The journal · field notes from Morocco
No top-10 listicles. Slow, opinionated dispatches from the atelier on when to come, where to go first, what to skip and how to spend your dirhams well. Read before you book — and certainly before you pack.
This month's long-read
One slow, in-house piece every month. No commissioned writers, no sponsored takes — just the answers we already give our guests on WhatsApp, written down properly.
Latest field note 9 min readMarrakech · June 2026
Most people try to do Marrakech in 36 hours and leave exhausted. Here is the three-day rhythm we recommend for first-timers — the medina, Majorelle, an Atlas day, what to skip and where to eat.
The archive
Re-read every season by our team. If anything is out of date we annotate it at the top of the piece — Morocco changes slowly, but it does change.
02Desert 10 minDesert · June 2026
Merzouga or Zagora? Standard or luxury? We map the trade-offs in distance, dunes, silence and price — and what a night under canvas actually includes — with the camps we still send guests to.
03Practical 8 minPractical · June 2026
The etiquette and the mechanics of bargaining — fair price ranges, the phrases that help, what's actually fixed-price, the set-ups to sidestep, and why walking away is your strongest move.
04Practical 6 minPractical · May 2026
Guides, drivers, riads, camps, restaurants — who to tip, how much, and in what currency. The honest, no-guesswork numbers we give our own guests before every trip.
05Fes 10 minFes · June 2026
The world's largest car-free urban area is a 13th-century city still running in real time. The tanneries, the Qarawiyyin, the art of getting pleasantly lost — and when to hire a guide.
06Food 9 minFood · June 2026
Bessara at dawn, mechoui, seven-vegetable couscous on a Friday, the street-food stalls worth queuing for — what to order, where, and how to eat well whatever your diet.
07Atlas 7 minAtlas · June 2026
Imlil, the Ourika valley, Berber villages and waterfalls are an hour from the Red City. What a good day actually looks like — and the tourist traps to drive past.
08Coast 7 minCoast · June 2026
Three hours from Marrakech, the Atlantic's most likeable town — fortified ramparts, a working fishing port, kitesurf wind and a music soul. How to spend a perfect 48 hours.
09Planning 9 minPlanning · June 2026
The honest, current picture — solo and women travellers, the common souk set-ups, which areas to know about, health and the road. What we actually tell our own guests.
10Practical 7 minPractical · June 2026
No 'breathable convertible trousers'. A real packing list that changes with the month and the route — medina, mountains, coast and desert all ask for different things.
11Planning 8 minPlanning · June 2026
Daily spend, where the money goes and the honest ways to save without missing the point of the trip — with sample budgets in USD for shoestring, mid-range and comfortable.
12Marrakech 7 minMarrakech · June 2026
What a riad actually is, which neighbourhoods suit which travellers, and what to look for before you book — so you get the courtyard, the calm and the location right.
13Itineraries 11 minItineraries · June 2026
The classic one-week loop, day by day — Marrakech, the High Atlas, Aït Ben Haddou, the Dades, the Merzouga dunes and Fes — with honest drive times and what to skip.
14Practical 8 minPractical · June 2026
Road conditions, police checkpoints, city parking, fuel and the real cost trade-off — and why most of our guests end up with a private driver instead of a rental.
15Culture 6 minCulture · June 2026
Why it's poured from a height, what 'Berber whisky' means, how it's brewed and the etiquette of accepting a glass — the small ceremony at the heart of Moroccan hospitality.
16Desert 8 minDesert · June 2026
The UNESCO earthen citadel south of the Atlas — its history, the films shot there (Gladiator to Game of Thrones), and how to visit properly from Marrakech or Ouarzazate.
17Marrakech 9 minMarrakech · June 2026
Rugs, leather, lanterns, ceramics and argan — where to find the real thing in the medina, how to bargain without stress, and how to get it all home.
18Family 9 minFamily · June 2026
Where to go, how to pace it, the riads that work for families, camel rides and food kids will actually eat — the practical things we tell parents before they come.
19North 7 minNorth · June 2026
Why it's painted blue, what to actually do there, day trip versus overnight, the best photo spots and how to get to the Rif's most photogenic town.
20Culture 8 minCulture · June 2026
From the blue lanes of Chefchaouen to the dunes of Merzouga and the kasbahs of the south — where to shoot, when the light is right, and the etiquette of the lens.
21Desert 8 minDesert · June 2026
Big dunes and a longer drive, or accessible desert closer to Marrakech? We compare Erg Chebbi and the Zagora/Chigaga route on dunes, drive time, crowds and cost.
22Culture 8 minCulture · June 2026
Gnaoua in Essaouira, the rose festival in the Dades, sacred music in Fes, moussems and Ramadan — the events worth planning a trip around, month by month.
23Desert 7 minDesert · June 2026
Camel arrival, the tents, dinner under the stars, the cold nights, the sunrise on the dunes — and the difference between a standard and a luxury Sahara camp.
24Food 9 minFood · June 2026
Jemaa el-Fnaa stalls, the best tagine and tangia, where locals actually eat, street snacks, and the rooftop tables worth the splurge — how to eat well in the Red City.
25Planning 7 minPlanning · March 2025
When to visit Casablanca, month by month: the city's mild Atlantic climate, warm summers with morning sea-cloud, mild wet winters, and why spring and autumn are the most reliable. Typical temperatures, what to pack and how to plan.
26Planning 7 minPlanning · April 2025
While the interior bakes, the Atlantic keeps Casablanca comfortably warm — humid and hazy, but milder than Marrakech or Fès. The Aïn Diab Corniche at its liveliest, the Hassan II Mosque in summer light, and honest notes on a working city that isn't a beach resort.
27Planning 7 minPlanning · March 2025
A neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood guide to where to stay in Casablanca: the Art-Deco downtown centre, the Corniche at Ain Diab, Gauthier and Maarif, and near Casa-Port station — which area suits which kind of trip.
28Food 8 minFood · March 2025
A Casablanca food guide built around the city's own identity: Atlantic seafood, the Marché Central where you pick your fish, port and Sqala dining, French-colonial café and brasserie culture, street food (sardine sandwiches, bocadillos, snail soup) and modern Moroccan fine dining.
29Practical 7 minPractical · March 2025
How to get around Casablanca: the modern Casa Tram network, red petits taxis and shared grands taxis, the two main train stations (Casa-Port and Casa-Voyageurs), the airport train from Mohammed V, ride apps and walking the central and Corniche areas.
30Practical 8 minPractical · March 2025
Honest things to know before visiting Casablanca: it's Morocco's modern business metropolis, not a postcard medina. What to expect — the Hassan II Mosque, the Art-Deco downtown, the Ain Diab Corniche, the food scene, heavy traffic and the tram, a cosmopolitan café culture, dress, cash and cards.
31Planning 7 minPlanning · April 2025
An honest trip-length guide. Casablanca is Morocco's modern gateway city, not a multi-day sightseeing destination — half a day to a day suits most visitors. The Hassan II Mosque, the Art-Deco downtown and the Corniche, plus when two days (and a Rabat day trip) make sense.
32Practical 7 minPractical · April 2025
Long layover at Mohammed V Airport (CMN)? Whether you can leave the airport, visa and re-entry checks, the airport train vs a taxi, how much time you really need, and seeing the Hassan II Mosque — with honest buffers for immigration and traffic.
33Practical 8 minPractical · June 2026
Every way from Mohammed V Airport (CMN) into the city and on to Marrakech: the ONCF airport train via Casa-Voyageurs, official taxis and private door-to-door transfers — with honest journey times, the 240 km A7 drive, and which to choose.
34Planning 8 minPlanning · June 2026
Ranked day trips from Casablanca with honest distances and times: Rabat's monuments under an hour away by train, the Portuguese cistern at El Jadida, the oyster lagoon at Oualidia, art-filled Azemmour — and why Marrakech is better as an overnight than a day.
35Practical 8 minPractical · June 2026
Every honest way to cover the 240 km from central Casablanca to Marrakech: the ONCF intercity train from Casa-Voyageurs (about 2h40–3h), where the Al Boraq high-speed line actually fits, the A7 motorway drive and the bus — with real times and which to choose.
Letters from Marrakech
No marketing. Just one field note, one riad we love this season, one practical tip — written in plain English, signed by a real person.
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