I thought I would preempt any questions about the earthquake, and also the unrest in the Middle East.

With respect to the earthquake, most of Morocco, including the main areas visited by tourists, is largely unaffected. Marrakech is fine - there is some minor damage, but if you didn’t know, you would have no idea there had been an earthquake. A few riads were damaged, but generally, it is okay.

There has been some damage to guest houses at Ait Ben Haddou, and the kasbah of Telouet is closed (it was already a ruin). The kasbah of Ait Ben Haddou is open. The Draa Valley, the desert, Todra Gorge and Fez were not affected.

The route to and from the camp therefore is largely unaffected. The major problem is in the remote areas of the High Atlas, southwest of Marrakech, although places such as Imlil and Ouirgane, which are popular with tourists, were affected. The Moroccan authorities have been excellent at mobilising assistance, whilst the extended family system in Morocco has been highly effective too. The earthquake in the affected areas was terrible, and whilst the response can never be perfect, logistically it’s been an incredibly well-coordinated effort.

The crisis in the Middle East is unimaginably awful. Like almost everywhere else in the world, there have been demonstrations, particularly in some of the major cities. However, Morocco is both tolerant of your right to choose, but intolerant of extremism. I feel safe in Morocco.