Morocco (Dec18 - 24, 2007)

Being married for many years now – I am quite used to the idea of being told where we're going for a vacation. Don't take me wrong – I do get consulted sometimes – though my views can be vetoed as they were this time and we went to Morocco in December.

The BA flight was a stopover in Casablanca which came as a surprise to me and Nidhi (my wife) – had we known that, we would have spent a couple of days there. We reached Marrakech late in the evening – but it was a disappointment even in the dark. The dingy by lanes in the old Kasbah district looks like a poor man's Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi. Thankfully, we were booked in Riad Alma (http://www.riadalma.com/) – a family owned Riad which takes care of everything from airport pick-up to meals to restaurant bookings to tourist guide to personal tours to in-house spa… It was our oasis (literally) for which I cannot thank Pierre (owner of Riad Alma) enough.

We had a guided tour to the Souk. Ignoring all the warnings, Nidhi bought a woollen hand-woven runner (Kilim) after bargaining hard. (It now adorns our dining room)

Pierre arranged for a cab to drive us to Essaouira – which is a coastal town. A must, if you go to Morocco. We were booked in La Maison De Artists, which was sold to us as a sea-view room and which was the only good thing about it. The place has not been cleaned for years – avoid it at any cost. That aside, the town is simply beautiful and the people are perfect hosts. If you are fond of food, do not miss Le Mechouar. It serves some seriously good French food. The town is quite picturesque with ramparts over the Atlantic; coloured doors on shops & houses and coffee shops where one can sit and read for hours.

We were back in Marrakech after two days and decided to take the tour to the Atlas Mountains.

The return journey was a nightmare. The flight was delayed by 6 hours with no BA staff to manage the chaos. My luggage got lost and reached me after 3 days. I came back with a sore throat and needed rest (after the holiday)

I know where I am going for a vacation this year – I have already recommended NY to my dear wife. No more exotic places for me please.