The Morocco Diaries, Part 10 of 10: Essaouira
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The Santorini of North Africa? The seaside town of Essaouira is the antithesis to everything I had yet experienced in Morocco. |
November 09, 2018
The Morocco Diaries, Part 10 of 10: Essaouira
The Santorini of North Africa? The seaside town of Essaouira is the antithesis to everything I had yet experienced...
The Morocco Diaries, Part 9 of 10: How Argan Oil is Made - From Tree-Climbing Goats to Women's Cooperatives
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Grease me up, buttercup! THE MOROCCO DIARIES, PART 9 of 10:
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November 05, 2018
The Morocco Diaries, Part 9 of 10: How Argan Oil is Made - From Tree-Climbing Goats to Women's Cooperatives
Grease me up, buttercup! THE MOROCCO DIARIES, PART 9 of 10: THE ARGAN OIL ROUTE FROM MARRAKECH TO ESSAOUIR...
The Morocco Diaries, Part 8 of 10: 4½ Things to Do with 1 Day in Marrakech
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4½ Things to Do with |
November 02, 2018
The Morocco Diaries, Part 8 of 10: 4½ Things to Do with 1 Day in Marrakech
4½ Things to Do with 24 Hours in Marrakech THE MOROCCO DIARIES, PART 8 of 10: MARRAKECH, MOROCCO At last,...
The Morocco Diaries, Part 6 of 10: Conquering the High Atlas Mountains
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Of Hollywood studios, Game of Thrones, and the highest point in Morocco... |
October 22, 2018
The Morocco Diaries, Part 6 of 10: Conquering the High Atlas Mountains
Of Hollywood studios, Game of Thrones, and the highest point in Morocco... THE MOROCCO DIARIES, PART 6 ...
The Morocco Diaries, Part 5 of 10: Todra Gorge & Boumalne Dades
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How Todra Gorge completely changed the way I see Morocco, and how I got married off to a Berber family... THE MOROCCO DIARIES, PART 5 of 10: TODRA GORGE & BOUMALNE DADES Before I had embarked on my virgin trip to Morocco my perception of the country was that of a barren land. But after being unexpectedly rained on in the Sahara Desert the night before, I now knew to not judge a book by its dusty cover. A visit to Todra Gorge - the Grand Canyon of the Sahara - would challenge everything I thought I knew about this beguilling country. MUCH MOROCCO |
October 19, 2018
The Morocco Diaries, Part 5 of 10: Todra Gorge & Boumalne Dades
How Todra Gorge completely changed the way I see Morocco, and how I got married off to a Berber family... ...
The Morocco Diaries, Part 4 of 10: Erfoud
THE MOROCCO DIARIES, PART 4 of 10: ERFOUD
Of sunsets and storms on the sand dunes of the Sahara...
It’s the journey, not the destination, that matters. At least, that’s what I console myself when my plans don’t go my way. I had come to the edge of the Sahara desert to ride, for the first time, on camels as the sun set on the sand dunes. A fairly reasonable request given the desert’s proclivity for blazing sunsets or at least dryness. However - as I would find out after a long and ardous journey - the bizzare and the unexpected have a tendency to follow me around the world...
October 15, 2018
The Morocco Diaries, Part 4 of 10: Erfoud
THE MOROCCO DIARIES, PART 4 of 10: ERFOUD Of sunsets and storms on the sand dunes of the Sahara... It’s the journey,...
The Morocco Diaries, Part 3 of 10: Fez
THE MOROCCO DIARIES, PART 3 of 10: FEZ
What a way to reach a climax. I had begun my tour of Morocco’s four Imperial Cities with Rabat (current and deceptively modern but for its UNESCO Heritage landmark), followed by Meknes (at a glance, modest and even shabby but home to one of the world’s greatest doors). The next destination would be Fez; arguably the most exciting of the country’s former capitals (although Marrakech would beg to differ; it being Fez’s biggest competition). What is indisputable is that Fez is the oldest of the Imperial Cities, first established as capital in the ninth century under Sultan Idriss II, a great-great grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. Fez’s status as capital has since come and gone with different dynasties, but its fixture in the imagination has remained, for its famous medina - the largest in the world - and its souks, the likes of which are nothing like anything else in the country...
October 12, 2018
The Morocco Diaries, Part 3 of 10: Fez
THE MOROCCO DIARIES, PART 3 of 10: FEZ What a way to reach a climax . I had begun my tour of Morocco’s four Imperial...
The Morocco Diaries, Part 2 of 10: Rabat and Meknes
THE MOROCCO DIARIES, PART 2 of 10: RABAT & MEKNES
How many Imperial Cities does a country need? Many nations have a historical capital, usually the seat of the royal family, whether reigning or depose, and modern capital (Kyoto and Tokyo, St Petersburg and Moscow; to name two). But for Morocco, one former capital won’t do: instead, the country has had three previous capitals in addition to the current one, Rabat. By the end of my trip I would have visited all 4 of Morocco’s Imperial Cities - Rabat, Meknes, Fez, and Marrakech. In this story, Part 2 of my 10-Part Moroccan Diaries, I glide through 2 of Morocco’s Four Imperial Cities: Meknes and the capital (for now - you never know if Morocco will change her mind again), Rabat.
October 09, 2018
The Morocco Diaries, Part 2 of 10: Rabat and Meknes
THE MOROCCO DIARIES, PART 2 of 10: RABAT & MEKNES How many Imperial Cities does a country need? Many nations have ...
The Morocco Diaries, Part 1 of 10: Casablanca
THE MOROCCO DIARIES, PART 1 of 10: CASABLANCA
It was an adventure long in the making. I have always dreamt of Africa, but until my recent trip to Morocco I had never stepped foot in any of the continent’s 54 countries. Several years ago, I was taking a summer in the south of Spain with a group of friends. On a whim, the group wanted to go to Morocco that very same day. Our spontaneity was dashed when we realised that I needed to apply for a visa, which would’ve taken weeks. Fast forward to 27 December 2017 and the Kingdom of Morocco agreed that all Malaysians could visit visa-free. I couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas present. So a trip to Morocco was booked for the following September: a tour spanning several towns and cities with sights and experiences so diverse that I felt like I got a decent overview of what this country had to offer. From the tree-climbing goats of Agadir to the urban cacophony of Marrakech, my Moroccan experience was everything I had dreamt of and more.
I’m so very excited to share with you my journey with my Moroccan Diaries, a 10-part series of travel stories spanning 13 cities and towns. The first and the last of the destinations was the port city of Casablanca. Although often overlooked for its more atmospheric (read: Insta-worthy) siblings such as Chefchaouen and Marrakech, Casablanca is the best representation of the modern nation. The former pirate lair-turned economic capital of the country, Casablanca Morocco’s largest city, has its sights set firmly across the Atlantic and onto the future. Here’s looking at you, kid.
October 05, 2018
The Morocco Diaries, Part 1 of 10: Casablanca
THE MOROCCO DIARIES, PART 1 of 10 : CASABLANCA It was an adventure long in the making. I have always dreamt o...
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam: A Day Trip in the Capital of "The Most Boring Country In Southeast Asia"
STRANDED IN BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, THE CAPITAL
OF BRUNEI AKA “THE MOST BORING COUNTRY
IN SOUTH EAST ASIA” (MAYBE EVEN THE WORLD)
“Why...” my step-grandfather frowned quizzically, “...would you want to go to Brunei?” Coming from an expert on Borneo (Malaysian, Indonesian, and Bruneian - here’s a photo of him as a schoolboy giving The Duke of Edinburgh the lowdown on Bornean industry), this was not encouraging. “Well,” I explained, “My mission for this year is to visit all the countries of South East Asia that I haven’t yet, and I thought Brunei would be the easiest since it’s only an hour flight from here.” We were in Kota Kinabalu, one of the two East Malaysian states that comprises North Borneo. “Besides,” I continued, “I know there’s not that much to see, so I’ll just be making a day trip to Bandar Seri Begawan...” My Uncle Robert snickered, “That’s one day too many.” I ignored him: “...I’ll have more than enough time to see the capital’s highlights and be back in time for dinner.” Or so I thought. You know the saying “The road to hell is paved with good intentions?” Well, despite my best of intentions to debunk Brunei’s reputation as The Most Boring Country in South East Asia; despite my research, preparation, and aptitude at speaking the language, I would find myself trapped in purgatory thanks to a series of unfortunate events. So much so that I was traumatised by my day trip to Bandar Seri Begawan and hadn’t touched these photos in 5 months. Well, it’s time to crack open Pandora’s Box. I shall tell you my story, or rather, cautionary tale. So many questions to be asked! Is Brunei really a dry country? Does B.S.B - the abbreviation for Bandar Seri Begawan - actually stand for Boring, So Boring...? Is this what it sounds like when doves cry? Read on...
September 24, 2018
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam: A Day Trip in the Capital of "The Most Boring Country In Southeast Asia"
STRANDED IN BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN , THE CAPITAL OF BRUNEI AKA “THE MOST BORING COUNTRY IN SOUTH EAST ASIA” (MAYBE EVEN T...
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