Marrakesh, Morocco

Being the closest exotic location to the UK, Morocco has many attractions, from the vibrant city of Marrakesh to the quiet Berber villages of the Atlas Mountains. The climate in Morocco is excellent all year round and it is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination. The world renowned hospitality of the Moroccan people will ensure that the boom in tourism goes from strength to strength. It is a place which floods the senses with colourful and overwhelming sights, sounds and smells. Morocco holds an immediate and enduring fascination.

Being the second imperial city of Morocco and the capital of the south, it has been attracting visitors for centuries and the djemaa El-fna - the most famous square in Africa - is the local point to which travellers have been drawn since ancient times. The square comes to life in the evening as story tellers, snake charmers, acrobats, musicians, pipe players, dancers and fortune tellers gather to entertain the vast crowds.

Marrakesh is also rich in culture and great places of interest that are a testimony to the country's long history. The Saadian Tombs, an ornate sixteenth-century mausoleum, are one of the finest examples of Islamic architecture in Morocco. By contrast, the lush peace of the Majorelle (Yves St. Laurent Gardens) evolved as an artist's retreat in the Nouvelle Ville in the 1920s. Here cacti, vines and tropical flowers tumble around waterways, mosaics and high walls painted in vibrant greens and bright blues. The High Atlas, a mere 30km south of Marrakesh and the greatest mountain range in North Africa, is undoubtedly the most beautiful and compelling part of this diverse land. Ourika, a long and beautiful valley with its streams and waterfalls being where the locals escape the city heat in the summer, is just an hour’s drive from Marrakesh.

Morocco's varied landscapes, which range from a 3,500km (2,170mile) coastline to the forests, rivers and mountains of the Middle and High Atlas and the Sahara Desert, offer a wide choice of sports and leisure activities, such as golf, hiking, water sports, hot air balloon rides, fishing and skiing.