Timeless Morocco in Past and Present Colours

I first visited Morocco 17 years ago, before the budget airlines started flying there. We took the boat from Algeciras, Spain to Tangier. It was my first experience backpacking and visiting a non-Westernised country and we spent three memorable weeks immersing ourselves in everything the country has to offer. It has always held a special place in my heart and ignited a love of travel in me that has never subsided.

I couldn’t wait to return this year and see how it had changed, but what I realised is how it hasn’t actually changed that much. Yes there are more shops, restaurants and boutique hotels, but when comparing it to old photographs (on a visit to the House of Photography in the medina of Marrakesh), I understood how timeless it is visually.

The country is evocative. You are bombarded sensorily at every turn and this ignites curiosity—you want to keep exploring and diving deeper. The scents and colours: Marrakesh pink, Fes yellow, Essaouira blue and white, the orange of the Atlas Mountains. During both visits, I felt incredible warmth, kindness, and hospitality from the locals. The men in the souks who at first heckled me to look at their wares, after a few sightings of me over my days there, began to just wave hello.

There is an undeniable magic and mysticism, felt particularly in the kasbahs of Ouarzazate, Aït Benhaddou, and the surrounding mountains. The craftsmanship too is remarkable: from hand-built ceramics to Berber weaving techniques, even the infamous tajine, all of them slowly and lovingly created. A visit to Morocco is a gentle reminder that advances in technology will never replace the integrity of community and time-honoured traditions.