Aït Benhaddou is a fortified city in Morocco that is located along the old caravan route between Marrakech and the Sahara Desert. This UNESCO World Heritage site served as an important trading post in the old trade route that passed all the way from Morocco on the west coast of Africa, to Sudan on the east coast.
When one thinks of the Sahara Desert (myself included), they think of Egypt and the beautiful imagery of the pyramids against the golden sands. However, the Sahara Desert is much more expansive, stretching across the entirety of northern Africa from Morocco to Egypt. The Erg Chigaga dunes in Morocco offers travelers easy access to this wide expanse giving them a taste of the beauty and immensity of this desert.
When we booked our trip to Morocco, we knew that we wanted to visit Marrakesh. Not only because of the song, “Marrakesh Express” by Crosby, Stills, and Nash, or the wonderful book, “The Drifters” by James Michener, but because of this lovely little book I read in school titled “Reflections on Fieldwork in Morocco” by Paul Rabinow. Jemaa el-Fnaa is the main square in the old part of the city where Marrakesh truly comes to life. Here, you can experience the sights and smells of all of Morocco into one small condensed area. It is a sensory overload in the most fantastic way!