Les Orientales in Tangier, Morocco

Back in Tangier on the blog today,

with a tantalising view of this beautiful home in the medina that is available via La Conciergerie Moderne.
There are so many different options and sites to choose from when looking for accomodation when you are planning a trip - and where you stay can make or break a holiday. La Conciergerie Moderne is a small Tangier based company that I have used and happily recommend - plus they have some beautiful properties on their list!
A place like this could indeed make my holiday - what do you think?

Les Orientales has been named after the collection of poems by Victor Hugo of the same name, and is full of attention to detail and designer vignettes.

 

It is interesting - having just come back from Marrakech - how the different environments impact on the design and architecture of the homes and riads.

 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms - room for everyone!

The perfect place to spend a leisurely evening or two -  sitting on this terrace watching the sun sink over the mediterranean  . . .

So if you fancy sipping a little tea in tangier this summer click across and
find more information HERE

x

ALL IMAGES VIA laconciergerie.com

Dar Ka - a riad in Assilah

We have just come back from a quick visit to Morocco and were lucky enough to be able to stay in Dar Ka in the seaside medina of Assilah.

And believe me there is nothing finer than coming home to such a beautiful space after a busy day in the markets and souks.
The word "oasis" is thrown around a lot when describing places in Morocco
but there is a reason for that,
and Dar Ka certainly is a calm, contemporary oasis full of traditional details that place it clearly in context.

So, before the grey skies and dripping rain envelop me completely

I thought I would share some of the little details from my Instagram page that I think make Dar Ka so special . . .

For the bigger picture read THIS post

And for more information about rental availability pop across to THIS PAGE

x

5 things about Tangiers: with Rima Farah

By artist Rima Farah

{Tangiers,Morocco}

I first met Rima when I moved to Assilah and she fast became both a reference point for where to find ANYTHING in Tangiers as well as a friend who provided an often much needed voice of calm in the madness that can be Tangiers.

Her art, like her is one of quiet patience as she interprets the lyrical shapes and forms of arabic calligraphy onto canvases and ceramics.

When I asked her to list me her "5 things about Tangiers " her reply was less about specific people and places, and more about the essence of the city:

#1: The sea - surrounded by both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, I feel at the edge of the world.

#2:The topography - I love the hills and the open green spaces, the plants, the flowers. The space keeps me fit!

#3: The birds - the migrations twice a year with the storks everywhere, and birdsong. 

Lots of open  and magical skies and that special light for painters.

 #4 The food - lots of fresh fish, markets full of local seasonal produce and a huge variety - totally spoilt!

#5 The people - both the Moroccan and non-moroccan, Tangiers is like an airport, people coming in and out and lots of languages, stories, interests and characters - Never a dull moment!

More recently Rima has embarked on a project of getting little pieces of "baraka" woven onto cushions  But more about that later . . . !

For more about Rima and her art:

http://www.rimafarah.com/

A weekend in Tangier, Morocco

Feeling a little tired of the grey uk?

Need something a little more exotic than your daily routine?

Hop across to Gatwick and fly to Tangiers on Friday, and you can be back on Sunday evening ready for that weekly routine again.

And while it may not be a huge amount of time, a weekend getaway that takes you to another country and continent in 4 hours has got to be worth it?

So with the scheduling of Air Arabia Maroc flights on a Friday and Sunday I decided to give some thought to what would I do if I had a fleeting 48 hours in Tangiers?

First of all decide where you want to stay! 

In the medina, in the kasbah, hotel, riad??

La Tangerina

I have a list of my personal preferences HERE on the blog

I think for first time visitors my advice would be to head up to the kasbah  -  The kasbah gives you a feel of the exotic without the chaos . . . there feels like there is a little more light and space, and considering you don't have a lot of time, it will also be a bit more relaxing!

Things start pretty late in the evenings in Morocco - so no need to worry that you will be late for dinner.

If you are feeling intrepid head straight down the hill towards the Grand Socco and the Medina where there is no shortage of places to eat and sights to immerse yourself in.

If you are more in the mood to relax and unwind over a glass of Moroccan red, pop into El Morocco Club in the Kasbah and see who's who in town.

In the morning

take a stroll out of the Kasbah and do a little boutique shopping in Las Chicas right by the main entrance where you will be able browse their curated collection of contemporary Moroccan crafts and fashion.

Then head down the hill to the medina and the markets - take your time, wander around and work out what you want and where to find it.

Keep an eye out for the nougat man in the medina - in my opinion the best nougat around!

Take a coffee break at Cinema Rif and people watch.

Feeling a little peckish after all that walking - try La Petit Socco in the middle of the medina - or La Saveur up the steps just outside the medina for a taste of fresh local food.

A lot of the Moroccan experience is about sitting and sipping a tea or coffee and watching the day go by - so if you are in that frame of mind and it is a lovely sunny day, head all the way back up the hill (you can get a petit taxi but actually central Tangiers is pretty walkable) and kick back with a mint tea at the famous Cafe Hafa.

If a weekend break is more about relaxing around a swimming pool then try a place like   La Maison de Tanger where you can head back to a sunlounger after negotiating the medina.

relax at the swimming pool at La Maison de Tanger

Sunday morning - you might just have enough time to dash into the medina for those babouche you decided you really want (they are apparently set to be the shoe trend of 2016!)
but honestly - if I was you - I would find a spot on the terrace . . .

view from the terrace of Dar Jand

 admire the view and the particular light that bounces off the ocean and enticed artists like Matisse to the city. 

Sip on some freshly squeezed orange juice or aromatic mint tea before heading over to the airport to wing your way home.

Its not a lot of time - but being on the northern edge of Africa, exploring the medina, hearing the call to prayer, all make for something a little more than average for a simple weekend break.

For more information re flights from London too Tangiers go to the Air Arabia Maroc website and head off into that sunset!!

Places to stay in Tangiers

Over the past 18 months of blogging I have mentioned a few places in Tangiers that I have stayed at and would happily and wholeheartedly recommend.

I though it might be useful to put them all on one page for easy reference on one page for easy reference -  so here goes, in no particular order and with links to the original post for more information. . . 

LA TANGERINA

DAR JAND

DAR 23

and most recently

LA MAISON DE TANGER

Can't wait to add to this list !
Any recommendations?
 Please feel free to contact me with any questions about these or other places to stay in Tangiers.

La Maison de Tanger

As you may know - I am currently living in Assilah - yes the blog is called tea-in-tangiers, I know

but that's just because I have a thing for alliteration, and it had a nice ring to it . . .  but if you look at the small print it does say its about Tangiers, Assilah, and the places in between!

Anyway - the point of that little introduction is to explain how I came to spend the night at this lovely place : La Maison de Tanger!

Having been invited to a little soiree one Friday evening in Tangiers, I thought I would spoil myself and stay somewhere nice overnight rather than driving back late.
We decided on La Maison for a few reasons - some practical (parking,central etc) and others just because it looked pretty!

And it didn't disappoint on any accounts.

It is a beautifully restored and gracious home nestling surprisingly close to the grand socco.
Take a right at the arches -  just before you hit the metal workers.
I know the word "oasis" gets used an awful lot when talking about places to stay in morocco,
but this really is an oasis in the middle of the urban chaos of Tangiers.

The images above all give you the "big picture" which is undeniably impressive
but
to me
its always the details that make the difference . . . 

and La Maison de Tanger is full of details like this that make your stay there just that little bit more special
x