When it comes to choosing a luxurious holiday destination you may be considering Morocco or perhaps the Maldives. Morocco offers a beguiling mix of Arab and African culture and a diverse scenery of mountains, desert and coast. The Maldives on the other hand offers a tropical paradise of pristine powder white beaches, perfect sunsets and endless pampering.
So, what more do these two luxury destinations have to offer?
Morocco
Morocco offers its visitors a huge range of experiences from beaches to stately imperial cities, bustling souks and heavenly beaches, and even more recently stylish spas and some of Africa’s most luxurious hotels. Bordered by the Straits of Gibraltar, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, a holiday here certainly feels exotic. Lying on the North West coast of North Africa it is about as different from Europe as any place could be.
There’s plenty of natural beauty including the Atlas Mountains, the Sahara Desert and the Dades Valley. The city of Marrakech attracts a constant horde of fashionable winter sun seekers together with others in search of adventure amongst the luxury riads, souks and chic bars. Inside the medina walls you’ll find a myriad of palace buildings, town squares, and bazaars showcasing an amazing assortment of tapestries, pottery and dazzling jewellery.
Fes is one of the four imperial cities and also the oldest having been founded at the end of the 8th century. The medina is one of the largest medieval cities in the world and you can spend days wandering around and getting lost whilst exploring its mosques and museums, narrow winding streets and fabulous architecture.
The Maldives
The Maldives has to be the ultimate Indian Ocean retreat with its dazzling white sandy beaches, warm tropical sunshine and luxurious water bungalows. Its deep blue lagoons and stunning coral islands offer the perfect escape for romantics and honeymooners. There’s hundreds of islands to choose from each one as idyllic as the next. It’s also got some of the best scuba diving in the world with a huge array of colourful fish, turtles, stingrays and friendly sharks. The Maldives is also renowned for its pampering spas and wellness centres where you can truly unwind. With more water than land, the Maldives is a great destination for anyone keen on water sports. There’s snorkelling, swimming, wind surfing, water skiing and jet skiing, catamaran rides and so much more.
There’s also excursions to be had, island hopping and deep sea fishing. The Maldives is generally considered to be the premier tropical destination to relax and unwind away from the hectic pace of modern everyday life.
So there you have it, two very different destinations which can both cater to those looking for a breathtaking luxury holiday. The choice is yours…
Maldives picture credit goes to Sarah Ackerman.