In stark contrast, the cities are teeming with life, and the medinas, or medieval quarters, are intriguingly exotic. The medina in Fez (the capital in past centuries) is the world’s largest inhabited medieval Islamic city, and a Unesco World Heritage site. Moroccans (made up of Berbers, Arabs and Saharawis) remain close to their traditions, as they tend to their date palms, weave richly coloured and intricately designed carpets or trade spices in the medina. Many hours are spent sipping mint tea in cafes, and tajine is a favourite dish. Now world-famous, this stew is often flavoured with spices and served with couscous, cooked and served in an earthenware pot with a distinctive conical lid.

French is the main foreign language in Morocco, but the country offers the largest ESL market in north Africa, mostly fuelled by tourism. EFL job offers are typically made only after one-to-one interviews in the country. Teachers are normally responsible for their airfare and housing costs. Most find flats or rooms which were previously occupied by other TEFL teachers, and many share accommodation with co-workers.

The law stipulates that foreign teachers must have a university degree to obtain a work visa, and any reputable school should be able to obtain the visa for you. Once you have it, an ESL teacher should be able to earn £550 to £700 per month, but there are opportunities to earn more in the evenings and at weekends with private lessons. The average cost of living will range from £400 to £600, depending on your lifestyle. EFL schools usually provide about 20–25 hours of work per week, leaving plenty of time to travel and explore this diverse country. Most TEFL jobs are found in the larger cities of Fez, Rabat, Marrakesh, Tangier and Casablanca.