Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
During high season (Easter week and July to September) the town is flooded with visitors
so it's advisable to book well in advance. Assilah has a limited choice of budget hotels.
RASCALLY ER-RAISSOULI
Feared bandit, kidnapper and general troublemaker, Moulay Ahmed ben Mohammed er-Raissouli (or
Raisuni) was one of Assilah's most legendary inhabitants. He started life as a petty crook in the Rif
Mountains but saw no problem in bumping off unwilling victims and was soon renowned as a merci-
less murderer, and feared right across the region.
Internationally, Er-Raissouli was best known for kidnapping Westerners. He and his band held vari-
ous luminaries to ransom, including Greek-American billionaire Ion Perdicaris, who was ransomed in
1904 for US$70,000.
In an attempt to control the unruly outlaw, consecutive sultans appointed him to various political
positions, including governor of Assilah and later Tangier. However, Er-Raissouli continued with his
wicked ways, amassing great wealth in whatever way he could. He held considerable sway over the
Rif tribes and the Spanish funded his arms in the hope of keeping order in the mountains, but Er-Rais-
souli often used them against his benefactors.
The Spaniards eventually forced Er-Raissouli to flee Assilah after WWI, but he continued to wreak
havoc in the Rif hinterland until 1925, when the Rif rebel Abd al-Krim arrested him and accused him
of being too closely linked with the Spanish.
Christina's House
GUESTHOUSE
€
( 0539 41 77 88, 0677 27 64 63; christina.henshaw@btinternet.com; 26 Rue Ibn Khatib, off Blvd 16
Nov; s/d/tr/q without bathroom Dh175/400/450/500, tw with bathroom Dh550; )
Christina's is a
friendly guesthouse that feels more like a home than a hotel. Some rooms have shared
bathrooms, but all facilities throughout are new and kept scrupulously clean. Breakfasts
are taken together, either in the kitchen/dining room or on the roof terrace.
Hôtel Belle Vue
( 0539 41 77 47; Rue Hassan ben Tabit; s/d without bathroom Dh100/150, with bathroom Dh150/250)
A
friendly, small hotel in a quiet side street, with brightly painted wooden decor. Everything
is immaculately kept, including the shared facilities. A few rooms have their own bath-
room (Dh50 extra), rooms without have sinks. The rooms at the front with breezy bal-
conies are the pick of the bunch. The rooftop terrace is a great place for an evening drink
or to relax.
HOTEL
€
