Tagged with lifestyle

Morocco: China Town

There is no real China town in Morocco as the Asian community is small in the country. At Casablanca there is an area comparable to China town in the sense that there are low cost made in China items sold in shops and by the street at a small neighborhood. The vendors and shop owners are mostly Moroccans not like the real China town wherein most of the shop owners are Chinese immigrants.

Shops and street best buys:

  • kitchenware – casserole, pan, utensils, plates, glasses
  • bedding – duvet, bet cover, pillow
  • toilet equipment – shower curtain
  • organizers – portable cabinet, indoor clothes dryer
  • decorations – mirrors, painting
  • fabric

Chinese Grocery

At the same area there is a Chinese grocery that serves Asian condiments and food that are hard to find. It is also the only place I found that sells pork meat.

Some of the best finds at the Chinese grocery:

  • Pork
  • Maggi seasoning
  • Hot pot / Shabu Shabu balls
  • Sio mai / dimsum (beef)
  • Dried vegetable snacks
  • Noodles for stir fry and soup

Chinese Grocery map:

*Map may not be accurate. Landmark is Yammy restaurant along boulevard Rahal El Meskini 

Derb Omar 

Derb Omar is like the China town of Casablanca. This is best place to go to if  you are looking for cheap buys and do not want to go to the tourist-y medina and haggle.

Derb Omar map: 

Morocco: Top Shopping in Casablanca

Alpha 55

Alpha 55 mall is like a mini department store for home, personal, school and office supplies. I personally like the decorations and stationery area. There are imported items with average prices.

Best to shop for:

  • Home supplies such as kitchenware, dining ware, bath and garden supplies
  • Decorations such as candles, table top and wall decorations
  • Small furniture such as coffee tables, chairs, portable closet
  • Cheap accessories such as necklace, bracelet, earring
  • Personal hygiene products such as facial and body creams, soaps, shampoos, hair dye, even nail products
  • School and office supplies, such as papers, pens folders, books, stationary.

Pricing:  Low to Mid-range

Alpha 55 Mall address: *Near the French consulate

Morocco Mall

Morocco mall is the largest shopping mall in Casablanca with wide range to choose from. Shops range from cheap to luxury brands. The top floor is mainly for the the luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Fendi, and others.  At the ground floor there is a shop called Marjane which is a grocery-department store that offers lower priced items. Mid-priced brands include H&M, Zara, Pull&Bear, Marwa, LC Waikiki and others.

Main attraction at Morroco mall is the large cylindrical indoor aquarium at the center of the ground floor. Different sea animals can be seen such as shark, manta ray, eels, and various fishes.

Restaurants are lined outside the Morocco mall facing the sea. The outside area can be windy and chilly especially at night.

At one end of the top floor, opposite the luxury shops is a fast food area, with popular franchises such as  McDonalds, Burger King, and KFC. There are shops for ice cream, asian food, sandwich, tacos, pizza, and moroccan food.

In front of Morocco mall, at the right side, before the entrance you can find the only IMAX cinema in Casablanca. English movies (with original English audio) are shown every Tuesdays and Thursdays. Imax Casablanca Schedule

FNAC

FNAC is a good shop for branded electronics such as phones, laptops, speakers, headsets. Most of electronic accessories can be found here. Second floor of FNAC is for books (mostly French and Arabic), there is a small section for classic English books. Stationery, notebooks, and writing supplies are also at the second floor of FNAC.

Yan&One

Yan&One is like a Sephora of Morocco, though I have only seen one shop in Casablanca. It is at the center of the ground floor of Morocco mall. Yan&One offers large selection of cosmetics and bath products. It has Yan&One products and imported brands from France, US, Korea, and UK.

Marjane

There is a Marjane grocery.department store at Morocco mall. Marjane is a one stop shop for:

  • Grocery, fresh food, bread, pastries, alcohol
  • Home supplies, kitchenware and equipment
  • Electronics – tv, laptop, mouse, speakers, cellphone
  • Repair tools –  super glue, screw drivers
  • Stationery – papers, folders, pens, books, pins, stablers, rulers, glue
  • Clothe – underwear, pyjamas, shirts, shorts, shoes, slippers, socks,

In general Morocco mall is best to shop for:

  • Clothes
  • Shoes
  • Bags
  • Accessories
  • Jewelries
  • Home Supplies
  • Electronics
  • Grocery
  • Telecommunication
  • Cinema
  • Restaurants

View Morocco mall shops and restaurants here.

Pricing: low to high-range

Morocco mall address:

Anfaplace Mall

Anfaplace mall is smaller than Morocco mall, with mid-range priced shops.

The advantage of Anfa mall is that it has a better sea view with direct access to the beach. It is 5 minutes walking distance to the corniche which is a long walkway by the sea with several restaurants with sea view.

There is a fastfood area at the top floor of Anfaplacce mall with a sea view.

Anfaplace is best to shop for:

  • Virgin – It has more choices of electronics brands than FNAC (Morocco mall)
  • Clothes, shoes, bags, accessories
  • Carrefour – grocery

View Anfaplace mall shops and restaurants here.

Pricing: Mid-range

Anfaplace mall address:

Boulevard Al Massira / Maarif

Branded

Near twin center along boulevard Al Massira is a row of branded mid-high priced shops such as LC Waikiki, Addidas, Zara, Stradivarius, Pull&Bear, Aldo, and Parfois. There is Massimo Dutti which is more pricey. More shops can be found at the small streets adjacent to boulevard Al Massira.

Boulevard Al Massira Khadra – Branded shops location:

Non-Branded

If you take the Maarif exit from inside the Twin Center there is an area of more local shops with low-priced (non–branded) items. Walking around the area you can find shops for shoes, clothes, accessories and jewelry.

Maarif local shopping location:

Bookstore – Maarif

At the back of Mcdonalds, Maarif there is a bookstore with large selection. Mostly in French and Arabic and few English books.

 Maarif Bookstore location:

Morocco: Promenade Near Hassan II Mosque

CASABLANCA: As of January 2019, the promenade along Hassan II mosque by the beach has been partially opened to public. The promenade-park construction is not fully finished however the public can enjoy the walkway with the view of the sea and Hassan II mosque. Once finished it could be a nice activity area for the family to hang-out. It is not like the Anfa corniche that is a long concrete walkway. The promenade along Hassan II mosque is more green with grass lawns and more plants which is more like a park and activity area. At the moment the playground equipment for children and outdoor gym for adults are already available for use. There are long benches to relax and enjoy the view, and some people are already using the jogging path. Still under construction are (probable) areas for shops, access along the road and the rest of the corniche.

Activities:

  • Enjoy the view, take photos
  • Walkway, bicycle, or jogging path
  • Benches to hangout
  • Playground for children
  • Outdoor gym equipment
  • (Probable) snack and refreshment shops to open
  • Water Fountain

Entrance

So how can you enter the promenade if the access to the road is closed?

You can enter by the side of Hassan II mosque.

Review:

It looked like a fresh side of Casablanca in contrast to the rest of the concrete filled city. The green grass and plants in front of the sea makes the Hassan II mosque promenade a calming hangout. Public parks and green space in Casablanca that is family friendly is something difficult to find (if not close to none). Hopefully they keep it secured from pickpockets once fully opened to public.