Morocco Immersion Tours and Adventures

Fabulous trip! Our tour manager/driver Ahmed was very professional and personable. Local guides in all locations spoke very good English and were very knowledgeable. Accommodations varied but were all comfortable and safe. Highlights included camel ride to desert camp, tour of Volubilis, and lunch with locals in the Valley of the Roses.

Hotel Review

Hôtel & Ryads Barrière Le Naoura

Marrakech

Great place to end our trip! Suite gave us room to spread out and organize our stuff, amenities included in room coffee and tea, minibar and large closet with iron. Huge bathroom suite provided bathrobes and slippers, plus there was a half bath. Beds were very comfortable and we enjoyed spending time on the double balcony overlooking the pool. Included breakfast buffet had wide variety of sweet and savory items, lunch and dinner menus were also extensive and all items were delicious. There is also a bar which also provides service to the pool.

Authenticity & Character

Decor is chrome, black, white, red and tan. Not especially Moroccon but very nice.

Location

Right next to Craft complex which had a great variety of items that were also found in the souk. Ten minute walk to medina entrance and short drive or longer walk to Majorelle Garden.

Staff

Restaurant staff were great, also concierge staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were great, daily housekeeping, nice towels.

Activity Reviews

Dades Valley to Marrakech via Ait Ben Haddou

Morocco

Very interesting place, local guide Hatima (sp?) was born there and took me to her former home! She knew a lot of the ancient and more recent history, and took me to great photo opportunity sites, even took some photos of me.

Guided Tour of Fes

Fes

Guide was good but felt I didn't get a sense of the Medina other than the 2 shops (clothing & leather/tannery - which was interesting) where we went. Granted it was raining and maybe there weren't open air stalls there but would have liked to have seen more. The clothing shop, Maison du Kaftan, was wildly overpriced - a shirt I was originally quoted for at MAD 1600 and for which I paid 800 MAD I later saw in Marrakech for 200 MAD. I understand I didn't have to buy it but want to put out a buyer beware warning as this was early in our trip, we were tired, not familiar with currency conversion nor what things cost. Good think I like the shirt!

Overall we were happy with the experiences we had on our trip. During the planning process, Nihad was receptive to my ideas and answered my questions. Our driver/tour manager Mo was very professional, punctual (other than when first picking us up from the airport, but that was because he was not provided the most up to date arrival time), and knowledgeable.

1. The hotel stays that Nihad booked us in were below our expectations. I suspect though, that there are not a lot of options for stays outside of Marrakesch. Each hotel was clean and staff were very hospitable and friendly, and so we very much appreciated those positive attributes. Many of the stays did not have basics such as shampoo or shower soap, including the "luxury desert camp" that we stayed in. Since we pack light, we don't travel with our own shampoo or soap, so not having it available in the hotel is a disappointment.

2. We did not find out until the end of the trip how extraordinarily expensive the taxi ride from the airport to our first hotel was. Nihad arranged a taxi ride (it ended up being our trip driver/trip manager) that would cost $50 USD. Well, at the end of the trip from the same area in the medina, we booked our ride through our hotel to the airport and it was only $20 USD. I eventually saw on social media afterwards that a reasonable price is 100 Dirhams (equivalent to $10 USD). Therefore, the $50 USD we were charged was exceptionally more expensive. If Nihad does not know this, please let her know so that future guests are not charged that much.

3. Our city tour/food tour with Hussein was a nice overview of the city, visiting a lot of the highlights of the city. The food part of the tour was not enjoyable, but understandably authentic. The last restaurant served us dirty utensils to eat with so that left us with a bad taste with regards to the food part of the trip. Hussein though was very friendly and knowledgeable. I would just suggest perhaps cleaner restaurant options if possible.

4. For tours driving to different cities, drive time estimates ahead of time would be nice (could just include that on the itinerary shared with the guest ahead of time) so we can be prepared.

5. Slightly disappointed we could not do the camel ride on the way back from our desert camp. According to the camp, we were supposed to have "reserved " it when we started the camel ride to the desert camp but we were never told that when we took that camel ride- it would have been nice to have known that up front.

Again, overall, it was a wonderful cultural experience. In retrospect knowing what I know now, I would probably book my own hotels and ask more questions before the trip. It's hard to know though when one has never been to a country to know what questions to ask.

From start to finish our Morocco experience was one to remember. Nihad was professional and prompt with any questions or actions required. The hotels and riads we stayed in were fascinating and well chosen, particularly for location. Our city guides were informative and knowledgeable and helped us understand the cities and sites we visited. We had two drivers, and the second one in particular, Abelhadi, made us feel welcome and our long journeys safe and enjoyable. Moroccan hospitality is warm and we would love to explore it more.

Morocco is a remarkable country, and we had an amazing adventure. The costs were reasonable, the communications before the trip easy and complete, the guides were fantastic. Specially, I greatly appreciate the guidance from our driver and trip manager, Ayoub. He was much more than a great driver. Ayoub was a fountain of information about Morocco and Moroccans. It was wonderful getting to know him and to spend many hours in the van with him. We were lucky to have him as our guide from beginning to end. The local guides were also all quite amazing. Hisham in Marrakesh, Omar in Imlil, and Rasheed in Fes were all superb guides. They were all so intimately connected to their communities, excellent at communicating with us, and deep sources of knowledge and understanding about the history, culture, contemporary society, and places to visit. I consider them teachers as well as guides.

When I travel, I want to learn about the country and the people. But, of course, one can learn only so much about a country in a little more than a week. Nevertheless, through their guidance, Nihad, Ayoub, and our local guides provided an experience that gave me a much better understanding of Morocco and Moroccans. I hope to return in the future.

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