GLOBETROTTER: Britt Olson, Editorial Content Strategist

WHY GO THERE? We had been traveling in Southern Spain: Málaga, Seville, Granada. 103-degree weather just wasn't hot enough. I'm very much joking! Really, plane tickets to Marrakech from Seville were very affordable during July, and I had never been to Africa. Morocco has always fascinated me, with its French influences, souks and its literary associations (mostly Paul Bowles and William S. Burroughs).

WHERE DID YOU STAY? We wanted to stay in the Old Town, so within the walls of the historic city. Most hotels in this region are riads, or small privately run houses with an interior courtyard. is north of the medina, on a quieter, more residential street. Its pool is lovely and its meals are excellent. In a city as bustling as Marrakech, it's nice to stay in a place that feels like a retreat.

FAVORITE RESTAURANTS: We ate at some extremely beautiful and amazing restaurants. The real treat about spots located in the medina is that it's an adventure just locating them.

On our first night there we dined at Les Jardins de la Medina. Even though the night air was still humid, this pretty garden restaurant was lively, and the food and drinks were delicious.

Several nights later, we went through a dark, cat-inhabited alley to enter the diminutive door (the doorman wore a fez) to Villa Flore. Inside, it was like a jewel box. The juxtaposition of the exterior and interior made this restaurant feel all the more of a find. And our lamb tagine was perfection. Eating there will be one of my all-time favorite travel meals.

DON'T-MISS ACTIVITIES: Designer Yves Saint Laurent bought the Jardin Marjorelle in 1980, and it is where his ashes were scattered after his death. The 12-acre gardens were erected by the watercolor artist Jacques Majorelle in the 1920s and then expanded in the '30s. His art is still housed in the museum located in the Jardin, but the Marrakech grounds themselves are considered his major creative contribution.

Styled in both the Moorish and Art Deco manner, the gardens feel simultaneously comfortable and exotic. Meandering the many pathways begins to feel meditative and immersive. Be sure to save time to stop by the cafe, gift shop and museum during your visit.

Marrakech has a lot of amazing architecture, but nothing there (or in most other cities in the world) can compete with the grandeur of Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque. Boasting the world's tallest minaret and a capacity of 105,000 prayer-goers, the mosque took nine years and over half a billion dollars to construct. Resting on the shore of the Atlantic, it is absolutely majestic.

Nothing can prepare you for the enormity of the building or the layers of craftsmanship that it contains. Hand-carved marble and wood surround you. Lapidary mosaics line the walls and floor. The visit was absolutely worth the train ride there and back, even if you see nothing else in Casablanca.

BEST FIND: We picked up some Berber scarves and towels from a very charming tradesman in the medina. While eating dinner at the riad one evening, the staff played an album by the Malinese band Tinariwen, which we also purchased and now listen to over home-cooked pots of tagine.

IF YOU COULD LIVE THERE, WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR A LIVING? I would really struggle if I had to live in Marrakech, but perhaps I would manage the Riad Laila and then write by the pool in my spare time. All sorts of interesting people would undoubtedly come through the riad, inspiring characters for my stories.

PACKING TIPS: Once there, the temps reached 113 degrees. My advice would be to travel to Morocco in the winter. But if you do go during extreme heats, be sure to pack sandals that are comfortable in hot climates and that will allow for your feet to swell-they definitely will! Also, the souks sell très affordable airy pants and blouses that became my uniform. And bring several swimsuits. You'll want to lay by the pool from noon until 4pm.

FAVORITE MEMORY: After an arduous day trip to Casablanca to see the Hasan II, we decided to treat ourselves to a fancy dinner at La Mamounia. This legendary five-star hotel was Winston Churchill's favorite-they named the bar after the English statesman. We ate at L'Italien. Daphne Guiness and Bernard-Henri Lévy dined a few tables away! Her hair looked much better than mine did in the heat.

Afterward we strolled the 20-acre park, walked by pools and through other restaurants. Although I think staying in the Old Town was a more authentic experience, next time I wouldn't mind spending a night at La Mamounia just to really explore this exquisite hotel. I wouldn't mind it at all, actually.