The timeless city of Marrakech, which gave its name to Morocco, has an enduring appeal, with its low-rise pink and red buildings set against the magnificent backdrop of the snow-capped Atlas mountains. Its beating heart is the square of Jemaa El Fna, where musicians and story-tellers and snake-charmers act out compelling scenes which have changed little over the centuries, and you will find yourself irresistibly drawn here.

Other attractions in this most alluring of North African cities include El Bahia Palace, with sunlit courtyards, planted with cypress, orange trees and jasmine and furnished with wells and fountains and El Badi Palace, a vast, ruinous site with a lingering sense of grandeur.

We also visit the Agdal and Menara gardens, where the surrounding mountains are mirrored in sheets of water, and the fabulous, brightly coloured gardens of Majorelle. Escaping the bustle of the city we have an excursion to the Ourika Valley in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains.