The Kingdom of Morocco, as it's officially known, is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 34 million. It's an ethnically diverse country with a rich culture, civilization and many tourists? attractions. You can get to Morocco by plane through the capital, Casablanca or by cruise ships through the Tangier and Nador ports or by road from southern Spain or France via passenger/car ferries. Officially, the natives speak mainly Arabic.



The desert land in Morocco beholds the dazzling, shape-shifting dunes of the Sahara at Merzouga, where the next stop across the sands is the legendary Timbuktu. Once you've tasted the sand dunes, try the spectacular outer-space landscapes of the Todra Gorge, its mind-boggling. Explore the mysteries of Fes, the refined ancient centre of sacred learning and imperial power with its labyrinthine streets anchored by the soaring minarets of the Al-Qarawiyin and Al-Andalus mosques and captured in centuries of history at the Dar Batha Museum. Another popular site is the Djemaa el-Fna. Its non-stop drama, where you can see henna-painters, potion-sellers, snake-charmers and acrobats by day, storytellers, Gnaoua musicians, and cross-dressing belly dancers and the world's biggest grilling competition nightly. If you love architecture, you'll love the streets of Casablanca's whitewashed old-town and its faded Moroccan art deco glories, from wrought-iron geometric arabesque gates to faded movie palaces.

Experience a climatic moment atop Morocco's picturesque High Atlas Mountains, the view from above gives out a different view than from below. A momentous trek at the ascent of Jebel Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak, will leave you breathless. It's one of the most popular and starts from the idyllic Berber village of Imlil, built right into the base of the mountain. Swim, surf, windsurf and splash around in the Atlantic in the sheltered, sandy coves of Agadir and Oualidia and the one-time Portuguese pirate ports of El Jadida and Essaoura. For those who enjoy a little adventure, the Middle and High Atlas Mountains is waiting for you to climb it. Get to see millennia-old Berber petroglyphs as you rock climb and get a foothold on the rock faces of the Dades and Todra Gorges. Enjoy white-water rafting as you pass through spectacular gorges on the rivers of the High and Middle Atlas ranges.

Accommodation in Morocco is diverse and unique. You will love the Riads-traditional Moroccan mud brick courtyard houses best known as guest houses, usually found in medinas (old towns) of large cities like Marrakech. Most riads offer bed & breakfast accommodation sometimes with traditional services such as hammams (steam baths), cooking classes and excursions. Most main towns, notably Fes, Marrakech and Tangier host quite a wide choice of Western accommodation like 1 to 5 star hotels. You can also find established campsites with good facilities in many parts of Morocco. Youth hostels are in abundance in Asni, Azrou, Casablanca, Fes, Marakesh, Meknes and Rabat.

Moroccan cuisine is a blend of Mediterranean, Arabic, Jewish, Persian, West African and Berber influences. Moroccan restaurants offer a good selection of food, including typical Moroccan fare plus French, Italian, Spanish and fusion dishes. Night life in Morocco offers a variety of bars, discos and restaurants often with live music or belly dancing as part of the evening's entertainment. There are also casinos in Marrakech, Mohammedia, Tangier and Agadir. Real entertainment is mostly found in halqa, the street theatre performances by acrobats, musicians and cross-dressing belly dancers.

Morocco has much to offer the traveler and one day would not be enough to enjoy and see all the attractions so when you visit, make a long stay.