Amanjena

Only ¼ hour from Marrakech’s bustling Medina, 20 minutes from the international airport and ¾ hour drive from the awesome High Atlas mountain range, Amanjena meaning 'peaceful paradise' dances to nature’s tune: a central bassin, the resort’s mesmerising heart, reflects pavilions, palms and African skies, a tranquil theme that is echoed throughout the Moorish oasis.

Amanjena's 32 sunset-red-coloured private pavilions are spacious and exquisitely designed; eight with private pools, all with multi-faceted high domes with dimmer switches to highlight or lowlight the occasion and wood-burning sunken fires appealing to primal desires. The terraces have pillared gazebos with cushioned seating areas and candle lanterns creating a secluded area to chill or dine, from sunrise to sunrise.

Amanjena is honest and faithful to the ethos of Morocco, using exotic local materials to maximum effect. The chorus of colours at Amanjena; turquoise, midnight blue, burnt rouge, muted glazed greens and rose pink, serenade the beauty of its surroundings: olive groves and fruit trees, snow-capped Atlas Mountains, authentic Berber villages and the intriguing Medina of Marrakech.

The health and beauty centre, with indigenous hammams or steam rooms, alongside a glass-encased whirlpool, is both quintessentially Moroccan and deeply nourishing. Essential oil massages are skilfully carried out in inviting candlelit rooms with burning incense, floating rose petals and warm mint tea.

The magic here is that the resort caters for individuals who wish to maintain a high level of physical activity by: making use of the 'timber-floored gym'; being privately coached on the clay tennis courts; working the manicured golf courses; or hiking in the mountains. However, it is also fully hands-on for those who wish to simply lie back like a pampered Pasha in a tranquil paradise.