5 Things You Should Know About The Prickly Pear
The prickly pear is a fruit Moroccans love to eat and love to hate! It’s appropriately named for its spiky outer shell, and the fact that it is the fruit of the cacti plant. If you look out the window during your Moroccan road trip, you will notice an impressive...
Perfectly, Imperfect: Our Family’s First Christmas in Morocco
My girls emphatically insist on seeing gaudy, kilowatt-sucking, elaborate red-and-white, Rudolph, Frosty and Santa-inspired holiday decorations at the same time as everyone else in the United States – the day after Halloween. It doesn’t matter that they have...
5 Reasons Santa Should Use Camels Instead of Reindeer
Thinking about spending Christmas in Morocco? Did you know that the team at Journey Beyond Travel JUST caught Santa Claus riding camels in Morocco’s Sahara Desert!!! We thought this was a sight worth sharing! Here’s our top reasons why Santa Claus may...
Christmas in Morocco: 3 Hidden Destinations
If you’re looking to get away when the temperature plummets and the snow starts falling from above, why not consider spending Christmas in Morocco? While many travelers from the Northern Hemisphere initially consider a European destination for their winter holidays, a...
Who Are The Morocco Berbers?
Traveling in Morocco, you are bound to trip across one of the most defining characteristics of the country – the Berbers. As the original inhabitants of Morocco, they are rightly proud of the contributions they have made in shaping the country. With a unique...
Kif in the Rif: Truths about Hashish in Morocco
Many travelers today associate Morocco with hashish (kif), but although the country’s production of the drug is centuries old, it was not until the early 1970s that Morocco became internationally recognized for it… Indeed, until the start of an increasing influx...
How to Ride a Camel
Riding a camel across the undulating dunes of the Moroccan Sahara is unquestionably the stuff that holiday memories are made of. Any element of discomfort will fade into the distance, along with the recollection of any aching muscles when you shake the sand out of...
Gay Travel in Morocco: An Overview
When the LGBTQ+ communities were being persecuted in Europe, centers in Morocco like Tangier and Marrakesh were seen as safe spaces. Not only are they wonderful destinations in their own right, but the local populations have a sort of worldly ‘been there, seen...
Everything You Need to Know About Visiting the Sahara Desert
There are very few places on Earth that compare to the incredible landscapes you’ll see visiting the Sahara Desert. Running roughly north-south along Morocco’s eastern border with neighboring Algeria, the Sahara Desert is the world’s largest hot desert. In fact,...Kasbah Amridil in Skoura, Morocco
Take the road from Erfoud to Ouarzazate and you will find yourself driving along what is commonly known as the Road of One Thousand Kasbahs. You’ll catch a spectacular view of a vast valley dotted with small oases and hundreds of ancient fortifications. The...
Phrase Guide for Morocco
Moroccan culture is steeped in tradition. It permeates every facet of life, from the kitchen and dinner table to the street corner and school; even language holds to traditional mores. There are certain Moroccan phrases or sayings that come almost automatically to...
What Is a Riad?
You’ve booked your ticket to Morocco, now you need to decide where to stay. After all, you’ll need a place to sleep, shower and relax between riding camels on the beach, shopping for handmade rugs and eating couscous on your holiday to Morocco. While there are a...
The Old Capital: Fez, Morocco
Although demoted from the position of Morocco’s capital city, there is little doubt that Morocco’s former capital, the city of Fez, remains one of the most important cities in the entire country. Fez was the capital of Morocco for over four centuries, and it still...
Top 10 Posts to Read Before You Visit Fez
Until 1925 Fez was the modern capital of Morocco and it retains its prestige as one of the most enchanting and enriching cities in the country. Home to the world’s largest car-free city center and the world’s oldest functioning university, it’s no...
Morocco In Pictures: From Marrakesh to the Atlas Mountains
Morocco is unquestionably both a photographic destination and a great place to flex your walking and trekking muscles – Photographer Charley Tuffey decided to do both, and has shared with Journey Beyond Travel both the journey and the visual inspiration, along...
The Ashura Celebration in Morocco
Ashura in Morocco (often spelled: “achoura”) is truly a festival for kids… and kids at heart! The young ones get new toys, as well as the staple Darbuka (a goblet drum), Tbel (a large double-sided drum) and Berrada (a clay piggy bank). Kids go from playing music and...
Food Traditions in Morocco
Food in Morocco is steeped in tradition and culture. Few people outside of cities have clocks in Morocco, instead scheduling their days around the five calls to prayer and the daily meals that punctuate life. From mint tea to tajine, couscous to cookies here are a few...
Jemaa el-Fnaa: The Main Square in Marrakesh
The Jemaa el-Fnaa (also often: “Djema el-Fna” or “Jamma el-Fnaa”), is the historic main square of Marrakesh. It is a free and veritable outdoor theater that has existed for a thousand or more years. Any tour to Morocco would somehow be...
The Maison de la Photographie (Photography Museum) in Marrakesh
Le Maison de la Photographie (often the “Photography Museum” or “House of Photography” in English) is one of Morocco’s richest photography museums. Le Maison de la Photographie is tucked away deep in the old Marrakesh medina. You will have to...
Marrakesh: UNESCO World Heritage Series
For over a thousand years, Marrakesh has been many things. A hub for trade. A cultural melting pot. A powerful world capital. A tourist mecca. For all of these reasons, and many more, make the entire old medina of Marrakesh a UNESCO World Heritage Site. My first time...
The Koutoubia Mosque: A Famed Minaret
You can’t miss the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakesh, Morocco. It looms large over the vast expanse of the Jemma el-Fnaa, the famed public square. From afar, this is the beacon leading you to the Red City. Can you imagine a caravan coming across Morocco hundreds of...
Majorelle Garden & Pierre Bergé Berber Art Museum
Of all the gardens the world over, the Majorelle Garden (Le Jardin Majorelle) in Marrakesh is one of the most exquisite. Located outside of the historic old medina, this veritable paradise blends Art Deco charm with a modern take on the traditional Islamic garden. If...
UNESCO World Heritage Series: Volubilis
There are many good reasons for the inquisitive traveler to visit Morocco. The High Atlas Mountains and their hiking trails. The old cities of Fez and Marrakesh with the largest traditional markets in all of Africa. And of course the impressive Roman ruins dotted...
A Quick Guide to the Stunning Beaches of Asilah
I always get a little nervous when someone asks me to recommend a beach when they are visiting Asilah, just a short thirty minute drive from the Mediterranean digs of the city of Tangier. While there are kilometers of beautiful unspoiled coastline, the more popular...
Why Is Casablanca so Disappointing?
On the surface, Casablanca has a lot going for it. It has a great name embued with a certain amount of romance, year-round warm weather, long strips of sandy beaches, some of the best cuisine in the country, and lots of modern conveniences. The question remains: with...
Sustainable Tourism in Morocco
As a leading player in the “green” travel industry, since our inception in 2007, the team at Journey Beyond Travel has been encouraging and promoting sustainable tourism in Morocco. At the outset of the 20th century, the continuous growth of tourism in Morocco began...
Road Trip to Ouazzane
It’s a common refrain heard around the world: “It’s not easy being green.” In bright contrast to the Kermit dirge bemoaning the color green, the hillside town of Ouazzane, Morocco celebrates green. Greens of every tone are splashed across the medina walls and...
Fez Pottery: It’s All About Those Fassi Blues
I challenge any traveler to return from their holiday in Morocco without at least one piece of Fez pottery. It is impossible not to be drawn to the graphic lines and colorful arabesques. The careful craftsmanship of this pottery and its decoration is happily on...
UNESCO World Heritage Series: Ait Ben Haddou
I was traveling through the dusty south of Morocco, touring the Sahara with my guide, Hamid. He was trying to show me exactly where a particular scene in Ridley Scott’s epic film, Gladiator was shot. If you’ve seen Gladiator, you’ll remember Proximo (played by Oliver...Morocco Travel Guides
Favorite Morocco Guidebooks
Written and photographed by JBT Director, Lucas Peters, the 3rd edition of Moon Morocco is a detailed, full-colored country guidebook. Guaranteed to inspire travel lust, this edition is a wonderful companion for you while you’re in the planning stages or already in-country.
The 1st edition of Marrakesh & Beyond is a handy pocket-sized traveler. A complimentary guidebook to Moon Morocco, this guide dives deeper into the mysterious souks of the famed “Red City.” With a detailed shopping guide, handy fold-out map, and itineraries for day-tripping from Marrakesh, Lucas brings us another great resource for Morocco!