Kimkim Trip Reviews for Morocco

Thanks to Yassine and Hassan, we experienced things that would have been impossible to find. From visiting a co-op high in the Atlas Mountains learning about Berber culture, to eating delicious meals as very local restaurants, to navigating the medinas, riding camels in the Saraha, everything was perfect! They booked us in incredible riads, made sure we had the best meals, and suggested experiences we would have never thought of. Everything was so well planned there was never a single issue.

I was a little anxious about booking such a big trip trough a website I didn't know, but I'm very glad we took a chance. I had tried to put something together with a US travel agent and it was 3x the price and very uninventive. Working with Yassine turned out to be one of the best decisions I've made (and best vacations we've taken).

Hotel Reviews

Riad Fès - Relais & Châteaux

Fès

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Luxury Camp Chebbi

Merzouga

The best experience, if you can go you should go.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Hammam Visit: Traditional Body Scrub

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Plan - Yassine was super responsive and developed a plan that worked very well for us. He struck the right balance between being too hectic vs super relaxed, esp for first time visitor. Picked the right places with the ability to go off plan when required.

Place - Morrocco as country was outstanding. In a span of 2 hours the landscape completely changes. Starting with beach/ocean @ casablanca - 2 hours - High Atlas (magical) - 2 hours Ait Ben Hadddo (medieval looking, unimaginable ) - 2 hours Dades Valley (rich green vegetation with breath taking gorges) - 3 hours Merzouga - Sahara!!! - Each experience is different and amazing

Palate - Food, esp, for a vegetarian was fantastic. We went to shack in Ait BenH, the look of the place was very discouraging but the food was amazing. The salad they served there could match most salads offered in facing Parisian restaurants. Orange/Olives were so delicious, you could live on them for the entire trip. I will not forget the harrisa I had in a small restaurant in dades valley - after that I probably will not have the stuff that they peddle as harrisa in the USA.

People - Very courteous and helpful, my wife and kid felt safe even in the remotest of places.

Iddir - He completely transformed the experience, I would give him 10/5 stars. I would specifically ask for him in our next step. He took care of every aspect of the trip. Outstanding!!!

Hassan - Great guide, although we spent about 4 hours with him, he was awesome.

Only one downside - the accommodation on the last day was not great - location, food, service was good. The room didn't have good A/C. I have provided this feedback which they have acknowledged.

Hotel Review

Caravane

Ouarzazate

Activity Review

Exploring the Medina and Historical Sites Of Marrakesh

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Faissal, our driver, and Abdellah from Original Travels made my mother and I's first trip to Morocco exceptional. Faissal is friendly, helpful, and well-informed on the different regions in Morocco. We arrived in Casablanca and went to Chefchaouen, Fes, Merzouga, Boumalne Dades, Marrakech, and departed from Casablanca. All of the cities were unique and different from one another. They are all must sees. I especially loved having dinner at Said's house. His family is the sweetest and the food is exceptionally good. Faissal is very skilled in driving and we felt very safe in his hands. I have been to several other countries, but Morocco is something unique. On our trip in March, we saw snow and rain in the mountains and sun in the Sahara desert in one day. The people are very welcoming, hospitable, and friendly. The artwork and architecture is gorgeous and totally worth the visit. The hotels we stayed at were clean, and had friendly and helpful staff. Moroccan cuisine and the mint tea is delicious too. The trip being as wonderful as it was is due to having Faissal as our driver. He really went above and beyond to make our trip the best we have ever had. I promise if you book you will not regret visiting the beautiful country of Morocco and having Faissal, the friendliest driver ever!

Hotel Review

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

Boumalne Dades is such a gorgeous city and Dar Rihana Dades is a beautiful hotel. The staff was very hospitable and the food was absolutely delicious. The scenery surrounding the hotel is out of this world. The rooms were very clean, as well. Highly recommend!

Tips for future travelers

Everything is wonderful at this hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

A Taste of Tradition: Sharing Stories and Savory Delights at a Moroccan Home

Morocco

Said and his family were wonderful. My mother and I felt at home when we visited. They are extremely friendly and hospitable. The food was also very delicious! Highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I traveled with my wife to Morocco and found it to be the best vacation I ever had. We did the taste of Morocco which covered Casablanca, Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes, Volubilis, Moulay Idris Zarhoun, Meknes, Middle Atlas, Midelt, Erfoud, Merzouga, Tinghir, Todra Gorge, Boulmane Dades, Dades Valley, Ourzazate, Ait Benhaddou, Marrakesh and Casablanca. All the people were amazing. Abdellah from Original Travels hand picked everyone based on what we told him we wanted to experience. He was also kind enough to meet with us on our day in Marrakesh. In Fes we had Alami Mohammed. He was amazing and arranged a private tour of the tannery for us. I’m Marrakesh we had Othman Dadda. He taught us a lot of the history in Marrakesh and was always joking and jolly. We learned a lot about the Berber Culture because of our guide, Samir. Samir was an amazing guide. He was always concerned about our well being and it came from a genuine place. We were never cheated in the market place because the guides that were with us were always ensuring we were getting the best prices. All the people that were chosen in those cities had a deep knowledge of the culture. We were able to see the Touareg and they also shared with us their culture. There was never a moment we ever felt unsafe and with Samir we always felt that we were with our brother. The most difficult part of the trip was when we had to part ways with Samir. I felt quite emotional on that day particularly because I felt like I was leaving my brother who I would not see for a long time. But I am sure I will go back and when I do it will be with original Travels. Their service was excellent and I am sure no other place can come close to their professionalism and care for top quality customer service.

I would recommend the same guides we had. They are great. As for the driver, all I have to say is Samir, Samir, Samir !!!!
He was amazing and I really felt like I left family in Morocco.

Hotel Review

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Everything. Lina’s food was top notch and the quietness of the Riyad really made it feel like home.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

A Scenic Journey: From Casablanca to Chefchaouen via Rabat

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Samir was an amazing driver. Very safe and very knowledgeable of his country.

Transport

Samir was amazing.

I have nothing but great things to say! Sharon from Morocco Immersion Tours & Adventures worked with me to create an awesome itinerary given I only planned the trip 2 weeks before and only had 5 full days in Morocco, and she was even able to help me make some changes when my airline pushed my flight back by a day while minimizing the price changes. On the ground, Hicham executed the plan flawlessly and was always happy to help me get anything I needed to help make the trip that much more comfortable. The hospitality and positive energy from the team as well as the guides/partners they worked with during the trip is something for which I am very grateful and will never forget! Thanks again for such a great experience, and I can’t wait to visit again!

Where do I even begin. Hammid was an amazing addition to our trip. I think without the addition of this wonderful soul, who provided our transportation throughout Morocco, the trip would not have been the same. The country is beautiful, but it is really these personal connections that make KimKim standout compared to other travel services. Hammid went out of his way to ensure our happiness and safety throughout the trip, and we shared in food, laughter, adventure, and stories. I was very pleased with my experience, and I will of course come back!

Amazing experience and a great tour led by Karim. He is the best and was very congenial and supported us every way during the tour. He made sure we saw the attractions and ensured we did not miss any. Even though this is my 2nd trip to Morocco, we had a better and great experience due to Karim. If you ever book a trip to Morocco, make sure Karim is taking you. Though a bit pricey, worth every bit of it.

I connected to their tour company (Morocco Immersion Tours) through KimKim, Sharon was immediately attentive and super accommodating to our travel schedule. It was fun filled and definitely jam packed. Their local tour guides were great and informative about the local towns, we met so many great people and saw some amazing things. The driver, Amnay, was AMAZING!! He was so welcoming, gave us so much information about the sights as we passed through them, and was so patient with us throughout the long journeys by car. Would absolutely recommend for anyone interested in any amazing travel experience.

Words can’t describe the amazing time we spent in Morocco. We are truly thankful with Abdel, who helped us every step of the way to create the perfect trip. We had an amazing driver, Karim, who took us to the hidden gems and magical places in Morocco (we highly recommend him!!!). We had tea with Nomads and ate delicious food with the locals, having experienced that is priceless. I loved every single city and ALL the guides were really knowledgeable and super friendly!
Mohammad, our guide in Fes took good care of us in the that busy Medina. Hassan in Marrakech showed us everything we needed to see in the red city. I forgot the name of the guide in Dades but will always remember the delicious Tajine his wife made for us and how welcoming he and his family were, made us feel right at home. Thank you Original Travels Team for making this Honeymoon an unforgettable one.
Veronica and Javier

Where do I begin?
My husband and I have never been to Africa and we decided to start in Morocco. From inception we knew this would be an amazing trip. Abdellah did a great job coordinating the perfect trip and was extremely responsive and listened/executed on what we requested.

We landed in Casablanca on Friday Nov 5th, 2021 with plans on hitting up Chefchaouen (Blue City), Fes, Merzouga (Sahara Desert), Boumalne Dades (1,000 Kasbahs), Marrakech and Casablanca. We covered more than 2,000 kilometers in 9 days and wrapped up on Sunday Nov 14th.

Immediately when we arrived we were greeted with a kind smile from our guide and now good friend Karim. This trip couldn’t have been so great without Karim. His knowledge, love for his culture, country and people was very clear and he took us on this journey that would ultimately change both my husband and I forever.

Karim was always there for us and treated us like his family. He shared details about his family and how he grew up in the Atlas Mountains. His work ethic was also pretty incredible and admirable. He always made sure that we were comfortable and that if we ever needed something he would go out of his way to make sure we were pleased (like I did wanting to pet every cat, lamb, sheep and donkey in Morocco:)).

As the days past we became closer and closer to Karim. He went from guide to host and good friend quickly. This journey with Karim was unique because we were able to experience sipping mint tea with the Amazigh in the Mid-Atlas Mountains, feeding monkeys in the Atlas Mountains, having the best fresh kofta in small villages as we traveled throughout Morocco, relaxing and enjoying a fabulous Moroccan dinner with a true local family, to staring at the stars in the Sahara Desert while a fire kept us warm at night.

I would also like to add that the local guides in each city were amazing as well. Many thanks to Ahmed in Tiziri Camp (Sahara Desert) for being such a great host and for the great Tuareg music around the fire pit, Hassan in Marrakech for giving us so much knowledge about the region and it’s history, Hafid in Fes for his passion about Morocco’s culture and medinas, and Majid in Volubilis for giving us such a detailed description of the Roman ruins and the Roman influence in that part of the country.

For those of you looking at this I would HIGHLY recommend working with this company and amazing group of people, especially Karim our dear friend. One day both my husband and I plan on returning to this beautiful country and it’s people, inshallah!!

Anita (NYC)

Mohamed was a wonderful tour guide and he made our trip truly memorable. We visited so much of Morocco during our tour, and he was very knowledgeable and kind. We would not have been able to do everything that we did without his guidance and expertise.

Ahmed was great at organizing our trip to Morocco on short notice. We only had a week in the country and were travelling with an 8 month old infant but he was great at advising us and working with us on an itinerary that ensured we did everything that we wanted to. From the driver to each tour guide everyone that was organized was very easy to work with and extremely flexible and hospitable. Our driver Simo, from original travels, was excellent and accompanied us everywhere for the entire trip. The guides that took us around the imperial cities were very knowledgeable and also were friendly and accommodating with our little child. Overall would definitely recommend this company and group to family and friends.

All of our guides were incredible, most notably our driver, Faisal, who was an absolute joy to be with for the week. Not only was he always on time and incredibly flexible when we were not on time, but he was so much fun to ride with, including great music. He quickly picked up on our travel style and interests and was able to cater our trip well to what we enjoyed most. He went above and beyond time and time again, even looking for more camel milk for us in his free time. We are definitely looking forward to coming back as soon as possible and will absolutely recommend this trip to our friends and family.

Where do I begin?
My wife and I have never been to Africa and we decided to start in Morocco. From inception we knew this would be an amazing trip. Abdellah did a great job coordinating the perfect trip and was extremely responsive and listened/executed on what we requested.

We landed in Casablanca on Friday Nov 5th, 2021 with plans on hitting up Chefchaouen (Blue City), Fes, Merzouga (Sahara Desert), Boumalne Dades (1,000 Kasbahs), Marrakech and Casablanca. We covered more than 2,000 kilometers in 9 days and wrapped up on Sunday Nov 14th.

Immediately when we arrived we were greeted with a kind smile from our guide and now good friend Karim. This trip couldn’t have been so great without Karim. His knowledge, love for his culture, country and people was very clear and he took us on this journey that would ultimately change both my wife and I forever.

Karim was always there for us and treated us like his family. He shared details about his family and how he grew up in the Atlas Mountains. His work ethic was also pretty incredible and admirable. He always made sure that we were comfortable and that if we ever needed something he would go out of his way to make sure we were pleased (like my wife wanting to pet every cat, lamb, sheep and donkey in Morocco:)).

As the days past we became closer and closer to Karim. He went from guide to host and good friend quickly. This journey with Karim was unique because we were able to experience sipping mint tea with the Amazigh in the Mid-Atlas Mountains, feeding monkeys in the Atlas Mountains, having the best fresh kofta in small villages as we traveled throughout Morocco, relaxing and enjoying a fabulous Moroccan dinner with a true local family, to staring at the stars in the Sahara Desert while a fire kept us warm at night.

I would also like to add that the local guides in each city were amazing as well. Many thanks to Ahmed in Tiziri Camp (Sahara Desert) for being such a great host and for the great Tuareg music around the fire pit, Hassan in Marrakech for giving us so much knowledge about the region and it’s history, Hafid in Fes for his passion about Morocco’s culture and medinas, and Majid in Volubilis for giving us such a detailed description of the Roman ruins and the Roman influence in that part of the country.

For those of you looking at this I would HIGHLY recommend working with this company and amazing group of people, especially Karim our dear friend. One day both my wife and I plan on returning to this beautiful country and it’s people, inshallah!!

Marcello (NYC)

Although we have traveled extensively, I felt that Morocco was a destination that would require a driver and guidance from local experts. When I discovered Abdellah and Original Travels on KimKim, it seemed clear that he was more than qualified to plan our trip. I just turned it over to him, and set very few parameters. We wanted to be immersed in local culture, to understand the people and their rich history, the way of life past and present. Abdellah was happy to suggest an itinerary, to help us navigate through Covid challenges in the fall of 2021, and to lay out a detailed trip plan. He was very responsive at every step. When we finally arrived in Casablanca and found that some of our luggage was still in LA, he stepped in and navigated the process of getting it delivered to another airport close to our next destination. For the next 2 weeks we were blessed to have Karim as our driver, our guide, and our friend. Karim was attentive, understanding, and patient with us every step of the way. We were intensely curious about Karim's background as he was raised with a nomadic family in the Atlas mountains. He openly shared his life, his family, and his goals with us, and took us to see people and places we would have never discovered on our own. After two weeks in Morocco, we felt sad to leave Karim, our new friend. We could not have hoped for a better experience in this country so rich in history and tradition. I cannot emphasize enough that you will be in great hands if you turn over your trip planning to Abdellah and Karim. They are absolutely the best. We will be forever grateful to them for sharing their country with us.

Oh my after over 2 years of planning this trip, covid, and cancelled flights I have to say our 16 days in Morocco was over the top. I think I can speak for the rest of the group that traveling through Morocco was awesome. We saw so much and got a real feel for the country and the people. I love to negotiate as do the Moroccans. But as soon as a deal is done, tea , laughs and hugs are in order.
As an experienced long time traveler, our guide Hicham was fabulous and truthfully he became our friend. I have invited him and Sharon to visit if they ever make it to CA. Not only was he attentive to all our needs he actually had us over in his apartment for Moroccan Pizza one night.

The 2 cooking classes at Abdouls home and Khadija's was so yummy. The food so delicious, fresh and creative. Love those Tangines. We loved the tourists places to eat along with the locals as well. I have to say during this tumultuous time in our lives dealing with Covid 19, this trip was a piece of cake. Never did we feel uncomfortable throughout Morocco and flying on a different airlines was a piece of cake.

My favorite of course was riding the camels in the Sarah Desert to our camp. The sand and its color and shades made my heart sing. The food so good, the drums and our lodging reminded me so much of safaris in southern Africa. My roomy and me got up to see the sun rise. Our tents were so beautiful and luxurious. I decided not to ride the camel back but 4 wheeled back to the start. Yippee over the dunes. But the sand and the shadows was captivating. I had to ask Mustafa to stop to I could take it all in. I could have stayed another few days.

I could go on and on, but if you are thinking of Morocco, please contact this great company and request Sharon.

Abdella and Ahmed Made Our Lives Easier
I'm big traveler and have planned most of my trips, but due to a last minute change we picked Morocco with about a week and a half notice. Abdella and co were very helpful and flexible in explaining our options and providing us with a custom itinerary. In hindsight, I'm even more grateful that we booked for Morocco with them, because driving on our own would have been truly hazardous! The accommodations were all excellent, Merzouga and the desert was a particularly legendary highlight, but Fes as well deserves plenty of time as well. Will certainly consider using KimKim in the future!

Abdel and his team were efficient and fast, but we got in touch with them by answering an ad that promised “the ultimate in luxury travel in Morocco”, and this, it was definitely not.

Most of the high-end hotels we wound up staying in, we came up with ourselves.

We asked for a guide specialised in Moroccan culture, history, food and art.
The guide that Abdel chose for our 16-day trip throughout Morocco was a wonderful person – warm-hearted, honest, committed and diligent – but his specialty are trekking expeditions in the Atlas Mountains and “budget travellers” (as he himself admitted). He had no clue about the best restaurants in the towns we visited, and he had never seen most of the hotels we stayed in. Some of the museums we most liked, he had never heard of.

The car that was used for our travel, was comfortable and at all times impeccably clean, but the driver hardly ever spoke a word with us (even when we tried to interact with him) and, importantly, he was not familiar with some of the parts of Morocco we visited, leading to us having to use our own GPS to guide him.

Abdel, the owner, was ultra-fast in the initial stages. His responses became a little slower once we had paid for the trip in full, and he didn’t bother saying hello or asking how we were, until well into the second week of our trip. He and his team requested upgrades for us in two of the hotels we stayed in (the second time at our explicit request), but he falsely claimed that “we will offer you a free upgrade” at one of the locations, when in fact it was the hotel that offered us this upgrade, not Abdel’s company.

We were very disappointed that on the last day, Ahmed, the company representative in charge of taking us to the airport, did not even bother asking us how we felt about the trip or if we had any feedback, even though we volunteered to give this information to him. It seemed more important for Ahmed, an otherwise pleasant and kind man, to give us a present (which we appreciated) and to remind us to “give our company a good review”.

So we really can only recommend Abdel and his team if you’re on a tight or mid-range budget and want efficient service. If you want a more high-end experience, we think you should look elsewhere.

If you're looking for a private guided tour around Morocco, this is the one for you.

Morocco Immersion had been very open and engaging about planning our trip ever since we reached out to them about our wants and needs. Basically, we gave them a template of what kind of travelers we were, how long we wanted to travel, what general places we wanted to see, and what kind of accommodations we wanted to stay in. Through multiple, quick back-and-forth conversations via chat, Morocco Immersion was able to hone in on our ideal trip and even gave suggestions and recommendations when we were stuck in our decision-making. At one point, when our flights were completely canceled a week before the start of our trip and we were able to secure new flights but on different dates, Morocco Immersion was very understanding and adjusted our trip willingly and accordingly, without hesitation.

The trip itself was absolutely wonderful. Unlike the huge group tours advertised everywhere, our small group of three travelers felt really comfortable with our personal guide and driver Hicham, who assured us about our safety and comfort. We felt that even though we had a defined itinerary set beforehand, that we could easily deviate from it if we wanted to. That was the huge advantage with booking with Morocco Immersion as a small private group!

The whole tour was up to our expectations. From the tours of Rabat to Meknes and Volubilis to Fez, the Sahara, Dades, and Marrakech, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Each place had its own charm, and when we shared with Hicham that we wanted to try to eat where the locals do, he gladly obliged and took us to authentic, less touristy places to munch on real local eats, and I thought that was just perfect.

And despite one minor hiccup with our accommodation in Marrakech, Morocco Immersion stepped up to the plate and offered to rectify the situation. The team readily made things right by us, and I don't think you'll ever get that kind of service with a much larger, impersonal company or with a really large touring group.

I would highly recommend Morocco Immersion if you're truly considering an authentic experience of Morocco, one that is not just touristy stuff. You will not regret your choice.

If you're ever thinking of taking a trip to Morocco, I would highly recommend using Abdellah and his company. The trip was very well organized and customized to our every need. Our guide, Karim, was absolutely fantastic and I know we will keep in touch. He was super friendly, very accommodating (especially flexible when our luggage did not make it on time, rescheduling and moving things around), and great company!!! We had booked this trip at the last minute and everything was organized according to plan. Both sights and accommodations were awesome, and we even learned a little bit of Arabic and Berber. We have great memories and lots of beautiful pictures from this wonderful country!

Shukran Abdellah and Karim!