North Africa - Majestic Morocco

Morocco is a kingdom in North Africa that offers a varied and diverse experience for travellers, from the high Atlas Mountains, were there is even a ski resort to the majestic Sahara desert and the ancient souks of Marrakech, Morocco offers something of everything for holiday makers. Indian citizens can enter the country with a visa, which can be obtained from the Moroccan Embassy in New Delhi and a valid passport as well as a return or onward ticket. The markets in and around the historic Djemaa El Fna Square in Marrakech are stuffed with intricately woven carpets, beautifully worked metal lamps and colourful scarves and robes, and at night the square comes alive with food stalls, each vendor vying for your attention, and the food is delicious, serving everything from snails to lamb and tasty Harira soup.

If you want to visit a beach, then the laid-back town of Essaouira is well worth a visit, and if you travel from Marrakech, you will pass the famous Argan tree groves, which are harvested for Argan oil and are also home to tree-climbing goats, which make for an amusing photograph. The main language spoken is Arabic but also French, and the currency is the Moroccan Dirham. 

The architecture in Morocco consists of narrow winding streets with tall painted houses known as “Riads” with cool tiled interiors built around an internal courtyard and some very ornate doors. There is an accommodation to suit all budgets from backpacker hostels to 5-star luxury hotels with pools and spa facilities. If you want to go on a camel trek or a beach trip then most cities will have a wide range of vendors selling package tours for holiday makers, so shop around to get a good price, and keep in mind that bartering is an art form here, so never pay the price first given. Morocco is a safe country for tourists due in part to a large number of tourist police who are visible and the friendly inhabitants.