An experience to satisfy all tastebuds
Morocco
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Aug 28 - Sep 14, 2024
Morocco 2024
Fes : Hafid
Skoura : Hamza
Essaouira : Miloud
Marrakech: Abdelhaq
This was an amazing experience! From the initial planning stages to finalizing details with Said on private tours there was always a focus on providing the best travel experience for us.
Our travels are always designed to gain an appreciation of the people, their culture, customs and history and where possible to live as locals do. We had several wonderful lunches and dinners with local families in Fes, Skoura and the Sahara. Ahmed, Mustapha and Ali became our best buddies at camp in the desert, they being labeled as the best cooks on the tour. Their camaraderie was evident when they gave us new names! I was now affectionately known as Ali Baba and my wife as Amina! In camp we were able to experience rainfall, which was the first in seven years! I came out of our tent for half an hour after midnight to listen to and feel those raindrops! I walked away with a sentence I would never forget one night at the campfire after experiencing some amazing guitar playing. Ahmed said that his ‘best teacher in the desert was the silence.’ They had to do something to break it and playing the guitar was his.
Accommodations were elegant and the beauty of Moroccan architecture was showcased to the fullest. The elegance lent to romanticism in many of the riads and reached a pinnacle in Skoura, when the breakfast table was placed in the courtyard one morning, and in the gardens the next, the white table cloth strewn with red Rose petals. Abdelhaq convinced me, a very picky eater to sample treats from all the stalls we visited on a food tour of the Jemma el-Fnaa square in Marrakech. Our cooking course at Al Maison Arabe was wonderful and we also had the opportunity to hear some of the exterior
Our guides, Hafid in Fes; Hamza in Skoura; Miloud in Essaouria and Abdelhaq in Marrakech were truly knowledgeable of the area and the quality of the artisans we visited. They were well received by all entrepreneurs and that courtesy was extended to us. Their descriptions on architecture and history were so detailed that I did believe they were students of history when their specialties were linguistics.
None of what happened on the ground could have been possible without Ayoub. He cemented all these disparate events, on time and patiently waiting the usual ten minutes till we were ready to move out. Through him we gained an appreciation of Gnawa and were drumming along on our travels. He explained the geography of the area and was especially happy when he was able to tell us …this…is ..High Atlas…his home turf. From him we learned that all cities and areas have their role in the Moroccan economy. Every day he would test us on our grasp of the little French we were picking up along the way and focused on specially on pronunciation. He came to know I played golf and in Meknes stopped outside the Medina and pointed to a gate I should walk through. I was greeted with the most amazing green, after now being accustomed to the colors of the countryside we were traveling through. Or was the first hole and the course was a favorite of the King! He made sure I had my booking, and after settling us into our boutique hotel in Marrakech delivered me to Royal Golf Marrakech and after the round had an even bigger smile on his face than I. We have only admiration for our Mr. High Atlas!
Thank you all for a truly wonderful experience.
Hotel Review
Upon arrival and greeting your expectation is aroused. Walking to your accommodation through olive and date palms sprinkled with roses and other fragrances, you wonder. Once you are led into your room your thought becomes ‘hmm I can live in this royalty.’ The room is elegantly adorned in color and decidedly Moroccan accents; a feast for the eye! The garden is immaculate and everywhere there are alcoves to sit and soak in your surroundings. The ambiance lent to romanticism and reached a pinnacle here when the breakfast table was placed in the courtyard one morning, and in the gardens the next, the white table cloth strewn with red Rose petals. The dining room was ornate and seating was arranged to allow privacy of conversation. After dinner sitting in the gazebo beside the pool allowed your fatigue to drain away.
Activity Reviews
Our guide Abdelhaq in Marrakech was truly knowledgeable of the area and the quality of the artisans we visited. He was well received by all entrepreneurs and that courtesy was extended to us. His descriptions on architecture and history were so detailed that I did ask if he was a historian only to find out his specialty was linguistics. I especially loved that even though engaged in their work artisans were willing to take time to explain their craft.
Our travels are always designed to gain an appreciation of the people, their culture, customs and history and where possible to live as locals do. Ahmed, Mustapha and Ali became our best buddies at camp in the desert, they being labeled as the best cooks on the tour. Their camaraderie was evident when they gave us new names! I was now affectionately known as Ali Baba and my wife as Amina! In camp we were able to experience rainfall, which was the first in seven years! I came out of our tent for half an hour after midnight to listen to and feel those raindrops! I walked away with a sentence I would never forget one night at the campfire after experiencing some amazing guitar playing. Ahmed said that his ‘best teacher in the desert was the silence.’ They had to do something to break it and playing the guitar was his.
