Rahba Kedima Square, Marrakech

If you want to get the feeling of stepping back in time to early Marrakech, don't look further than the Rahba Kedima. This is one of the best market squares (though really more of a triangle) in the Medina district and is friendlier and more spacious than the souks, with ready-to-haggle vendors setting up their wares on the ground or on trestle tables. More traditional and more street-market-style than other, busier spots, it's also a great area to see basket weavers in action.

Aside from traditional hand-woven baskets, raffia bags, and colorful rugs, you will find a superb array of woolly hats, as well as all kinds of exotic herbs and spices. Some of the stands offer a mind-boggling range of goods: dried scorpions, leeches for medicinal purposes, snails (whose slime, you will be assured, does wonders against wrinkles) and other strange and sometimes rather repulsive objects used for witchcraft and black magic. Should you get tempted by low prices for chameleons and other reptiles, don't forget that taking such animals home with you is illegal due to quarantine laws.

When you've had enough shopping, have a mint tea in the famous Café des Epices, which also sells freshly made juices, sandwiches, salads and crepes. Watch the market work in the 'jardin' downstairs or enjoy the view from the terrace upstairs.

Why You Should Visit:
Like any bazaar, this market square has quite an impact and will keep you spellbound.
It's very easy to lose yourself in the array of Moroccan articles, spices and smells.

Tip:
Whatever original price you are offered, 1/4 it and that will be somewhere near the real cost.
Be aware of anyone giving you directions to or leading you up a backstreet, as it's more than likely you'll be mugged.