Back

Riad Mena

BY Lisa Lindblad

November 17, 2014

Screen Shot 2014-11-17 at 10.04.54 AMNormally, for a hotel review, some lovely image of the entryway, the courtyard, a suite with terrace would be the lead photo.

I couldn’t resist this one and think it tells a story that is, perhaps, more significant.  The pouf has charm, after all, embroidered and betasseled, and the owner has a generous heart to allow Mr. Cat such a comfy perch.

 Here are your traditional interiors, yet there is nothing very traditional about this charming Marrakchi riad located a few minutes from Place Djemaa el Fna and offering 6 unusual bedrooms and a courtyard filled with flowers and plants.

Screen Shot 2014-11-17 at 1.30.16 PMScreen Shot 2014-11-17 at 1.29.45 PMScreen Shot 2014-11-17 at 1.31.06 PMScreen Shot 2014-11-17 at 1.29.58 PM

Part of a new breed of accommodations sprouting like wildflowers after a soaking rain, the look has moved away from the multicolored Moroccan interior, offering a light filled interior that works well in the shaded medina.

http://riadmenaandbeyond.com/

array(1) { [0]=> object(WP_Post)#10845 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(4355) ["post_author"]=> string(2) "17" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2014-11-16 15:06:19" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2014-11-16 20:06:19" ["post_content"]=> string(2307) "

Screen Shot 2014-11-16 at 1.57.25 PMEvery year I am privileged to attend PURE Life Experiences, a travel conference that stands heads above the vast array of travel conferences held around the world.  This is a time when 1000 of us - buyers (like me) and sellers (like Zapata Ranch above) - convene for three days of face to face meetings and conferences.  To date, the meetings have been assembled in Marrakech, Morocco.

PURE is a moving display of talent and passion and the three days of meetings afford one a glorious means to travel (virtually) to all corners of the world.  I meet privately owned haciendas whose owners have stories to tell about their forebears (http://zuleta.com/),tented camps (http://www.theultimatetravellingcamp.com/), charming inns like Puerto Valle in Argentina's northwest (http://www.puertovalle.com.ar/en1/), flying safaris across the face of Africa (http://soaring-safaris.com/) and authentic, culturally and ecologically friendly African camps (http://www.maasai.com/).  At every turn there is something with a new twist, a different vision.

And what do I come away with? More than information, I am inspired all over again. And I find, on my return, that my own view of travel and its importance shifts ever so slightly, as when you shake a kaleidescope.  I see the world and what I do with a new perspective.

Today, it is a return to the simple, to the values that have become so scarce in our lives:  space, silence,  and time to spend learning about and approaching the unknown.

http://www.purelifeexperiences.com/index.html

" ["post_title"]=> string(22) "The Passion for Travel" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(6) "closed" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(22) "the-passion-for-travel" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2016-10-25 00:50:25" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2016-10-25 04:50:25" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(31) "http://lisalindblad.com/?p=4355" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } }

The Passion for Travel