We had a unique unforgettable 8 day, 950 mile...
Morocco
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Feb 25 - Mar 2, 2024
We had a unique unforgettable 8 day, 950 mile Moroccan experience. Below are the highlights.
TRIP PLANNING AND SUPPORT: We loved the initial questionnaire and user interface allowing you to let the travel agent know your favorite activities, and being able to comment on their suggestions to fine tune the experience. It was easy to pull up your trip summary from the email and their text messages and expand certain parts to view the details. Each day was clearly outlined with meeting place and what to bring and wear. In addition you could easily toggle back and forth between the Trip Summary and Trip Chat feature. Said responded to my text inquiries within the hour both while abroad and in Morocco.
TRANSPORTATION: Our itinerary required lots of driving and hours spent in the car. KimKim and their Morocco based travel specialists were very accommodating with the ambitious plan. Soufiane comes highly recommended as a driver. He was kind, knowledgeable, and courteous; answering questions without being intrusive or chatty. His English was good and he expertly navigated the new, clean SUV through sand, gravel, and snow during our traverse across the country.
HOTELS: All hotels Ali chose for us met our expectations. Unfortunately we could not stay two nights at the awesome Luxury Desert Camp in Erg Chebbi due to road closure from a snow storm. However, they found decent accommodations for us in Ifrane. The Riad Fes was beautiful and had the most wonderful rooftop bar. Dar Rihanna in the Dades Gorge area was quite out of the way, but close to hiking, and had excellent breakfast and dinners. La Maison Arabe was an historic old hotel with chic Jazz bar and cool rooftop bar in Marrakech. Initially we did not receive the room type we had requested at La Maison and the front desk was not helpful. We contacted Said and he was able to work things out to our satisfaction.
TOURS AND TOUR GUIDES: All in all, the tour guides chosen by the travel group were top notch. My husband did not like the guide in Fes as much as he was more inclined to take us to shops and less inclined to take us to see other cultural things. We liked our guide in Marrakech, Hanan, as she modified the tour based on our preferences and took us on a wonderful street food tour that evening. We had no food issues the entire trip and we tried a lot of different foods. The Moroccan cuisine is delicious with lots of flavorful meats and fresh fruits and vegetables. The only downside was the excursion to the Hammam. The scrub and massage were good but we were expecting a more quiet, serene ambiance and this place was definitely hustle/bustle.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Do your homework and let the company and tour guides know what you really want to see and do so you will not be disappointed.
2. Moroccan is a tourist driven economy and tips are really appreciated as the tour guides and drivers work very hard. A private driver is a must to get around.
3. Purchase alcoholic beverages beforehand for travel to the gorges or desert camps.
4. Plan on staying at least 2 nights in the desert as snowstorms and sandstorms can limit activities and access.
5. Bring an extra carry on bag for all the stuff you will end up buying. We are in the downsizing phase of our lives, my husband is the anti-shopper and yet we still bought several items. Browsing the shops and haggling is integral to the Moroccan experience.
Overall, an unforgettable experience. We will recommend KimKim and their current local Moroccan tour company to all our friends and family.
Hotel Reviews
The Riad Fes was beautiful and had the most wonderful rooftop bar.
Dar Rihanna in the Dades Gorge area was quite out of the way, but close to hiking, and had excellent breakfast and dinners.
La Maison Arabe was an historic old hotel with chic Jazz bar and cool rooftop bar in Marrakech
Activity Review
This was one of the best cooking classes I have been too while traveling. They had all of the ingredients prepped for us so that we could focus on learning about the cuisine vs chopping the vegetables. Each table had a screen so you could hear and see the instructor in the front of the class. I highly recommend this class!
