Marrakech

Welcome to the fairy tale world of the 1001 Nights, where the labyrinthine streets lure you to explore among souks, temples, mosques and squares frequented by adventurous travellers for a thousand years and more. Marrakech is a paradise for lovers of food, photography, architecture and the pleasures of exoticism. You’ll visit the Koutoubia mosque with its colossal minaret, El Bahia Palace with its luxury apartments, courtyards and gardens, the astounding Saâdian Tombs and the fourteenth-century Ben Youssef Medersa.

Stroll the alleyways and find yourself at the traditional merchants’ meeting place of Djemaa el Fna, or the Rue du Souk Smarine leading to the Place Rahba Kedima where the slave markets were held. In the souks, you’ll be tempted by basketwork, dried fruits, spices, clothes, wool, skins, Berber carpets, leatherwork, ironwork and jewellery.

And don’t forget the desert. At the base of the Atlas Mountains, you’ll find the olive groves of the Menara Gardens and the beautiful Saadian pavilion around a twelfth-century artificial lake. Catch it in the evening as the mountains melt into the sunset. For some real adventure, head out to Ouarzazate via the stunning Tizi n’Tichka pass and experience desert hospitality with the aid of your camel. The Dades and Todra canyons around Erfoud are truly spectacular, and a night spent camping in nomadic tents beneath the stars is one you’ll never forget.