The Palmery

Just south of the Palmery, 7 km (4½ miles) east of the city on Route de Ouarzazate, the Mandarin Oriental is home to Ling Ling Cantonese, one of the finest dining experiences in Marrakesh. The Moroccan-inspired decor may lead diners to believe they have stepped into an emporium of Moroccan gastronomy, but the menu actually features mouth-watering Cantonese cuisine prepared in the open kitchen. On warmer evenings grab a seat on the terrace for views of the pool garden, which is magically lit by lanterns that silhouette the surrounding palm trees. Alcohol is served.

The long-standing nightly spectacle that takes place at Chez Ali is a Disney World-meets-Marrakesh experience, catering to the mass tourism market. After a multicourse dinner of couscous, pastilla, and tagine in breezy tents, the fantasia begins in the outdoor arena. Featuring hundreds of performers and dozens of horses, this singing-and-dancing pageant is a celebration of traditional culture. It's all very tacky and you'll feel pressured into tipping the lackluster performers that snag you at every possible opportunity. Taxis will take you there, or your hotel can organize an all-inclusive price that includes round-trip transportation. Expect to pay around 450 DH per person including return transport.

A high-octane performance of samba drummers, musicians, and carnival dancers shimmying their way among the crowd and dancing on the tabletops, Fuego Latino includes an all-you-can-eat extravaganza of grilled meats and fish in the Brazilian churrascaria style. You can also enjoy the show from the bar (with hefty drinks prices). The show starts around 10 pm. Tickets start at 420 DH; ringside tables are 600 DH with fixed menu.

Located in the Palmery, outside of town, Le Blokk is a dinner-cabaret venue well worth the taxi ride. The kitchen serves up Japanese and International cuisine with reasonably priced fixed menu options (starting at 270 DH); Moroccan dishes can be ordered by special arrangement. The live music and entertainment, however, take center stage. Tap your feet while talented singers perform songs from the last 50 years, followed by acrobatic performers who start to twirl from the ceilings around midnight. Top off the night with DJs spinning Oriental and Western dance music until around 1 am. Reservations are a must and children are welcome, too.

Signposted on the Route de Fes as you head out to the Palmery, this cultural oasis is well worth a detour for an hour or two–-it's an art gallery, exotic garden, and sculpture park all rolled into one. Marrakesh-born Abderrazzak Benchaabane—ethnobotanist, perfume maker, garden designer, and local legend—has created an enchanting walled garden and, within it, a contemporary art museum. The garden adjoins his home and exhibits his own collection of contemporary Moroccan art, paintings, and sculptures. Benchaabane was responsible for the restoration of the Majorelle Gardens at the request of Yves Saint Laurent in 1998, and the garden designs here clearly reflect his passion for creating beautiful natural spaces. The indoor gallery and arcades open out to a water garden with pergolas and pavilions, an Andalusian garden, rose beds, and cactus gardens.