Compendium Volume 8

19 MOROCCO IN SEARCH OF

19 MOROCCO IN SEARCH OF SILENCE In Casablanca and Marrakech, the North African country has two urban icons that keep people coming back, which might explain the desire for the more intrepid traveller to get away from the hustle and bustle and discover the rest of the country, where the Atlas Mountains flank the Sahara, and the landscape is dotted with traditional Berber villages. And there are increasing opportunities to visit there in style. Take Dar Ahlam (pictured), near the Berber centre of Ouarzazate. A 14-key oasis of calm, built in terracotta-coloured stone, here the distractions of technology are put to one side, and the lull of the desert soothes the mind. This is a part of the globe that takes on an otherworldly feel, and helping people experience this in close-up is the aim of travel company Habitas. A primary example of this is the 20 traditional tents that await the resolute voyager in the Agafay Desert, in the shadow of the Atlas Mountains. A short trip from Marrakech, it could be a million miles away. PHOTO © DAR AHLAM 42

20 PHOTO JAUME GALOFRE / UNSPLASH PARATY, BRAZIL CREATIVE CROSSROADS This jewel box of a town, long overlooked by international travellers, offers the perfect antidote to the chaos of Rio de Janeiro, just a pretty four-hour drive northeast. Founded during a gold rush more than 400 years ago, the historic centre – a vision in crisp white colonial edifices and a rainbow of brightly coloured doors connected by meandering cobblestoned streets – was conferred Unesco Heritage status in 2019. Big things have been happening on a more local level, too: from hotels like Casa Turquesa to restaurants like Gastromar, a creative awakening is in full swing, buttressed by a brilliant clutch of art studios and crafts boutiques. Eco-adventurers needn’t venture far for eyeopening expeditions into the forested mountains and the spectacular beaches that surround Paraty. 43