Dar Sabra, MOROCCO

Dining: the restaurant is exclusively for guests. Discover Moroccan cooking with its many vegetables dishes bursting with sunshine fruits, rare and perfumed spices, delicate fishes and delicious meats. Begin with an assortment of raw or cooked Moroccan salads, traditional Briouates, Pastilla and other specialities like Harira soup. To continue: multitudes of earthenware, Tajine and couscous of many and varied recipes, combining an infinity of flavors: sweet-salty, mixtures of spices such as cinnamon, saffron, ginger or coriander. Don't forget the famous Mechoui (Lamb barbecue), prepared for big celebrations or Tangia. And then the moment of greed! Morrocan pastries; sophisticated mixtures of almonds, orange blossom water, honey and cinnamon. The most famous of the Moroccan pastries, is called the Horn of Gazelle but we cannot forget the fabulous Pastilla with Milk or Baghrir. To conclude mint tea, an inescapable tradition which no doubt will charm you .

Onsite facilities include: 5 swimming pools, 1 hard tennis court, 1 ping-pong table, 1 bowling pitch, 1 Spa with massage rooms, fitness club and 2 hammams, 1 bar & 1 pool bar.Guests will enjoy the very best of Moroccan hospitality as they relax on the elegant patio, in the library and spacious lounges, or around Dar Sabra's swimming pools, where peace and quiet are guaranteed.

Special Events: for weddings and other special occasions, the whole property is available for exclusive hire.

Meetings: there is a conference room, business center, and screening room. Dar Sabra also features hi-tech equipment and impeccably trained staff.

Sights and activities: The Square Jemaa El Fna, classified as a world heritage site, is the courtyard of the Medina, a huge open-air theatre where you find snake charmers, storytellers fortune tellers and monkey trainers makes of this place a magical location. The souks are the best of Morroco.

The Koutoubia: Yacoub El Mansour, great Almohade king from the end of the 12th century built this lovely 77m high mosque with its 4 golden balls.

The Majorelle Gardens: created in the 1920's by the French painter Jacques Majorelle, the gardens protect rare species and a little building, the workshop of the painter which became an Islamic museum.

The Menara, still one of the symbols of Marrakesh, including a hundred-year-old oliveraie is magnificent. The big pond in its center, dug in the Almohade period (XIIth century), is fed by the water of the Atlas. Even today, this pond irrigates gardens through a very elaborate system of subterranean channels. A magnificent Saädien house is reflected in this pond. According to the legend, it sheltered the dates of the sultans. This legend also says one of these sultans would, upon sunrise, throw the aspirant with whom he had just spent the night into this pond. Nowadays, Ménara is a very popular haven of freshness in summer.

Excursions:
Oukaimeden: at 74 kms away from Marrakech, discover the highest skiing station of Africa at 2650m high at the foot of Jbel Oukaimeden (3273m)

Lalla Takerkoust: 34 kms, 7km length lake with various inns and nautical activities.

Ouzoud waterfalls: at 156 kms, the Wadi falls 100m in magnificent scenery inhabited by monkeys, birds and macaques.

Ourika Valley: a green valley which goes deep into the Haut Atlas. Typical Berber villages perched along the mountain torrent.

Getting there:
BY CAR: There are two main routes: one through Spain, the other through the Rhone Valley in France, arriving in Morocco in three or four days depending on the time of year. The shortest route starting in Paris passes through Bayonne and Madrid, just under 2,000 kilometres. If you?re travelling from Geneva, head for the Rhone Valley, then Sète or Port-Vendres, or head for Barcelona until you reach Malaga. The ferry crossings from Spain are as follows: Algeciras-Tangier 2 hours & Algeciras-Ceuta 1 hour 30 min & Malaga-Melilla 8 hours
From France: Sète-Tangier in 36 hours on the Marrakech & Port-Vendres-Nador via the Balearic Islands & Sète-Nador on the Rif.
BY PLANE: Marrakech is just two hours from Madrid, three hours from Paris, and three hours from London by plane. The Menara-Marrakech airport is situated 10 minutes from the Medina in Marrakech. Royal Air Maroc and European airlines offer regular flights.
BY TRAIN: Travelling by train between different Moroccan towns is a fast and pleasant way of getting around. The Moroccan rail network is reliable and punctual. A trip from Marrakech to Casablanca takes three hours 10 minutes (nine departures a day) and one hour longer to get to Rabat.

Airport transfer on demand:
- from 1 to 3 pax: 30 euro.
- from 4 to 6 pax: 50 euro.