[imcarthur]

La Mamounia was way out of budget @ $700 + per night . . . while we like ritz, it was too much. We are staying in Riads everywhere. Small boutique hotels in old central courtyard homes & we have the best suite in the house in all. 3 nights in Marrakech - where we will wander on our own. Then we break free of the city touts with a driver/guide for a 6 day High Atlas/Anti Atlas drive with 2 nights in a palmeraie, a night in the desert tents & 3 nights rurally just outside Taroudant –a small walled market town that should be fun exploring without the intensity of city mania. Our last Moroccan stay is 4 nights in the ex-hippie haven of Essaouira – on the coast – to really chill. I even signed us up for a cooking class. Then we finish with 3 nights in Paris – our favorite city btw - before heading home.

I self-planned it all to avoid most of the usual tourist drek & I will be firm with the driver to stop where we want rather than at his cousin’s carpet store or the argan co-op where he gets a kickback etc.

This is our first iPad-enabled trip & we have Wifi in all of the riads so pictures from the road should be possible.

Ian