Amazing 16-day trip all over Morocco
Morocco
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Oct 27 - Nov 11, 2024
My wife and I travelled for 16 days around Morocco. We had an excellent time throughout. Kimkim did a great job in every way.
1) The overall design was a very fruitful collaboration between the Kimkim lead Hakim Alibouche and ourselves. We had a fairly clear idea of the destinations we wanted to visit. We used one of the pre-existing Kimkim itineraries as a guide to what seemed a reasonable sequence and pace. We then worked with Hakim to turn that outline into a detailed trip plan. This exceeded our expectations. Hakim answered all of our questions promptly and thoughtfully and addressed all issues, both throughout the planning, and during the trip itself.
2) The strategy used was to have a single driver, who took us all over the country. We then had a local guide at each destination. Our driver, Abdellatif Iggui, was absolutely outstanding in every way. He was first of all an excellent, safe driver, who knew every inch of the country and of every city. He was always on time, and always knew just how long any of our journeys would take. He made sure we were comfortable throughout, he was happy to stop for pictures or a rest as needed, he was able to share a lot of information about his country, and overall made the journeys very pleasant.
3) Our itinerary follows:
- Arrived Casablanca, went via Rabat (where we had lunch, actually quite a nice brief stop), then to Chefchaouen, where we stayed 2 nights
- Chefchaouen is amazing - one of the prettiest towns we have ever seen, and a great introduction to Morocco; we toured the city in the morning, and in the afternoon hiked to waterfalls and the "Pont de dieu" natural rock bridge
- We then went to Fes for 3 nights (most people seem to stay for 2 nights), via Volubilis (fabulous ancient Roman town), with brief stops in Moulay Idriss (pleasant small city with a climb to a nice view) and Meknes (ancient capital, beautiful walls)
- Fes is very nice - the medina, the medresas, the Mellah, the palace, the gates - all quite amazing; we had the same guide for 2 days, which was useful
- We then had a long drive (~ 8 hours) to Merzouga (beautiful drive, with terrain reminiscent of the Grand Canyon), which is the staging point for the Erg Chebbi desert, which was the highlight of the whole trip; we stayed 2 nights (most seemed to stay for just one). We rode camels (~ 1 hour to the tent camp), the stargazing at night was extraordinary, then did a 4x4 tour of the desert the next day including visiting a nomad camp, climbing sand dunes, African music show, and visit to a lake in the desert
- We then drove via Todra Gorge (amazing place) to Boumalne-Dades, where we stayed 2 nights; we had a long hike in the mountains, and a walk through another gorge; beautifl scenery
- We then drove to Marrakesh, where we stayed 4 nights; 2 days for seeing the city, which is amazing - the medina with the souks, the mellah, various tombs, the central square - one day would not have been enough; for the third day, we took a day trip to hike in the Atlas mountains in a town called Imlil
- We then drove to the coast for one night stay in Eassouira, which is really lovely and a nice change of pace; we had an excellent tour of their medina
- We then drove to Casablance for our last night's stay; Casablanca is also very nice, much more modern than Fes or Marrakesh; the highlight was the Hassan II Mosque, the only one we were able to enter, which is a stunning structure in every way
4) We had very good guides in every location. In every case, they were extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic. They ensured we were well looked after, making sure we got to our destinations safely, with good recommendations for restaurants, that we found toilets when needed, and they helped us manage issues such as finding an ATM that would take Canadian VISA cards.
5) The accommodations were all excellent. They all served excellent included breakfasts. The property in Boumalne-Dades provided supper, which was excellent and a nice treat. The accommodations were actually for the most part somewhat more luxurious than we would have needed and if we were doing the trip over again, we would likely have reviewed the details of the recommended properties a little more closely and opted for less opulent rooms.
Overall, this was a 5-star holiday with a 5-star company.
Hotel Reviews
This was a very pleasant stay right in the middle of the Chefchaouen medina. The breakfast was excellent. The room was small but very comfortable. The hosts were very kind.
This was a great place to stay. The room was very comfortable. The restaurant, which served breakfast and supper (both included in the stay) was excellent - the best meals we had in our whole trip to Morocco. The servers were exceptional.
This was a nice hotel, well-situatied, comfortable room, very friendly staff.
This is an absolutely beautiful hotel with so much character. The room was a little small, but still very comfortable. The staff were very helpful. The breakfast was very good.
This was a luxurious and very comfortable accommodation right in the middle of the Fes Medina. The breakfast was excellent. The staff were very pleasant.
This was the highlight of our trip. The staff were extraordinarily nice and helpful. The food in their restaurant was amazing, both breakfasts and dinners. The tents were very comfortable.
The location is amazing - right in the medina, steps from Jemaa el Fna, and just down the road from the main mosque. The room was very nice, the breakfasts excellent, and the staff were most helpful.
Activity Reviews
The city is beautiful, and the guide did a good job of taking us around.
The tour was excellent. The guide was highly knowledgeable, made sure we efficiently got around this complex town, and explained things well. The restaurant recommended was excellent.
This was a really great tour. The guide was very nice, and made sure we had an excellent experience at each stop - the sand dunes, the nomad camp, the lake, the African music performance.
This hike was fantastic. The guide was excellent - he made sure we walked safely, and explained things very well.
Excellent guide, very nice place.
The hike in Imlil was beautiful. The guide was very good at ensuring we hiked safely and saw the surroundings and explained very well what we were seeing.
The visit was very good. We enjoyed seeing both some of the highlights of Casablanca and the Hassan II mosque. We would have appreciated maximizing the time at the mosque as this was a unique opportunity during our trip.
The driver (Abdellatif Iggui) was excellent. He made sure we got everywhere we needed to get safely and efficiently.
Again, Abdellatif was an excellent driver, and made sure we stopped at appropriate places periodically for a rest and for picture taking,
So much fun!
The guide was excellent - so knowledgeable, intersesting, through, but not rushed at all.
This was a fine tour.
The drive was again really great - we were able to enjoy views and stops as we did throughout the journey.
The two stops were fantastic. The trip to the movie studios in Ouarzazate was so much fun. The visit to Ait Benhaddou was amazing with an excellent guide.
This was a very good day. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and kind, and made sure we saw the major highlights. He identified a great restaurant for us.
This was an unexpectedly good hike. The medina was really interesting, as was the Casbah, and the guide did a great job showing us everything.