We were utterly overwhelmed by Morocco. It has the most spectacular scenery, vastly changing as you move through the country. The landscapes were mesmerising. One day, you would be surrounded by snow-capped mountains, next in the Sahara desert, and then in the beautiful surf coastal towns. The food made leaving it hard; we loved the tajines and local wines. The Moroccan people, even more, are the kindest, happiest and friendliest souls. Lifelong friendships were made, and memories will last a lifetime. We like to treat ourselves to a certain level of luxury as we travel, as it is all part of the experience. We thoroughly researched all areas and found the best budget options (AUD 100 per night), primarily through Airbnb and Hotels.com . Here is a selection of our preferred stays in Morocco. We are foodies and wine/cocktail lovers, so the first thing we do when we arrive at a new destination is Google the best restaurants and bars. We enjoy long, lazy lunches with a fun atmosphere, great staff and, of course, food and wine. We have been fortunate to dine in some fabulous establishments, and here is a list of our favourites in Morocco.

Join us on a three-month epic Pole-to-Pole expedition with Hurtigruten , where we cruise to the North and South Poles. HX Hurtigruten Expeditions Pole to Pole Our basecamp at sea is the world's first hybrid expedition cruise ship , the comfortable and stylish MS Roald Amundsen , named after the first explorer to successfully reach the North and South Poles. MS Roald Amundsen is the first of two hybrid ships in the fleet. Sailing with electrical propulsion reduces emissions by 20 percent, and innovative sustainable technology reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Scandinavian natural materials, such as granite, oak, birch and wool, create cosy and stylish cabins and public areas. While typical world cruises focus on a horizontal circumnavigation of the world, this expedition cruise will be unlike any other voyage, as we'll sail pole to pole. We begin our 93-day cruise in Vancouver, Canada. We will sail north along the Alaskan coast, crossing the Arctic Circle through the fabled Northwest Passage to Greenland and Baffin Island. We will then turn south along the eastern seaboard of the United States to the warm and colourful tropical islands of Central America before passing through the Panama Canal and reaching South America. Here, we'll experience a mix of culture and nature, exploring ancient sites in Ecuador, Peru, and Chile before witnessing the ethereal splendour of the Chilean fjords and the pristine, otherworldly beauty of Patagonia and Antarctica.

Arriving in Canada for the first time was the perfect opportunity to tick off an item on our bucket list: an Alaskan Cruise, the inside passage. Alaskan Cruise - Celebrity Eclipse We are very loyal Celebrity Cruises cruisers. We were excited to see they had an inside passage cruise leaving Vancouver in early July, a few days after our arrival. It slotted in perfectly. The following is a summary of our unforgettable Inside Passage Alaskan cruise. We were very impressed with the number of port visits and sea days, making it the ideal relaxing cruise with a few adventurous days. Our 7-night cruise departs from Vancouver, sails through the Inside Passage, stops in Sitka, flows through Hubbard Glacier, and stops in Juneau and Ketchikan before sailing through the Inside Passage again on the way back to Vancouver. Alaskan Cruise - Celebrity Eclipse This is the first time we have booked a stateroom at the back of the ship; we have always stayed starboard mid-ship. We booked a Sunset Veranda Stateroom (#7317) and loved being at the back. You are spoiled with magnificent views, perfect for sail-aways, sunsets, and relaxing on the balcony. Day one - Vancouver This is our very first cruise to Alaska! We are so happy to be back cruising after four years, and it feels like home being back on a Celebrity Cruises ship! We were very impressed with the seamless embarkation process in Vancouver. Within 30 minutes of arriving at the port, we were strolling around the cruise ship, enjoying a glass of champagne, and could even check into our stateroom. It was 11 am. Sushi on Five, an à la carte restaurant specialising in Japanese cuisine, was open on Deck 5. We were seated by the window, watching the 2000 guests board the ship. We loved the crowd's energy and welcomed all guests with a song and dance. The vibe was so positive and fun! The food and service at Sushi on Five were exceptional, and we found ourselves dining there every day for lunch. A special thank you to the team: Onsa, Dan, Mohamed, Sudar, Ryan, and Helena, for caring for us during our slow lunches. Our first dinner was at Le Petite Chef and was quite a fun experience. It was a first, and we don't want to spoil the fun, so here are just a couple of pics! Alaskan Cruise - Celebrity Eclipse Alaskan Cruise - Celebrity Eclipse Day two It was a day cruising, a sea day! We woke fresh and enjoyed a slow breakfast in the main dining room. We even saw our first whale breaching while ordering our mid-morning coffees at Cafe Bacio from the energetic and friendly crew. Alaskan Cruise - Celebrity Eclipse The ship started rocking in the morning, so if you suffer from motion sickness, we advise you to go to Deck 3, mid-ship, and sit. The best advice is to avoid the feeling by lying low and not making your way to the front, as you will feel the rocking more. Once the seas were protected again, it was over in a few hours, and everyone was okay. We started the evening with unique cocktails at World Class Bar; thank you, Adrian, Nemanja and crew. We then dined in the main dining room. We had a set dining time of 8.30 pm, but we h8.30 thank Mary, the lovely Maître d' in the dining room, who always took care of us and found us an earlier dining slot. The food was beyond perfection, and the attentive service was impeccable. Day three - Sitka Our Alaskan adventure brings us to our first destination, Sitka, Alaska. Alaskan Cruise - Celebrity Eclipse A small island with a population of 8500, but with four cruises docked, it was 20,000! Sitka had a Russian influence due to being part of Russia until 1867. We explored the town and settled for lunch to try the local halibut, which was delicious and only $50 for a few bites (below)!! While enjoying our lunch, a young man popped over to say hello. That day, he was sailing on another ship in Sitka. Our lovely waiter, Mickey, was from one of our favourite restaurants in Belgrade, Bar Sasa . We were all overwhelmed by coincidence and enjoyed the afternoon reminiscing. Soon after Mickey left, we started chatting to another group of lovely boys on vacation from Seattle with their 84-year-old Dad; he was an absolute legend, as were Dan and Dave. It was an extraordinary afternoon on our first day in Alaska, and to top it off, we had magnificent views as we sailed toward the Hubbard Glaciers. Alaskan Cruise - Celebrity Eclipse Day four - Hubbard Glacier We cruised through the inside passage and had an incredible view of the Hubbard Glacier. It was the first time we had sailed through waters scattered with ice, and it was a special moment. Alaskan Cruise - Celebrity Eclipse We had the most fantastic captain. Thank you, Captain Leo, for positioning the ship so we could soak up the magnificent glaciers for a few hours. It was mesmerising to experience the glacier on a rare clear day and capture the stunning Hubbard glaciers. Alaskan Cruise - Celebrity Eclipse We finished the day with a lovely, slow lunch at Sushi on Five, enjoying these once-in-a-lifetime views and another dinner in the main dining room. Day five - Juneau Today, we arrived in Juneau, the capital of Alaska (30,000 population). Alaskan Cruise - Celebrity Eclipse We organised a two-hour helicopter flight   over the beautiful glaciers and Alaskan terrain. Our Temsco Helicopters pilot, Josiah, was incredible. We landed on two different glaciers and had the opportunity to walk around Herbert's and Mendenhall glaciers. It was a magical morning, an experience we never thought possible. The glaciers' colours were gorgeous, and the spectacular mountain ranges were a sight. Alaskan Cruise - Celebrity Eclipse We were back on board for the sail away and enjoyed delicious food, wine, and service on the fabulous Tuscan grill. A special thank you to Julia, our waitress, who understood our dining pace and was a pleasure to have by our side, serving us during the evening. We also loved reminiscing with Mohamad from Tunisia. The sail-away views were stunning and reminded us how much we love cruising! Day six - Ketchikan We visited Ketchikan, the first town in Alaska to describe itself as the "Salmon Capital of the World." Ketchikan is well known for its fishing, beautiful scenery, and rich Native culture. Alaskan Cruise - Celebrity Eclipse For those who have watched Northern Exposure, it closely aligns. We loved the area's colourful buildings, history, scenery, and beauty, making it a lovely place to dock. The stories of random catch-ups continue; we met a couple on our flight from Amsterdam to Vancouver in Ketchikan as we walked by in the street. They were cruising on Holland America, a cruise ship also docked for the day. I chatted about our life stories and met all their friends, including a sweet Greek man who tried to steal me away from my husband! Christophe, a friendly face from our 2017 South Pacific cruise on the Solstice, served us during dinner that evening. The food continued to surprise us, and the duck tonight was mouthwatering. Alaskan Cruise - Celebrity Eclipse Day seven Our final day was a sea day, during which we enjoyed slow cruising back to Vancouver. At five, we had another slow lunch at our favourite sushi place and an afternoon nap, as you do on a cruise ship. During lunch, we were fortunate to watch the pilot board the ship. Kudos to Wayne for getting this incredible footage. Alaskan Cruise - Celebrity Eclipse We were booked into Murano, another of our favourite specialty restaurants, when the evening arrived. This restaurant offers world-class French cuisine crafted by a Michelin-starred chef. We were seated by a lovely couple from Florida, and we quickly became friends. We enjoyed lots of banter and traded travel stories. Our friendly sommelier, Tanya, was from Thailand, and we had some fun practising our Thai again and trading Thai travel stories. The dishes were delicious, as always; it is one of my favourite restaurants for Dover Sole. Alaskan Cruise - Celebrity Eclipse Our magical cruis e arrived in Vancouver the following day, and booking this cruise was the best decision. You will not be disappointed. Celebrity Cruises continues to exceed expectations and is world-class in its dining options, service, and crew. We love cruising with Celebrity. Surprisingly, boarding a ship for a week was cheaper than paying the exorbitant accommodation prices in Vancouver. You would be hard-pressed to find anything less than $500 per night; if you want five-star, you are looking for $650 per night, including your meals, and you have spent $1000 per day.

ice Q - Two Visits Very James Bond. Ice Q Restaurant - Solden We couldn’t have asked for a better restaurant to celebrate our NYE lunch in Austria. We booked Ice Q well in advance (six months) to ensure we secured a table for the afternoon. We even scored the corner table with an incredible view. The wine list was incredible, with some great local wines, and the sommelier was fabulous at guiding you through it. The food did not disappoint; we thoroughly enjoyed all our selections; we opted for a martini for dessert as we could not fit any more food in, but when in the exact location where James Bond was filmed ( Spectre ), what does one do, what does one do? Ice Q Restaurant - Solden We stayed in Innsbruck, so we caught the train and bus to Solden, which took about 1.5 hrs and then the cable cart to the restaurant, another 20 mins (Bus/train 20 euros and cable cart 40 Euros pp). Overall, food and wine were reasonably priced, and we escaped at 500 euros for lunch but enjoyed a nice bottle of champagne and Austrian wine. I recommend a visit, especially on a perfect sunny day like the one we were lucky enough to experience after coming from Australia. Update: two years later, we dined at Ice Q again.

Ötzis Tanzstadl - Two Visits Ötzis Tanzstadl - Solden What a great place to sit back, enjoy the view, drink, and eat a tasty thin-crust pizza. There is always a good vibe, with live music, good service, and a good drink selection. I could imagine this place being bustling during the snow season.

007 Elements 007 Elements - Solden 007 Elements is one of the best 007 experiences I've visited, and it will take just over an hour to tour the exhibition. It's a film location for Spectre and a cinematic approach to the exhibition. It's worth the lift ticket and entry price to experience being on a James Bond film location. 007 Elements - Solden It includes several of the original props from the film, the highlight being the aeroplane from the chase scene. Spectre is the twenty-fourth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Columbia Pictures. It is the fourth film to feature Daniel Craig as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond and the second film in the series directed by Sam Mendes following Skyfall. Make sure you make an event of the day by having lunch at Ice Q restaurant next to 007 Elements. 007 Elements - Solden

Design Apartments Valentin - Three Nights Design Apartments Valentin - Solden It is a truly modern and stylish apartment that exceeded our expectations. We initially booked this apartment for early March; however, COVID-19 forced everyone to change their plans. Firstly, thank you to the management that gave us a full refund, no questions asked. So we finally got to experience Solden and these beautiful apartments in June. Design Apartments Valentin - Solden You know it will be a great experience when you get a welcome glass of champagne. Even better was the lovely bottle of red wine (from our previously booked stay celebrating a friend's birthday). The team, both front and back of the house, have been amazing through this journey, and we are so glad we could come back and support them and Solden. The kitchen is fully equipped to cook, which we utilise, and the apartments are located next to the main chairlift.

ice Q Restaurant - Second Visit Ice Q Restaurant - Solden Come for the food with a bonus of a magnificent once-in-a-lifetime view. We had the privilege of having a New Year's Eve lunch at Ice Q back in 2017. This restaurant is located 3,000 feet in the Austrian Alps. To put 3,000 metres into perspective, this is nearly 1,000 metres higher than the highest mountain in Australia, Mount Kosciuszko. This is fine dining at its best, just over 3,000 metres high. Ice Q Restaurant - Solden The building was used in one of James Bond's films, Spectre (make sure you visit the 007 Elements exhibition ). It was so much fun to catch up with Lajos our waiter from 2017 and the Maître d' Valentino Schwarz, who has been at Ice Q since it opened seven years ago. Executive Chef Klaus Holzer continues to deliver fine dining at its best, supported by an extensive wine list. Ice Q Restaurant - Solden We enjoyed a few bottles of great Austrian Pinot and a half bottle of champagne to start our adventure. Let's say we stayed for a long, lazy four-hour lunch. You must book this restaurant in advance to secure a table.

LandLoft in the Sausal wine region - Two nights We decided to spoil ourselves with a stay at a 200-year-old Airbnb that was above our average daily accommodation budget, and we were not disappointed. Nestled halfway up a hill via a beautiful drive-through woods, you are treated to a fantastic panoramic view. You'll enjoy beautiful sunsets and be woken up by the morning sun. While this place is small, it has a fully equipped kitchen, so we didn't leave it. I especially loved the vintage B&O radio and the excellent sound from the BOSE sound system. Kick back, grab a book and relax. Beautifully appointed, grab a bottle of wine from the cellar underneath and enjoy the surrounding views. A 200-year-old "Kellerstöckl" (wine press) adapted into an award-winning house. Designed by Yes Architecture, the house took ideas from the original "Kellerstöckl" (wine press) windowless building and, for this area, a unique corn-cob drier structure, one standing next to the house. The interior is a modern interpretation of a traditional "Bauernstube", an old farmhouse parlour.