Kasbah du Toubkal

A peaceful chunk of Berber culture restored, the Kasbah du Toubkal is located in the middle of the Atlas Mountain range. The original owner, a local chief, must have had good taste if the scenery of this site is any indication. The surrounding geography was spectacular enough to stand in for the Himalayas in Martin Scorsese's film Kundun.

The hotel itself is an attraction and you needn't necessarily be a guest to visit the exotic spot. From a small village below, a path leads visitors to the spectacular setting. There, they can try some of the traditional foods or mint tea surrounded by traditional Berber style. There are also treks (which may include rides on muleback) to visit more of the mountains, the nearby village and Toubkal National Park, which surrounds the area.

The hotel makes efforts to be sustainable and support the nearby community; five percent of profits go toward the local villages, helping to provide education to the local youth. Most of the employees are from the nearby area, and the rebuilding effort used traditional techniques, as electricity hadn't arrived to the remote mountain area quite yet when the task was at hand.

Adapted with permission from uniqhotels.com.