Travel Notes
& Guides
From riads in Marrakech to safari lodges outside Johannesburg, this is where local know-how meets real experience. Expect honest hotel reviews, city and region guides, and practical tips on where to stay, eat, and explore in Morocco and South Africa, written by someone who lives there.
Where to Eat & Drink in Rabat: A Local Expert’s Guide
Where to Eat in Rabat: Best Restaurants, Bars, Cafés & Street Food (2026 Guide)
Specialty cafés in Marrakech 2026
Explore Marrakech's coffee culture in 2025 with this hand-curated guide to the city's top specialty cafés. Discover the best coffee spots in the Medina and Gueliz.
How to Visit Marrakech in 2026 (With—and Without—the Crowds)
Visitors’ guide for Marrakech. Tips on how to discover the city’s top sights and plan a trip that avoids the crowds
Tamraght vs Taghazout: Which Surf Village Is Better for You?
A local writer shines a spotlight on Tamraght and Taghazout offering helpful tips on how to choose which is best for you.
🌧️ What to Do When It Rains in Tamraght, Taghazout & Agadir (Local Guide)
Rainy day in Tamraght or Taghazout? Don’t worry — from hammams to cosy cafés, discover the best things to do indoors around Agadir’s surf coast.
Best Riads in Marrakech Medina Under £250 (Handpicked)
Discover the best affordable riads in Marrakech Medina under £250. Tried + tested stays near Djemma el-Fna, Dar el Bacha and other areas of the Medina. Updated for 2026.
15 Things to Do in Rabat: Morocco’s Most Liveable City
Discover the best things to do in Rabat, from historic kasbahs and museums to river walks, surfing, and relaxed medina life in Morocco’s underrated capital city.
Seven years in Morocco: lessons learned
On June 25, 2018, I arrived in Taghazout to write a review of a surf and yoga retreat. I went back to the UK only to return to Morocco two weeks later. It turns out that learning to surf flipped my world upside down, and Morocco was where I landed.
Ramadan learnings and tips
Lessons learned as a non-Muslim experiencing her third year of fasting for Ramadan.
AI: golden opportunity or existential threat
IMM, travel trade event, guest speaker Graham Lovelace’s insightful low down on AI.
Wellbeing tips for travel writers
Tried and tested solutions for writer's block, the effects of screen work and long-distance travel
Introducing Morocco’s Couscous Friday tradition
A couscous lover’s guide to this much treasured Moroccan dish and Friday tradition
Surfing for life and loss
A surfer’s personal account of how surfing can be a healthy tool to move through grief and loss.
Experience the Kasbah and Mellah districts in Marrakech
Handy guide to what's on offer in Marrakech’s quieter districts: Mellah and Kasbah
Fasting for Ramadan:insights + observations
Insights and observations from a non-Muslim’s Ramadan fasting experience in Morocco
Recommendations for licensed bars in Taghazout
How to find a bar or restaurant with an alcohol license in Taghazout
Recommended family hotels Taghazout Bay
Family-friendly hotel and villa recommendations for Tamraght and Taghazout Morocco
Places to eat in Taghazout Bay
A round up of favourite places to eat and drink in Taghazout
Co-working day at Windy Bay
Spending a day working at Windy Bay’s stunning co-working space in Taghazout