Casablanca, Morocco

Casablanca is a city with a great deal to offer the traveller. It is both a refuge from the monotony of everyday life as well as a shimmering beacon on the periphery of the vast Sahara desert, holding out the promise of starry African nights complemented by European hospitality.

The city is at once cosmopolitan, mellow and voguish, juggling its complicated history with a newer desire to break free of some of the constraints of religion and custom. Casa, as it is affectionately known, merges African traditions with eastern beliefs and western customs. The result of this mishmash is a city with a distinctive identity: elusive, transitory and sophisticated yet authentic and contended.

The French colonial architecture and eastern style mosques are a feast for the eyes and the people of Casablanca are fascinating for their view on the world. The variety of languages and dialects spoken is intriguing with Arabic, Berber, French, English and Spanish all mingling in different parts of the city.