Sharon Louthian

The planning process was overall positive. We ultimately had three specialists due to staff transitions but the running dialogue was in tact so I think the continuity was preserved. I was new to the Kimkim process and would be a more effective communicator next time. When asked to provide feedback I wasn’t always sure what to say or what alternatives to consider.

Having Omar for the duration of our trip was extremely valuable - both in theory and in practice. I am contrasting that with our current time in Egypt where there have been handoffs. Of course, that only works with a skilled guide. Omar was open, a good listener and engaging. He found a great balance being personal and professional. He was open, educational without being overwhelming. We would welcome him in our home if he ever gets to the states. He even introduced us to his mother! He accommodated special requests.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Kalaa

Rabat

Palais Faraj Suites & Spa

Fès

Really enjoyed our time here. Authentic and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ksar Timnay Hotel

Midelt

Riad Madu Premium Camp

Merzouga

Fun experience. Well appointed, especially given its location.

Authenticity & Character

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel & Ryads Barrière Le Naoura

Marrakech

Solid western style, resort style accommodation. Nice pool.

Eden Boutique Hotel

Boumalne Dades

Absolutely amazing! This place is beautiful. Staff is attentive. Food is outstanding. Leadership is present and engaged. Eden is right up there with the very best places we have ever stayed.

Authenticity & Character

Next level

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day with the Locals in the Valley of Roses

Morocco

Spending the day with the locals in the Valley of Roses was quite enjoyable. We got to engage with people living there, learn about their lives, and have meaningful conversations which added a great cultural depth to our trip.

Private Cooking Class w/ Souk Tour

Morocco

The private cooking class with the souk tour in Marrakech was a very unique experience. It was more of a demonstration since they did most of the cooking while we watched, but we did get to chop some ingredients.

Midelt to Merzouga Camel Trek

Morocco

The camel trek to Merzouga was an awesome experience! It truly stood out during our trip and was one of the highlights of our journey through Morocco.

Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

The guided tour of Marrakech was okay. Our guide was knowledgeable, but I found him to be somewhat inflexible, expecting us to conform to his way of doing things. I wish he had been more attuned to our needs, especially when it came to taking photos and discussing cultural aspects honestly.

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

Syed was fantastic. He is a knowledgeable and clear communicator. Really enjoyed our time with him.

Arrive in Casablanca & Transfer to Rabat

Morocco

Thanks for the heads up about our guide needing to canvass two terminals. That was helpful to know when he wasn’t there at our arrival. Otherwise we may have worried a bit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guide, Hicham, and driver, Hicham, did a very good job of getting us to the desert despite a blizzard going over the mountains!

Our bucket list trip to Morocco ranks as one of our best vacations ever,
thanks in large part to kimkim’s impeccable planning and attention to detail.
After choosing kimkim from a wide field based on their highly favorable
reviews and reasonable rates, we exchanged several messages that
culminated in a Zoom call to discuss our interests and personalize our
travel plans. Our expert travel consultants Maryem and Habiba drafted and
then modified our Imperial City tour several times to meet our specific
desires. The entire trip went off smoothly, starting from our pickup at the
airport to the dropoff at our final hotel nine days later. Our driver Omar
exceeded our expectations. We spent a week with him traversing Morocco
and parted as good friends by the trip’s end. Omar was an excellent guide,
as well as an experienced driver. He was very knowledgeable about the
history of his country and great at taking us to many of the under-the-radar
spots that were not overrun with tour buses. Omar was very polite and
gracious and attentive to our needs. He is a great conversationalist but
would also allow us quiet time to relax and nap, as we spent many hours in
the van with him. The hotels we stayed in were top end, some oozing old
world-charm and others worthy of a spread in Architectural Digest. Our
local guides in Fes, Rabat, and Marrakech provided excellent insider tours
both within and outside of Morocco’s ancient medinas.

It is a genuine pleasure to review our Kim Kim experience in Morocco. We worked directly with Sharon of Immersion Travel whose choice of our guide, Omar, could not have been a more fortuitous choice.

From the moment we saw Omar’s smiling face to the moment we were dropped off for our return flight, Omar’s professional attitude and friendly vibes were a delight to behold. What a gem!

Our first day there was also very successfully managed by our capable city guide, Hameed, who was kind enough to navigate a rainy day throughout the winding Medina alleyways. He was patient with all our interests and allowed for an impromptu lamb barbecue lunch to beat the band. We were satiated and satisfied at day’s end for sure.

Once acclimated, on Wednesday, we toured Marrakesh’s Majorelle and Anima Gardens with Omar ably driving us. On Thursday, we enjoyed a real treat as we grocery shopped and cooked in a traditional Moroccan home. Narwal was a welcoming hostess/chef as she knowingly picked out produce and showed us how to prepare our delicious lunch. Even her daughters participated with the youngest delightfully suggesting we wear the traditional Kaftan. “Dressing up” truly enhanced our delicious tagine chicken lunch accompanied by vegetables, homemade bread and mandarin oranges for dessert. The spicy cooking lessons we learnt will certainly enhance our meals back home.

Omar’s guidance throughout our final days lead us to experience a majestic camel ride that included a wonderful evening meal along with musical performances. The sunset could not have been more beautiful as golden light bounced off the dunes. Remarkable pictures taken by our happy guide will be forever memories.

The final day of our stay was an outdoor adventure as we drove into the Orika Valley. We were stunned by the beauty there as a recent snowfall had dusted the mountains and water gushed through the main river. Omar was kind enough to arrange for our hiking guide, Mohammed, to take us up a mountainside to see a stunningly raging waterfall. Although the terrain got step and slippery, Mohammed’s steady hand was like an angel. His expertise was certainly what kept me balanced as some of the rocky paths appeared too dangerous to pass. An achievement to have accomplished and worthy of our delicious riverbank lunch afterwards.

If Morocco’s Berber culture could be reflected in one person it would be in our guide, Omar. Friendly and available for any question or concern (even brought an extra jacket for hiking) we could not have been luckier to have his extensive guidance on this first time experience. Shout out to Hameed as well.

Kudos to everyone at Kim Kim and Immersion travel. Morocco was an adventure we will not soon forget!

I had a wonderful experience with Omar, our guide. We are a family of four with two young children and he accommodated all of our needs. While there were some long drives so that we could see as much of the country as possible in a short period of time, Omar made us completely comfortable, was an incredibly safe driver, and provided us with incredible context for all that we saw. Our kids had a wonderful time and we really enjoyed our time in the country. Really incredible country and worth the effort. Highly recommend this tour group and experience.

Our experience with KimKim and the local company we worked with was very high quality and met our expectations. We would like to particularly highlight our tour manager/driver Ali for his unfailing politeness, his exceptional driving skills, his problem solving approach, his flexibility and the pride he had in his home country. Sharon’s company provided us with high quality guides in the places we visited. Our guides were fluent in English and had in depth knowledge/expertise to share. We did learn that one must be flexible in Morocco and understand that the culture offered us opportunities to be less driven by strict timelines and more by the opportunities in the moment.

Hotel Reviews

ONOMO Hotel Casablanca Airport

Nouaceur

Perfect location for overnight before flight.

Authenticity & Character

a hotel near an airport. Did what it needed to do.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

AC needed improvement. Did not work well.

Hôtel & Ryads Barrière Le Naoura

Marrakech

Another treat. Very upscale and lovely hotel. Buffet was exceptional.

Authenticity & Character

Felt more European than Moroccan but what a lovely stay.

Location

Could walk anywhere.

Staff

Concierge went extra mile.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tin Joseph

Ouarzazate

Comfortable and big rooms. Quiet.

Authenticity & Character

Nicely decorated with the movie theme.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kasbah Tiziri

Kelaat Mgouna

This was a lovely property; well run with lovely spaces to hang out. Spotty wireless which was the only drawback.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Far from town but provided a wonderful

Staff

Enjoyed Michelle very much and the history of the hotel.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were nicely decorated and very clean.

Riad Madu Premium Camp

Merzouga

Such a lovely desert camp for our overnight.

Authenticity & Character

Drumming at night was great. Rooms were comfortable.

Location

Staff

Very attentive and helpful for everything.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Faraj Suites & Spa

Fès

Our fav. Lovely, classy, great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Able to access Medina quickly.

Staff

Attentive, kind, helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

This hotel was a treat for all of us.

Riad El Palacio

Chefchaouen

Great location. Rooms were a bit noisy. Seemed a bit weary.

Authenticity & Character

Riad was a bit noisy; darker curtains perhaps?

Location

Could get to everywhere easily.

Staff

the young man at the front desk was EXCEPTIONAL.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Kalaa

Rabat

Lovely place to stay. Fun to get to through the Medina.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely rooms on the roof. Nice place to relax after a long day.

Location

Fun to be in Medina.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Club Val d'Anfa Casablanca

Casablanca

Good hotel for our night in Casablanca; nice view of the ocean; adequate breakfast buffet; rooms were adequate for an overnight.

Authenticity & Character

A bit old and dated

Location

Staff

helpful; good service.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Cooking Class w/ Souk Tour

Morocco

This was a super day as well. Noel and her daughter were such wonderful hosts…and the food was superb.

Quality of Experience

Food

Best meal we had in Morocco. Very interesting to go to market first. Not sure we ‘cooked’ that much but learned a lot and really enjoyed talking with Noel’s daughter.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Excellent guide; lovely tour; really great day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ouarzazate to Marrakech via Ait Ben Haddou

Morocco

Long day but so interesting. Saw the gorge on this day and then Ait Ben Haddou as well. Ali worked with our needs and let us doing some shopping. Rose cooperative was not a particularly interesting stop. Great guide at Ait Ben Haddou. Found the experience at the movie location very disappointing. I would highly recommend skipping this part of the tour or find a better guide. I don’t think you can take private guides in there; we were in a huge group with a guide that was very lackluster.

Quality of Experience

The Stars are for the time after Ourzazate.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day with the Locals in the Valley of Roses

Morocco

Really enjoyed this day. Went to the market; went to the village. Had a very interesting tour with Sharon’s husband and a wonderful, wonderful young woman learning to be a guide. There had been a funeral in the village so we didn’t cook, but participated in a lovely tea ceremony and had a great meal. Really interesting day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Really enjoyed the young woman guide and hope you continue to use her more.

Transport

Merzouga to Dades Valley Via Todgha Gorge

Morocco

The stop to see the Khattara was remarkable. The gorge was also lovely.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fes to Merzouga via Azrou and Midelt

Morocco

Beautiful drive.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

Superb. Guide was outstanding. Tour of Jewish quarter was remarkable; tour of outside of palace; Medina, lunch all wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Syed was amazing.

Transport

{{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Volubilis and Meknes

Morocco

Drive was long. Tour at Volubilis was adequate; guide was adequate. Very quick drive through Meknes. Beautiful vistas and views. Good stops for rest and snacks.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver is always good. Guide was adequate.

Transport

Orientation Walk & Free Afternoon in Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen

Loved Chefchaouen. Loved our guide. This should be a must see for anyone traveling to Morocco.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was amazing!

Rabat to Chefchaouen

Morocco

Ali provided good information about the drive. We stopped for breaks. We also stopped at an olive processing plant which was so interesting. Loved the stop when we entered the city for the view and photos.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Guided Tour of Rabat

Rabat

Superb quide. I really appreciated the attention the team paid to having diverse quides—including women guides.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

See comments about our van.

Driving Tour of Casablanca

Casablanca

The mosque was really special and enjoyed seeing it. See comments below. Our time in Casablanca was more of a drive through than a tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our van for the whole time was comfortable. AC worked very well.