Sunday, January 12, 2014

Travel To Morocco For The Holiday Of A Lifetime

By Marissa Velazquez


Choosing your next holiday destination can be quite a challenge. After all, it's difficult to find a destination that has great food, a fascinating culture, beautiful landscapes, unique experiences and great beaches all rolled into one. Even harder is to find a place like this that's still affordable. If you travel to Morocco, though, you'll find that the perfect destination is not only a pipe dream.

Morocco is a country in North Africa, with Spain and Gibraltar just across the narrow Strait of Gibraltar. The country is predominantly Muslim and has more in common with Arab culture than with the cultures of sub-Saharan Africa. There are strong Spanish and French influences too due to the proximity to Spain and the fact that Morocco was once a French colony.

Morocco's most famous destination is the city of Casablanca. Casablanca was made famous as the location of the Hollywood classic of the same name, starring Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart. Let the strains of 'As Time Goes By' be your theme song as you stroll along the Corniche and visit attractions such as the Hassan II Mosque or the lovely Makhama du Pacha.

Marrakech is another popular city destination. It's near the Atlas Mountains and effortlessly blends the traditional with the modern. Koutoubia Mosque, the Saadian Tombs, the El Bahia Palace, the Berber Museum, the souks and the square of Djemaa al-Fna are just some of Marrakech's attractions. It's a wonderful city for just wandering around in too.

Part of the Moroccan coastline lies on the North Atlantic. Another part is located on the Mediterranean. This means of course that Morocco has a variety of great beaches. If mountains are more your thing, head into the High Atlas. Here you can go hiking and exploring the peaks, valleys and Berber villages.

The natural attraction that most visitors want to see is the Sahara Desert. Here you'll find mysterious places like Ait-Benhaddou, an ancient and abandoned city. The dunes are a sandboarding paradise and the vast open spaces are the perfect place to clear your head and rejuvenate your soul. Explore the desert on the back of a camel for a more traditional experience or travel by off-road vehicle. Be sure though to spend a night or two sleeping in the desert underneath millions of impossibly bright stars.

Moroccan food is world renowned for its flavor and if you can only try one local dish, let it be the stew called 'tahine'. It's made in a special clay pot which can also be a great souvenir to buy. Other items that you may want to buy include woven carpets, silver jewelry, spices, leather goods and dates. The currency used here is the Moroccan dirham.

Several low-cost carriers offer flights between cities in Europe and Casablanca or Agadir. Another way to travel to Morocco is to fly to either Gibraltar or Malaga and then to take the ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar to Tangier. Whichever way you choose to get there, though, once you're in this fascinating country you'll never want to leave.




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