My trip to Morocco

So sorry for my quietness of late, I took a trip to Morocco for a little inspiration and a bit of a refresh and I thought I would show you some images. 

It was a brilliant experience, travelling in a large group, with Oakhall holidays and a great guide, Hanif. I was overwhelmed by the wealth of pattern and beautiful artwork. But also by the expanses of gold, yellow and red earth - everywhere. It was so refreshing to see patches of green in the barren landscape. 

We started in Marrakech, where we saw the lovely Bahia palace, the Yves Saint Laurent rescued  Majorelle Garden and the warren of bazars. It was hectic, hot and a culture clash but very exciting. (44˚C!)

We travelled through the Tichka pass over the Atlas mountains to explore little towns and communities. We even popped in on a country-show-kind-of-event with Arab fighters dressed in full gear letting off riffles and charging on horse back. 

The highlight though was definitely our night in the Sahara. My friend Rachael remarked how it was like stepping inside a computer screen saver - so perfect were the sand dunes! We climbed the dunes on camel back guided by our Bedouin friends. Camels are so tall!! It was really peaceful and still.

Then a night under the stars in fabric tents was really quite special - if incredibly hot. The whole trip was beautifully concluded by a few days at Essaouira. I love this town, but very windy! Such a fresh sea breeze and a lovely laid back vibe. I honed my haggling skills and came away with some great presents. My camel leather bag as much as I love it distinctly smells of Morocco, and not in a good way! 

Many tanginess were eaten and mint tea sipped. Overall I completely enjoyed immersing myself into a different culture. Here a few pictures so you can see my adventures!