From Moulay Idriss, we all took taxis to the nearby Roman ruins at Volubilis. Set in a fertile plain, Volubilis is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is considered to be a well preservered example of a Roman colonial town on the fringes of the Roman Empire. Abdul orgainzed for us to have a guided tour of the ruins. However, I usually tune out guides on guided tours and this tour was no exception. I was content with just walking around and checking things out at my own leisure and making up my own stories in my mind of what the various ruins were. My favorite part of the ruins were of course the brothel but also the many beautifully designed mosaics weathered from exposure to the elements for almost 2,000 years.

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Last year I took my first journey to an exotic land as I led my first Morocco photography tour. We did it all again just recently and because of my ankle (the Colombian incident), I brought along a co-leader, Daniel Korzeniewski. You’ll be hearing a lot more about him as he will be leading the tour for us in 2018 as well as one to India that we’re working on.

So I wanted to share some of my images from the recent tour with you. I had limited mobility but still managed to take almost 2000 images. We had a great bunch of people, an amazing guide, and we all had a lot of fun.

If this magical place is on your bucket list – this is also the official launch for registrations which are now opened for the 2018 Morocco photo tour.

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As Morocco is set to join ECOWAS, it has brought much excitement to travel junkies in the sub-region as it represents a potential loss of strict national borders because of the free movement of people enjoyed by ECOWAS citizens.

West African leaders have agreed in principle to allow the Kingdom of Morocco to become part of the regional grouping, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The agreement was made at a meeting of regional leaders in the Liberian capital, Monrovia.

This has brought much excitement to many travel junkies in the sub-region as it represents a potential loss of strict national borders. That is because ECOWAS citizens enjoy free movement of people using the joint passports.

So, now that Morocco is joining the community, here is why you need to grab your passport as quickly as possible.

Chefchaouen

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Auckland recently beat Hong Kong for traffic congestion, when recent data put it at 40th-worst big city in the world for gridlock.

And with winter getting colder, many super city commuters may be dreaming of some freedom from the rat race.

Fortunately, real estate website Curbed has made a helpful list of car-free cities around the world.

Some are historic town centres that have banned cars; some have streets that are simply too narrow for vehicles. Others, like Venice, rely on boats.

Ghent, Belgium

In an effort to end traffic chaos and air pollution, the Ghent city centre banned cars in 1996. The streets are now free for exploring on foot, by bike or public transport.

Lamu, Kenya

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Ditch the rental car and get ready to explore

Some of the world’s most popular cities are facing a manmade crisis: cars are wreaking havoc, snarling streets, and contributing to increased air pollution. And while cities like London, Paris, and Seoul are doing everything from banning diesels to pedestrianizing streets, there are other places where there simply are no cars.

Car-free cities come in many forms. Some are historic city centers that have banned cars in an effort to fight pollution and increase tourism. Other cities are car-free because of necessity; the narrow streets of Fes-al-Bali, Morocco make driving impossible. Still other places are rural, out-of-the-way villages with small populations and a reliance on boats, donkeys, and bicycles.

And of course there are the canal cities—Venice immediately comes to mind—where water is a way of life.

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Looking for an exotic getaway that ticks all the boxes? And by boxes we mean great food, great fun and (of course), great Instagram fodder…

Morocco is heating up as a travel destination with visitors and travel bloggers alike, and Marrakech – the cultural hub of the country – is where it’s at right now. In days gone by Marrakech was a hippy mecca, drawing Yves Saint Laurent, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones to its UNESCO World Heritage old town. Nowadays it’s filled with European tourists, French hipsters, and world travellers looking to explore the Sahara beyond.

Here’s our guide to exploring Marrakech in 48hours… but we can’t guarantee that you’ll actually want to leave!

1400

You’ve arrived! It’s a long flight from Australia, so after a walk through the old medina to get to your accommodation, check into your riad in Marrakech.

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When I was in Morocco, we visited some truly fascinating places. I wish I could have put you in my pocket before I left and taken you on every inch of this trip. At least I can share those parts that I think you’ll find interesting or maybe even helpful.

Whenever I do share something from my travels, I always ask myself, is this something I would find interesting or fascinating even if I didn’t really have a lot of interest in travel? Is this a topic that’s “post worthy?” The two places I’m taking you today pass the post-worthy test and one even has some cool ideas you can use in decorating or furnishing an outdoor space or in the renovation of a bathroom in your home.

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Fez is now the second city of Morocco but it was in fact its capital until 1925. The city has two old medina quarters but the largest and most famous is the Fes el Bali. The walled city is listed as a World Heritage Site and is one of the world’s largest urban car free zones. You will see donkeys and men pushing and pulling huge carts up and down the hilly streets of the medina. You will see lots of motorbikes yes, but no cars. The University of Al Quaraouiyine, founded in 859, is the oldest continuously functioning university in the world. The city has been called the “The Mecca of the West” and the “Athens of Africa.” Fez is the country’s cultural and spiritual centre. Officially in North Africa, Fez’s blend of Arabic, French and African culture, make it a satisfyingly exotic multicultural destination

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“A wise man without a book is like a workman with no tools.”

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