Stay at Dar Les Cogognes for a boutique-style rest in the exhilarating city of Marrakesh.

Marrakesh is a thrill to travelers looking to access the Middle East oriental flavor, through a North African city a short plane ride from Spain. Despite the occasional terror attack and instability in the Arab world right now, Marrakesh is a relatively safe city, even for single women travelers, and babies (though they will be kissed a million times by strangers). And it is easy to get around on foot. I recommend Marrakesh highly to curious people from the west or east wanting to access Arabian culture without the fear of what traveling post-Arab Spring might do to your safety or well-being, real or imagined.

Marrakesh features marvelous markets, warm people and boutique hotels waiting to be met: I arrived to the Old City with little planning after sojourning at a conference in Rabat organized by the URI. After Rabat, first I headed south to the Atlas Mountains hoping to enjoy some Berber hospitality, which I did at the Kasbah du Toubkal, a boutique Berber-UK-run resort held in the palms of North Africa’s highest peak.

After a couple days in the mountain cool air with good people, it was onwards to Marrakesh, and the heat hit me and my baby as we descended by taxi into the throbbing city that provides absolutely no mercy in the noon day sun. It was so hot it hurt breathing in. We refused the air conditioned taxis and tried to acclimate like a local. We were happy though when the driver arrived at the riad Dar Les Cigognes just outside the Royal Palace gates. A flock of nesting swans were perched in their massive fairy tale nests above us (cigognes is swans in French), and when you walk in the door of this special riad the fairy tale simply continues.