and moving to Paris.

Dreams are realized some times.

I would like to share with you a marvellous event in my life. No neither to tell you at this event, but also to remind you to leave a little space in your life for dreams.

I came to Fez, almost magically, a few years ago. For some, my decision to move here was crazy. I was realizing my "personal legend", to reference Paulo Coelo. I bought a house, I founded a well being centre , massage and retreat called Espace AUM. Everything was almost perfect.

As time went by, however, in both my personal and professional life, I became less happy and more tired. I questioned myself and the heavens why this had come to pass. Slowly, I realized that I changed, while the project had not advanced as far. For many months, I thought of this things. What to do?

One day, while giving a massage, a man who told me within five minutes that my place was no longer in Fes. A few minutes later, he suggested that I open a spa in Paris.

One day, one event, one chance meeting it convinced me to open a health centre for naturopathy, massage and energy in Paris.

L’espac e AUM exists already, and he helped at least an young girl, Fatim Zarah , to realize her dream of becoming a massage therapist.

One more thing: I have forgotten to tell you that all this fortuitous meeting happened on Christmas eve!


Les rêves se réalisent parfois.

Je souhaitais partager ce moment merveilleux de ma vie. Non pas pour parler de moi mais pour vous rappeler qu’il est important de laisser la place aux rêves.

Arrivée à FES comme par magie, d’autres vous diront par insouciance. J’y réalisais ma légende personnelle comme dirait Paulo Coelo : acheter une maison, la transformer en espace de bien-être et de ressourcement : L’espace AUM.

Alors que tout se mettait en place, je me sentais étrange. Moins joyeuse et fatiguée.

Je me questionnais et interrogeait le ciel sur cet étrange fatigue. Je pressentais que j »avais changé plus vite que le projet. Il devenait une étape dans ma vie qui me poussait vers d’autres directions.

Je souhaitais entretenir une relation de suivi avec les clients. Cela va sans dire que je m’interrogeai aussi sur ma vie privée. Pendant plusieurs mois, je m’inquiétais de cela sans réellement voir d’issue.

Puis, au cours d’un massage que je croyais comme bien d’autres. Mon client pressenti que ma place n’était plus à Fes. Après 30 minutes, il me suggérait de m’installer sur Paris.

Un dîner, des mails, des rencontres et puis l’ouverture d’un espace de Bien-être sur Paris début mai.

Un espace particulier puisqu’il regroupe plusieurs approches : la naturopathie, le massage indien et le soin énergétique. Un autre vieux rêve se matérialisait alors.

L’espace AUM existe toujours. Il aide maintenant une jeune fille, Fatim Zarah à réaliser son propre rêve : celui d’être masseuse.

Au fait, j’oubliais de vous dire que tout cela commença la nuit du réveillon de Noël.



Céline Vlaminck
L’espace AUM
9 Derb Moulay Ismael,
Talaa Sghira, FES Medina Maroc
RC 27455
tel France:+33.(0)6.32.74.31.99
tel Maroc:+212.(0)68.82.30.40


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Riad Alkantara opens its doors

Riad Alkantara is now open for reservations from the beginning of October. Lumen investigates:

This splendid complex of five traditional houses has been painstakingly restored over the last few years by Abdelfettah Seffar and Camille Lorenzetti. Luxurious in the extreme, the first house to open is Dar Feshadara. Here the suites are decorated in a refined Oriental theme with hand-crafted cedarwood furniture, antiques from across the Maghreb, Syria, Egypt and India, Italian fabrics and Egyptian cotton bedding, embroidered towels and dressing gowns. You'll have your own music system with a library of CDs, a DVD library, your own laptop computer with Wifi internet connection, tea-making facilities with a variety of infusions, a minibar, hairdryer and Occitane bath products.

Jardins des Roses Suite

4000sq m of established gardens invite a stroll. There's a large swimming pool as well as fountains, water channels and lush planting. Shady terraces, panoramic views of the medina and a solarium complete the scene. Inside there's a dining room as well as a restaurant (open to the public), an exhibition space, a lecture room, bar lounge, smoking room and shop. No expense has been spared, and there's superb attention to detail.


Next year workshops in the creative arts such as cooking, art, crafts, art therapy, music, dance and yoga will be offered. Evenings of music, poetry and story-telling are also on the cards, as well as weddings and events organisation.

The spa will open in September next year. There's a hammam, jacuzzi, Finnish sauna, massage rooms, beauty therapy and solarium. At the same time, the second house, Riad Constellation, will open its doors, with the third, Riad Sahar, in October 2010.

Situated in Oued Souaffine in Douh, Riad Alkantara is reasonably close to parking and very convenient for exploring the medina. The suites start at Dh4000 per night, including breakfast.
Contact the riad at 035 740 292 (the website www.riadalkantara.com is still under construction), or book through Fez Riads.




Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

New hammam opens in the Fez Medina

An ancient hammam (traditional bathhouse)in the Fez Medina has opened its doors to the public. The View from Fez were invited to be the first to experience the new service and so we sent our team of hammam connoisseurs along to investigate.

The workmanship is superb

The restoration of the ancient hammam has been the work of the team at Riad Laaroussa. Some months ago they discovered the run down facility in a room close to their entrance foyer and decided that it was worth saving. No expense was spared and now the facility is up and running.

At the heart of the hammam - the steam room - the original domed ceiling has been repaired and in keeping with the peaceful atmosphere of the room has been done up in beautiful black and grey with white plaster. It is in this room that the trained attendants wash and scrub you with traditional black soap.

After being scrubbed and washed for about forty minutes we were offered a shower complete with good quality shampoos and conditioners followed by ten minutes relaxation with refreshments in the calm candle-lit atmosphere of a small salon.

The forty minute massage that followed was wonderful. The massage, with either jasmine or orange-blossom essential oil, was sensitively performed to a quite background of Moroccan music. All in all a great experience.


The Details:

The full service in the Hammam Laarousa costs 600 dirhams or 300 for wash and scrub only. A massage by itself is also 300. However we suggest you experience the full treatment and savour the atmosphere in a remarkably well restored hammam.

For bookings ring Riad Laaroussa on 074187639 (and mention you heard about it on The View from Fez!)





Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Nausikaa - A great new spa in Fez.

The View from Fez's travel reporter, Wilna Wilkinson, recently visited what might well be the ultimate spa! Note that as our photographer is a male, the hammam shots are of the male hammam and not the colours described by Wilna! Here is her report.

As a seasoned traveller who has long since discovered that Anywhere-on-5$-a-Day may sound cool, but is not necessarily comfortable, I am always happy to share my secret for surviving gruelling 36 hours (sitting in the back end of the plane) flights accompanied with 36 hours (feeling like the back end of the plane) time changes: The answer is a good sauna or a steam bath followed by a serious massage.

The sauna is superb.

Over the years of travelling around the world, I have visited the best spas, hot springs and well-being centres, I have floated in the Blue lagoon in Iceland, wallowed in the mud pools in Fiji, Rotorua and Mauritania, been pummelled in Sweden and pampered in Pangkor Laut, walked on in Ghana and prodded and pounded in Mexico. My favourite pastime in Japan is bathing and my best memory of St Petersburg is a massage.

Ah! And then I was given a birthday gift of a morning of pure pleasure and indulgence at the NausiKaa Wellness Centre on Avenue Bahnini – and all of a sudden my list of superlatives seemed too short!

Reception is efficient and friendly.

From the moment I was dropped off in front of the imposingly modern building with beautiful water ponds and gardens and modern glass and stone façade, and walked into the black wood and grey marble entrance, I was greeted with warm smiles and a friendly welcome. Within minutes the receptionists had ascertained what my needs were and had explained what was on offer. Although I had often visited traditional Moroccan hammams, I had not come prepared with the usual towel, shampoo and brush, but this posed no problem at all and I was whisked off to the change rooms where I was issued with the fluffiest thickest towelling gown, comfortable plastic slip on sandals, shampoo and brush and scrubbing glove. After stowing my clothes in a lock up locker, I was handed over to Ouafa, a lovely young woman who accompanied me down stairs to the ladies' section of the hammam.

The warm marble tables are luxurious.

The entrance to the hammam

It is stunningly beautiful. It was like walking down into the depths of the ocean. All the shades of blue and green mosaics create a sense of coolness and serenity, whilst the pale grey of the solid marble slab massage beds, hair wash basins and stools look sumptuous and luxurious.

Room after room for relaxation

After Ouafa had rubbed me down with a beautiful home made sapon beldi (olive oil soap), my first stop was in the steam room – a circular room with comfortable seats around the perimeter and steam so hot that it satisfied even my extreme tastes. A perfect and thoughtful touch in the steam room were the taps with fresh cool water, cleverly placed behind the seats for when the perspiration make vision difficult. The steam room was so good that I did not want to leave, but curiosity got the better of me, and the moment I stepped out of the room, Ouafa was there to lead me to the marble bed where I was made to lie down, my head comfortable on a soft triangular cushion. And then the pleasure started. With the rough scrubbing glove Ouafa gave me a thorough 'gommage' – a scrubbing of the entire body to get rid of every bit of dead skin, leaving me glowing and tingling and feeling completely rejuvenated. I was then washed down with warm water from a hand held shower attached to the base of the marble bed, after which I stepped into the large, deep and very hot Jacuzzi.

The jacuzzi - hot bazef!

Just when I was thinking that nothing could feel more heavenly, the next stage of the treatment started. This time Ouafa started the 'savonnage' -- rubbing a beautiful creamy soap all over me, massaging my skin with the soft soap from the tips of my toes to the top of my head until every bit of me felt soft and supple and every muscle in my body felt relaxed – a deliciously gorgeous sensation. When I was finally instructed to go stand under the shower to wash down all the soap and shampoo, I felt so mellow that I just smiled and complied.

No detail has been overlooked.

I could have stopped there and been totally satisfied, but there was more to come!

One of the many massage rooms.

Ouafa wrapped me in the towelling gown and took me upstairs to the treatment rooms. Here, on the top floor, the décor changes from the mystical aqua's to the more sleek black and greys with beautifully carved ebony wood inlays, smoked glass, clean modern lines and crisp white cotton sheets on the massage beds. In the massage rooms scented candles fill the air with a subtle fragrance and soft lighting and gentle music add to the atmosphere of opulence and luxury.

Every treatment from traditional to hi-tech!

Ikram, another lovely young woman, made me comfortable and started the massage. Over the next hour every muscle, every nerve ending, every square inch of my body was attended to until I felt as if I was floating above the bed. It was without a doubt one of the best massages I have ever had. And to make the experience even more perfect, Ikram suggested, when she had finished, that I may want to stay for a while before getting up. To be able to continue lying and luxuriating in the wonderfully relaxed state after a massage is such a bonus! Wonderful!

Want to keep fit? Fancy a swim? No problem, two pools ... and a gym.

Finally I had a shower – in a large cubicle in the massage room -- wrapped myself in the gown again and went back downstairs to retrieve my clothes and get dressed. I was reluctant to leave, but, as I floated out of the NausiKaa Wellness Centre, feeling like a million dollars, I knew that I would be back – the very first chance I get!


Nausi Kaa was the beautiful daughter of King Alkinoos of the Phaiakians, who was sent by Athena to go meet Odysseus when he landed in Scheria or Phaiacia. She anointed him with fragrant oils and revived him after his difficult voyage.

The Nausikaa foyer

The NausiKaa Wellness Centre can be found on Avenue Bahnini – Route Ain Smen, in Fes. There is a separate hammam for men, a hair and make up salon, many different kinds of hydro-, seaweed and other therapies provided by staff trained in France, as well as a fully equipped modern gym with personal trainers.

Tel: (+212)035 61 00 06
(+212)035 61 00 16
e-mail: info@nausikaa-spa.com
website : http://nausikaaspa.com/

Reporter: Wilna Wilkinson
Photographs: Sandy McCutcheon

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Massage in Morocco

In an earlier post we mentioned the rumour that a massage centre was about to open in Fez. Now our Special Affairs Editor, Helen Ranger, has been on the case and reports....

Enterprising Frenchwoman Celine Vlaminck has two new developments up her sleeve. The first is a massage academy being set up in the medina with a view to training local people in various types of massage. Celine trained in Ayurvedic massage in India, is a Reiki Master and has studied other techniques such as reflexology and Thai massage. She will soon be training staff at a local spa. She is currently devising her own reflex-massage technique and compiling a handbook for students.


On offer too are relaxing holidays in the south, in El Kelaa M’Gouna, famous for its rose oil production, and at Ait Benaddhou, an awe-inspiring kasbah that has featured in many films. Signing up for one of these holidays means spending days learning and practising the healing technique of Reiki, time for meditation, gentle exercise and your own treatments. And all the while enjoying good accommodation, a swimming pool, hammam and excellent food surrounded by the High Atlas mountains.

For more details see Celine’s website

Nous sommes à votre disposition pour le moindre renseignement,
n'hésitez pas à nous contacter:

par téléphone au :+212.68.82.30.40

ou par e-mail: massagemaroc@gmail.com

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

There's one born every minute.

Local price for a hammam, between 6 and 12 dirhams. Price for British journalist, Catriona Irvine? 500 dirhams.

You have to wonder what planet people are on sometimes. Catriona Irvine from the UK Sunday Mirror was sent on a holiday to Morocco and did the whole gushing thing... BEDUIN & BREAKFAST - DISCOVER MOROCCO'S HIDDEN JEWELS ON A CAMEL TREK INTO THE SAHARA. And - although her room was only 18 pounds per night - she stumped up 30 for a hammam. Sounds unbelievable? Read about her adventures in Marrakech for yourself...

We ventured into the souks for some bartering. We got some leather slippers down from a crazy starting price of £60 to £6 and some large ceramic plates down from £42 to around £6 too. It helped that Jane spoke fluent French the main language after Arabic although many locals also speak English. And the further you walked away from the main square the cheaper everything became.

We had read Marrakesh is a good place to get clothes made up, so set our mind to designing some outfits.

As it was our last day, it would be a tough job to find someone, but we visited a material shop and they led us to a tailor.

He cancelled all other jobs for us and his workforce of five spent the afternoon making us three pairs of shorts and two dresses we had designed, for a total of £42.

After a little more bartering, it was time for a hammam, or Turkish bath. We found one in Derb Dabachi, just off the Place Djemma El Fina. It was pretty daunting as we stood there in our bikinis and were told to take our tops off.

We were rubbed in black salt and headed to the sauna, where we were scrubbed, covered in clay, showered off and then taken upstairs for our massage and facial for £30.

We wore our new outfits that night on a visit to Pacha Marrakesh (00 212 24388400, www.pachamarrakech.com), the latest superclub which is about a 10-minute cab ride from the central Medina.

We booked in for dinner at the Crystal Lounge, which was a stunning setting with tea lights welcoming us up the entrance path and a view over the swimming pool as we tucked into melon soup, sea bass, lamb cutlets and a delicious mango sorbet (three courses with wine, about £35).

WHAT'S THE DEAL?

OUR two-day trip into the desert was with Rediscover the World and cost £209pp (call 08707 406 306 or visit www.rediscover.co.uk). The company also arranged our Marrakesh accommodation - a night's B&B at Dar Anika costs from £30pp and the Riad El Borj has double rooms from £18pp. For flights go to www.easyjet.com

Tip for Catriona. Next time come to Fez and have a real hammam - Price 6 dirhams.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Blogging the hammam!

It is not very often that we find a blogger who really captures the essence of the hammam. But today we got lucky. Our spies alerted us to: The Bruising Adventures of Girl Clumsy! Yes, not only did she go to a hammam - she wrote about it and, seeing she is a Brizzy girl, from OZ, I am sure she won't mind, so... here's an excerpt plus a link to her fine blog.

As I lay face down and half-naked on the warm wet floor - my buttocks being heartily loofahed by an ancient-looking topless masseuse, and being carefully watched over by two nubile air hostesses wearing only G-strings - I thought to myself:

"Well, this is not what I expected to be doing in Morocco!"

I'm talking, ladies and gentlemen, not of a sudden foray into low-budget pornography, but of my Saturday evening in a hammam, or traditional Moroccan bath.

We arrived in Fes - once the capital of the country and still reknowned as its spiritual and gastronomic heart - on Friday night, after a long mini-bus ride up from the Sahara Desert (where we beaten the floods and food poisioning to make an awesome desert sunrise and camel ride). We spent Saturday in the company of Hakima, a famous local guide (she's even listed in the Morocco Lonely Planet), touring the even more famous Fes medina. Inside the walls of Old Fes exist over 10 000 streets. Street is actually a misleading description, as most would struggle to qualify as crawl space, and one can easily get lost, or worse, barrelled over by one of the many donkeys that replace cars as the vehicle of choice for moving merchandise inside the medina.

Our visit included trips to see: carpet-making (my goodness, but the girls are fast with their knot-tying - watching them string their Australian merino wool into memorised patterns was like watching a harpist on amphetamines); the tanneries (where they dye leather after soaking it in a scrumptious batch of pigeon poo); the weaving (pretty scarves made out of cactus silk!); and the herbalist (who made a small fortune out of my love of yummy smelling things for my skin).

So after all that most of the group felt like they needed to relax - it was only as we walked into the hammam to pay that I realised I was the only girl going in. The sexes bathe in different rooms, and understandably I was nervous. Actually, terrified would be more accurate - especially after I realised Moroccan women didn't seem to share my body hang-ups and were letting it all...well, hang out. Boobs everywhere! Once I stripped down to my athing suit and entered the steam rooms, I didn't know where to look or what to do. I had paid 50 dirhams (about 8 bucks) for a steam and a massage, but with my knowledge or Arabic and French extremely limited, I was having trouble working out what I was supposed to do, beynd nabbing myself a few buckets filled with hot water.

Then Allah smiled on me. Two gorgeous young women asked if I would like to sit with them. "Yes, please!" I cried in relief. They turned out to be Miriam and Schiamae, two flight attendants with Royal Air Maroc. They offered me cleansers and shampoos, and made sure I eventually got my massage. While we waited, I asked them about their lives as young Muslim women - they said that Morocco was quite liberal, and they could live their lives as they pleased. This included having boyfriends, although they respect their families by leaving cohabitation until after marriage. They also reinforced the fact that wearing the hijab is a Muslim women's own choice - and that in Islam it's whats in your heart that counts. (Although they did admit that life is harsher in other countries like Iran). I spoke a bit about Australia, and admitted once again ashamedly that I don't speak a second language.

All the while the two girls were topless.

Now I say this not just to be titillating, but to show the friendly social nature of the hammam. It's a place where you can just be - no clothes, no worries. Still, I was clinging on to the hope that I could keep my bikini top on during my massage - even though Miriam had started being pummelled and loofahed all over while we were speaking.

Then it was my turn.

Read the rest here: A Fes to remember!

So, what about the men's hammam?

As luck would have it - our intrepid "Clumsy Girl" had a companion...


Firstly we are told to strip down to our underwear... no swimmers allowed. I unfortunately was wearing, for the first time, a pair of white y-fronts. We all know what happens at a wet t-shirt costume when the ladies wear white? Thank god these pair were thick and new.
We are lead into a white tiled room full of naked or semi naked men and told to sit.

No sooner had my buttocks hit the warm tiles i was drenched in hot water by lanky, wiry, septuagenarian wielding a huge bucket.

He kneels next to me as i splutter and choke and rolls me onto my front. "what, no flowers, no dinner" i think as he starts pummeling, stretching and roughly kneading every limb and muscle group. He twists my knee and pulls on my elbow and i really think this guy would give Triple H a run for his money in a Cage Wrestling Match. He then slaps my thigh very hard. This is my cue to roll over and let him start again on my front. I don't know whether to laugh or cry so i kinda do both.

Read the rest of the story here: Cleanliness or Assault?.


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Thai Massage at the Yuba Cyn Spa, Fez

When it comes to massage, Helen Ranger is not easy to please. Having run a successful school of aromatherapy for some nine years and an aromatherapy practice for 15 years, she is hypercritical.

A couple of weeks ago she bumped into Mustafa, owner of the Yuba Cyn Spa in Fez, and he had two Thai women with him. The story goes that Mustafa and his wife Yousra were in Thailand recently, doing some Thai massage training, and thought it would be a wonderful idea to bring two masseuses back to Fez to work at their spa. They approached the Moroccan Embassy and were given permission for the women to come to Morocco. And here they are! Wonderful petite women who greet you with a bow and their hands in ‘namaste’. And what hands!

Helen found herself garbed in a cotton outfit of loose trousers and top, lying on her back on a large mattress. The room is just the right temperature, the scent of peppermint on a burner rather too strong, and the plinkety-plonky music turned off. (Tip: when you treat yourself to a massage, remember you’re the client and can ask for anything – including turning the music off if it annoys you!) That’s when the hands started their work …


In a Thai massage, it’s not just hands though. Thumbs work on pressure points, hands roll the muscle groups, and elbows, knees and feet are used to apply firm rhythmic pressure. The rhythm and gentle cradling of arms and legs while they’re moved gently into position make this a most comforting form of massage. It’s really a type of assisted yoga, originating in India and based on Ayurveda, and is some 2500 years old. It follows the Sen lines on the body, rather like the Chinese meridians, and results in excellent lymphatic drainage and absolute relaxation.



After almost two hours on the mattress, Helen felt some neck tension. But this soon disappeared after a head and neck massage. The great thing is that you don’t come away sticky with oil (not used at all), nor feeling that you should go home to bed. Helen felt totally relaxed but able to go to an Arabic lesson!

Yuba Cyn (named after King Yuba II who ruled over Volubilis) is a wonderful spa where hairdressing, various massages including hot stone, reflexology and aromatherapy are offered, as well as bridal make-up and facials. It’s easy to find behind the Hotel Tghat and is reasonably priced. A one-hour Thai massage is Dh250, two hours is Dh400.

Helen Ranger came away suitably impressed, and plans another visit …

Yuba Cyn Spa 035 943 506


Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news