Morocco — Marrakesh

Bahia Palace, built in the 19th-century, was once home to a harem and intended to be the greatest palace of its time. It is now home to a notable display of painted wood, ceramics, and symmetrical gardens. I recommend getting there early, as a flock of tourists is soon to arrive.

A walk around the Koutoubia Mosque and its surrounding gardens is followed by a trip to the medina and its Djemaa el Fna, Marrakesh’s main square, filled with snake charmers and lavishly dressed water sellers. Here I am led into a back room where I haggle for a scarf for a friend back home. I have never been any good at bartering and find the process here very intense.