Magical Morocco - Destination Special
The Travel Diaries
Holly Rubenstein
4.5 • 813 Ratings
🗓️ 28 October 2025
⏱️ 55 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Welcome to a very special edition of The Travel Diaries, where we’re heading to a country that has enchanted so many of my guests over the years: Morocco.
This Destination Special is a love letter to a place that casts a lifelong spell. In the first half, you’ll hear unforgettable memories from past guests - Sir Michael Palin, Anya Hindmarch, Lyn Hughes, Sir Richard Branson, The Hairy Bikers, Amar Latif, and Jacqui Gifford - each sharing the moments that made Morocco magical for them: the colours of Marrakech, the silence of the Sahara, the scent of a tagine in the Atlas Mountains. Together, their voices weave a vivid tapestry of this extraordinary land.
And it’s no wonder UK visitor numbers are soaring. Morocco is that rare combination - just a short flight away, yet a complete change of pace: immersive, sensory, unforgettable.
Then, in the second half, I’m joined by travel writer and Morocco expert Paula Hardy, who splits her time between the UK and Morocco. With over 15 years of experience, she takes us beyond the usual hotspots, from the Mediterranean feel of Tangier and Tetouan, to desert oases near Skoura, coastal towns like Asilah, and hidden Berber mountain villages. We dive into Morocco’s traditions - crafts, cuisine and culture - and its exciting evolution, with high-speed trains, striking new architecture, and preparations for the 2030 World Cup.
Whether you’ve visited before or it’s been on your bucket list for years, this episode will open your eyes to a Morocco you may not yet know, and remind you why so many travellers return again and again.
Destination Recap:
Northern Morocco - Sir Michael Palin on why Morocco is his all-time favourite journey
Marrakech – Designer Anya Hindmarch and Wanderlust editor-in-chief Lyn Hughes on the city of artisans, colour and contrasts
Atlas Mountains - Sir Richard Branson, The Hairy Bikers, and blind adventurer Amar Latif on Berber villages, snow-topped peaks and mountain escapes
Ouarzazate (the “door to the desert”) - Travel & Leisure Editor Jacqui Gifford on this cinematic frontier town
Paula’s Destination Recap:
- Tangier
- Villa Mabrouka, Tangier
- Asilah
- Tetouan
- Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay
- Dar Ambrosia, Asilah
- Mimi Calpe, Tangier
- M’Hamid
- Erfoud
- Iriki
- Taroudant
- Dar Ahlam, Ouarzazate
- Skoura
- Marrakech
- Oualidia
- Riad Mina, Marrakech
- Berber Lodge, Marrakech
- Riad L’Atelier, Marrakech
- Rosemary, Marrakech
- Tribalista, Marrakech
- The Memory Road
Thanks so much for listening today. I'll be back with some fabulous Christmas specials in December. In the meantime, come and follow me on Instagram, I’m @hollyrubenstein, and you’ll also find me on TikTok - I’d love to hear from you. Remember there’s the first 15 seasons to catch up on, that's over 160 episodes to keep you busy.
And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything else podcast-related.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to a very special edition of the Travel Diaries podcast. Today we are traveling to a place that so many of my guests have spoken about with real passion, a country that seems to cast a long-lasting spell. It is, of course, Morocco. |
| 0:23.9 | Today's destination special is a love letter to a country through the voices of those who've |
| 0:29.3 | experienced it at its most magical. In the first half, I'll be sharing a series of reflections |
| 0:35.0 | and memories from some of the brilliant guests who've joined |
| 0:38.3 | me on the podcast over the years, all describing the moments that made Morocco unforgettable |
| 0:43.6 | for them, whether it was the colours of Marrakesh, the silence of the Sahara or the scent |
| 0:49.6 | of a tajin cooking in the Atlas Mountains. Each person captured something personal and unique. And it felt only right to bring them together like a tapestry to celebrate just how rich and varied Morocco can be. |
| 1:02.5 | And it's clear they're not the only one's feeling this way. UK visitors to Morocco are up by more than 40% in the past year alone with adventure and touring holidays, seeing an almost 100% surge. |
| 1:15.4 | And it's no surprise, Morocco offers that rare combination, a short flight from home, but a total shifted pace. |
| 1:23.2 | Immersive, sensory and unforgettable. |
| 1:26.8 | And then in the second half of the episode, I'm really pleased to be joined by Paula Hardy. |
| 1:32.0 | Paula is a brilliant travel writer and a Morocco expert who splits her time living between the UK and Morocco. |
| 1:38.9 | She takes us beyond the usual hotspots with insider tips that span the entire country, |
| 1:45.0 | from the Mediterranean feel of Tangier and Tethuan in the north to remote desert oases near Skura, |
| 1:51.0 | coastal towns like Aseila and hidden mountain villages. |
| 1:54.0 | We explore Morocco's deep traditions, its crafts, cuisine and culture, |
| 1:59.0 | as well as its exciting evolution with new high-speed trains, |
| 2:03.1 | striking new architecture, and preparations underway to co-host the 2030 World Cup. |
| 2:08.8 | So whether you've been once, many times, or it's been on your bucket list for years, |
| 2:12.6 | this episode will hopefully show you a Morocco you may not yet know and remind you why so many |
| 2:18.3 | travellers return again and again. Few people have travelled the world like actor and |
| 2:24.1 | presenter Sir Michael Palin and yet when asked about his all-time favourite journey he |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Holly Rubenstein, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Holly Rubenstein and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.