Sawadi

Rooms

The rooms and suites are spread amongst 5 mini kasbahs and the large, double-storey Palmier House. Decor is traditional Moroccan: heavy wooden doors studded with bolts, stone floors, warm pink tadelakt walls, intricate black metal furniture, brightly woven rugs and beautiful, ornate lanterns. Big beds are dressed in crisp white sheets overlain with woven bedspreads; the overall look is clean and colourful. Each Deluxe Room or Suite makes a charming couple’s hideaway.

One of the more spectacular rooms is the Panoramic Suite (Palmier Haut), it not only has a Moroccan-style kingsize bed, but it also has 2 terraces; one of which overlooks the Atlas Mountains. We can't think of anything better than lazing in the sun, gazing up at this spectacular view. The larger Panoramic Suite (Palmier Bas) is close to the pool, and oodles of room for a family.

Bathrooms have tiled shower rooms and a separate toilet; suites have double sinks, too. Although there’s no real need for air con due to the thick pisé walls the kasbahs do have it installed.

Features include:

• Fan
• Hairdryer
• Mosquito net
• WiFi

Eating

The food is fresh and delicious, boosted by the feel good factor of being grown a stone’s throw from the plate in Sawadi’s organic garden. Set evening meals are taken beneath a vine-laden canopy on the terrace or inside the lovely lantern-lit restaurant. We enjoyed the traditional Moroccan fare: leafy salad from the garden, kofta tagine with pasta and homemade breads. And French desserts - crème caramel and apple tarte. There are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, too.

For a lunchtime snack, we ordered omelette and a local mixed salad of tomatoes, olives, and leaves. You can get alcoholic drinks, including wine, digestifs and the essential poolside beer, which comes with a dish of almonds laced with chilli and olives.

Breakfast, taken on the terrace, is also traditional Moroccan: mint tea (or English tea or coffee), pancakes, fried pastries, yoghurt, freshly baked bread, homemade fig and strawberry jams, and juice freshly prepared from fruit trees in the garden.

Features include:

• Bar
• Kids' meals
• Lunch by arrangement
• Organic produce
• Restaurant
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Relax in Sawadi’s bucolic grounds, crisscrossed with paths featuring fruit trees (apricot, peach, plum, pear, quince vineyards, pomegranate, cherry, apple, pear, olive), sweet scented jasmine, herbs, meadow flowers and roses, and a small stable for donkeys, goats and chickens. Laze in a hammock by the pool listening to birdsong - the garden is a twitcher's paradise
  
• Experience a traditional, restorative scrub down in the hammam, followed up by an argon oil massage in the spa area
  
• Walk to the impressive 17th-century Kasbah of Amerhidil, pictured on the Moroccan 50DH note
  
• Drive up the Dades or Todra gorges in the Atlas Mountains. Trek to waterfalls, swimming spots and local villages. Equally, the Valley of Roses is famous (surprise, surprise) for roses (in early spring)
  
• Merzouga offers a taste of the Sahara’s classic desert dunes - Philippe can organise luxury overnight camping in beddouin tents under the stars
  
• He can also organise fascinating guides to show you the local flora and fauna, history and folklore of the local villages, or you can borrow bikes an explore on your own steam
  
• Go horse riding, mule or camel trekking through the neighbouring farm
  
• Skoura has a bustling souk - less touristy and more authentic than those of Marrakech
  
• Visit the film studios of Ouarzazate, 40 minutes away

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Cycling
• Horse riding
• Shopping / markets
• Table tennis
• Trekking

Kids

Sawadi is a lovely place for adventurous families – the 4 hectares of walled gardens have lots of space to run wild, groves of fruit trees and even a mini-kasbah to play in. There's an organic farm attached (Sawadi prides itself on being Farm-to-Fork) which provides vegetable, fruit and meat for guests. There's also plenty of outdoor exploring around the nearby gorges and valleys. Babies and toddlers stay for free up to the age of 2, and there are reduced meal prices for children up to 12.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years), Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

Book Panoramic Suite (Palmier Bas), which sleeps up to 5 adults and has a special child's bed and room for a cot: it has fantastic views, too. If it’s not available, Panoramic Suite (Palmier Haut) can sleep 4, plus a baby.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available, Family Rooms

Distances:

• Airport: 45 minutes (Ouarzazate) / 4-5 hours (Marrakech)

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Sawadi is in the Skoura palmeraie; Skoura is a village approximately 45km from Ouarzazate, in southern Morocco.

By Air
Ouarzazate (45km) is the nearest airport, but many people fly into the international hub of Marrakech (155km). Sawadi is a 45-minute drive from Ouarzazate airport, or 4-5 hours' drive from Marrakech, via the dazzling Atlas Mountains.

By Road
Buses do operate, but chances are you will be in a rented car, or ideally a jeep with driver, which Philippe can arrange. There’s a car park within the hotel’s grounds, so you don't need to worry about vehicle security overnight.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Morocco and getting around