visiting

Ruben Chorlton-Owen, 24, from North Wales, visited the popular destination with his partner, Amber. He admitted he wishes he knew what it was really like before visiting the hotspot

Holidays are meant to be one of life’s greatest pleasures, but sometimes the reality can be vastly different from expectations, with certain mishaps leaving travellers utterly floored. Ruben Chorlton-Owen, 24, recently jetted off to a sought-after travel destination hoping to bask in the sunshine and escape the daily grind.

Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out quite as smoothly as he’d anticipated, with several surprises along the way, and one particular episode left him genuinely shocked. Despite the country’s growing reputation as a trending holiday hotspot, he insists there are important warnings potential visitors should heed before booking their trip, describing the travel advice as absolutely essential.

Ruben, hailing from North Wales, recently recounted his experiences in detail. He’s far from the first traveller whose holiday has taken an unexpected turn either.

He explained: “I paid £170 each for a sunrise hot air balloon ride while in Morocco, and there’s one thing they don’t really tell you beforehand. The flight itself was smooth and the views were incredible, but the landing was something else entirely.

“The basket slammed into the ground three times before tipping over. A woman next to me hit her head, my partner did too, and I hurt my back slightly, although thankfully we were all ok.

“Afterwards, I found out that this type of hard landing can sometimes be considered ‘normal’, depending on wind conditions, but that’s not something clearly spelled out to tourists before they go up. In the air, it feels calm and controlled, so the impact comes as a real shock.”

However, this wasn’t the sole disappointment during his trip, as he revealed he encountered several other “issues” whilst there. The travel enthusiast warns that visitors really need to exercise caution when travelling to the destination.

“Seemingly friendly people approach tourists offering to ‘guide’ them near the markets ‘souk’ before demanding a lot of money,” he explained. “I fell for this myself.

“[There were] suggestions to use illegal taxi apps involving drivers who are not licensed nor vetted, and strict Moroccan currency rules which mean you can’t get dirhams in the UK before you travel, and to exchange back you must keep bank receipts etc. A lot have been caught out on this.”

For those unfamiliar with the country, Morocco is an incredibly popular African holiday destination. It attracted more than 17.4 million international tourists in 2024 alone, according to reports.

The North African nation is renowned for its easy accessibility from Europe, rich culture, varied landscapes and budget-friendly, genuine experiences. Popular destinations include locations such as Marrakech and Chefchaouen.

This may explain why Ruben was eager to visit. He travelled with his partner, Amber, earlier this month, and it was actually her suggestion to go.

Their expectations of the trip were vastly different. Nevertheless, he maintained they had an enjoyable time, though he believes travellers need to remain vigilant when visiting.

When questioned about why he chose Morocco, Ruben revealed: “It was my partner’s idea, but something I’ve always wanted to do on my bucket list too. A lot of people do it (the balloon ride) unless they’re afraid of heights.

“I wouldn’t say Morocco itself is a holiday from hell, but there are a few things people should be cautious about. It’s quite up and coming, and I think more people are starting to go there.

“Morocco is somewhere I would go back to. It’s not that Morocco is necessarily a bad place. We stayed at a hotel near the beach and all the staff were really friendly, really helpful and couldn’t do enough.

“People just need to stay safe on holiday. There are a few things you should be cautious about.”

Regarding the balloon rides, however, it’s reported they frequently involve bumpy landings. Hard landings (referred to as a “British landing” or a controlled drag) are considered normal and commonplace for hot air balloons in Morocco, particularly when wind speeds are elevated or when touching down on uneven, desert terrain.

Although they are often characterised as “crash” or bumpy landings, they can be fairly routine. It’s regarded as a safe and anticipated procedure to bring the balloon to a halt.

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After spending decades criticising China, a succession of leaders from Western countries have been lining up to engage with its leadership.

In recent months, many of them have visited Beijing, seeking business opportunities.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is the latest to land in China.

Merz says Beijing must not be overlooked when tackling the big global challenges.

United States President Donald Trump’s huge tariffs are said to have pushed Western countries closer to China.

But can China be an alternative?

And what does it have to offer?

Presenter: James Bays

Guests:

Jost Wubbeke – Managing partner at Sinolytics and an expert on China’s industrial policy, rare earths and supply chain strategy

Harry Broadman – Former assistant to the US trade representative

Dan Wang – Economist and director on Eurasia Group’s China team

As a child, I spent nearly every weekend with my best friend shooting hoops and jumping fences throughout Hollywood.

It was always amusing seeing tourists — especially foreigners — line up around buildings and outside nightclubs and lounges that held no meaning to me, at the time.

These monuments I ignored as a youngster became the must-see places of my teenage years and early 20s.

It was at the Viper Room where a 20-year-old me was tossed out of line trying to crash the same venue where Pearl Jam had played.

I was first scandalized by the price of a drink for a date’s $10 cocktail at the Troubadour in West Hollywood (I think I was making $6.50 an hour at the time). But I had to visit one of Jim Morrison’s favorite haunts.

So I was delighted when The Times entertainment team compiled its list of 26 legendary music sites in L.A.

It was fun to see favorites, but more importantly, to read about new places and legends.

Hopefully, there’s a spot that intrigues you. Let’s take a look at a few selections.

Capitol Records (Hollywood)

The most famous tower in all of music was never overtly intended to look like a stack of LPs and a stylus needle.

“The building was not designed as a cartoon or a giggle. To have it trivialized with the stack-of-records myth is annoying and dismaying,” architect Louis Naidorf has said of his Capitol Records Building. “There’s not a thing on the building that doesn’t have a solid purpose to it.”

That was no obstacle for it becoming emblematic of both Los Angeles and the record business. It’s still home to one of the most renowned recording studios on Earth, and its silhouette remains a Hollywood icon and a symbol of Los Angeles on par with the Hollywood sign nearby.

(Ken Hively/Los Angeles Times)

Elliott Smith Wall (Silver Lake)

The beloved singer-songwriter Elliott Smith posed at the swooping mural outside Solutions speaker repair in Silver Lake for the cover of his LP “Figure 8” in 2000.

After he died by suicide in 2003, the wall became an unofficial memorial for Smith, where fans left touching notes, song lyrics and nips of liquors mentioned in his songs.

While the wall has been cut out in spots to make room for various restaurants — and it’s often covered in more flagrant tagging — it’s still a living connection to one of the city’s most cherished voices.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

Chaplin Studio (Hollywood)

John Mayer calls it “adult day care”: the historic recording studio behind the arched gates on La Brea Avenue where famous musicians have been keeping themselves — and one another — creatively occupied since the mid-1960s.

Known for decades as Henson Studios — and as A&M Studios before that — the 3-acre complex in the heart of Hollywood has played host to the creation of some of music’s most celebrated records, among them Carole King’s “Tapestry,” Joni Mitchell’s “Blue,” Guns N’ Roses’ “Use Your Illusion” and D’Angelo’s “Black Messiah.”

Charlie Chaplin, who was born in London, began building the lot in 1917 in a white-and-brown English Tudor style; he went on to direct some of his best-known films, including “Modern Times” and “The Great Dictator,” on the property.

The Lighthouse Cafe (Hermosa Beach)

The Lighthouse Cafe might seem familiar from its cameo in the Oscar-winning movie “La La Land,” but this jazz cafe was once instrumental in shaping the West Coast jazz scene.

The beachside spot first opened as a restaurant in 1934 and was changed into a bar by the 1940s. It first started to play jazz in 1949 when the owner let bassist Howard Rumsey host a recurring jam session. The jams quickly began to draw both a vivacious crowd of listeners and a core group of budding jazz musicians.

Over the years, musicians like Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Miles Davis and Max Roach all made regular appearances at the Lighthouse. Today, the venue still hosts jazz brunches every Sunday and other musical gigs throughout the week.

For more, here is the entire list.

The week’s biggest stories

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

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(Illustrations by Lindsey Made This; photograph by Rony Armas)

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