Marrakech

Marrakech which means ‘Land of God’ is a palimpsest of its own past, a metropolis that bears all the trademarks of its 1000-year history, from the dusty red city walls of the 12th century, to the sprawling and richly adorned luxurious palace complexes of the Saadian sultans. It’s also a city famed for its unbridled energy, a place where market souks teem with sounds, smells and sights that confuse and misdirect en masse. Make sure your guide is there to direct you through the confines of its labyrinthine Medina, which is the historic district. Culinary tourism is another of Marrakech’s great pulls, and foodies will be right at home wandering between the street stalls and market shops on the Djemaa El-Fna at night, taking in all the exotic flavours that turn and twist like ether in the hot Saharan air. Culture-lovers should not miss the Palais de la Bahia, where some of the grandest and most luxurious art works of Morocco can be found in a proud display of this city’s former wealth and magnificence. Thriving and alive, there’s very few travellers that won’t feel both daunted and exhilarated by Marrakech; a town where life bubbles and simmers, but never, ever sleeps.