LOVE AND ROMANCE IN MOROCCO
Campion and Tatiana have now left the U.S.!!!
We look forward to seeing you in Morocco!
Photos are up online at http://www.marrakesh.shutterfly.com.
TATIANA & CAMPION ARE HAVING A MOROCCAN
WEDDING CELEBRATION!
A year, a month and a day after the fact, they will renew
their vows as the sun sets over the snow-capped
Atlas Mountains in an 18th century fortress in Marrakesh.
But this is not just a one night celebration!
You are invited to come spend an unforgettable Thanksgiving
with camels! The Thanksgiving celebration will take place
in a fabulous Moroccan villa set in a 5-acre fantasy garden
in the fashionable La Palmeraie district.
5:16:11:14:5:27:2:15:10:23:11:24
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You are cordially invited to
LOVE AND ROMANCE
IN MOROCCO
Friday, November 25th, 2005
19h00
Kasbah Agafay
Marrakesh, Morocco
Festive Attire
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Please also join us for
THANKSGIVING DINNER
AND CELEBRATION
Thursday, November 24th, 2005
19h00
Verger de l'Etoile Filante Villa
La Palmeraie, Marrakesh
Moroccan Jelabah Attire
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MARRAKESH, "Morocco City", as early travellers called it, has always been something of a pleasure city, a marketplace where southern tribesmen and Berber villagers bring in their goods, spend their money and find entertainment. It's an enduring fantasy – a city of immense beauty, low, red and tentlike before a great shaft of mountains – and immediately exciting. At the heart of it all is a square, Djemaa El Fna, an open space in the center of the city, and the stage for a long-established ritual in which shifting circles of onlookers gather around groups of acrobats, drummers, pipe musicians, dancers and storytellers. However many times you return there, it remains compelling. So, too, do the basins of the Agdal and Menara gardens, the delicate Granada-style carving of the Saadian Tombs and the Koutoubia Minaret. Marrakesh has Berber rather than Arab origins, having developed as the metropolis of Atlas tribes – Maghrebis from the plains, Saharan nomads and former slaves from Africa beyond the desert, and the ancient kingdom of Timbuktu. All of these strands shape the city's souks and its way of life... Come discover it all!
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SUGGESTED TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS:
SPEND THE ENTIRE WEEK IN MOROCCO!
British Airways flies to Morocco from the U.S. through London. From London, you can fly to Casablanca and then connect on to Marrakesh. Air France has flights through Paris de Gaulle, and then direct into Marrakesh from Paris. Air Maroc flies direct New York to Casablanca, and then connect from Casablanca to Marrakesh.
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TENTATIVE WEEK ACTIVITIES
Sunday, November 20th to Saturday, November 26th, 2005
Sunday, November 20th:
Arrive in Marrakesh! Welcome reception and dinner in old Medina.
Monday, November 21st:
Cultural visits in and around Marrakesh. Dinner in Gueliz.
Tuesday, November 22nd:
Happy birthday Campion! Evening celebration at Riad El Fenn.
Wednesday, November 23rd:
Day trip to Oukaimeden, N. Africa's largest ski resort.
Dinner at Marrakesh hot spot Le Comptoir.
Thursday, November 24th: Thanksgiving at Verger de l'Etoile Filante Villa!
Friday, November 25th: Love and Romance at Kasbah Agafay!
And much, much more TBD!
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ACCOMMODATIONS:
There are many funky riads in Marrakesh. One that we recommend is DAR EL SOUK: A small riad situated in the Zitoun quartier, not far from Djemaa El Fna square. Rooms start at 60 Euros per night (very good price for Marrakesh!) http://www.darelsouk.com/
If you are looking for modern amenities, there is LE MERIDIEN N'FIS MARRAKESH. Located in the Menara district and situated in a stunning park. 277 rooms. Rooms start at 150 Euros. http://www.marrakech.lemeridien.com/
If you are looking for luxury, you may be interested in the famous LA MAMOUNIA, the hotel of choice of politicians and celebrities alike. Rooms start at 300 Euros (3300 Moroccan Dirhams). http://www.mamounia.com/
Currency Converter: Euros, Moroccan Dirhams to Dollars
OTHER HOTELS:
RIAD EL FENN is a nine suite fully restored riad, with comfortable lounge rooms and a salon with an open fireplace. This is where the dinner on November 22nd for Campion's birthday will take place. It is owned by Vanessa Branson, who shares the same business genes as her tycoon brother.
www.riadelfenn.com
RIAD KNIZA: 18th century old Riad Kniza is an upscale small luxury “Hotel de Charme” completely restored by well known Marrakechi Mr. M. Bouskri in the heart of the old Médina.
www.riadkniza.com
The AMANJENA on the outskirts of Marrakesh is the first Aman Hotel on the African Continent. Very exclusive, its Moorish film-set architecture has been called ‘stark’ - but it is quite breathtaking. Expensive.
http://www.amanjena.com
The site of Friday night's celebration, KASBAH AGAFAY, is also an exquisite small 20-room hotel. Tented suites are available with amazing panorama, all on the grounds of this 18th century fortress. Strong Moroccan flavor with high end touches.
http://www.kasbahagafay.com
KASBAH TAMADOT is a luxurious mountain retreat opened by Richard Brandson in 2004. Stunning views. Morocco is all about contrasts and Kasbah Tamadot is a fabulous place to experience them all. Located 40-minute drive from Marrakesh.
http://www.kasbahtamadot.com
More hotel information available at Nathalie Hambro's Full of Chic web site:
En Vacances: Road to Morocco
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Recommended Guide Book:
TIME OUT MARRAKESH
'...an indispensable guide.' Harpers & Queen
Marrakech is becoming newly fashionable as a long-weekend break for fine dining, specialist shopping and exquisite ‘hip hotel’ accommodation. The rapid growth of stylish new venues has made the city a staple of travel features in the style press. Marrakech’s hip quotient show no signs of flagging. Movie heartthrob Colin Farrell set up headquarters in the bar of the Sheraton there while filming Oliver Stone’s Alexander in the deserts and mountains outside town, which is also where Richard Branson’s long-awaited ‘kasbah’ (fortress) hotel opens in March. Meanwhile, Branson’s sister Vanessa has just had her new boutique hotel make it on to Conde Nast’s annual list of the world’s hottest accommodation (Riad El Fenn, the location of Campion's birthday dinner on November 22nd). In fact, such is the continued celeb and A-list pull of this tiny little market town on the edge of the Atlas Mountains that it now even has its first members’ club, occupying a historic old palatial residence at the heart of the Old City’s bazaar district. The new Time Out Guide, of course, covers all these new spots, while also providing insightful coverage and analysis of local culture, traditions and arts that have made this pink-walled city such a magnet for the international fashion, film and high-society set.
Time Out Marrakech also includes coverage of the hotspots within easy reach of Marrakech, from escapes into the Atlas Mountains to boho beach chilling in Essaouira.
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Weather Info!
Morocco Weather - Marrakesh Average Conditions
Morocco Weather - Temperatures in Fahrenheit
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OPTIONAL - WEEK OF NOVEMBER 13TH TO 19TH:
If you are adventurous, come join Campion and Tatiana the week before as well for a caravan through the desert. Start out the week traveling by car to the Atlas mountains and through the famed city of Ouarzazate. Spend the night at the amazing Riad Maria, where another unmentionable couple, B&A, hid out earlier this year. Then, a day of travel by camel to spend three nights in the desert (yes, we will have guides!). After the desert, return to Marrakesh by car on Saturday, November 19th, in time for activities planned for the week. For this, you would need to arrive in Marrakesh on Sunday, November 13th. If you are thinking of doing this week as well, please email tatiana@campionplatt.com as soon as possible so that necessary arrangements can be made!
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Morocco is the tantalising lower lip on the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea, a land so rich in mystique it seems to hover like a magic carpet somewhere between myth and reality. Morocco's dazzling mosaic of Arab and Berber cultures -- with a dash of African and European influence -- is at once strange and romantic, alluring and disconcerting. Morocco is a country that is so intrinsically beautiful and rich with heritage that the moment you step foot on it you feel completely transported to another time and place. The landscapes vary from snow-laden slopes to pristine deserts.
Come join us there...
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