A Most Memorable Week in Morocco
Morocco
|
May 15 - May 22, 2023
This was our second time booking through KimKim and it was easy and convenient. Saïd at Original Travels was responsive and accommodating throughout the booking and planning process and continued to check in with us throughout our trip. We really appreciated Saïd’s patience in designing our itinerary options, and flexibility when we requested alternative accommodations after reading reviews online from other sources. In the end, every place we stayed was superb. Our driver Soufiane simply made the trip for us. Soufiane was with us from airport pickup in Fes to airport drop off in Marrakech. Throughout that whole time he made us feel safe and well taken care of. He’s an excellent driver and his English is very good. We had several long drives. I would not have wanted to do any of the driving myself. There are frequent police checkpoints on the highways and some of the highways in the mountains are not in the best condition. In the cities, driving habits of other drivers, motorcyclists and bikes require you to be an experienced driver of Moroccan streets. Finally, Soufiane really embodied the best aspects of Moroccan hospitality and warmth. By the end of the trip we really felt like family. We did a 7-day itinerary. It was enough time, but it required several long drives. Ideally 10 or more days would have allowed more time in each place without back to back driving days but we didn’t have the extra days. In Fes, we stayed at Riad Laaroussa. Beautiful, serene and intimate Riad in the Medina. We did the haram and massage at their spa which we really enjoyed. Very reasonably priced for a private spa. The Desert Luxury Camp in the Sahara was great and unique. We stayed in a geodesic dome tent with a glass wall that allowed us to go to bed to a view of the starry night sky and wake up before dawn to ride camels to a peak in the sand dunes to watch the sun rise. The Ksar Inghnda in Ait Benhadoo was beautiful and our suite had a private patio. The food at the Ksar was not great but we didn’t mind. All of our other food experiences were memorable. In Marrakech, we splurged on La Mamounia. It really is luxurious, a large hotel, and the most western of the places we stayed, but it was a bit over the top and everything there costs extra and is expensive. Be warned. We are glad to have done it as it is a thing, but there are many other great options in Marrakech that may be preferred by others. Overall, we highly recommend going to Morocco. If you use KimKim and Original Travels, you can expect a seamless and effortless travel experience.
Hotel Reviews
Riad Laaroussa is a beautiful oasis in the Fes Medina. We had a hammam and massage at its private spa. It was a great way to have the Moroccan hammam experience. We did it as a couple together. We also ate dinner and breakfast at the Riad. Food was very good and in a lively rooftop restaurant. The staff was very friendly and always looking for ways to make our stay enjoyable. They had double booked our room by mistake and upgraded us to their best suite at no extra charge. The room was clean and the bed comfortable. They also packed a breakfast for us on our last day because we were departing very early.
I commented on this camp in my main review. I’ll only add that the staff was very pleasant and the amenities really very nice for being in the desert. It was very peaceful and relaxing.
The only reason for the 4-star rating is that the food was not great, but it was just fine.
It lives up to the hype, but it comes at a price.
Activity Reviews
Unfortunately, to experience the sands of the Saharan Desert, you have a long drive to get there. Our driver Soufiane made that a most enjoyable drive with stops along the way for quick sightseeing or views at which we stretched our legs. Soufiane never seemed to tire of the driving. The vehicle was also very comfortable.
Again Soufiane made this drive easy and enjoyable. We stopped for lunch at a place that served the most delicious oranges for desert. Morocco has great produce and the oranges are plentiful and sweet.
This was our shortest drive and had stunning views as we wound through the mountains. The train changes dramatically as you cross Morocco, something you would miss if you just flew from one city to the next. Soufiane offered us some excursions but we were eager to get to Marrakech.
