If you wonder how the Obamas stylishly spent 24 hours in Marrakech…
Every single amazing look Sasha and Malia Obama wore in Morocco and Spain: https://t.co/lSK4lWeNM1 pic.twitter.com/O2A5iAWoRA
— Teen Vogue (@TeenVogue) June 30, 2016
On Monday, Michelle Obama began a six-day trip to Africa and Spain. Traveling with her are daughters Malia and Sasha with her mother, Marian Robinson. Before moving out from the White House in January, the First Lady is eager to promote her Let Girls Learn initiative, launched in March 2015 by President Barack Obama and the First Lady and now extended to Morocco.
This isn’t Mrs. Obama’s first visit to Africa as she’s previously been to Botswana, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania.
In Morocco, the education rate for girls is below average, and many tend to drop out once they finish primary school, only 36% continue schooling after.
Although the Obamas are staying at luxurious hotels, Tina Tchen, the First Lady’s Chief of Staff, says this trip isn’t a vacation but to:
“encourage young people. . . to understand the importance of focusing on the 62 million girls and . . . them to take action and use their voices to support them.”
Actresses Meryl Streep and Freida Pinto also joined the First Lady to speak with two dozen young Moroccan women to share challenges that girls around the world encounter when it comes to education.
Mrs. Obama says 62 million girls around the world do not have access to education due to lack of resources, cultural norms and many other reasons. She adds:
“We have to change those notions that girls are only valuable for their reproductive capacity or their ability to do manual labor.”
If you wonder how the Obamas stylishly spent 24 hours in Marrakech, here’s an overview at the expense of your FOMO:
HOTELS
Stay at Royal Mansour
Rue Abou Abbas el sebti، Marrakesh 40000, Morocco (map, website)
The five-star luxury hotel with private riads is in the heart of Marrakesh, Royal Mansour is two kilometers away from Yves Saint Laurent’s Majorelle Garden. The medina hotel has a mother/daughter spa suite with a “spiritual spa journey.”
Hotel Sofitel Marrakech Lounge and Spa
Rue Haroun Errachid, Marrakech 40000, Morocco (map, website)
The contract signed off by the State Department shows that the Secret Service stayed at the Sofitel. The contemporary rooms with marble bathrooms give the hotel a modern feel. It’s also conveniently located two kilometers from Jemaa el-Fnaa public square.
Pearl Marrakech Hotel
Av. Echouhada et، Rue du Temple, Marrakesh 40000, Morocco (map, website)
Other rooms were also booked at the four-star Pearl Marrakech Hotel, which features an artisanal vibe with fabrics and decor painted by local artists. The hotel is also two kilometers away from the Jemaa el-Fnaa square.
TRANSPORTATION
The Obamas weren’t ubering but rented a car and driver which allegedly cost $6,966. They also needed other car services for the Secret Service, the White House Military Office and the White House Communications Agency.
The Obama Women Are Greeted by Royalty After They Touch Down in Morocco For a Girls' Trip https://t.co/yNf0VepjDI pic.twitter.com/Y5y4h2YRGE
— Brook Bufa (@jupiter896) June 29, 2016
EAT
Iftar
Iftar, which means breakfast in Arabic, is actually the evening meal when Muslims finish their Ramadan fast during sunset everyday. This is typically during the time of call to prayer for the evening prayer. Since the Obamas visited Morocco during Ramadan, they indulged in traditional iftar with the wife of King Mohammed VI: Princess Lalla Salma.
Joining them were also actress Meryl Streep and other members of the Moroccan Royal family at the King’s Palace in Marrakech.
Do
Henna
Although the women were in North Africa to promote education, they also took time to partake in local culture. Sasha Obama is shown with henna – body art from a plant dye – on her arm.
