This might sound like a stupid question but i keep reading about it but still not sure what it is exactly. Is it a masage or a steam room?
I am going with my mum to Marrakech in 2 weeks and starting to make a list of things we would like to do. I have been reading this forum for a few months.
Should we take a bathing suit and our own towels for the Hamman? we would like to do one in a riad. I think our Riad does it - Riad des Eaux.
Thanks
Hi,
A Moroccan hammam is usually a series of rooms going from hot to cool. You progress in stages through the rooms being washed with black olive soap and having hair treatments and being exfoliated with a rough glove.
Afterwards you might want a massage but that is a seperate thing from the hammam.
If you are going to a hammam outside your Riad they will provide what you need included in the price, you should only take a change of underwear.
If you go to a local rather than a tourist hammam you will need to take towels with you but should be able to buy anything else at the hammam.
In your Riad they will provide everything and it will most likely take place in one room only.
In house you will probably go through the process wearing your pants (hence the need for a spare pair). Same in most tourist places but in the local hammam anything goes so don't be surprised if you go to one to see complete nudity in all ages of women.
Mens hammams are more discrete; they keep their pants or a wrap on all the way through.
Edited: 9 years agoI braved the local hammam... I think the same one you showed your mum to Shimmin. Hamma El Bacha (women = noon -8pm). It was AWESOME! My hotel also sent me to Les Bain Marrakech. I loved the local hammam.
I'm just typing up my trip report...
In addition to what Shimmin has already said, the local women go starkers and leave their modesty at the wooden screen by the front door! But I kept my undies on & attempted to keep my bra on, shouldn't have bothered in hindsight as I now have a pair of ruined current season CK knickers. They scrub and scrub, regardless of what you are or not wearing! :)
Also, at the Hammam El Bacha I brought everything with me (bought savon noir, a kessa mitt & argan oil... the works). Turned out I didn't need to, as they had everything (savon noir, scrubbing mitt, shampoo, soap, massage oil bar, water buckets & splash bowls, etc), they gave me plastic slippers to walk with & they had spare towels. I brought along a couple of hotel towels anyway.
Edited: 9 years agoHellobayo, thank you for your post. Your post had me sitting here reminiscing my first hammam in bursts of giggles! I had no idea what the hammam experience was beforehand. The place that I went to was a 'totally naked' place, and whilst I was being scrubbed and pummelled I wondered what I was doing because it's so un-British!! However, after a thorough clean it left me feeling totally happy and carefree. I would recommend that everyone try it at least once.
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269 helpful votes mine was in our riad, (wished i would have tried one in turkey) and i was alone with this young woman...not knowing what was going to happen in this incredible room. with all the hub bub of marrakech, i didn't care, i was going to enjoy (and not being a local one, knew that is was going to be safe...no tossing me around!!). she methodically used this wonderful ( i wanted to take it home), brass ladle, and scooped up the water, over and over again. then poured it over me, naked, what the hell, on a marble slab. then rubbed me with black soap, scrubbed me with the glove, and i just can't remember the rest...so relaxing. then, stood in the middle of the small room, as she poured the warm water over me again to rinse me off...wow, i had a out of body experience. loved it so
Hi how much did the hamman cost it the local hammam
Crazyshy - DIY entrance fee is 10MAD, which I think is standard all over Marrakech as I saw 2 other local looking hammams with that price written at the entrance. But I paid 100MAD for the entrance, a lady to scrub/torture me and finally give me a massage... oh and there was a row of local women guarding your bags outside the steam area.
Heresmyreply - I know, right? And the sudden dumping of hot and cold water was something else. :)
I just wrote a looong review here: tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g293734-i9196-k4…
Hope it will help someone. My hotel directed me to Les Bains Marrakech, but I didn't get to go in the end. But since I can get a nice hammam experience at a London or Surrey spa, I #'m glad I did the proper local hammam and not just the ones geared towards tourists. Nothing wrong with going up market, I would have done if it was available when I wanted it. But that would have taken away my interaction with the true local women.
Thanks and also should I bring all the product or is just as cheap to buy it there.
Hi,
I doubt you can buy black olive soap in the UK. Buy everything you need here when you go to the hammam.
I am booked in to go with my bf on monday - Hamman Scrub then massage - what is the best thing to wear - do you lie down or sit when you have the hamman?! Can a guy wear tighty whities ;)
Thanks
shimmin,
I guess she meant to ask whether it would be cheaper to buy it at the hamman or in some shop in the medina. Actually, I'd like to know that too.
