Moroccan hospitality is unmatched - GO VISIT!
Morocco
|
Feb 13 - Feb 24, 2025
This was such an incredible journey. It was my first time working with KimKim and I will be recommending you to anyone looking for help planning a trip where you can be immersed in the local culture.
I would like to call attention to two individuals who made a tremendous impact on our visit. Hakim, our travel agent, went above and beyond to make sure that we had a fantastic experience. The itinerary he put together for us was excellent, he tailored it to our interests and connected us with local guides who were welcoming, informative, and kind. He incorporated our feedback (as someone who typically plans her own trips, I really appreciated the opportunity to collaborate and have input- the ability to personalize definitely sets KimKim apart from the competition). I truly don't think we would have been able to make such genuine connections to the people and the culture without Hakim's expertise and thoughtful planning. He also spent a significant amount of time on the phone with various airports trying to coordinate our lost luggage. We booked our airfare on our own so this was not something he was responsible for- it just highlights his commitment to customer service. With the luggage saga and a few last-minute logistical changes we asked for, we kept Hakim very busy during our time in Morocco and he was always extremely responsive and helpful. He is a true professional and someone I would love to work with again.
Mohamad, our driver, is the second person who deserves commendations. We felt so cared for all week, I am so grateful that we had this opportunity to connect with him. Throughout the week he taught us about Moroccan history and culture, answered our questions and helped us navigate everything from finding our way through the medinas to ordering food. We could not have asked for a better partner for the week- he was prompt, patient, and attentive- and he handled our special brand of chaos very well! Getting to know him was a privilege, and I will miss driving through the countryside making jokes together.
For me, the highlights of our trip were:
1. 2 nights at Desert Luxury Camp in Erg Chebbi. It's off the beaten path (getting in and out is a 4x4 adventure!), so you feel like you're alone in your tents in the middle of the Sahara. The accommodations are very comfortable (definitely glamping), food was great, and sitting around the fire stargazing is a memory I will not soon forget. For equestrians, horseback riding through the dunes with Sahara Horses is an unmissable activity. Absolute magic.
2. Tinghir visit to the Berber women's co-op. Carpets are for sale all over Morocco, but going to the source to meet with the women who make them was one of the coolest experiences I've ever had. I came home with a beautiful rug that will be an heirloom piece, and I am glad I was able to directly support the artisans.
3. Food tour of Marrakech. We were lucky enough to have our guide (Amine) for both our food tour and our walking tour of the city the next day, it was a true pleasure discovering the magic of Marrakech with him! His passion for sharing his city with others made this one of my favorite stops. Marrakech is vibrant (and delicious), and Amine let us discover at our own pace - his flexibility and attentiveness are the mark of a true professional.
4. Accommodations throughout the trip were incredible, Hakim did an amazing job selecting them for us. La Maison Arabe and Riad Laaroussa are two of the best hotel experiences I have ever had. This trip has proved to me that Moroccan hospitality is some of the best in the world, and these two riads provided the most welcoming and attentive service throughout our stay. The staff were exceptional, the properties were gorgeous, and I will be dreaming about the beauty of the courtyards and rooftops at these two riads for years to come.
5. Sunday Brunch at Selman Stables. For lovers of horses (or just luxury), this is a must-do. The Selman property is stunning, and the brunch spread was out of this world.
6. Guided tour in Fes. Our guide Azdin (not sure on spelling) was another gem. He was a wealth of knowledge and spent extra time with us because we had so many questions and wanted to explore all our stops. I felt like I really got to know Fes (although I can tell you we would not have figured out the maze of the medina without him!).
There is very little I would change about our trip, except to have more time! If we had been able to extend our trip by an extra day or two it would have broken up the driving a bit and given us more time to shop in the medinas. We ended up cutting our Marrakech tour short so we could explore the shops and I'd recommend that others build time in specifically for this- Moroccan souks are distinctly unique and I expect almost any visitor will want the experience of negotiating over handmade wares unlike anything you can buy at home.
Thank you Hakim, Mohamad, and KimKim for an incredible trip!
Hotel Reviews
Beautiful view from the rooftop terrace. Lovely rooms and friendly staff. Located in the Rabat medina, with restaurants in walking distance.
Stunning hotel in the middle of the Fes medina. I'm very grateful for the porters and their carts who navigated the maze that is Fes with our luggage! This riad has so much character- we stayed in the grey room and it took my breath away when we opened the door the first time. There's a fireplace in our room! I almost with our itinerary hadn't been so packed so we could have spent more time lounging here. The rooftop bar and restaurant was our favorite place to end the night after a long day of sight seeing. The staff were exemplary. I would love to visit again (but might wait until the elevator they're planning to install is complete- since the building is quite old the stairs are plentiful and not all the same size, which can be challenging to navigate).
A stay like no other- Desert Luxury camp exceeded my expectations. You take an adventurous 10 minute 4x4 ride to get to a secluded spot in the middle of the Sahara. Surrounded by dunes, but not without modern luxuries (the full bathrooms in each tent were far more luxurious than I was expecting!). With almost 0 light pollution, it's an incredible place to stargaze. The food was excellent, staff superb, and the location is rugged and beautiful. Stay at least 2 nights, you won't want to leave.
This is more of a standard hotel experience than the smaller boutique riads we stayed at for the rest of the trip, but it was perfect as a quick overnight on our way from the Sahara to Marrakech. They have an expansive dinner buffet that was included in our package. The rooms were expansive- we had two full bathrooms, a separate sitting area, and two balconies in our suite. The view from the pool area is breathtaking. They have a full bar with a comfortable lounge that was great for our evening debrief together with our group.
I just adored this hotel. The staff are friendly and welcoming, they make you feel so at home. It's a maze of corridors and rooms, each more beautiful than the next- this place exudes character. I wish we had more time to spend in Marrakech just so we could have spent more time lounging around this property. Our room was spacious and luxurious with a courtyard facing balcony. The food was incredible, the dinner we ate here was my favorite meal over our stay in Morocco- enhanced by the beauty of the courtyard and the live music playing each night. The jazz bar is cozy, the rooftop bar serene, the hammam/spa luxurious and relaxing. Take me back!
Activity Reviews
Our guide (Bettina) was wonderful! This was a great intro to Morocco (we took this tour on our first full day here), we learned about Morocco's current government and the history of Moroccan rule as Rabat is the imperial capital. The tour was informative and the Mausoleum of Mohamed V was striking.
Azdin was an excellent guide and a wealth of knowledge. We learned a ton about Fes and Moroccan culture, and we covered a LOT of ground. Our group asks a lot of questions and are pretty slow explorers, Azdin never rushed us and was willing to stay late to make sure we saw all the sites. Just walking the maze of streets in the medina was an experience unlike any other- I am very glad we had a guide to help us navigate the cramped alleys. Learning about the history of trade and how the city formed into the various quarters (copper, jewelry, carpentry, tanning, etc.) was fascinating. A guided walking tour here is an absolute must-do in my opinion.
The restoration they've done of these ruins really bring them alive for you. Our guide Karim (aka Karimus Maximus) shared with us the history of the Roman occupation in Morocco and how that has influenced the culture. I love exploring old ruins so this activity was right up my alley, but if you don't get excited about crumbling buildings and old rocks you might want to skip it- it's a ways out in the country through windy roads to get there.
A long drive but absolutely worth it. The two nights we spent in the Sahara were the highlight of the trip for me- there is something magical about the sand dunes rising from the rocky desert, and the sunset camel ride is an experience you just can't get at home. The camp was luxurious, we didn't lack for any comforts. The stargazing was stunning. Take me back!
My favorite part of the trip by far! Riding the dunes on horseback was a childhood dream of mine, and I am still in awe that I got to make it come true! Our guide (Nour-Eddine) navigated us through the shifting sands, and took lots of pictures and videos for us so we can relive the experience when we get home! While riding the dunes was definitely the best part, it was also very cool to ride through the town of Merzouga, and when we reached the lake after a 3km ride through a rocky plain, there was a little mobile cafe oasis for us where we ate a huge picnic spread. A surreal and amazing experience all around!
A long drive, but I would not have skipped it (the time in the Sahara is absolutely worth it)! Tinghir was the perfect place to stop and stretch our legs for a few minutes on the walk through the gorge. The highlight of this day was definitely visiting the Berber women's co-op in Tinghir, where we got to meet the women and watch them weave the famous Moroccan carpets (and buy one to bring home!). We spent a little too much time here (who can blame me? I wanted to see all the rugs!), and had to cut our hike short in the Todra gorge short, but we still had a chance to walk through the fields in the valley and get up close to the Monkey Fingers rock formation before walking through the village back to our bus.
The views are stunning! We unfortunately had to cut this hike short (spent too much time buying rugs at the last stop on the tour), but it was so nice to get out in nature, stretch our legs, and learn a bit about the farming practices in the Dades gorge villages.
We spent most of this day in the van, but that was expected given the changes we made to Hakim's original itinerary to allow us to spend two nights in the Sahara. If you have flexibility, taking an extra day in this area would definitely be worth it before heading to Marrakech. Ait Benhaddou was really cool, and we would have loved to explore there for a few hours but we just didn't have time if we were going to make our evening food tour in Marrakech.
Amine was an incredible guide! It was so fun to eat our way through the medina. Everything was delicious, but I especially loved the stop for fresh fried msemmen, yogurt, and the olive stand (Amine got us each a to go container of olives that we snacked on for the rest of the trip). We made a longer stop at a spice shop which was really interesting, and even got to learn a bit about Moroccan wedding traditions. Super cool way to experience a new city!
We were so lucky to have Amine as our guide two days in a row! That was a brilliant move on Hakim's part, as we got to know Amine well and he was able to give us a wealth of information without repeats. Amine is passionate about sharing his love for Marrakech and Morocco, and he is a very attentive guide who updated his plan for our tour in real time to match what we were most interested in. Marrakech is such a vibrant and exciting city, I absolutely loved exploring it and wish we had more time to spend with Amine!
It was my first time experiencing a hammam- the staff at La Maison Arabe were fantastic, ensuring we were comfortable throughout. It was both very relaxing and very vigorous (you will be very clean by the time you are done). The spa area is beautiful, and the massage was a much-needed release after all the walking we did on this trip.
The perfect activity to end our trip! My mom and I separated from the rest of the group for a girls day at Selman, and I am so glad we did. Relaxing in the sun at Le Pavilion while beautiful Arabian horses pranced past was a true highlight for me, and it was nice to end our incredible trip with something slow and luxurious. The brunch spread was out of this world- extremely high quality food with a multitude of options, from sushi to grilled lobster tails, tagine to more salads than I had room to try. And the dessert buffet! Outstanding food and service throughout. While we ate, we were treated to a demonstration of masterful horsemanship, and had the opportunity to see the majesty of two of Selman's beautiful Arabian stallions. Service at the Selman was outstanding as well, it's clear that they provide a 5 star experience for their guests.