I was in Morocco for 15days and 14nights. It was a blast! Morocco has been on my list to visit for quite some time, and it did not disappoint. I used a very popular tour company, @moroccodailytours. Tell them Ife sent you! I am a very tough critic and I rate them 10/10.
I used Swiss Airline for the first time, and probably won’t fly with them again. On my way back, they cancelled my flight entirely with no resolution, leaving me to find a whole new flight with a different airline. A whole mess.
I will be breaking down this blog into mini blogs. I’ll be posting by each town I visited. Two weeks under one blog seems to be overwhelming. Soooooo let’s get into it!!!
Fun facts:
- It is located in the Northwest of Africa.
- It is boarded by the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
- Their currency is Dirham (dh).
- Majority of the country is Muslim. Christianity come second, and Judaism is third.
- Arabic is the main language, and depending where you grew up you may also speak Berber. Next language spoken is French, Spanish, and English.
- Tea is the common hot beverage.
- Tajine is main dish. It is not the actual food that is the main dish. It is the dish that the food is served in that is called the tajine.
Casablanca is also known as the white city. My first stop was Hassan Mosque II (ladies please dress modestly. I wore a sleeveless top and was told to cover them up). This mosque is the 2nd largest mosque in Africa and the 7th largest in the world. It can hold over 100k people at one time. I can only imagine what it looks like during Ramadan time. The balconies are only for women, whereas most mosque the balconies are for me. I love that! The floor is electric heated, about 360 loud speakers, and the roof opens during beautiful weather, ceremonies, and Ramadan. Everything in the mosque is Moroccan made except the pillars and chandeliers that is facing Mecca. There are purification rooms for men and women, both with different colors. Before each prayer, individuals must cleanse their hands, face, ears and nose. They pray 5x a day. The first prayer is at 5am and the last prayer is at 9pm. Lastly, non muslins are allowed to enter this mosque.
Next stop was lunch. I love to eat lol. I had lunch at Borj Eddar. It’s located in Rabat. I loved the view of the ocean while eating. I had salmon with rice and veggies.
After lunch I visited Hassan Towers. It is a incomplete mosque in Rabat, and was intended to be the largest minaret in world.
When in Morocco you’re most likely going to stay in a riad. A riad is a traditional house. The term comes from Arab “ryad” which means garden. The house is built around a inner courtyard or garden. The riad I stayed at in Rabat is called Zyo riad. I did not take pictures of this riad. I did take videos of it though. If you’re following me on instagram/youtube you can check it out there.
Dinner was at Dar Naji. It’s a chain restaurant. Here is where I was introduced to tajine, and how every meal you are served bread! As mentioned above in the fun facts section, tajine is the pot the food is served in.
The next morning I went to the next town called Tangier. Let me tell you every town has their own vibe. I loved Tangier’s vibe. It’s very peaceful and slow moving. Like everyone is going at their own pace. It is said people from Tangier start their mornings very late. Love that! In Tangier I went to Cape Spartel lighthouse and Hercules Caves.
The lighthouse is printed on the $200dh bill. It was first illuminated in 1864. It is the landmark where the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean meet.
Hercules Caves has two openings, one to the sea and one to the land. The sea side is called the Map of Africa. The sea opening is in the shape of Africa. What do you think? Does it look like the continent of Africa?
