Morocco Travel Guide

NIGHTCLUB

CINEMA

CINEMA

Diamant Noir

Offline map Google  map (    0524   44  63  91; Hôtel   Marrakech,  cnr Ave Mohammed    V   &   Rue Oum

Errabia; admission with drink from Dh150; 10pm-4am) For its rare gay-friendly clientele on
weeknights and seedy charm complete with go-go dancers on weekends, the gravitational pull
of ‘Le Dia’ remains undeniable. The dark dance floor thumps with hip hop and gleams with
mirrors and bronzer-enhanced skin, while professionals lurk at the upstairs bar. Cash only.

Cinema

For a good selection of French and sometimes Moroccan films, check out the program at the
Institut Français ( Click here ), where films are usually in French or subtitled in French.

Le Colisée

Offline map Google  map (    0524   44  88  93; Blvd    Mohammed    Zerktouni;  orchestra/balcony   Mon

Dh25/35, Tue-Sun Dh25/35; 3pm, 5pm, 7pm & 9.30pm) The plushest cinema in town, Le
Colisée, near Rue Mohammed el-Beqal, is plenty comfortable, with Dolby sound and a mixed
male- female, Moroccan and expat crowd. Films are sometimes in the original language
(including English) and subtitled in French.

Cinéma Eden

Offline map Google  map (   Derb    Debachi;    tickets Dh15;   3pm,    6pm &   9pm)    Broken-plate    tilework    on

mudbrick walls spells out the name of this classic single-screen cinema near Rue des Banques.
The crowd here is rowdy, local and all-male, and Bollywood singalongs reign supreme. Films
are usually dubbed into Darija, except for the songs.

QUARTIER INDUSTRIAL SIDI GHANEM

Modern  Moroccan    design  fanatics    hire    taxis   in  the morning or  late    afternoon   to  scour   the local   designer    factory outlets in  this

warehouse   district,   4km outside Marrakesh   on  the Rte de  Safi.   Most    of  the original    designs you’ll  see in  Sidi    Ghanem  are made

for export, with    prices  to  match   –   but sharp-eyed  shoppers    will    notice  that    some    items   made    here    are sold    in  ville-nouvelle

boutiques   at  a   considerable    mark-up.

Negotiate   a   set rate    of  Dh150   to  Dh250   for the roundtrip   ride    from    the medina, and score   a   map of  the quarter at  an  open

showroom.   Hours   are erratic,    but many    storefronts open    9am to  6pm Monday  to  Friday  and 9am to  noon    Saturday.   Standout

design  outlets include:

»   »   Le  Magasin General/Le  Manufacture Retro-styled,   luxury  handmade    housewares.

»   »   ZidZid  Kids    Hand-embroidered    toy dromedaries from    an  award-winning   Moroccan-American   design  team.

»   »   Sens    de  Marrakesh   Botanical   beauty  products.

»   »   Atelier Nihal   Hand-woven  leather bags    and floor   mats.

»   »   16bis   Design  collective  with    designer    goods   ranging from    boudoir candles to  blown   glass.

Shopping