Marrakech is a beautiful city which has the power to transport you to an almost completely different world after just a four hour flight from the UK.
After getting through the city's very stylish new airport and into Marrakech itself, the sounds, sights and smells hit you all at once.
If you've not ventured much further than Europe before, then the winding streets and bustling markets can, at first, feel as intimidating as they are thrilling.
Morocco as a whole is a fascinating culture with the earliest known human history and, with flights from the UK often costing less than £50 return and accommodation cheap, a brilliant place for a holiday.
Having recently returned from Marrakech, here are my top seven tips for visiting the city.
Find the perfect riad
Even in the high tourist seasons, which are in the UK spring and autumn, Marrakech has plenty of good deals, whatever the current state of the pound.
From my experience it's better to stay in a small, independently owned riad, where the people running it can help you work out what can be quite a confusing city.
An Oasis in Medina Marrakesh was our home for four nights and provided a very comfortable bed, a tadelakt bathroom, and breakfast on the roof terrace every morning with a happy seeming tortoise on hand to nibble your toes.
We paid less than £60 a night for the pleasure.
There are many other, much grander riads that will set you back closer to the £200 a night mark, but for that money you can expect some true opulence and a tiled fountain in the central courtyard.
Check out the gardens
Probably the biggest attraction in the city is the Majorelle Gardens, which were transformed into an exotic oasis of calm beyond the city walls partially by Yves Saint Lauren and his partner Pierre Bergé.
The colour pallet, mosaics, stunning collection of plants and quiet of the gardens is something to behold if ever you're in the city.
La Jardin Secret lies more centrally and has a much older history, dating back 400 years but recently brought up to its current glory.
The Jardin is a wonder of engineering as its plants were kept alive with water carefully transported across arid Morocco from the Atlas mountains via hand dug underground tunnels.
Have dinner on a rooftop
If you're looking to go on a boozy holiday then Morocco - where alcohol can only be bought for above London prices in Western catering hotels - is not for you.
If you love delicious North African, Middle Eastern and Italian cuisine on roof tops overlooking the city, then it certainly is.
Kosybar lies close to many of the tourist destinations including the Saadien Tombs and Badi Palace, and has several tiers of rooftops on which to enjoy Moroccan cuisine.
Splashing the cash can be done at worst places than Grand Cafe de la Poste, which serves delicious breads and wines, as well as distinctly colonial vibes, to the French diaspora who've settled in the city.
Limoni does excellent Italian food in a courtyard shared by two beautiful lemon trees. Two are able to eat three courses for less than £40 all in.
Atay Cafe Food is one of the most affordable restaurants catering to Westerners in the city and, as well as delicious food, has one of the best views.
As we ate we watched a man weaving baskets framed by his workshop window while the calls to prayer rang out across the roof tops.
Don't be afraid to barter
For the average British punter, softened by years of automatic check-outs, the idea of having to enter a debate for your shopping may be slightly anxiety inducing.
Having spent half a week eying up a particularly nice type of drinking glass, and then smiling politely while drifting away when its owner approached me, I realised my time to barter was soon approaching.
The conventional wisdom is you should offer a third of the original asking price - after looking theatrically appalled at the temerity of the seller to attempt to rip you off so thoroughly - before eventually settling at roughly the halfway point.
Try not to think too hard about how much the item is actually worth once the deal has been settled with a handshake, as you'll almost certainly realise you've managed to get yourself ripped off.
Enjoy the kittens
Like much of the Islamic world, the people of Marrakech love cats, who are generally admired for their cleanliness and considered "the quintessential pet".
It's a long held love which goes back at least as far as to the times of Muhammed, who forbade the persecution and killing of cats.
Marrakech's people go further than avoiding such nastiness and actively revere their whiskered pals.
The average alley way in the heart of the city will be filled with a clowder of at least four or five adult, adolescent and baby cats.
While they might not be as well groomed and shiny as their British counterparts, they are very friendly and always open to a cup of food which can be bought from most food stalls.
Before you spend your holiday stroking and petting as many lovely cats as you can, it's worth noting that rabies is present in Morocco.
Watch out for the motorbikes
Motorbikes are hugely popular in Marrakech, where 30% of all the country's sales are made - a significant chunk given it has just one fortieth of the nation's population.
It certainly feels like that when you're walking around the Medina, the part of the city within the walls.
Bustling streets of shoppers, tourists and market stall vendors are mixed in with a near constant stream of bikers, often with one or more people perched on the back.
If you look at your phone or get lost in a mesmerising pattern of a rug for too long, then there's a good chance you'll find yourself clipped by one of them - however impressively quick their reactions seem to be.
