Spectacular feast for the eyes
The sun goes down over the Merinides and the sky blushes streaks of pink and apricot. A couple of storks flap awkwardly across the skyline going home to roost on the medina’s fortified walls. Our guests make their way to the seating outside the roof top bar at Palais Amani for another spectacular feast for the eyes as the sun dips behind the hills.
Once the call for evening prayer swells and falls, gentle jazz will play. The roses, bougainvillea and geraniums are flowering with a complete lack of restraint. A bottle of Volubilia Gris is chilled just enough to allow a release of sun kissed flavours in your mouth as you take the first sip. It is one of my favourite moments at the end of a day in Fez, or was until Covid19 hit the world and momentarily travel stopped.
Celebrating our tenth anniversary
This week is particularly special for us as we celebrate our tenth anniversary. So let’s just imagine we are still up on our rooftop this evening or perhaps sitting in the gardens under the fragrant orange trees. We have made a huge fresh fruit cocktail for the team and guests alike to enjoy. And for those few that are not on the count down to Ramadan that will be starting soon, a bottle of Champagne or two is on ice ready to be poured.
“Danielle, Diane, Vana! Jacquie! Come and join us! Champagne? Or Fruit Cocktail?”
“Oh and Didier, have you met Mauricio? He just got here yesterday and I believe he was at the great place you are going to next”.
“Aziz, is your family joining us this evening? Yes? Perfect!”.
“Gail! Bob! Is that really you? So very good to see you again! My, have we got some catching up to do!”
“And hey there!! Casey’s group of wonderful people, please, join us too, the Gnawa band is on its way and drums and trumpets will be making us shake in a little while. Sure you can do it, the team will show you!”
Ten years of…
And we dance and clap and laugh together as we celebrate ten years. Ten years of welcoming people from near and far to enjoy the haven of beauty that we are so proud of. Ten years of building strong and rewarding relationships with our partners in the travel industry both in Morocco and scattered across the globe, of making so many friendships that warm our hearts. A decade that confirms over and over why it was the right decision to take the big step and preserve a spectacular part of Moroccan heritage.
Sharing the lives of others
In the last decade our team at Palais Amani have allowed so many travellers to experience the authenticity of the Moroccan way of life. They are the life force that has allowed us to achieve the dream we had when we discovered a very tired palace needing much love and attention. Because travel for us is so much more than discovering new places; it’s about sharing the lives of others, about unearthing the stories that inspire us to live more compassionately.
We are of course terribly sad that the preparation for our ten years celebration is postponed, for now. After much debate, we decided to go ahead and launch a newer version of our website so that those wishing to dream can continue to do so. Take a look, enjoy the views and please sign up to keep up to date with what will be in store.
And in the meantime close your eyes for a moment and just imagine being with us for the biggest virtual party that our minds have ever known.
To you all out there we raise a toast:
A toast to our partners John and Jenifer that shared the dream with us at the beginning and have been with us along the way,
Cheers to our team that make Palais Amani so special for all of you who have had the good fortune to visit,
And a toast to all those partners in the industry that work so hard to make all the parts of your journey to us click right into place; from the moment you wish to discover Morocco to the time you have to say your goodbyes and promise to come back soon,
And a toast to you, our future friends from all over the globe, who will be able, in the not too distant future, to also come and visit and in turn go back home to share your stories of why you wouldn’t have given up a journey of a lifetime for anything.
Thank you all for being part of our first decade of adventure.
Jemima Mann Baha and Abdelali Baha.
Co-Owners, Palais Amani
