My journey south from Marrakech towards the Moroccan Sahara was going to be in three phases. First we travelled through Tizi n’Tichka – the highest mountain pass in North Africa. Then we took a short detour to Aït Benhaddou, which is a fortified city that featured in lots of famous films like Lawrence of Arabia, Time Bandits, Gladiator and The…
Comments closedCasablanca is the financial centre of the country, but it’s not exactly the most culturally interesting place to explore in Morocco. Therefore, I planned to spend just one night there. Most people probably know the city from the 1940s WW2 film starring Humphrey Bogart. For me, however, Casablanca’s claim to fame is that it’s home to the third largest mosque…
Leave a CommentThe train journey from Fes to Rabat was a mere three hours and once again I’d booked myself into the hotel next to my destination station. And once again it was a wise move as the Ibis proved a great base from which to explore the Moroccan capital. Rabat Medina The first day’s exploration would, naturally, start at the city’s…
Leave a CommentAfter an eight hour train journey from Marrakech I arrived in Fes, and being organised I’d booked myself into a hotel right next to the main train station. I’m a big fan of Accor hotels and the Ibis is a brand I’ve used and trusted for a long time, so it was a welcome sight after a tiring journey. And…
Leave a CommentAutumn 2015 and I was back in Marrakech – for my FOURTH visit – and once again playing tour guide for family members who have never been before. Only this time, I was also going to use this trip as an opportunity to visit lots of different cities in Morocco. Before we did that though, we spent a few days…
Leave a CommentWhile in Marrakech, I wanted to arrange at least one day trip to experience something different. Many of the options just weren’t practical if you were bringing a baby with you. (Hiking the Atlas Mountains? Errr… No thanks!) However, the driver I’d hired to shuttle us from the airport suggested a visit to Essaouira, a small town on Africa’s Atlantic…
Leave a CommentFor the third Christmas in a row I was off to foreign climes. This time I was heading to north east Africa to experience the madness of Marrakech – and taking a baby with me?! (My own baby. I hadn’t stolen someone else’s!!) I normally stay in budget and mid-range hotels when I travel. But, with a not-yet-one-year-old in tow,…
1 CommentThe final leg of my Indian Ocean tour was a visit to Seychelles – the smallest African country by size and population. There are actually 115 islands, of varying sizes, that make up the Republic of Seychelles, but I only had the chance to visit Mahé, which is the biggest and home to the capital Victoria. I know I often…
Leave a CommentTime for the next leg of my Indian Ocean tour. I’d wanted to visit Madagascar, but the logistics of that were prohibitive. So instead I was heading from Mauritius to nearby Réunion Island (formerly Bourbon Island), which is part of the French republic and, therefore, a part of the European Union. They use the Euro as currency and have an…
Leave a CommentI’d spent last Christmas and New Year touring the Far East. It was an amazing experience, but I genuinely expected that would be the last time I’d get to do anything like that. In the intervening time, I’d built up quite a healthy airmiles balance, thanks to all the travelling I’d been doing for work, and in early December I…
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