22 stories
The things you wish someone had told you before you landed. Practical, honest, written by someone who lives here.
The city that never left the Middle Ages
Nine thousand alleys. No cars. The world's largest car-free urban zone. Fes does not simplify itself for visitors. It does not need to. The medina has been functioning without your approval since the 9th century.
Not the budget/mid-range/luxury breakdown — the actual prices Moroccans pay
Not the budget/mid-range/luxury breakdown. The actual prices, in dirhams, that Moroccans pay.
Not the hotel lobby — the real thing, if you know where and when
Not the hotel lobby. Not the restaurant floor show. The real thing — if you know where and when.
When Morocco performs for itself
Twelve months. A dozen major festivals. One rule: the best ones are not the biggest ones. A calendar of what happens where and when.
The city that doesn't explain itself
Nine hundred years of noise, craft, prayer, and commerce inside twelve kilometres of ochre wall. Nobody understands Marrakech in a day.
A guide to the Sahara you were not expecting
There is no single Sahara. Three deserts, three experiences. Merzouga is the postcard. Zagora is the river. M'Hamid is the edge.
The high pour aerates the tea and produces the foam that means it was made with care. The distance is the hospitality.
The arm rises. The stream falls half a metre into the glass without spilling. It is not showing off. It is chemistry.
The rules exist — enforcement is a different conversation
The roads are good. The drivers are creative. The police checkpoints are frequent. Here is what you need to know before you rent a car.
Fall asleep in the north, wake up in the south — the ticket costs less than dinner
Tangier to Marrakech. Departure 23:25. Arrival 09:01. You fall asleep in the north and wake up in the south. The ticket costs less than dinner.
Two itineraries — one for the short trip, one for the trip you wish you had booked
Seven days gives you a taste. Ten days gives you a country. Both start in Marrakech, because everything in Morocco starts in Marrakech.
Camel, dune, dinner, stars, sunrise — and what nobody mentions about the toilets
The brochure shows a tent under the stars. Here is what actually happens, hour by hour, from the moment you arrive at the edge of the sand.
Morocco ranks 24th on the Global Peace Index. The U.S. rates it Level 1 — the same as France.
Morocco ranks 24th on the Global Peace Index. The U.S. State Department rates it Level 1 — the same as France. The real risks are not what you think.
Not what Moroccans wear — what you should wear so Morocco feels easy
Cover your shoulders. Cover your knees. Bring layers. Everything else is negotiable.
You will be scrubbed by a stranger and leave feeling like you have new skin
You will be naked. You will be scrubbed by a stranger. You will leave feeling like you have new skin. Because you do.
You start at the souk and you end with a tagine you made with your own hands
It begins at the market. The teacher walks you through the vegetable souk, the spice souk, the olive souk. You buy what you will cook. Then you cook it.
Citizens of 65+ countries enter visa-free — here is what you actually need
If you hold a passport from the US, Canada, UK, EU, or Australia, you do not need a visa. You get 90 days on arrival. Here is what else to know.
Nine hours, one mountain pass, a thousand kasbahs, and the dunes at the end
The Sahara is not next to Marrakech. It is nine hours away, over the highest road pass in North Africa. The drive is half the experience.
Mountains, waterfalls, a stone desert, a surf town, and a valley that smells like roses. All under three hours.
You do not need to leave Marrakech for a week to see what surrounds it. Five of the best are less than three hours away.
It depends on where you are going — the country has five climates
March to May. October to November. But it depends on whether you want the coast, the mountains, or the desert — because Morocco has all three at once.
The souks close, the city stops, and then the smell of couscous
The souks close. The streets empty. A city that never stops moving stops moving. Then the smell of couscous.
Nine thousand streets. No grid. Getting lost is not the risk — it is the point.
Nine thousand streets. No grid. No map that works. Getting lost is not the risk — it is the point.
Start at half. Walk away once. Know when the game does not apply.
Start at half. Never go first. Walk away once. And know when the game does not apply.
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Written from the medina. Sent when it matters.