MOROCCO

The fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, who was famously enamoured of Morocco in the 1960s, once said that it was his time in Marrakech that “taught me colour”. The country’s bright hues undimmed today, time spent here is a treat for the senses. The still-vibrant souks of the country’s old towns’ medinas and evocative courtyard dining spaces of its riads (best enjoyed on a balmy evening) retain their easy charm. This gloriously varied North African country is just a short flight from the UK and yet a world away from it. Beyond Marrakech, Morocco’s landscapes span the peaks of the Atlas Mountains, the flat expanses of the Sahara, and delights of pretty fishing villages that stud the Atlantic coast. There will always be more to see in this country than there are hours in the day for, but then again time seems to slow down here – very pleasantly. Maybe the colours really are brighter, too?