Reset search
Morocco
Satellite

Morocco
Bassin du Tourisme

Discover travel destinations of travelers writing a travel journal on FindPenguins.
Travelers at this place
    • TravelerKasbahs, Desert and Football
      Day 2

      Casablanca Medina

      September 30, 2023 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

      After stopping for a refreshing mint tea or two it was off to join a small walking tour of the Medina. This is the oldest part of Casablanca.
      At different times it has been governed by Berber, Roman, Arab, Portuguese, Spanish, French, British, and Moroccan regimes. The original Berber name, Anfa (“hill” in English), was in use by the locals until the French occupied Morocco in 1907 and adopted the Spanish name, Casablanca.
      It's a maze of narrow wee streets.      Read more

    • TravelerPortugal, Morocco and Spain
      Day 24

      Casablanca - Day One Morocco

      April 23, 2023 in Morocco ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

      I’m in Africa! Again. It has been 32 years since I set foot on this continent - a lifetime ago. I met two of my travelling companions, Stacey and Anna-Ruth at the airport. Gail missed her flight from Paris - we hate the Paris airport. Stacey is retired and a seasoned solo traveller. Anna-Ruth and Stacey had this trip planned for 2020, and we all know what happened then.

      Our hotel is quaint. The decorations are very, well, Moroccan. Comfy beds, plenty of space, not enough towels. It is a perfect place to get into the swing of travel here in Morocco.

      We hired a very inadequate driver to take us around for a few hours to see some sights. He dropped us off at four places, and three of them were not where we wanted to go. So back in the van each time to get it right. The markets are mostly closed today because yesterday was Eid. It was Eid in Europe the day before - they follow a different calendar. Seems nonsensical.

      We had lunch at Rick’s Cafe - like as in the movie Casablanca. This food was delicious if a bit spendy. We enjoyed the lavish meal nonetheless. It was nice to get to know a little bit about my new friends. I shared pictures of my garden and talked about Portugal. Stacey is retired and loving it. Anna-Ruth has not quite made the leap but is planning on it. And, of course, Gail retired and then took a job. Not a stellar retirement plan, but I think she is enjoying her job.

      Once we ditched the driver, we took a walking tour that was designed to show off the mix of architecture here is Casablanca. It seems the Portugese controlled this city for a while and then the French. We saw tiles on buildings that were much like the ones we saw in all over Portugal. Old buildings are either knocked over, crumbling, or have been refurbished. These are interspersed with art deco, french and European influences too.

      We happened upon a park teeming with families out enjoying the day after feast day. Lots of music, kids running around, and families strolling along. It was nice to be in a crowded place that was not a tourist place.

      Tonight we meet our tour guide and get oriented. Here we go.      Read more

    • Portugal/Spain/Morocco
      Day 15

      CASABLANCA

      March 29, 2023 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

      Holy cow, this was a crazy crazy place. We did two tours. Our first tour driver fleeced us but took us to a great Moroccan restaurant, so it all evened out. Our second tour operator was the most sweet and informative young man. It was a FANTASTIC tour and helped us really immerse in the culture.Read more

    • TravelerMorocco and Spain 2023
      Day 4

      Old Medina Museum

      March 16, 2023 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

      A visit to a museum in the old Medina area tells us the story of Casablanca's history.
      We were told the original people of Morocco are the Berbers. Their language looks similar to Greek , nothing like Arabic. It is taught in schools.

      The Old Medina area is slowly getting renovated and restored.      Read more

    • TravelerHello 40
      Day 5

      Travel Days Suck

      December 15, 2019 in Morocco ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

      Our flight to Casablanca was over an hour late getting in. It turns out I had lots of time. Yes I am still miffed at being sassed.

      Anyways I always under estimate how long it takes to go through customs, get luggage, get the SIM cards, get cash (if needed) and then get to hotel. As it turns out we were also late to our first tour meeting. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Worst part was we had no day light hours to tour the city. Actually the worst part is being the late people to the group. I hate being that person.

      After our meeting we went on the hunt for bottle water since we can not drink the tap water. We are staying at a place a little bit lower than a Marriott so they do now give us free bottle water. We could not find a corner store but found a Sheraton. Where we proceeded to buy really expensive water, have tea and eat olives. It is a pretty low key night.

      Tomorrow we are off to Fes with 7 new friends, a guide and a driver! Hopefully the pictures will be better than tonight’s. Enjoy pictures of tea and unhappy Ty. Haha.      Read more

    • Höffn Foan EOR 2023
      12
      Day 19

      Casablanca: Hassan-II.-Moschee

      October 31, 2023 in Morocco ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

      Hassan-II.-Moschee مسجد الحسن الثاني, mit dem höchsten Minarett der Welt (200m)

      See translation
    • TravelerMorocco
      Day 14

      Morocco Day 14

      October 25, 2018 in Morocco ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

      Our final day on this wonderful trip through Morocco. Novotel hotel in Casablanca not up to the other hotels on this trip. However for one night, no problem. About a 3 hour bus ride from Marrakesh, Casablanca is on the coast of the Atlantic and the largest city in Morocco. Casablanca is considered the economic and business center of Morocco and has an urban population of 3.35 million and a regional population of 6.8 million. A lot of work going on to renovate and take advantage of their long beachfront with parks and facilities. From the small bit of the city we saw, still a lot of work to do.
      We stopped for lunch at a restaurant in Casablanca and then to our hotel to check in. The afternoon was spent touring the amazing Hassan II Mosque. The mosque is set on an outcrop of land jutting over the Atlantic. The mosque is the 3rd largest in the world after Mecca and Medina. The beautiful building holds 25,000 people inside and an additional 125,000 outside for special celebrations such as Ramadan!!! Its minaret is the world's tallest at 210 metres. (689ft) And the inside is filled every Friday for services. We were able to tour the interior of this mosque which was completed and opened in 1993. It is open to the public at various times each day when not in use. The interior is quite spectacular, especially the chandeliers - 56 chandeliers of white/clear Murano glass. The mosque is a showcase of the very best Moroccan artisan-ship: hand-carved stone and wood, intricate marble flooring and inlay, gilded cedar ceilings and exquisite zellige (geometric mosaic tilework) abound. The ablution area, where the men wash according to a Koran prescribed method, has fountains and wash stations for 1,000 people !! Again we learned a lot and so happy to have had this opportunity.
      Back to our hotel for packing and other necessities to get ready to fly home tomorrow. However no trip to Casablanca would be complete without a trip to Rick's Cafe. (Of the movie, Casablanca and Humphrey Bogart, fame. Illene and I out with other members of the tour group to see the famed bar for our pre-dinner cocktail I rather expected a dive but it was a lovely restuarant and bar, very homey and warm with low seating, fire places and lots of small rooms on 2 floors. Our room had Casablanca playing on a monitor in the room. :-) Fun and a drink to remember.
      Back for dinner at the hotel, saying our goodbys as all leave at different times tomorrow. A great trip, good people on the tour, new friends and a wonderful guide in Mustafa.      Read more

    • Martin Zaugg Мартин ЦауггMarrakesch 2019
      Day 3

      Casablanca

      February 18, 2019 in Morocco ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

      Casablanca ist laut, sehr laut und als Fussgänger die Strasse zu überqueren erfordert schon ziemlich Mut.
      Hier hat immer der Autofahrer vortritt, rot? Diese Farbe kennen sie hier nicht, wozu hat jedes Auto eine Hupe!?
      Es hat leicht geregnet, und war deutlich kühler als gestern.
      Die grösste Moschee der Welt war sehr beindruckent, und direkt am Meer.
      Die Eisenbahnfahrt von Marrakesch nach Casablanca dauerte rund 2 1/2Stunden.      Read more

      See translation
    • oftunterwegsMarokko 2019
      Day 4

      4. Tag Marrakesch Casablanca

      May 30, 2019 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

      Heute stand die Bahnfahrt nach Casablanca an.
      In der 1.Klasse hat man einen Sitzplatz und Klimaanlage, bei einem Aufpreis von 3€ pro Person viel die Wahl gestern am Automaten nicht schwer.
      Leider waren sind es alles Abteilwagen und unser Abteil war mit sechs Personen voll. Es waren Amerikaner, die einen Deutschen in der Familie haben. Es war eine nette Fahrt durch mit überraschenden Farbwechsel an der Strecke. Die karge Landschaft überwog natürlich, aber es gab immer wieder grüne "Oasen" und selbst das Gestein wechselte die Farbe.
      In Casablanca ging es erstmal zum Novotel, gebucht war ein Panorama Zimmer mit Blick auf die Hassan II. Moschee. Der Ausblick ist herrlich und das Bauwerk (1993 fertig gestellt) gigantisch, als würde sie sich aus dem Meer erheben. Die Moschee fasst 25.000 Menschen, der Vorplatz 80.000.
      Der Weg dorthin war dann doch etwas anstrengender als gedacht.
      Die Gassen und Souks waren noch enger, verwinkelter als in Marrakesch. Der Verkehr in der Millionenstadt ist dazu die reinste Katastrophe. Also da steht Casablanca sämtlichen Metropolen Asiens in nichts nach.
      Irgendwann hatten wir die Mega Baustelle an der Hafenpromenade erreicht, samt neuer Mall.
      Von da ging es am Wasser zur Moschee.
      Traumhaft. Ein Wahnsinn wenn man sich nähert.
      Zurück ging es durch die Stadt, vorbei an einem Fußballspiel mitten auf der Straße, durch fast lebend verkauften Fisch in wieder kleiner werdenden Gassen zum Hotel.      Read more

    • Sheryl BurgessFrance, Spain and Morocco
      Day 19

      Casablanca. Morocco

      April 27, 2016 in Morocco ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

      Got in from the train around 2.30pm. Caught the train from Tanger at 9.30am. Good trip even though it stopped many times. The toilet was interesting. It is a long drop straight onto the tracks. We paid for 1st class so we would be gauranteed a seat but we purchased the tickets an hour before we boarded. We had the 6 birth seating cabin to ourselves for a good couple of hours and I was able to lay down and have a sleep. We got company for a short part of the trip but then he disembaked an hour before we got to Cassa. We got in a petite cab and went to the hotel Mamoura. 60 MAD which is about 6 Euro. Cheap as compaired to home.
      The room is pretty good compaired to the room we had in Tanger. That was very basic but this room is flash by Tanger standards. Intrepid booked this hotel and I must say so far so good. Just waiting for our friends Cass and Megan to arrive from the airport as they are joining us on our tour with Intrepid tomorrow.
      Not so impressed with Casablanca as yet. It is very dirty what I have seen so far. The medina and the mosque has been recommended to us and we may head out there tomorrow as I think Cass and Megan may want to freshen up and relax this afternoon after over 30 hours in transit.
      Day 2 - took a cab (the 5 of us) to the mosque. Did a tour of the mosque (1/2 hr) and it was great to see. This building is incredible 200m x 100m x 65m tall) It was consturcted over a 6 year period with 3,000 people working on it. They worked in shifts around the clock.
      Walked from there through the old medina and then onto a nice resturant to have tea and a snack. Walked on from there through the new medina. From there we walked up the main street onto the market and had lunch. What an experiance that was. We had to pick our own fresh seafood and take it back to the resturant foor area and they cooked it for us. Very interesting and tasty. Luckly there was a lady dinning there that spoke english or we would not have known what the process was to eat there.      Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Bassin du Tourisme

    Join us:

    FindPenguins for iOSFindPenguins for Android

    • 2024© FindPenguins
    • Home
    • About us
    • Blog
    • Group Tracking
    • Press
    • Terms
    • Privacy Policy & Cookies
    • Support
    • Legal notice
    • English