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A Week in Casablanca
Air/hotel package for Morocco's largest and most cosmopolitan city
Tuesday, August 1, 2006;
The Real Deal: Round-trip airfare, six nights' accommodations, and sightseeing tours from $1,199 per person
When: Aug. 15-Oct. 20, 2006; Oct. 21-31 (add $80); now through Aug. 14 ($280)
Gateways: New York City; Washington, D.C. (add $170); Charlotte ($225); Orlando ($280); Detroit ($305); Los Angeles ($450); additional cities available
Details: Breakfast daily, airport/hotel transfers, and fuel surcharges--normally about $200 extra--are included. Additional airport taxes of $99 per person. No visa is required for stays under 90 days. August availability is very limited
Book By: No deadline; based on availability
Contact: Foreign Independent Tours, 800/248-3487, fittours.com
Located along the Atlantic coast of North Africa, Casablanca is a mix of French and Moorish influences. The Hassan II Mosque towers over Casablanca, palm trees line its elegant boulevards, and vendors at open-air markets hawk ceramics, rugs, and spices. There are also trendy restaurants, clubs, and boutiques.
FIT's package includes round-trip nonstop airfare to Casablanca on Royal Air Maroc and a six-night stay at the Hotel Rivoli on the Boulevard D'Anfa, a main drag connecting the historic center and downtown. The Rivoli has two bars, four restaurants, an outdoor pool, and a hammam (Turkish-style bath). Add extra nights for $59 per person per night.
A half-day tour of Casablanca stops at the United Nations Place, Mohamed V Square, the central market, royal palace surroundings, the Habbous Quarter, the mehkama (court), and the cathedral Notre Dame de Lourdes. There's a day trip to El Jadida, a beach town famous for its Portuguese ruins, and another to Rabat, where highlights include the Hassan Tower and the Mohamed V mausoleum.
FIT offers a variety of extensions with round-trip airfare and three-night stays: Le Tivoli hotel in Agadir ($339 per person); the Tickla Salam in Marrakech ($359 per person); and a sea-view room at the luxurious El Minzah in Tangier ($499 per person).
Before you go, check Morocco's official tourism website, visitmorocco.com, and the State Department's overview of local politics, safety, and entry requirements, travel.state.gov
The lowest round-trip fare we've found for travel between New York City and Casablanca in late August is $975 (Royal Air Maroc). For only about $200 more, Foreign Independent Tours covers the six nights' accommodations and sightseeing.
Morocco is one of FIT's specialties, and the company has more adventurous packages such as an eight-day Land Rover trip through the desert from $1,660 and eight days of trekking in the Atlas Mountains from $1,579.
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