Morocco- so much more than just the desert!
Morocco
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Mar 15 - Mar 21, 2025
We had a great trip to Morocco with KimKim via local company Original Travels. They helped us figure out our itinerary based on what activities we were looking for and took care of all the coordination, but remained flexible if we wanted to do additional activities on the trip. We were able to add on last minute tours and hammam experiences just the day before and all the logistics were seamless. We were running late from one activity on our last day, contacted the company and everything was immediately shifted around to fit everything in on an updated schedule. Their help saved us so much time and stress in terms of trip-planning, and the stops along the drives were more helpful in understanding local culture and life and we would have missed them if not for the agency.
Further, as two single female travelers, our driver Samir was wonderful and made us feel extremely safe and also helped teach us about Moroccan culture as we drove. He was wonderful in terms of both information and tips about where to eat and best practices for shopping and exploring. Our guides were so knowledgeable and friendly at every stop, tailoring information and recommendations to our interest while ensuring we got a full experience despite a condensed time schedule. We loved our tour with Hanan in Marrakech because it was informative but also was so wonderful having a female tour guide for an all-female group! We last minute asked for a guide (just the night before) for Fez and were lucky enough to tour with Sharif, who he was funny, informative, a cat-lover much like ourselves. We also hiked in Boumalne Dades with Said, who taught us about use of plants/herbs growing along the trail. The hike was quite unique, somewhat Arches-meets-the-Narrows and was a nice change of pace after a few long drives.
We loved all of our stops, highlights of the trip included bargaining for a rug in the Fez medina, seeing the local pottery collective in Fez, sunset over the Merzouga dunes and then stargazing, hiking in Boumalne Dades, and our tour with Hanan in Marrakech. I did not fully know what to expect going to Morocco and exploring beyond the major cities, but was truly so impressed by the welcoming people we met and look forward to coming back. Kimkim/original travels made our trip so seamless, stress free, and safe. I definitely look forward to coming back in the future for a deeper exploration of north Morocco and the mountains.
Special thanks to the people who made our trip amazing- Abdullah, Said, Samir, Sharif, Said, and Hanan.
Activity Reviews
Long drive but so glad we went! The dunes were so beautiful, camels were amazing and glad to be able to talk to the guide a bit about nomad culture. Wish we could have stayed longer to get a bit more time in the dunes and a longer visit with the nomads, but our trip was on a tight schedule.
This hike was beautiful and so nice after a long day of driving! Our local guide Said taught us about local herbs along the way and talked to us about life in smaller towns.
The actual ride was very beautiful, but the logistics of the company that morning were a bit off, taking two hours to get the balloon up and then delaying in the return to Marrakech. Luckily our guide in Marrakech was flexible and we got a full day of touring and hammam in even with the delay.
Hanan was amazing! Loved having a female guide as our other guides had been men, and she was so informative and fun to hang out with!
I like that the drive was broken up a bit. Loved that the rose co-op was all female run. The movie tour was a little long but overall cool to see. Loved Ait Benhaddou and great place to grab lunch before the drive to Marrakech. I also am so glad we stopped at the argon oil co-op as the products were reliable!
