Casablanca, Morocco
Morocco had been on my radar for years but I’d never quite got around to it. When this trip came together, starting in Casablanca felt right — arriving by way of Doha, on a route I’ve come to know well from Perth.
I managed a solid sleep on the first leg thanks to a business class upgrade, and in the departure lounge I got chatting to an Aussie from Lismore who used to work at a hostel in Barcelona. That’s one of the things I love about these trips — the random encounters before you’ve even landed.
Friday 26th September
After arriving into Casablanca I took the train to Casa Voyageurs and found my hotel — only to discover it was under renovation, and I’d been moved to the hotel chain next door. Not ideal, but you learn to roll with these things.
That evening I went for a walk along the boulevard at night and ventured into the old Medina. I stopped for dinner at Dar El Keid, an authentic Moroccan place tucked away inside the market. The food was excellent — my first proper Moroccan meal, and it set the tone for what was to come.
Saturday 27th September
The next morning I had breakfast across the road from the hotel before setting off for the Hassan II Mosque. It was absolutely fantastic — epic in scale and stunning in detail. One thing that struck me was that inside the mosque there are no pictures or reverence towards people or animals, which is quite different to what you see in churches. I liked that sentiment.
After the mosque I spent the afternoon on a quest to find a Morocco football jersey, visiting a couple of malls without any luck in my size. I stopped for a coffee and watched the Man Utd game, which is always a good way to kill time in a foreign country.
I took the bus back to the hotel and was pretty wrecked from all the walking, but managed to build up the energy for one more outing — a delicious lamb tagine at Al Mounia. Already developing a taste for tagine, and it was only day two.
Sunday 28th September
My last morning solo in Casablanca. I sat down at a local cafe just as it was opening, the streets still empty but for a few early birds — all of them locals. I had a few coffees and read for a while, with intermittent periods of people watching. One of my favourite things to do in a new city.
During the day I headed to Quartier Habous, where I finally found my Morocco jersey and tried some incredible Moroccan sweets. More walking, more coffee, more reading — the ideal pre-tour rhythm.
That evening I met up with the G Adventures crew to start the Morocco tour. As usual, the group was full of friendly people. And there always seems to be an old man larrikin in these groups — this time it was Jim, and he was quite funny. We took a bus to a local family’s home where we made pastries together for dinner. A great way to kick things off.
