While scrambling to find a last-minute flight home from Morocco, I booked a Turkish Airlines flight for me and two of my children.
29.02.2024 - 19:49 / cntraveler.com
Rabat is one of our Best Places to Go in Africa in 2024, part of our global guide to the Best Places to Go in 2024—find more travel inspiration here.
The understated Moroccan capital of Rabat, with its gorgeous coastal Atlantic setting, is strangely overlooked by many travelers. While it may not have the irresistible energy of Marrakech, the dizzying labyrinthine lanes of Fez, or the dreamy romanticism of Tangier, it boasts a 12th-century kasbah overlooking the sea, expanses of green and palm-lined avenues, and a well-priced, hassle-free Medina where browsing is a true joy.
And while it may be a laid-back kind of place, that’s not to say that Rabat is a snooze. A new Four Seasons hotel is set to open this spring, housed in a former royal residence that later became a military hospital, and a new Ritz-Carlton hotel is also on the way, surrounded by 440 acres of oak forests on the outskirts of the city.
The long-awaited Grand Theatre of Rabat, designed by Zaha Hadid, and the 250-meter Mohammed VI Tower, combining residences, offices and a hotel, are slated to open their doors at some point soon, although no one seems able to confirm exactly when. From the outside they both look well on the way to being finished, the former towering rocket-like above an expanse of grassland on the Salé side of the Bou Regreg River, and the latter, including an 1,800-seat theater and 7,000 capacity open-air amphitheater, sitting on the Rabat side.
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Kasbah of the Udayas in Rabat is a historic citadel with a peaceful, palm-filled Andalusian Garden
Two of Rabat’s most significant historical sites, the 12th century Hassan Tower and Mohammed V Mausoleum, sit next to each other at one of the highest points of the city. The never-completed tower was intended to be the tallest minaret in the world. Even at a modest 44 meters it’s still an imposing sight. The adjacent white marble mausoleum, with red-uniformed royal guards on each of the four entrances, contains the tombs of the Moroccan king Mohammed V and his two sons. It’s a popular spot for school trips and cruise groups, but don’t let the crowds deter you from going inside and gazing at the dazzling gilded ceiling and zellij-covered walls.
Perched above the sea and the river, the Kasbah des Oudayas, entered through imposing stone arches, is Rabat’s historic citadel, a small neighborhood of narrow winding alleys, private homes and guesthouses, along with eye-popping views of the Atlantic and the neighboring town of Salé. Don’t miss the peaceful palm-filled Andalusian Gardens on the edge of the Kasbah, filled with
While scrambling to find a last-minute flight home from Morocco, I booked a Turkish Airlines flight for me and two of my children.
The world is a big place, and there are oodles of countries to explore and wild experiences to relish. Many folks have saved up vacation days and squirreled away funds for a journey of a lifetime. The questions are: Where should you go and how should you start the planning process? The advantages of small group travel abound. You’ll meet new people from different places around the globe, logistics and safety protocols will be expertly considered, and a professional tour guide will lead the way so that all you have to do is show up and enjoy the ride.
I’m splashing around in the Atlantic, having fallen off my board for what feels like the thousandth time this morning. The water is beautiful, the sky clear and immense, and the Atlas mountains loom behind me. But despite all this serene beauty, I am boiling with frustration: who knew learning to surf would be this hard? Thankfully, psychologist and psychotherapist Josh Dickson is on hand to help me resolve my conflicting emotions. Having been in a severe midlife depression for seven years, I have decided, in my mid-forties, to join the pioneering surfing and group therapy Resurface retreat that is his brainchild.
Tanya Dohoney has worked on sustainability initiatives for decades. A retired attorney from Texas now living in Paris, she even started the recycling program for her workplace. When it comes to travel, she also values environmentally and socially responsible companies, which led her to choose Intrepid Travel, a certified B Corp company, for a tour in Morocco in 2019.
Brussels, long the realm of stuffy French restaurants packed with gray-flannel-suited diplomats, has suddenly gone bold and bright. Thanks to a crop of young chefs with iconoclastic ideas about flavor and sustainability, the city, in thrall to the rich sauces of Gaul for nearly two centuries, has emerged as one of the most exciting, and affordable, places to dine out in Europe right now.
The travel industry considers the months following the peak winter and summer periods as “shoulder season.” (If you think of high season as the head, the months on either side are the shoulders. Just go with the metaphor.) And it has long been considered among the best times to get away as crowds are thinner and the rates are lower. From Macchu Pichu to Morocco, here are seven great destinations for shoulder season.
The beautiful islands of Madeira will play host to the 11th annual World Golf Awards 21-22 November 2024. Leading names from the golfing world will join VIPs and figureheads from the golf tourism industry for what will mark the first World Golf Awards to take place in Madeira. The prize-giving evening at Savoy Palace from Savoy Signature, Funchal will form the climax of an exclusive golfing itinerary, which will include golf at the two world-class courses of Santo da Serra and Palheiro.
Insight Vacations is now offering small-group, women-only tours for travel in 2025. The eleven different tours span destinations in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and India.
Happy Saturday! Daylight-saving time officially starts tomorrow, so don't forget to change your clocks. The time change can be a pain for some, but personally I'm looking forward to longer days.
MG Relations is delighted to announce its newest client, Riad Botanica, a five-suite sanctuary in the heart of Marrakech’s Medina. Owned by Australian and Moroccan couple Angela and Mohamed Mellak, Riad Botanica is a labour of love and a fusion of cultures. Having undergone meticulous renovations from the ground up, the historic 10th-century Riad is now a space that ignites the senses with traditional Moroccan craftsmanship and Australian style. Complete with a rooftop terrace, courtyard, and pool, and defined by its iconic Moroccan and Australian art deco design, Riad Botanica can be hired exclusively for up to twelve guests, or suites can be booked individually, making it the perfect place to retreat from the city buzz of Marrakech and soak up Moroccan hospitality and culture.
No landscape is as iconically associated with Arkansas as the Ozark Mountains. These forested highlands are crucial to the state's self-conception as a natural, rugged wonderland that incubates deep folk culture and a cherished sense of independence. The Ozarks dominate northwestern Arkansas, where they are divided into two geologic categories: the Springfield Plateau and the Boston Mountains.
United Airlines passengers will have new and expanded nonstop options starting this year as the carrier beefs up its already gigantic international network.