Morocco: Discovering Imperial cities and diverse landscapes

From the undulating rusty-red sand dunes of Erg Chebbi to the snow-capped peaks of the Atlas mountains and the bustling, vibrant Imperial cities, Morocco is a country of contrasts.

I spent two jam-packed weeks last November travelling around this fascinating north African country, getting to know its many facets.

And it wasn’t just its diverse topography that caught my attention. I found huge cultural differences as I travelled.

The starkest and most jarring were the groups of burka-clad women in the southern desert towns in complete contrast to the young women in the big cities who were in fashionable Western attire.

Morocco is home to the world’s second oldest monarchy after Japan and its powerful King Mohammed VI plays a major role in public life, with control over the military, judiciary and government ministries.

You can’t go too far in Morocco without seeing evidence of the country’s royals.

Almost everywhere I went I saw photos of the king, while many of the towns and cities have either mausoleums to dead kings or palaces (the royal family has 13 official residences and a few private ones, too).

Cats are also abundant in Morocco and it was rare to go anywhere, aside from the middle of the desert, without making a feline friend or two.

On the gastronomic front, almost every menu we came upon featured a mix of couscous, tagine and some type of omelette.

We also sampled traditional Moroccan dishes, such as harira (a chickpea and lentil soup) and pastilla (a bizarre meat pie topped with cinnamon and icing sugar).

Olives were ubiquitous, as were mint tea, tangerines and oranges. Moroccan tangerines are the best I’ve ever had and I’d find myself loading up on bags of them and devouring them whenever I fancied a snack.

I wasn’t sure if I’d like Morocco as I’d heard mixed reviews from friends who’d been, but I absolutely loved it and had a fantastic time.

My two-week whistlestop tour of the country started in Casablanca (above), before moving on to a trio of Imperial cities – Rabat (my favourite), Meknes and Fes – and the ruined Roman city of Volubilis (below).

I then travelled over the Middle Atlas mountains to the desert, stopping at Merzouga and Erg Chebbi, where I spent the night camped at the foot of the marvellous sand dunes.

From there I headed through the Southern Oases to the High Atlas mountains (above), where I hiked Todra Gorge (below) and had tea with the local Amazigh people.

I then headed to the coastal town of Essaouira for a couple days’ rest and relaxation, before finishing my trip in the bustling Imperial city of Marrakech.

Over the next couple of months, I’ll be recounting my experiences in this diverse north African country.

Stay tuned for my Moroccan adventures…