Morocco :: Essaouira

[trip style = urban + luxury]

Editor's Note: As Morocco Month comes to a close, we leave you with our final North African destination: Essaouira, an ancient and fortified city by the sea. For a look back at the rest of our Morocco series, see Casablanca,Savoring the Sahara, La Gazelle d'Or and hotels in Taroudant and a beauty lesson inargan oil.

The final hurrah in my Morocco itinerary pulled me back to shore from Taroudant by way of a four-hour, backcountry drive over grass-covered hills, past grazing goats, wineries, argan oil collectives and gas station-restaurants---a thing in Morocco (would you like a crêpe with your gas?).

Essaouira is a magic, moody place at the intersection of ancient and modern. Changing hands over centuries due to its strategic position on the Atlantic coast, there's a near-visible mystique that fills the air. At the same time, there's a playful spirit, given it's a beach town and popular weekend destination for the well-heeled from Marrakech.

Within the French-designed fortifications life teems with the energy of thousands of conversations and transactions. Outside the walls, a major fishing port gives way to a far-reaching beach decorated in dunes, kite-boarders and camels.

Every night after dinner, I'd retreat into the warmth and time-tested luxury of L'Heure Bleue Palais hotel, built into Essaouira’s medina walls. Feeling like I needed to match the old-school Africa allure---think: dark wood, mosaics, deep-red carpets, candlelight turndown---at cocktail hour I donned a draping blue dress and strolled past the palm-coated courtyard to the drink den, one of the most epic places I've ever sipped a spirit.

Accompanied by a tumbler of Jack Daniel’s and knowledge that the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley tested a tipple in the riad’s wood-paneled, leather-bound room, I came to the conclusion that Morocco has been luring luminaries since the Berbers walked through the Western Sahara some 5000 years ago.

Trip Styler Tip: When you go to Morocco, you'll hear the terms riad and dar a lot. The most simple way to decipher between these housing/hotel options is: A riad typically has a four-season garden and a fountain, a dar does not.

Photos

Visiting a women's again oil collective and learning to crush the kernel---which produces a peanut butter-consistency paste---with a granite spool. Find Assouss Argan producing organic and handmade products from argan shampoo to skin cream about 20 minutes outside of Essaouira.

Heure Bleue Palais

Gorgeous tassel-clad room keys

My room's safari-styled sitting space

I love it when my soap is presented as gift, you?

The palm-dressed courtyard, where I spent a lot of time.

The drink den of ALL drink dens

Fishing {then tourism} is Essaouira's largest industry

Port of Essaouira

Inside Essaouira's medina 

Age-old walls 

Souk

Fish market essaouira

Attempting to buy a vintage Moroccan carpet. To show its made with real wool, the shop patron burned the edge with a lighter to reveal it was not synthetic material.

I started with 30 carpets. They were all placed on the floor by the carpet master. I whittled the lot down to eight winners. Then, I learned the cost was a few thousand for all of them. Buying a carpet in Morocco is like buying art. It takes a lot of time, consideration, cash and you must evaluate the apple of your eye in multiple exposures and perspectives before making a confident buying decision.

Ladies at sunset

Meet James Bond. My sweet sunset ride.

As you do in Morocco: Ride camels on the beach at sundown.

[photos by @tripstyler taken a guest of tourism morocco]

Morocco :: Savoring the Sahara

[trip style = adventure]

Editor's Note :: Aside from a few travel lifestyle bits, Morocco’s taking center stage on Trip Styler this month.

Preparing and packing for my trip to Morocco, I knew December 10th, 2013 would be "desert day." No big deal, we were just going three hours off the grid into the Western Sahara. At 10am, I jumped into our 4x4 in Dakhla, a fishing and surf Mecca where the Atlantic meets the desert. When dreaming of dunes, one thing I hadn't considered was the bathroom situation until my guide Mohamed said "I've got toilet paper." Right. Of course there are no toilets in the desert. When nature called, well, nature was right there, and I was surrounded by solitude instead of souls. This only added to the remote allure of the day.

A series of paved highways run through the Sahara. Oftentimes the roads are only about 10 to 20 centimeters above the sand, so if you want to go off-roading, just turn right or left. Throughout the day, we off-roaded to lunch, to an oasis, to a beach and to dinner in a local family's Sahraoui tent. Beyond the pavement, a billion other routes exist, known only to locals. How our driver navigated without a map, a GPS or markers other than the sun and stars remains a mystery.

What desert day lacked in luxuries, it made up for in wonder. And isn't that why we travel?

Where the Sahara meets the Atlantic

Deep tire treads. Careful---certain water-soaked areas have a quicksand effect.

Cruisin'

Lunch ahoy. As you can see, there's no sign; you just have to know where to go {a big benefit to traveling with locals from Heritage Tours}.

Oyster and fish are caught and prepared on the spot, then you eat

Shucking station

Ready to serve

Exploring before lunch in my layered "desert day" outfit: sandals, lightweight pants, tank, cashmere sweater and jean jacket. While this might seem like a lot of clothes, desert temperatures fluctuate significantly from dawn till dusk and I needed every layer I had.

Private beach

Private beach

Oasis

Fish who fancy feet live in these rain-fed pools. Their mini nibbles cause you to break out in high-pitched shrieks. Here's a video of my friend Chadner's reaction to the fish pedi.

A vehicle sitting outside a family's Sahraoui tent we visited for dinner

Before stepping inside the tapestry-covered tent used to sleep, cook and lounge, we removed our shoes. Our hosts, who spent their days tending to their caravan of camels, were generous and gracious. While none of us spoke the same language, we communicated non-verbally with nods and smiles. As a frothy tea was served—a daily tradition in Morocco—we were welcomed with a heavy spritz of  cologne-scented sanitizer. A communal bowl of warm camel milk arrived next. I took a sip, and was encouraged to drink more of what tasted like tart Pinkberry without the sugar. The bowl continued to circulate as our host stepped out to cook lamb over hot rocks in a hole he dug into the sand. A grill kept the lamb from getting sandy. I don’t eat lamb, but that night I did, as well as rice cooked in lamb fat. Dessert was a palate-cleansing spread of fruit. If you ever have the chance to dine in the desert, take it, and save room for a local feast.

More Morocco
Casablanca
Stay: Dar al Hossoun in Taroudant

[photos by @tripstyler taken as a guest of Tourism Morocco]

Morocco :: Casablanca

[trip style = urban + sun]

Editor’s Note: Don’t forget to enter our contest for a one-night stay at the OPUS Hotel in Vancouver, it closes TODAY at noon PST.

In mid-December I found myself in the exotic embrace of Morocco's eye-catching escapes. My eight-day jaunt satisfied almost every trip style from spa to surf, starting in Casablanca and veering from the Western Sahara to the Atlas Mountains to the Atlantic shore. The journey was fortuitous given my obsession with North African design, and my September brush with the Morocco pavilion at Epcot, where I wished upon a star I'd get to visit soon. {Careful what you wish for!}

Spoiler alert: Aside from a few travel lifestyle bits, Morocco's going to take center stage on Trip Styler during February.

On December 9th, 2013 my flight landed in Casablanca---the country's hub for most international flights---just as the sun was peeking over the horizon. Given the rise-and-shine hour, I dove into the local time zone with abandon. No dither-dather; my meeting with Morocco's major metro was only a day.

When I stepped out of the airport, the air was crisp. The light chill---similar to a late-September a.m. on the West Coast---woke me up. Coming to, I spotted my name on a signboard in front of a Mercedes van. From this moment on, the trip was guided by in-the-know locals from Heritage Tours who schooled me in Morocco 101.

During the 30-minute commute into the city of five million, the landscape turned from rural to urban. Early on we shared the palm-lined highway with a boy guiding a horse-drawn carriage filled with farming supplies. This was my first clear picture of Morocco's culture: a country where cosmopolitan and classic meet in the middle.

Once inside the concrete-clad port city bordered by a sweeping beach, we hit Monday morning rush hour and inched into the inner plazas where modern Euro-style trains buzzed about, and the time-crunched workforce played human Frogger over eight-lane expanses. I wanted to bottle the enigmatic energy and take it home.

Trip Styler Tip: Casablanca hosts major hotel brands, as well as beautiful boutique properties like Le Doge, a 16-room Relais & Chateaux property, and the smallest hotel in Casablanca {every room is different---I love the Josephine Baker and Earnest Hemingway rooms}.

Casablanca Disembarking the plane at sunrise

Mosque Hassan II, the most important living and breathing monument in Morocco capable of holding 25,000 worshipers inside and another 80,000 outside. The French-design structure rides the wave of traditional and fantasmic topped by a retractable roof and lit by almost 60 Murano-made chandeliers. Cool-to-the-touch white Carrara marble serves as a foundation throughout, while humidity-absorbing pillars made with limestone, black soap and egg yolk form the interior structure.

Mosque Hassan II

Mosque Hassan II

Mosque Hassan II

Exploring Place Mohammed V

A Casablanca rooftop vista

Regal staircase at Le Doge

Josephine Baker room at Le Doge

[photos via @tripstyler---except hotel room via hotels.com---taken as a guest of Tourism Morocco]

Spotlight :: Amsterdam

[trip style = urban + sightseeing]

This post is written by Trip Styler fashion and lifestyle writer Heather.

Forty-eight hours in Amsterdam is not enough. It's not enough time to eat street waffles, stroll past romantic canals, visit brightly colored tulip fields, drink Heineken in Vondelpark, gaze at stylish cyclists, take in the city's museums, or put your finger on exactly what makes Amsterdam so cool. This spring I took advantage of KLM's free stopover option while traveling from Vancouver to Barcelona. Best decision ever.

Eat
Amsterdam is full of chic restaurants, street eats and gorgeous cafés. Foodie must-eats include Vlaamse frites {Belgian fries covered in mayonnaise}, stroopwafels {two thin, warm waffles filled with caramel syrup} and Dutch pancakes {huge, thin pannenkoeken or small, icing sugar-covered poffertjes}.

A Dutch take on Italian and Spanish: pizza at Mazzo and tapas at Mercat, two popular restaurants from Amsterdam's IQ Creative group.

The most stylish café in the city. Linger over espresso and design books at Roomservice inside Hôtel Droog, an Amsterdam design shop, gallery, café, one-room hotel and collection of boutiques. Trip Styler approved!

Trip Styler Tip: Looking for coffee and a place to rest and recharge? Be careful what you ask for. Coffee shops and cafés are not the same thing in Amsterdam {coffee shop = marijuana / café = coffee}.

Stay
Hotels in Amsterdam are among the most expensive in Europe, but it's possible to find a stylish stay that won't break the bank. Look for a hotel inside the canal ring if location is your top priority. I stayed in the trendy Jordaan neighborhood, which was the perfect spot for a solo stopover. For a uniquely Amsterdam stay, look for a houseboat.

Hotel The Exchange and The Lloyd Hotel and Cultural Embassy {pictured above} are unique properties that offer rooms from 1 to 5 stars {Amsterdam's answer to the Ace Hotel chain}. The former is a small hotel steps from the train station with rooms designed by fashion students; the latter is a 100-year-old building---once an emigrant hotel, a prison and artist studios---in the up-and-coming Eastern Docklands neighborhood.

Do
I could have easily spent a week touring this extremely liveable city. I'll say it again: 48 hours is not enough. I'm already plotting my return.

I barely had enough time to explore Amsterdam's delightful 17th-century city center on two feet. Two wheels is a different story, and happens to be Amsterdam's favorite mode of travel. Bicycles are easy to rent and fun to ride. Bonus: the city is flat and covered in 400+ kilometers of bike lanes! Visit Amsterdam Noord and the Eastern Docklands if you're on two wheels.

You can really get your culture on in Amsterdam. Don't miss out on the big four: the Stedelijk Museum {pictured above}, the Anne Frank House and the recently reopened Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum {pictured at very top}.

Trip Styler Tip: If you plan on visiting more than two museums, choose one of the three multi-museum passes offered in the city.

A good way to restrain your shopping habits is to visit Amsterdam with only a carry-on to your name. Whatever you buy, you carry around Europe for three weeks! That didn't stop me from exploring The Nine Streets, a boutique-filled shopping area in the canal ring, De Bijenkorf department store for Holland's version of Nordstrom, The Frozen Fountain for crazy-cool furniture and home accessories and the Target-like HEMA for everyday essentials.

Related
Fashion Friday :: Cycle Chic
Fashion Friday :: White Chucks
Travel Trend :: Pod Sleepovers

[all photos taken by @heatherlovesit]

Spotlight :: A Trip Styler Guide to Lanai

[trip style = sun + luxe + active/adventure + beach]

You go to the Private Island to decompress and to replenish. Unhindered by glitzy boutiques, be-seen hotspots or camera-toting crowds, Lanai lets you be---be with nature, be your own explorer, be with your loved one{s} and, most importantly, be yourself.

Hawaii's answer to a far-flung escape accomplishes this pure vacation cocktail by keeping it simple and slow. With only 3,000 people and 29 miles of paved roads, there are no stoplights; only stop signs. The speed limit in town is a mere 20mph; on the 'highway' the limit inches up to a roaring 45mph. One gas station fuels the island. One car rental agency---same owner as the gas station {someone's a savvy business person}---offers Jeeps to visiting explorers. One town square hosts the hub of activity. Two grocery stores and a string of cafes feed the locals. Three hotels house guests.

Staying true to its tone, there are no big-operation tourist attractions. The island's natural assets are the attraction. In fact, the closest thing to a tourist activity I did was take a ukulele lesson {pronounced ooo-koo-le-le} from Aunty Irene, a longtime local, who taught me my favorite song, "somewhere over the rainbow," and to be in the moment---one of Lanai's richest exports.

Stay
In every destination I visit around the world, it's my job to select hotels based on service, style, amenities and location. In a never-before move, I'm recommending all three Lanai hotels for different reasons. Consider dividing your time between at least two for a distinct experience.

1/ Hotel Lanai
An 11-room boutique property perched above Lanai City's town square, aka Dole Square. As the former guest house of visiting Dole executives during the island's near 80-year stint in pineapple production, it's a slice of Lanai history dressed in original timber floors, cottage-aloha decor and paintings by local artist Mike Carroll who gave up his mainland life as an in-demand illustrator to paint Lanai's landscapes. Stay here to connect with Lanai's history and observe local life outside your doorstep. Includes breakfast, wifi and use of cruiser bikes. From $149/night.

2/ Four Seasons Resort, Lodge at Koele
Just a short walk from Dole Square, the Lodge at Koele overlooks a sweeping horse pasture contoured by rows of Lanai's distinct Norfolk Pines, which glow as the sun sets. Walking in, I was taken aback by the Lodge's stature and woodsy-chic design. Sprawling at least half a soccer field in length, the Lodge is anchored by two crackling fireplaces, clusters of leather couches and creamy wingback chairs worthy of an haute couture safari lodge. It's the kind of place where I could spend all day reading a novel and sipping scotch. Out back, a rectangular, estate-esque pool beckons alongside hammocks and a croquet plot. From $280/night. {TS update 2015; this hotel is currently closed.}

3/ Four Seasons Resort at Manele Bay
Fanning across the island's desert-climate southern shore, the Four Seasons at Manele Bay is posh without being proud. While the grounds are manicured to majestic status with orchids and plumerias peeking out of every corner, the environment is natural and beachy. Bigger-than-average rooms the size of backyard pools are decorated in muted tropical tones and each room has a lanai upon which to savor Lanai. From $400/night.

Play
To make the most of your vacation, divide your stay between hiking, exploring and pool/beach time. Because I was there for four days, I split my stay between doing and being. My first two days were spent in town, where I popped into shops and galleries, went for runs along the country roads and hiked up to Kolo’iki Ridge in the Lanai highlands to revel in the valley vistas giving way to the ocean.*  When I wasn't on foot, I engaged my Jeep's 4x4 capabilities {and my driving skills} and cruised around the island to the likes of Shipwreck Beach, an 8-mile stretch of sand and reef where a World War II cargo ship rusts offshore; Garden of the Gods, a wind-swept, near-lunar landscape stacked in red-hued spires and boulders carved by the elements {gorgeous at sunset}; and the Lanai Animal Rescue Center, staffed a group of kind-hearted locals who love on and rehabilitate a rag-tag collection of 370 cats, each of whom has a name! Note: hotel guests can pop in by appointment to spend time with the cats and learn about the sanctuary. *Two hours return from the Lodge at Koele---speak to the concierge for a detailed map.

For my two seaside days, I floated between Hulopoe Beach and the Four Seasons at Manele Bay's pool and spa. By morning I'd clear my mind crunching along the shell- and lava-lined shore on Fisherman's Trail, and by evening I'd live every second of golden hour and scale the easy climb to Sweetheart Rock, an 80-foot cinder cone ridge towering over the ocean. From here---my current earthly happy place---I had prime seating to the greatest show on earth: a Lanai sunset, which plays nightly, around 6pm.

Eat
There are a few musts when it comes to munching in Lanai. Most of the upscale restaurants are attached to hotels, while local stops like Cafe 565 or Blue Ginger Cafe dotting Dole Square are good bets for grabbing a plate lunch or picnic. For the following selections you'll notice a tuna theme because I believe in eating local and fresh wherever I travel. For upscale indulgences, I recommend savoring a black Hawaiian lava salt-crusted ahi---so fresh it melts in your mouth---in the glow of tiki torches at Kailani at the Four Seasons at Manele Bay. Do NOT miss dining in the grand gathering place of the Four Seasons Lodge at Koele at Terrace, where I nibbled on a tuna and avocado terrine with taro chips. So taken by the crackling fires burning at either end of lodge, I asked my server if I could move to a leather chair by the fire. He gladly obliged and agreed my plan was fitting. Finally, designed by celeb chef Bev Gannon {who visits frequently}, the Lanai City Grille is frequented by locals as much as visitors for its warm service and local catch with a worldly twist. Case in point: I still dream about my ahi poke tacos served in a crisp wonton shell with goat cheese and wasabi crème fraiche.

Trip Styler Tips
1/ An efficient shuttle system transports guests between the hotels, to/from the airport and port and into town. Talk to your hotel about any applicable one-time fees for use. If you'd rather hail a cab instead, you'll be waiting awhile, as they don't exist on Lanai.

2/ If you rent a car, and I suggest you do for a day or two to explore the island off-road, read the sign in the rental agency about the current condition of the backcountry paths. On occasion, the weather can hinder these routes. Jeeps from $125/day.

3/ Lanai, like most of Hawaii, orients its activities around the day versus the night. On Friday nights, the Lanai City Grille is the biggest ticket in town, where local talent belts it out for Friday Under the Stars; otherwise, expect to spend your evenings watching the sunset, dining at your hotel, or grabbing a bite from one of the cafes in town.

[photos, videos & graphics by @tripstyler, taken while a guest of the Hawaii Tourism Authority]