Morocco is somewhere we have travelled fairly extensively with children and can highly recommend as an unusual and highly rewarding holiday.  If you want to introduce your children to a new and entirely different culture, as well as a healthy dose of wilderness, there’s nowhere closer or more ideal than Morocco.  The Moroccans love children and it’s not uncommon when walking in remote Berber villages to find women stopping to spontaneously kiss passing children or chuck them under the chin. Once they’ve overcome the deep embarrassment this causes them, your children will return feeling very cherished!

The short flight to Marrakech, (3 hours 35 minutes) means that Morocco is ideal for a short half term break. With small children, a few nights in Marrakech followed by 2 or 3 nights in the High Atlas is the perfect introduction with opportunities to try a little bit of trekking, perhaps aided by mules. For longer holidays, a family trek in the deep south is something we have done to great effect with children.  Despite long distances, the desert holds a powerful appeal to children – no doubt something to do with the large amounts of sand there is to play in.  Essaouira on the coast is a treasure trove for children, with endless small shops selling enticing goodies. Easter and Autumn half terms are ideal weather wise, small children would probably find the fierce summer heat too much to contend with.