Everyone is out and about in Marrakech's Djemma El Fna Square by night.Credit:iStock
WHY
Year-round sun,medieval ramparts backed by the Atlas Mountains,bazaars and tangerine trees,peeling palaces and courtyards glazed in blue tiles:no wonder Marraksch is Morocco's top destination. Yet this isn't just an historic Islamic town. Crowded alleys contrast with flower-lined boulevards,luxe hotels rise beside traditional guesthouses. Oriented towards Africa,Marrakesh has strong Berber influences and a hearty dose of Western cosmopolitanism,French designer chic and heady nightclubs where you really can rock the kasbah.
VISIT
Lounge off the main courtyard at Villa des Orangers in Marrakesh.Credit:Villa des Orangers
Historic sights include the royal Saadian Tombs,ornate with plasterwork and stained glass amid a high-walled rose garden;rambling Bahia Palace (palais-bahia.com);and Ben Youssef Medersa (medersa-ben-youssef.com),a stunning Koranic school elaborate with cedar-wood carvings and stucco work. The city's icon,the 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque,is closed to non-Muslims but has an impressive minaret tower,splendidly spot-lit at night. Garden lovers should head to Yves St Laurent's colourful,cactus-filled Jardin Majorelle (fondation-pb-ysl.net),also home to the Berber Museum.
EAT
Salt (www.salt-marrakech.com) is one of the city's most innovative restaurants,with a visiting international chef program and seasonal menus focused on"new"Moroccan cuisine. It has an atmospheric setting in an old ryad (courtyard mansion) hung with lamps. Le Foundouk (www.foundouk.com) inhabits a renovated caravanserai and serves both Moroccan and international cuisine;the rooftop terrace is fabulous. Ask locals for directions to stylish old-town Le Tobsil,which serves set menus that include scrumptious tagines.
LOOK
The bustling,hustling medina (old town) has scarcely changed in centuries,though motor-scooters are replacing donkeys in its narrow alleys. Plunge in and get lost in Ali Baba scenes,sip mint tea in cafés;plunder shops for leather slippers,kaftans and copper lamps;discover old bakeries,crumbling palaces and gorgeous courtyards. As evening falls,head to vast square Jemaa el-Fna,where all Marrakech strolls and snacks as monkeys juggle,performers drum and fortune-tellers mutter.