by Maleeha Sambur

My husband and I landed in Marrakech in a Saturday afternoon and checked into the gorgeous six-room Riad Dixneuf la Ksour, where we were welcomed with delicious mint tea and almond biscuits in the tranquil central courtyard, tucked away from the cacophony of the streets. The riad was a study in understated elegance, each turn revealing another simple yet perfectly composed vignette. After exploring its beautifully appointed spaces and taking in a birdseye view of the city against the backdrop of the snow-covered Atlas Mountains from the rooftop, we went for a walk through the labyrinthine alleys of the medina. As the melodious call to evening prayer reached our ears, we found ourselves at Jemaa el-Fnaa square just in time to watch the setting sun wash the buildings in rose gold hues and observe crowds of people shuffling off to the nearby mosque.

As evening fell, we walked through the square's storied open-air market, which sprang to life after prayer time. The atmosphere vibrated with energy, awakening our groggy, jet-lagged senses. Under the enchanting glow of string lights and patterned lanterns, we took in the scene, charmed as much by the vendors' clever multilingual sales pitches as their intriguing wares. The way they switched effortlessly between languages conjured in my mind the world of the nomadic traders, caravans, and global marketplaces of old. Fortunetellers beckoned and food stalls enticed us with tantalizing aromas as we walked past carts piled high with dates, nuts, and spices, magicians playing tricks with rapt audiences, and medicine men of dubious qualifications touting miracle cures and herbal remedies.

by Maleeha Sambur

Each year, my family members and I carve out one week of our lives for a family vacation, and in 2014, Morocco was our chosen destination. Morocco is a country of remarkably diverse landscapes, and with so many fascinating regions to explore, it was tough to choose which places to visit. Since only one member of our party had been there before, we were seeking a general introduction to the country, and with six of us traveling, we decided that the easiest way to accomplish that would be to travel by car, with a tour company guiding us in our explorations. With the help of the excellent folks at Rough Tours, we settled on an itinerary that took us from Marrakech to Fes to Chefchaouen, along with a night in the Sahara and plenty of interesting stops in between.

Since we usually prefer self-guided exploration over organized tours, we were a bit concerned that taking the well-trodden tourist route would feel inauthentic, but our guides made it seem unique, catering their talking points to our individual interests (architecture, history, crafts, sociology), showing us key sites while steering clear of tourist traps, and weighing in on where to eat and shop without leading us to a friend or relative's business (a common practice among tour companies, as they can earn a commission for bringing in business). It was a lot of driving, but the ever-shifting landscape provided plenty of distractions, as we watched the scenery change from lush, palm-lined oases to surreal, mind-bending desertscapes; barren stretches of otherworldly rock formations to terracotta kasbahs camouflaged among undulating ochre-colored hills; verdant valleys with crystalline lakes to pine-forested, snow-blanketed ski towns.