Luxury Travel Destination: Morocco
Tangier, Casablanca, Marrakech … the names dance on your tongue as you speak them. Exotic scents and flavorous aromas fill the air wherever you go. It seems so cliched, but Morocco really is everything you’ve heard. Fascinating, mysterious, radiant, colorful. A culture that is both modern and steeped in history, encompassing influences as diverse as Arabian, Berber, and European. Air-conditioned luxury surrounded by dusty poverty. Vast shifting desert dunes, peaceful oases guarded by gently swaying palm trees. Sights and smells that will evoke every emotion from joy to displeasure. It’s all there on Africa’s northern coastline.
There are many ways to experience Morocco, from live-like-a-local backpacker adventures to luxurious bespoke private tours. One of the most comfortable ways to explore Morocco is in a luxury vehicle with a private driver and guide to see to your every need.
Accommodation fit for royalty awaits you in formerly private homes which have been re-imagined as exquisite luxury riads and world-class boutique hotels. The most authentic establishments are located in historic medinas within strolling distance of traditional souks and hammams. In a previous article, we explored Chefchaouen, Morocco’s Instagram-famous Blue Pearl nestled against the slopes of the Rif Mountains. Like most Moroccan towns, Chefchaouen abounds with noisy, colorful souks, majestic mosques, and tranquil riads. On market days the blue walkways are packed with sellers and their wares. Browse leather goods, wool garments, crafts, baskets, and jewelry to take home as gifts and souvenirs. For an authentic Moroccan spa experience, treat yourself to a good scrubbing at a hammam.
There’s something otherworldly about vast expanses of sand and dunes, covered by an immense blue sky. If glamping is your thing, get in touch with Top Desert, a Moroccan family-owned and operated company offering a range of private tours which include glamping in the desert. Experience a sunset camel ride in the Sahara, and then relax in your private tent until the enchanting call of Berber music draws you outside under the dark, star-lit sky.
Inspired by photographs of a turquoise blue pool surrounded by water-eroded rocky ledges, we searched for Morocco’s well-known Paradise Valley oasis in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Suffice to say it is no longer the idyllic hippy hangout of the 1960s. Unless there has been good rain to refill the pools, don’t expect the deep sparkling water featured in travel brochures.
With its long, sandy coastline reaching from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, Morocco has a multitude of beach and golf resorts. From quaint fishing villages to sophisticated hotels, you’ll get to see a different face of this fascinating country.
From the air, Morocco is truly breath-taking. Towns laid out in a repeated pattern of little squares with tree-lined courtyards – an architectural technique that ensures coolness and a touch of humidity in this mostly arid environment. Book a private hot air balloon flight with Ciel d’Afrique for an unforgettable sunrise as the prevailing winds carry you quietly over the parched landscape. If you’d prefer to put your trust in a more modern form of flight, take a helicopter tour. Unlike balloon flights, helicopter flips can be arranged at any time of the day. If you want to visit some of the more exclusive and inaccessible spots, a helicopter is a perfect way to arrive in style.
For a honeymoon with a difference, Morocco is the fantasy destination you’ve been dreaming of. Spend your days at a lavish beach retreat or discover one of Morocco’s many hidden jewels. Contact the team at Morocco Luxury Journeys to begin your life together with an unforgettable adventure.
