Royal Air Maroc (+44 (0)20 7307 5800; royalairmaroc.com) flies to Casablanca from Heathrow and Gatwick from £235 return including taxes. There are two suites at the Caliph's House (thecaliphshouse.com) costing €200 a night for two, including breakfast and dinner (children under 12 stay free).

Tahir Shah's The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca is published by Bantam Books, £8.99. Buy it at the Guardian Bookshop.