I stayed at Dar Charkia with a group of friends (12 of us in total) last week for a birthday celebration and it was, in a word, perfect. The moment we arrived we were warmly welcomed in to the beautiful Riad, served traditional mint tea, shown around our rooms (which all had charming bespoke decoration, with authentic and traditional influences) and given a hugely helpful and informative talk (which was in addition to the email correspondence we had received prior, offering suggestions for activities, places to eat, best cash exchange places and personal recommendations from the owners Lisa and Michael). As a large group, we had the entire Riad to ourselves and it truly felt like a (luxurious) home away from home and the perfect place to spend time amongst friends in the somewhat chaotic but vibrant and exciting city of Marrakech.
The location of the Riad itself is nestled in the heart of the Medina, in walking distance of the markets and Souks but off set on an unassuming passage, as to provide peace and tranquility after busy days exploring the sights, scents and sounds of the city. The Riad was well equipped with all essential facilities and Lisa and Michael provided annotated maps in each room to further enhance the quality of our trip. As a result, in our short stay we packed in a spa day with traditional Hammam & Gommage and full body massages, off-road quad biking, a day in a retreat in the Atlas Mountains, as well as venturing into the Souks and partying to the early hours at a nightclub and live music venue.
Above all however, the constant highlight was being able to wind down in the beautiful surroundings of Dar Charkia. The courtyard decorated with beautiful tea lights in the evening was pure bliss and breakfasts spent on the roof terrace, lounging in the shade of the bedouin tent were a magical and ideal setting to wake up to.
This holiday will be forever embedded in my mind as one of the most beautiful and outstanding I have experienced, thanks in no small part for our decision to stay at Dar Charkia. A huge thanks to Lisa, Michael and their wonderful team and no doubt my friends and I will return for years to come!
So all in all, I would urge anyone looking for an effortless, totally relaxing but holistic, authentic and interesting stay in Morocco to enjoy the wonderful Dar Charkia for the perfect Moroccan getaway.