Dear followers, My blog Why Morocco has moved house. Check out my new digs on mandyinmorocco.com and please start following along here. I’ve also announced that Why Morocco is now a podcast (available on iTunes). So please check back every two weeks for a new episode hosted by me in conversation with inspiring creatives and personalities who share my love of the North African kingdom of Morocco. As the first dedicated podcast from Morocco, we aim to leave listeners inspired and motivated and perhaps left with a desire to visit the place we call home. In the first episode I’m chatting all thing ..read more

It’s almost time for the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Festival to take over the laid-back town of Essaouira on the Atlantic coast. Held this year from 21 to 23 June, the festival vibe kicks takes over the town as music lovers flock to the seaside town, Gnaoua concerts take place until the early hours, and the best parties happen on rooftops with views of the main stage. This year, however, I’m choosing a weekend at the cottage in Quebec with some of my dearest friends over Gnaoua festival vibes Essaouira. But nevertheless, I have prepared a playlist for readers who may be attending the Gnaoua Fe ..read more

Since reading a feature about the artisans and way of life in Morocco’s Ait Bougemez Valley in the High Atlas Mountains in Lonely Planet back in 2011, I knew I had to go explore this remote area of Morocco often overlooked by travelers. So when an invite arrived from Said Marghadi to spend a week at his Touda EcoLodge as part of a press trip, I jumped at the chance. It’s a valley where time seems to have stopped and children still play freely throughout the villages. Friendly locals greet each other and welcome visitors in for a cup of tea and heartfelt hospitality. And centuries-old tradition ..read more

If you haven’t noticed from my Instagram feed that is filling up these days with Casablanca images, or the article I wrote for The Independent about architectural conservation in the new city developed by the French, I am slightly intrigued by Casablanca. So I’m excited to be returning to the white city for the annual doors open event from 9 to 13 May as organized by Casamemoire, an association dedicated to safe-guarding the 20th century architecture in Morocco. In a downtown core that could easily double as an open-air architectural museum, the event aims to create awareness of the city’s arc ..read more

American artist Gionna Cuccolo arrived in Casablanca in 2017 before travelling to Marrakech and falling in love with the city, where she began depicting the city geometrically. Now, she’s returned to Marrakech in advance of her first solo show at Cafe Clock from 8 March 2018 and, lucky me, I had a chance to sit down with Gionna during her stay to find out more about her artworks. You studied psychology and art history at university. Now as an artist you are primarily focused on geometry, architecture and abstraction. When did this shift happen?  I’m not quite sure. I think I’ve always bee ..read more

“I’ve always been careful to distinguish between those couturiers who benefit from women and those who benefit them.” – Pierre Bergé, 2016 So it was with great delight that I attended the opening of the Sculpted Dresses by Noureddine Amir on Thursday 22 February as part of the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair. Made from raw materials found in Morocco – jute, sabra silk (cactus silk), wool and raffia – and dyed with substances such as indigo and henna and manipulated in to breath-taking sculpted dresses, the exhibition designed by Christophe Martin transports viewers to another world. Far f ..read more

I can hardly believe it, but it’s been almost seven years since I moved to Marrakech. Where has the time gone? I arrived seeking a simpler life, a life with less, enriched by experiences. I loved the idea of late-night tajines and lazy pots of mint tea in the warm afternoon sunshine. I’ve seen changes around town. Western corporations and traditions are weaving their way in to the local streetscape and culture. Traffic is becoming more and more intense during rush hour. Working here often requires putting in long hours and owning a business seems to be synonymous with spending my day doin ..read more

As a child of the eighties, it’s hard to imagine a time when women were unable to wear pants at certain social gatherings. But that’s just one of the legacies Yves Saint Laurent has left behind, and one of the reasons for the museum’s creation, explained Björn Dahlström, director of the musée Yves Saint Laurent marrakech. Opening its doors to the public on 19 October, I had a press preview prior to the opening weekend and here’s what visitors can expect. Upon entry in to the Yves Saint Laurent Exhibition Hall, the statement Mondrian Dress welcomes visitors. To the right, an audio-visual biogra ..read more

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