From the windswept Atlantic coastline to the intimidating peaks of the High Atlas, and the desolate golden Sahara stretching way beyond, Morocco is a land that surprises you every time you turn a new corner. In the space of just one day you can see ancient walled cities, travel through cedar forests where it's possible to see wild monkeys playing, meet families of nomads still living as they did centuries ago, and end up watching the sun fade into the horizon from atop towering sand dunes. But for me the most alluring aspect of Morocco is the fact that less than a hundred years ago, the country was still very much living in a medieval world, where the tribe meant more than the nation, the rule of the sultan was only nominal, and very few westerners had even visited. Today, Morocco is moving slowly towards the modern world, but it's not hard to see remnants of this age, in the dark alleyways of the souks or in the oasis towns of the south. Go before it changes any more!

Daniel Studer, Babel Traveller

Population: 37 million

Capital: Rabat (2 million)

Official Language: Arabic. Others: Berber dialects, French, Spanish