What could possibly go wrong? We’d just extended our tourists visas, paid the rent for a few more months, and were comfortably settling into the humid routine of Ubud’s outskirts. Our house overlooked a beautiful backyard dotted with papaya, banana, and the obligatory rice paddies. In the morning our neighbor would let a flock of…
You might not consider the Big Apple to be a green city, unless you count the cramped quarters of its metro system. Look closer, and you’ll find plenty of ways that you can have an eco-friendly visit to New York City without skipping any of the fun. Pick a Home Base That Treats You and…
Today I’m blinded by the beauty of our planet and the people that reside on it. Today I am at Kasbah du Toubkal in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, about 60 winding, and steep kilometers outside of Marrakech followed by a 15 minute walk up a rocky trail. I’ve been looking forward to this stay…
Our driver Ahmed picked us up from the Supratours bus station and loaded our luggage into the black minivan before expertly setting off through the Marrakech city streets — which is no easy feat. Motorcycles come at you from all angles, swiftly crossing intersections without so much as a sideways glance. Cart pushers move everything…
After being stuffed in a closet-size room at our last hotel we were so thrilled when we arrived to Villa Maroc and they took us to the iconic lookout tower which stands watching over the city. We wound up the several flights of tricky spiral stairs and I felt like Rapunzel when I looked out…
We’ve been dropped off at the intersection of the beach and the medina and turn our backs to the shining sun. Though this wasn’t my first trip to Essaouira, it’s been my favorite. Maddy and I have been hopping around Riads every two nights and today we left Le Jardin de Douars to head back inside the…
The driver goes painstakingly slow up the long driveway to Le Jardin Des Douars. He’s got a nice car and clearly doesn’t want to get it dirty, in fact at this rate it feels like we’d arrive faster by going on foot. This is part of the charm of our next visit, it’s tucked in…
We made the mistake of walking to Riad Zahra from Madada Mogador at 12 noon with our backpacks in the afternoon sun beating down on us. Why we constantly try to cut a few corners (especially when a taxi in Essaouira is only 70 cents) I’ll never know. Perhaps — at least for me — it’s…
We arrived to Essaouira late at night on the Supratour from Marrakech (70 dirham and two hours for those wondering) and walked along the sidewalk parallel to the ocean. Though many touts were eager to bring us and our bags to the hotel we preferred to stretch our legs and enjoy a little silence. As…
Nothing could have prepared me for Rebali Riads. The car crept along the road and the tiny village of Sidi Kaouki came into view. A string of small guest houses, three restaurants, and a standalone cement room spray painted with “les legumes <——“ (the vegetables) comprised the town center. We’ll visit that treasure trove later….