Our trip to Morocco was an amazing experience...
Morocco
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Dec 30 - Jan 8, 2023
Our trip to Morocco was an amazing experience. We would like to thank our driver Soukiana Arrabhi for her professionalism and warmth. Soukiana went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable. She is one of the few female drivers in Morocco. My sister and I were so lucky to get her. We are huge coffee drinkers and she knows all the great stops to get coffee during our drive through Morocco. She is also a fantastic photographer - an expert at the group selfie!
We also want to give a shout out to our fantastic guide in Marrekesh - Hannan Eland. Hannah is very knowledgable in the history of Morocco which is what we wanted to learn while we were there. She found us a fantastic pharmacy to buy natural health care products like eucalyptus crystals and snail cream for wrinkles. They go through the whole process of how the products are made and how they work.
The whole trip was fantastic but our 2 favorite places/experiences were at Tiziri Camp in the Sahara desert run by Imazighen people and the Dar Rihana riyad in the Dades Gorge. There is nothing like sleeping in the desert! It is so quiet and serene. The camp employees did everything from lead the camels to cooking meals and also entertaining us with Berber music by the moon light and camp fire. As for Dar Rihana - the hotel is gorgeous and the chef is amazing. I was not expecting this diamond in the middle of the mountain valley. It is truly an oasis.
We had a fantastic trip and I would recommend it to anyone, Thank you Kimkim team!!!
Hotel Reviews
Staying at Tiziri Luxury Camp was one of the highlights of our trip. The gentlemen that run the camp are fantastic hosts! They did everything from get us to the camp by truck, ATV or camel (the camels were very well taken care of in case anyone is worried), cook and serve all of the fantastic meals, and provided beautiful Imazighen music by the camp fire. The accommodations are gorgeous and comfortable. It was truly a magical experience. The Sahara desert is so quiet at night and the sunrise is stunning. We would stay longer next time. Thanks Tiziri Camp for all of the hard work that you do. They are eco-friendly on top of everything!
Dar Rihana is a gem in the Dades valley. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised as I never imagined there would be such a beautiful little riyadh in the middle of the gorge. We were served mint tea and delicious home made almond cookies out on the patio before we went to our room. The hotels decor is gorgeous with all type of interesting detail in the design. It has a fresh new feel to it but keeps a 'true to Morocco culture' look. An even bigger surprise was the food. The chef put out a 6 course dinner that was fantastic. The food was creative but still all Moroccan flavors. My favorite was a goat cheese tart with spicy tomato roulade and a dough crust. The two brothers who own and run this riyadh have something amazing going. We have already recommended it to people that we know. I would actually like to doing some hiking in the valley and stay longer next time.
It is a beautiful riyadh hidden away in the Medina. I was so surprised that the outside looks like nothing and when you open the door you enter a paradise. This place definitely had that feel. We loved our room, the service was amazing and the location is perfect. Thank you Palais Sebban for the great experience. I also got to watch one of the workers make msemman for our breakfast. I will be trying it at home. It is a delicious fried yeast dough that is served with honey or jam. Yummy.
Loved this beautiful little riyadh. Our room was on the top floor so we had a patio overlooking the city and country side. It was the whole top floor. We ate our dinner there and the food was excellent. Cannot say enough about the wonderful staff. I would stay here again.
We stayed here for New Years Eve. The room was cute. The service was very good. My favorite things were the hamman (massage and bath), the pecan cookies (I want that recipe!), the gorgeous interior design and the location. There was a New Years Eve dinner which included entertainment. There was a young Moroccan woman at the table next to us who got up and gave the belly dancer a run for her money. She told us that she learned how to shimmy on Youtube. It was a great cultural experience. The food was also excellent.
Activity Reviews
Our driver/guide Soukiana Arrabhi was a total professional. She showed us the city and then we went to our next destination. Soukiana was our driver the whole trip. Our experience would not have been the same without her.
We got a guide at the entrance. Make sure to go with the guides that have a badge. Our guide Mohammed was excellent. There is so much history at this site. Very much worth seeing with a good guide.
Fes was our first stop where we really got to explore the Medina. Mohammed our guide was fantastic. He took us to the leather shop/tannery, carpet shop where we learned how the make beautiful carpets, clothing shop where they weave and make all of the products, and the ceramic shop where we watched craftsmen making pots/tiles/tables and more. At each place we learned about how these trades are done which is a huge part of Moroccan history. Of course you are encouraged to buy things at each place. The tour is a historical and cultural experience.
Marrakesh is such a vibrant city. Our guide Hanan Elaadi was extremely knowledgable about the history of Marrakesh and Morocco. We were in very good hands with her. She did not let us out of her site. She also found us a fabulous shop with natural products for health care - skin products, eucalyptus crystals, spices, hair care products. We bought snail slim for our wrinkles - I think it is working!!! Hanan also found a good restaurant at the edge of the Medina to stop for lunch and do some people watching.
The highlight of our trip was staying at the Tiziri Camp in the Sahara desert. The desert camp is beautiful. The tent and accommodations were clean, comfort and luxurious. Food was excellent. The men running the camp went out of their way to make our time there a 'true one of a life time' experience.
I was not expecting such a wonderful little riyadh in the middle of the mountains. The Dades valley is a site to see - gorgeous. We would definitely go back to Dar Rihana riyadh and spend some time hiking in the gorge. The food was super fantastic at Dar Rihana. The two brothers that own it have a great thing going.
We stopped at a casbah that is a UNESCO heritage site. It was really nice to get out and spend some time walking around.
