Explore Casablanca: the pearl of the Atlantic Ocean. Those looking for a latter-day Humphrey Bogart round every corner will be disappointed. This is no sleepy dive. Morocco's largest city and industrial centre is a huge brash metropolis where traditional Moroccan burnouses (cloaks) seem out of place among the natty suits and designer sunglasses.

Casablanca has all the hallmarks of the strident Western European metropolis, with a hint of the decadent langour that characterises the Southern European cities it so closely resembles. But elements of traditional Morocco remain, including the enormous Hassan II mosque, the Old Medina and the Habous square.

The red city is above all a city of drama. Its spectacular setting against the snow-capped High Atlas Mountains lingers long in the minds of most travellers, and the famous Djemaa el-Fna square provides perhaps the greatest open-air spectacle in the world.

Be drawn back into a world of frenzied motion, where jugglers and storytellers jostle for position with snake charmers, magicians and acrobats. Your nose will guide you to row upon row of open-air food stalls whose pungent smoke fills the air with mouth-watering aromas. Visiting this amazing cities, don't miss the Jama el Fna square, the Menara Gardens, the koutoubia Mosque and of course the souks...