Canadian Mapseller

We had a brief sojourn of a couple of days at a wonderful lodge that sits on a hill under the face of Mt Toubkal in the High Atlas. The location of the “Kasbah du Toubkal” cannot be beaten: to sit in the clear mountain air on the terrace of the lodge surrounded by the stunning scenery of the Atlas is a life-restoring experience. The Kasbah itself offers simple but stylish accommodation and service - your luggage is carried by mule from the village -and it is operated by and for the benefit of the local Berber population. They can also organise guided treks: to the summit of Toubkal (2 days) or shorter local walks, after which I recommend recovery in their hammam! ... read more

Despite having a good map it wasn’t until my third day in Marrakesh that I managed to navigate my way purposefully and accurately through the maze of alleys in the souks to reach everyone’s primary and ultimate destination the Jemaa el Fna square. But of course that’s the point of the souks - to lose your sense of order as well as direction, to give yourself up to the claustrophobic sensuality and vibrancy of the markets. If you really want to know where you are, the map does give you some idea of the layout, but the minute you open it to re-establish your position, a young boy will be insisting he leads you to “la place”, as the Jemaa is simply known. Better just to drift and head for any glimpse of daylight from ... read more