The Ourika Valley in the Atlas Mountains is a world away from chaotic Marrakech. It’s a place where life – at least from the perspective of a visitor – seems locked in time… rugged, raw, and beautiful as a result. Marrakech can be an assault on the senses, but just a short drive away beyond the city’s suburbs is an almost medieval, but magical land straight out of an epic fantasy novel or movie. In the Ourika mountains it seems not much has changed since the days of the Berber kingdom and not just for the benefit of tourists. I escaped the bustle of the city to experience a slice of Ourika life.