Sāḩat al Millah

We woke up to a cool, overcast day, and met our driver Souliman for a 9am departure to Rabat, a distance of only 90km.

We arrived mid morning to a city in complete contrast to Casablanca. Rabat is the capital of Morocco, neatly ordered, and known for it's mix of Islamic and French colonial architecture.

The skyline of the city is currently being transformed by the contruction of Mohammed VI Tower, a hotel and residential building. Started in July 2017, and due for completion this year, it will be the second tallest tower in Africa and is designed to be visible from a distance of 50km.

We met a local guide for a walk through the grounds of the Al Hassan Mosque, Hassan Tower, and Mausoleum of Mohammed V, and our first chance to introduce both driver and guide to geocaching, as there was a nicely hidden cache on the edge of the carpark 😁

We then visited the Kasbah, the original walled part of the city, and partook in mint tea and biscuits, before travelling to the Royal Palace, where the king resides when in Rabat. It's a sprawling 43 hectare site, where his 2000 staff all live on-site. Jobs at the Royal Palace are much sought after and often pass down through family generations.

After lunch we walked through the medina, across the road from our hotel, then back there again for tea after a walk around the local area.Read more