Marrakesh

Travel destination popular things to do or visit: Marrakesh revealed

One moment you stand near a mosaic fountain, and the next, a snake charmer’s flute escapes into the air, mingling with the clang of copper pots. Some say the best hotel in Marrakesh is found by accident, after you forget where you left your luggage and follow the smell of bread instead. In Jemaa el-Fnaa square, daylight brings orange juice stalls and henna artists, but dusk swaps that out for storytellers whose tales last longer than your phone battery. The shadow play on red walls sometimes feels like a movie set, except the extras might try to sell you a carpet.

Try not to miss the garden where a painter once lived, though the cacti seem to have their own opinions about visitors. If you wander the souks, you might learn the hard way that 'just looking' is a full-time job. Somewhere, a stork nests on a minaret, possibly judging your haggling skills. After a week, you may find the city’s rhythm stuck in your shoes, or at least in the way your coins jingle. Not every alleyway leads where you think – but that’s half the fun, unless you’re running late for couscous, which, according to locals, is never a good idea.