All Destinations

A blue-and-white Atlantic coastal town 45km south of Tangier — the calmest, most artistic corner of the Moroccan north. The Portuguese ramparts still wrap the medina, and every August the Asilah Cultural Moussem repaints the entire old city with murals that stay up all year. Paradise Beach stretches 4km south of town. Spanish is spoken as commonly as French, a hangover from the protectorate years, and seafood is the reason to linger.

Morocco's famous Blue City nestled in the Rif Mountains — every wall, stairway, and doorway painted in shades of blue. A photogenic haven with mountain hikes, artisan crafts, and a peaceful medina.

Morocco's windswept Atlantic coast gem is a laid-back blue-and-white medina town famous for its fortified harbor, fresh seafood grills, windsurfing, and the annual Gnaoua World Music Festival. A perfect counterpoint to Marrakech's intensity, just 3 hours away.

Ethiopia's "New Jerusalem" — 11 monolithic churches carved DOWN into volcanic rock as single pieces in the 12th-13th century by King Lalibela. Pilgrimage heart of Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, where white-shawled priests and pilgrims still gather daily. Bete Giyorgis (St. George), the cross-shaped final church standing alone in its pit, is the most iconic. Sits at 2,500m in the northern highlands. Genna (Ethiopian Christmas, January 7) and Timkat (Epiphany, January 19) are spectacular but expensive. Tigray war (2020-22) affected access — verify current security.

The best-preserved Swahili town in East Africa — UNESCO-listed since 2001, Lamu Old Town's coral-stone alleyways and 500-year-old carved wooden doorways have no cars, only donkeys and dhow boats. Founded in the 14th century, Lamu has been continuously inhabited since then. Shela Beach is 12 km of pristine Indian Ocean shore backed by massive sand dunes. The Lamu Cultural Festival in November is the island at its most alive.

A tiny village at the edge of Erg Chebbi — Morocco's iconic dune sea, where apricot-coloured sand rises 150m above the pre-Saharan plain. This is the Sahara experience travelers mean when they say Sahara: a camel trek into the dunes at sunset, dinner under the stars at a Berber desert camp, and Gnawa drumming from the village of Khamlia. Budget tents and luxury glamping both exist here. Winter nights freeze; summer days exceed 45°C. Come in autumn or spring.