8 Day Moroccan Adventure
Morocco
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Nov 12 - Nov 19, 2023
From the initial planning with Abdellatif, the Original Travels team was very prompt and responsive, tailoring our trip through Morocco to meet our needs. Our driver, Karim met us at the airport in Casablanca. He drove us from Casablanca to Fes, to the desert in Merzouga, through the mountains, and finally to our last stop in his hometown of Marrakesh. Karim shared his knowledge of the country while expertly navigating the roads and driving for long hours. We especially loved learning about the indigenous people of Morocco, meeting the village people, and driving through the mountainside. Karim was able to share a very authentic side of the country, showing us the road less traveled.
Other notable moments on our trip included our tour of Fes with Mohammed, our hike through the Dades Gorge with Nordeen, our camel ride in the Sahara Desert with Dawid, and our cultural/food tour in Marrakech with Hanan.
Hotel Reviews
This riad was beautiful, and the dinner and breakfast that they served was delicious. It was very close to the Main Street and only a short walk to the main areas of the Medina.
This was such an awesome experience from the camel ride to looking up at the night sky. There was hot water and even internet access! We spent time around the fire with our hosts, who showed us their traditional music and dances.
This riad was gorgeous. Very clean and comfortable. Again, the food was delicious.
I can’t speak to this riad, as we had to go to a different riad due to a wedding interrupting service at this original accommodation. We ended up staying at Les Sources Berberes, which was beautiful. It was an easy walking distance to the main square and the Bahia Palace. We also enjoyed our hammam experience and massage here.
Activity Reviews
We went on a tour of the Hassan II Mosque. This is the largest mosque in Africa and the third largest in the world. We really enjoyed learning about the mosque and seeing the beautiful architecture.
We had Mohammed as our local guide during this tour. He took us around to see various sights, such as the King’s palace, the local ceramic and tile school, the tannery, and many shops. We learned about the history of the Medina, and we are grateful to have had a very knowledgeable local guide.
The camel ride was everything we had hoped for. We rode about an hour to our desert camp, stopping to watch the sunset.
We really enjoyed our hike with Nordeen. He showed us the agriculture, irrigation system, and culture of the people in the valley.
Beautiful drive through the mountains. We did some off-road driving, and we stopped to have tea with a nomadic family who calls the caves their home. We also stopped in Ouarzazate at the Atlas Studios to go on a tour of some movie and tv sets.
Hanan took us on a tour of many different types of food in the Medina and souks in Marrakech. We tried the local cuisine, including breads and soup, olives, lamb, donuts and sweets, and even snails!
We liked going around and seeing the Bahia palace, the main square, the souks, and the Koutoubia Mosque with Hanan. There was some restoration work to fix some damages due to the earthquake, but we did not find that it affected our visit. We are happy that the people are beginning to recover. The city was bustling.
