Marrakesh - Kasbah Agafay
Spring 2007
Frank's view 
There is only one accommodation option here.
Well actually the Kasbah Agafay has 20 rooms available but, trust me, there is only one option. A tent.
The hotel has 16 rooms and 4 tents. Don’t waste your time on a room. You’ll kick yourself, especially when you see the tents. They are amazing.
We visited the Kasbah Agafay in February when the hotel was very quiet. Upon booking we were intrigued by the option of sleeping in a Bedouin style luxury tent and, at 500 euros a night, went for it.
There are two deluxe tents and two not so deluxe but still great. The tents are heated, fully wired and plumbed and are very luxurious. They also do have fabulous sunset views over the olive groves.
As the hotel was so quiet we took the opportunity to snoop and had a good look at a number of the empty rooms. Don’t go there. Stick to the tent.
One massive disappointment was the hotel’s restaurant, particularly as the Kasbah Agafay makes a big thing about its Cookery School. Moroccan food is relatively unsophisticated and an acquired taste but we have enjoyed delicious Moroccan cuisine in the past. This was not an enjoyable experience and we did give it a second chance.
The hotel is around 20 minutes drive from Marrakesh so we spent a fair amount of time in taxis, but it was worth staying out of town.
We went horse riding one day in the nearby Atlas Mountains. The clever thing when you go riding in a foreign country is to claim you have never been within 5 kilometres of a horse in your life, even if you have just won the Grand National or the Badminton Horse Trials. Your guide will invariably introduce you to a horse called “Fat Bob” who is a supposed donkey. Within minutes of mounting Bob he becomes “Bucking Bob” and you’re frantically clinging to his manky hairy ears for dear life whilst your guide rides ahead, turning back intermittently to ask if you want to “gallopy gallopy”? As a result of consistently declining, the ride takes four times longer than expected and the bill is adjusted accordingly.
In fact the ride was through stunning hills and mountains, past lonely shepherds, goat herds and weary donkeys carrying laden baskets and being driven hard by 10 year old boys. We expected Jesus and the Disciples to appear at any moment.
We will definitely return to Kasbah Agafay, but only to a tent. We will probably not eat there and will most likely ride once again in the Atlas Mountains. Morocco is hot enough to go off season and be (relatively) sure of good weather. May or October perhaps?
Kasbah Agafay
+212 24 36 86 00
Be Frank: agree or disagree? What do you think?
