Morocco

Not too long ago, Morocco for British tourists meant Marrakech and little else. Today there’s a veritable feast for travellers to explore, from beautiful beaches and empty desert dunes to snow-capped mountains and crowded city souks, and all under a four-hour flight from the UK.

That’s the beauty of Morocco; it offers a taste of the exotic without the need for longhaul travel, be it the heady perfume of orange blossom, the cool refreshing taste of mint tea, the pungent smell of the tanner’s yard, the wailing of the muezzin or the cascade of colour at a local spice market.

Haggle for souvenirs in the souks of Marrakech. Follow your nose through Fez’s ancient medina to the city’s famous tanneries. Marvel at the size and intricate detail of the Hassan Il Mosque in Casablanca. Watch fishermen bring in their daily catch beneath the 18th-century ramparts of delightful Essaouira. Soak up the solitude of the Agafay Desert. Surf world-class waves on the Atlantic coast. Or set out on foot on a guided trek through the mighty High Atlas, where Berber villages cling like limpets to the steep and terraced hillsides.