Oct 2023 – Magical Marrakech Retreat with Jayme Barrett

INFUSE YOUR SPIRIT IN MAGICAL MARRAKECH 

** SOLD OUT (email for waiting list)

October 12 – 19 2023

Would you like to be luxuriating in Marrakech on October 12th? For the past twelve years, I’ve been leading magical retreats in Europe and Morocco…  and I’m thrilled to go back to Marrakech for our 7th women’s retreat this fall. Having been to Morocco twelve times, I’ve put together a wonderful Moroccan holiday filled with amazing adventures and I can’t wait to share them with you!

This time, there are only 7 spots available and it is first-come, first-served with a deposit. If you feel called right now to join us, email us here as soon as possible to secure your space. (Retreat pricing below)

Ladies, if you want to expand your horizons and be energized in an exotic locale, this is the perfect retreat for you! You’ll relax, recharge and let go of all responsibilities. Be ready to open your heart, experience a whole new world and have fun!

Women describe our retreats as:

Magical, heavenly, positive, relaxing, fun, beautiful, joyful, enlightening, bonding, heart-warming, supportive, rich and meaningful, invigorating, nourishing, fabulously-curated, infused with cultural exploration, eye-opening, breath-taking, fulfilling, spiritual, diverse, educational, a feeling of sisterhood and good for the soul.

• It’s a priceless way to spend eight days saturated with beauty, love, authenticity and excitement.
• Unbelievable in every way… connection, community, spiritual and full of creative energy. Not to be missed!
• The kindness, hospitality and generosity of the Moroccan people is inspiring and full of grace!
• To be able to bond with caring, nuturing women in such an exotic locale was more than I could have ever imagined!
• I will follow Jayme anywhere! She’s a warm, positive, skillful leader with a heart of gold.

When you come on our retreat, you’ll laugh, share, bond, explore and learn ways to uplift your life in a welcoming environment of like-minded women. Many of our guests join us year after year (some coming on their 6th, 7th, 8th 9^th & 10^th retreat) in new glorious locations.

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Marrakech is truly a bucket list location with its stunning architecture, gorgeous countryside and seaside, delicious food and colorful markets with new sights, aromas and sounds at every turn. If you’re up for an adventure that you’ll talk about and show photos of for the rest of your life, this retreat is for you! It’s also a chance to refill your own energy tank and put the focus back on yourself. We’ve done all the planning so you get to sit back and enjoy! 

Whether you come by yourself, with a friend or family member, you’ll be welcomed in the warm embrace of our retreat sisterhood. It’s a super supportive and nourishing environment where like-minded women share, bond and delight in soulful journeys, cultural experiences, scrumptious food all while taking in the beauty and culture of Morocco!

A recent guest called our retreat “a light, beautiful, heart-felt adventure with mind-opening experiences… a truly life-changing event.”

I can’t wait to show you all the magic in Marrakech and its surroundings. Read all the amazing details below. By the way, have you heard about the famous goats in trees? You’ll see them!

♦ IMPORTANT! – For participation on this retreat, you must be Fully Vaccinated and Boosted. You will be required to send us your vaccination card.

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Exploring Magical Marrakech

For eight glorious days, you’ll stay in a beautifully restored 19th century Moroccan mansion (Riad) in the old city of Marrakech, eat delicious gourmet meals, practice yoga and learn positive ways to call in your heart’s desires. You’ll relax on the rooftop garden of our mansion, learn to cook traditional Moroccan food in a cooking class and shop in the world famous outdoor souks.

On our day trips, you’ll see the beautiful coastal city of Essaouira (eat lunch on the beach and stroll through alleyways filled with shops and spices) as well as visit the Atlas mountains (eating lunching in a saffon garden enjoying a flower foot bath).

Along the way, you’ll see Morocco’s famous “goats in trees” and camels on the beach, visit a women’s argan oil cooperative, stroll in Yves St. Laurent’s Jardin Marjorelle, explore his Couture Museum and a 14th Century Palace, and delight in special dinners at delicious restaurants in the old city, seaside and country! Look at our beautiful accomodations below.

♥ Included in Retreat Package:

• 8 Days/7 Nights accommodation in a Lux Marrakech Riad
• 7 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 5 Dinners
• 4 Life Enhancement Circles with Jayme Barrett
• 5 Yoga Classes with Heather Degnan
• One-Way Transfer to Hotel from Marrakech Airport
• Private Transportation on all Day Trips

♥ Additional Retreat inclusions: 

• Welcome Mint Tea & Pastry Reception
• Cultural tour of Historic Sites in Marrakech’s Old City
• Visit to Garden Marjorelle & Yves St. Laurent Couture Museum
• Day trip to Coastal Town of Essaouira
• Goats in Trees Photo Stop
• Visit to a Berber Women’s Argan Oil Cooperative
• Day trip to Ourika Valley in the Atlas Mountains
• Special Lunch in a Saffron Garden and flower footbath
• Moroccan Cooking Class (includes dinner)
• Shopping in the Famous Souk – Jemma el Fna
• Free Day to Relax, Shop or Spa

Optional Activities (for a fee):

• Hammam Spa and Massages
• Henna Hand & Feet Designs
• Afternoon Tea at the famous La Mamounia Hotel
• Camel Rides
• Hot Air Balloon Ride
• Private shopping guide for your specific design desires

A Unique Opportunity!  Instead of visiting Morocco like a tourist, you’ll have the rare chance to experience life in the “medina”, the vibrant ancient city of Marrakech. Jayme will give you tips on bargaining with local merchants so you can get a good price for your Moroccan goodies…saving you lots of money.

Not Included: Flights, Travel Insurance (required), Transfer back to the airport, Tips to Hotel & Drivers, Alcohol & Beverages, Yoga Mat and any Covid-related costs.

Click to see the photos highlights from past retreats – here! You’ll see Morocco in that album.

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Your Accomodations in Marrakech

You’ll be staying in a stunning 19th Century mansion, a beautifully restored Riad located within the heart of the Marrakech medina (the ancient walled city). Once owned by a family of spice merchants, the building was updated with all the modern comforts while maintaining the original architecture to respect its historical past.

With cool patios, a courtyard pool and fountains, and a rooftop terrace, this chic retreat is the ultimate hideaway of relaxation and tranquility. We have this Riad all to ourselves for the week.

Some rooms have a balcony overlooking a fountain and others open up to the central courtyard with a small pool. There are many sitting areas perfect for drinking a cup of mint tea and relaxing. There are three suites with traditional hammam bathtubs. The suite on the ground floor has a charming Rajasthani-style tea corner for reading or taking a nap.

The guest rooms are all different, luxurious and air-conditioned. They are equipped with separate bathrooms, large and small towels, aromatic soap/shampoo, a hairdryer and a safe. The riad has free Wi-Fi in the courtyard. The hospitality and service is superb.

It is during the magical sunset when the swallows fly over the city and the mosques announce the last prayer of the day that the terrace best reveals its secrets – Berber tents where to lay down and dream, comfortable divans, singing vegetation, and even a corner where to cover your feet with the soft desert sand are only some of the reasons you will not want to leave.

Local Area and Flavor

Marrakech is made up of an old walled city (Medina) and a new city (Gueliz) where there are hundreds of shops, cafés and gardens to enjoy. Staying in the medina, you will experience the polarity of life in Morocco. Moroccans are very friendly. They speak French, Moroccan Arabic and some English. The currency is Moroccan Dirham. There are many ATM’s throughout the city and get the best exchange rate. Restaurants and establishments take credit cards but cash is king.

The famous Jemaa El-Fna square is the most exciting spot at sunset where you’ll see hundreds of food stalls as well as snake charmers, monkeys, henna artists and musicians!

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Meals

Every morning you will be served a delicious breakfast at the Riad including fresh made yogurt, decadent bread and pastry baskets, Moroccan pancakes, cheese, honey, jams, fresh orange juice, coffee and mint tea.

The included lunches and dinners on our retreat will be split between the Riad and local restaurants. The food on this trip is magnificent and mouth-watering! Foodies will be in heaven. Nothing compares to local, home-made Moroccan meals including salads, couscous, chicken/fish/beef tagines, vegetable sides, desserts and more.

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Life Enhancement Circles with Jayme Barrett

Jayme Barrett’s life enhancement classes will be held at our riad and some may be given on location during our outings. During the classes, we will all share and bond as we discuss ways to create more positive energy in your home, heart, spirit and spaces.

Topics may include inner feng shui and meditation to create harmony & de-stress, feng shui remedies & manifestation tools to realize your dreams as well as incorporating the beauty of Moroccan culture, architecture and spirituality into your daily life.

In each circle, Jayme creates a sacred safe space for group sharing, bonding and support. Come with an open heart, bring a journal and be ready to call in your heart’s desires.

Our Promise – On this retreat, you’ll feel inspired, rejuvenated and filled with a sense of harmony and gratitude. In addition, you’ll have loads of positive energy tools and techniques to support you in living your best life back home.

Yoga Classes with Heather Degnan – All levels welcome!

You’ll enjoy five morning yoga classes with Heather Degnan. She beautifully integrates all yoga levels into the practice. We will be doing yoga on our beautiful rooftop garden. Please bring a yoga mat with you.

Weather

The weather in Marrakech in October is beautiful. It averages mid 70’s Fahrenheit during the day and mid 60’s at night. The nights can be breezy so bring a scarf and sweater.

Yoga Teacher – Heather Degnan

Heather is thrilled to be teaching yoga for us in Marrakech again this fall! She has taught on multiple retreats with Jayme and this will be her 2nd time teaching in Marrakech. Heather began the journey of living her best life in 2003 and found yoga to be huge part of that path. Practicing for over 14 years, she finds that yoga keeps stress at bay and can bring calmness to the mind and body. For Heather, the yoga philosophy has become a lifestyle that she has integrated into her daily work (as a Police Officer!) helping to serve her community with more compassion and empathy.

Heather teaches a Vinyasa flow style yoga for all levels. Being aware that every physical body is different, she encourages her students to practice yoga in a way that feels right to them. It is not about the end result (a perfect yoga pose) but about your journey and ability at any given moment. Heather lives near the sea in Marshfield, MA and looks forward to sharing the mat with you!

To see more amazing photos, visit our Beautiful Morocco board on Pinterest!

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Travel and Flights to Marrakech

You will be responsible for booking your own travel and flights. 

You will fly into Marrakech Menara Airport and the airline code is RAK. Popular airlines flying into Marrakech are listed below. Participants from the United States will need to fly on Wednesday, October 11th in order to arrive in Marrakech on Thursday, October 12th for the start of the retreat. There will be a group pick-up at the airport at 12:00pm

If you have the time, it’s recommended to come to Europe a day or two early to get on the time zone. Spain is very close and a perfect place to spend a night or two.

Below are some airlines…

1. Royal Air Maroc (www.royalairmaroc.com) Non-stop flights from JFK, MIAMI & IAD to Casablanca. Then you’ll take a short connecting flight to Marrakech.
2. Iberia Airlines (www.iberia.com). Partners with American Airlines (www.aa.com ). Change planes in Madrid Barajas. Madrid is the closest European airport with a 2 hour flight.
3. Air France (www.airfrance). Partners with Delta Airlines (www.delta.com ).
4. Go to www.skyscanner.com and put in your details. It tells you every flight available

A Great Option – Secure the best airfare or use miles to fly round-trip to Europe (Madrid, Milan Malpensa, Paris Charles de Gaulle or London). Then book a regional roundtrip direct flight on Iberia, Royal Air Maroc, EasyJet, RyanAir, Vueling, Transavia into Marrakech. Madrid is the closest city to Marrakech and is usually the least expensive flight. It’s 2 hours direct. Barcelona also has direct flights. You’ll see all of them on www.skyscanner.com .

If you have a connecting flight, make sure you leave three hours to go through customs and immigration in the European city (especially Madrid as it’s a big airport) and you may need to change terminals to get your connecting flight to Marrakech. You will also go through immigration and customs once you arrive in Marrakech. We will have a driver waiting for you outside of arrivals with the name of our Riad. On the way home, you may need to spend the night in the European city after getting the flight out from Marrakech on October 19th.

The transfer from the Marrakech airport to the Riad is included in the retreat fee. Again, there will be a group pick-up at 12:00pm on October 12. For the return, you’ll arrange for your transfer with the hotel depending on your flight time. (Return transfer not included in the fee).

P.S. After the retreat, if you want to create an add-on 4 day tour to the Sahara desert for a camel adventure in Berber tents or to other parts of Morocco, we’ll give you the name of a travel agent to arrange it for you.

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Medical Issues, Travel Insurance and Passport

An approved US vaccine and booster is necessary to be a participant of this retreat. (Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson).

Medical Issues: If you have any medical issues that will require professional care while on your trip, you must bring and be responsible for all necessary items and treatments related to your condition.

Travel Insurance: The trip price does not include any insurance coverage, and Jayme Barrett requires the purchase of travel insurance including medical to protect your trip investment in the event of medical emergencies, lost bags, a cancelled trip or any other unforeseen trip or pre-trip related event. It is strongly recommended that you obtain excellent medical and dental insurance that will cover the cost of any health assistance you may require during your trip. You can get travel insurance including medical through www.squaremouth.com, www.insuremytrip.com or call your travel agent. You need travel AND medical coverage. Review all plans carefully.

Many travel insurance companies are not covering travelers if they decide not to travel because of Coronavirus risks. This is because Coronavirus is now considered a “known risk”, and travel insurance never covers “fear” as a reason to cancel a trip last minute. If you are worried about trip cancellation coverage because of the Coronavirus situation, we recommend purchasing or upgrading your current plan to a “cancel for any reason” travel insurance plan. These plans are typically more expensive, but will give you the most likelihood of coverage should any event prevent you from traveling with us. It is your responsibility to confirm your travel insurance coverage.

No immunizations are necessary for Morocco. Health information for Morocco – http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/morocco.aspx

Passport: Make sure your passport is up-to-date and it should be valid through May 2024. (6 months past your travel dates).  If you need to renew it, do it soon as it’s taking longer these days. United States citizens do not need a Visa to enter Morocco.

——————————————————————————————————————–Cancellation Policies: 

Deposit is non-refundable. Full payment is required within 72 days of departure. Cancellation from 72 days prior to 55 days prior: cancellation fee is 50% of total trip cost per person. The trip is nonrefundable inside of 55 days. If a replacement is secured, travelers will get a refund less $250.00.

• If you wish to cancel the trip outside of 55 days, a written cancellation request is necessary. No refund for unused portions of the retreat, including but not limited to, missed meals, hotel nights and sightseeing.

Cancellation by Jayme Barrett: Jayme Barrett reserves the right to cancel the trip at any time for any reason, including if there are too few participants, or if the quality of the trip or the safety of travelers is judged by Jayme Barrett in her sole discretion to be compromised. In such cases, a refund of payments received by Jayme Barrett shall constitute full and final settlement. Jayme Barrett is not responsible for any loss incurred on account of non-refundable or non-transferable air tickets. If there is an official warning regarding travel to Morocco, you will receive a full refund.

Travel insurance is mandatory.

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QUESTIONS, BOOKING & DISCOUNTS

This is a trip of a lifetime to one of the most unique places on earth and I’d love YOU to join us! We always have a meaningful and joyful experience! For this 2023 trip, we’ll have a smaller group of 7-8 women.

If you have any questions about this retreat and/or would like to sign up, email us here as soon as possible to secure your spot. We will send you a registration form as soon as your place is confirmed.  You can pay your deposit and balance by ZELLE, VENMO, or with a credit card through Paypal (4% fee added within US, 5% outside US).

** Please include a short paragraph on why Marrakech is calling your name this year. Also include what type of payment you’d like to use from the options above.

All you need is a passport, a vaccine card and a plane ticket. We take care of the rest! You’ll be free to enjoy and explore Marrakech without a care in the world…

Email us for more information or to sign up.

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A Great Review!

We love this review from Karen, who was amazed at the goats in the trees. By the way, she attracted her future husband on a dating app by posting this exact photo and they’ve been together for many years!

I was there, I lived it, and I LOVED it!. As others have said, Morocco is a wonderfully colorful locale whether one is talking about the kind people, or the varied and beautiful sites we visited. It’s safe to say, it was a trip of a lifetime for all of the participants. What was also amazing to me was how we quickly embraced our new “home” through the careful planning by Jayme. It just flowed, life enhancement workshops were enlightening and are with me as I am writing this. I was travelling solo and knew it was going to be some adventure even mysterious, a step into another world. It surely was…within a day I was caught up in the wonder that was around every corner in the Medina. I found “my way” figuratively and literally!

Today, just a few weeks later, I can transport myself to the earthen alley-ways, smell the fragrance of spices, bread and cooking found in the souks, ponder a Moroccan recipe and think about the wonderful days and evenings sharing our thoughts and our meals as one great group of people. We all came for different reasons from the U.S. and abroad and found “another home” during our Magical Retreat with Jayme in Marrakech.

Click to see the photos highlights from past retreats – here! You’ll see Morocco in the album.

Email us – I look forward to meeting you in Marrakech in October! This is a trip you’ll be talking about to your friends and new acquaintances for the rest of your life. – Jayme