Fes Morocco

The new part of Fes, called ville nouvelle, was built by the French and is totally different from the medina. The wide boulevards are lined with modern shops and traffic is hectic. There's not much to see, but if you prefer larger Westernized hotels, this is where you'd stay.

The best time to visit Fes is fromSeptember to November and April to June . It's not too hot and there are fewer tourists. The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music is usually held in June and is certainly worth planning your trip around.

Fes el-Bali 

The biggest attraction in Fes is the entire old medina ( Fes el-Bali )and the best way to get around it, to see (and find) its main sights, is to hire a guide through your hotel or Riad. A full day should cost around 250 dirhams. You can tell the guide exactly what you'd like to see, specify if you don't want to buy a carpet and tell him (or her) what language you prefer. Once you feel comfortable getting lost, there's no need for a guide anymore and you can simply rely on friendly shopkeepers to point you in the right direction or a good map .

The joy of old Fes is turning down little alleys and finding a donkey drinking from the most fabulously tiled fountain you'll ever see; watching local artisans at work; or ducking into a local Hammam and enjoying a good scrub (this is a good way to meet local women, if you're a woman too of course!)

There are two main alleys in old Fes, the Talaa Kebira and the Talaa Seghir. Both end up at the main gate of Bab Bou Jeloud. If you get lost, head for either of these, and ask for the direction of the Bab Bou Jeloud. The Bab Bou Jeloud is quite impressive, but it's the little square with rooftop restaurants that you'll enjoy even more. The Kasbah restaurant is decent and the service is pretty good; they don't mind you lingering over mint tea while you stare at the goings on below.