by David Brown | Oct 19, 2022 | Morocco Articles
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...
by Maria Inês Pinto | Oct 12, 2022 | Morocco Articles, 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,...
by Maria Inês Pinto | Sep 28, 2022 | Monuments & Sites, Morocco Articles, Sahara Desert
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...
by Pauline de Villiers Brettell | Aug 31, 2022 | Morocco Articles
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...
by Pauline de Villiers Brettell | Aug 24, 2022 | Fez, Marrakesh, Morocco Articles
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...
by Lucas Peters | Jul 19, 2022 | Fez, Morocco Articles
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...
by Pauline de Villiers Brettell | Jul 11, 2022 | Fez, Morocco Articles
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...
by Guest Author | May 4, 2022 | Atlas Mountains, Marrakesh, Morocco Articles
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...
by Amina Lahbabi | Apr 14, 2022 | Morocco Articles, Morocco Food
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...
by Pauline de Villiers Brettell | Apr 4, 2022 | Morocco Articles, Morocco Food
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...
by Lucas M Peters | Mar 10, 2022 | Marrakesh, Monuments & Sites, Morocco Articles, Morocco Food
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...
by Lucas M Peters | Feb 25, 2022 | Marrakesh, Monuments & Sites, Morocco Articles
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...
by Lucas M Peters | Feb 15, 2022 | Marrakesh, Monuments & Sites
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...
by Lucas M Peters | Jan 24, 2022 | Marrakesh, Monuments & Sites, Morocco Articles
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...
by Lucas M Peters | Jan 10, 2022 | Marrakesh, Monuments & Sites, Morocco Articles
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...
by Derek Workman | Nov 3, 2021 | Fez, Monuments & Sites, Morocco Articles
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...
by Pauline de Villiers Brettell | Sep 24, 2021 | Asilah, Morocco Articles, Tangier, Women Travelers
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...
by Lucas Peters | Sep 9, 2021 | Casablanca, Jewish Morocco, Morocco Articles
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...
by Isabel | Aug 27, 2021 | Atlas Mountains, Morocco Articles
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...
by Pauline de Villiers Brettell | Aug 10, 2021 | Asilah, Chefchaouen, Morocco Articles
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...
by Pauline de Villiers Brettell | Jun 14, 2021 | Fez, Morocco Articles
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...
by Derek Workman | Jun 1, 2021 | Monuments & Sites, Morocco Articles, Sahara Desert
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...
by Lucas M Peters | Apr 30, 2021 | Morocco Articles, Morocco Books, Sahara Desert
Before you board that plane for Morocco, remember to pack a book or a dozen. Not just for yourself, but for the Morocco Library Project! And while you’re at it, get a great book to read for yourself!!! Find out more about the Morocco Library Project and the Our...
by Lucas Peters | Mar 25, 2021 | Monuments & Sites, Morocco Articles, Tangier
Walter Harris, a long-time Tangier resident and former news correspondent for The Times, would be elated. His Tangier house, a quintessential example of Moorish-European architecture, has not only been lovingly restored, but it is now a wonderful modern art museum...
by Lucas Peters | Mar 12, 2021 | Marrakesh, Monuments & Sites, Morocco Articles
The historic old medina of Marrakesh can be overwhelming. The hot Moroccan sun beats down while vendors callout at passersby, hoping for a quick sale. Clanging metal rings out from the ironmongers souk. In the Jemma el Fnaa, the Gnawa rhythm of drums and shrill flute...
by Lucas Peters | Jan 8, 2021 | Morocco Articles, Morocco Books, Women Travelers
When you imagine the people of Morocco, you maybe first imagine the sultans and viziers, the pashas, as the blue-turbaned men gracefully leading their train of camels through the vast sandy ergs of the Sahara. These are the men of Morocco, sure, but what of the women?...
by Erin | Dec 29, 2020 | Marrakesh, Morocco Articles, Morocco Books
Peter Mayne’s A Year in Marrakesh was first published nearly 60 years ago. It remains a remarkable achievement in travel writing, even today, for its insights into a culture isolated from much of modernity’s reach. Travel memoirs seem to fall into three camps. There...
by Lucas Peters | Sep 3, 2020 | Morocco Articles
The long history of Morocco is filled with characters that seem to leap off the page. Perhaps none more so than the Sultan Moulay Ismail. At once feared and respected, villainized and lionized, this Moroccan sultan literally stood head and shoulders above other world...
by Heather | Jun 15, 2020 | Morocco Articles
Music and dance are an integral part of Moroccan life. During a trip to Morocco, you may witness processions of dancing villagers parading through the streets, or you might be kept awake late at night by the sound of rhythmic drums and the piercing ululations of...
by Shelley | Jun 8, 2020 | Morocco Articles
When traveling abroad, if you take the time to seek out and learn about local traditions, you’ll glimpse a window into what shapes a place and its culture. Sometimes these local traditions take the form of particular foods prepared in specific ways. Other times...