Even the 5:30am call to prayer by the muezzin at the nearby mosque didn’t ruin the wonderful feeling of waking up in an exotic location a mere 2½ hour flight from the UK. Grabbing a coffee, I climbed to the rooftop and watched the sun rise over Tangier and the Strait of Gibraltar, where the inky Mediterranean Sea and the azure Atlantic Ocean meet.
Read MoreFinding yourself in fascinating Fez
Fez is often overlooked. Despite it being Morocco's former capital and its oldest imperial city dating back to the 9th Century, many tourists heading to Morocco looking for a whiff of exoticism only ever seem to get as far as Marrakech. But if you are interested in a more traditional and authentic Moroccan experience, then you really should head to Fez. Which is what Julian and I did on our recent trip to Morocco; flying into Casablanca (direct from Manchester) and taking the train to Fez.
Read MoreTravel resolutions for 2015
With a new year just beginning, surely one of your resolutions will be to try something a bit different on your travels in 2015? Maybe it’s as simple as snatching that first weekend away from the children, just the two of you? Or trying an alternative ski resort (here’s one)? Or just turning left out of Faro airport instead of right on your annual trip to the Algarve (here’s what you could find)? Whatever your travel resolutions, I always find it’s better to plan things well in advance to ensure you get what you want, when you want. Plus planning holidays is the perfect antidote to the January blues!
Here are a few travel related things I’m looking forward to in 2015 which might inspire you:
Read MoreMountains, mayhem and more in Morocco
We’re back! The Hubby and I have spent 11 fab days visiting Morocco from the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, to the windswept coast and then onto Marrakech. This was our fifth visit to the country so you may well have guessed that we totally adore it. Someone asked me recently why we love the place so much and it was quite hard to answer: maybe it’s the weather (glorious in our winter months); maybe it’s the food (delicious and fragrant); or maybe it’s the sheer thrill of stepping into a technicolour world like nothing you can see outside the African continent and yet it’s only a 3½ hour flight from the UK.
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