Original Travels Co

Omar, our driver, was incredible. He was warm, kind, and professional -- he kept us safe, fed, and laughing the entire time! He was knowledgeable about every place we went to, and so kindly shared his culture with us. We couldn't imagine being there without him. Will 100% recommend him and Original Travels to all of our friends in the states!

This was our first time in Morocco and we loved it! The tour agency did an excellent job picking out the itinerary and Riad hotels. Our favorite Riads were in Chefchauen, Fes, and Marrakech. They really stood out in quality and service! We had a great driver Ilyace who spoke perfect English and was so helpful! Besides driving us, he did little extras, like finding us the safest ATM bank machines and even found a local laundry service. He always kept in touch with us as to when and where he would drop us off and pick us up. It was a very relaxing trip and the we saw the highlights of Morocco in 14 days. All of the optional tours were also wonderful! We loved the Hammans and the cooking class in Marrakesh. Maison D'Arabe did a great job!! Hiking to the Falls in Imlil and Ourika Falls was also fun! Morocco is a beautiful country with such a diverse landscape. The people are so friendly and we felt very welcomed.

Hotel Reviews

Riad Kalaa 2

Rabat

We only stayed one night here. We loved the decor but we weren't happy with the restaurant they recommended. Since it was our first night, we wished we could had advance reservations at the hotel restaurant. We were tired after a long flight and it would have been nice to have been able to eat there.

Authenticity & Character

The Riad was a bit dark. However we only spent one night there.

Location

Again, we only spent one night. The decor was very authentic.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Jnane Imlil

Imlil, Asni Marrakech

Beautiful decor. It was a bit out of the way to get to. However, Lucy the mule was a great help. The dinner was excellent and I'm glad we could eat at the hotel because I didn't want to go out to eat since it was not an easy place to walk around at night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

I wish it wasn't so difficult to get to. However it was in a beautiful setting. Our room faced a small waterfall.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Yes We Camp

Marrakech

We only stayed one night. There weren't a lot of tourists. It was almost empty. It rained hard the first night, so we didn't do the camel ride. Unless you did the 4 wheel ATV or camel ride, there wasn't much to do. It was a beautiful setting but again there wasn't much to do there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

We didn't have much hot water. The hot water in the shower only lasted about 5 minutes then it went cold.

Lina Ryad & Spa

Chefchaouen

This was a beautiful Riad. The Riad gave us the top floor where we had a wonderful view of the city. The staff was very nice and made reservations for us. I had my first Hamman at the Riad.

Location

We loved the decor and that it was quiet and relaxing.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Maison Bleue And Spa

Fes

This was the most beautiful Riad on our trip! The service was excellent! The rooms were spacious and beautiful! The staff was wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

I loved the decor. Beautiful color. It was easy to find.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Barceló Casablanca

Casablanca

It was ok. It could have been any hotel in the States. Again we only stayed one night so it was fine for one night. It did have a nice breakfast buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

The staff wasn't very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Le Pèlerin

Marrakech

It's a nice, small intimate Riad. Beautiful decor. Wonderful staff. We stayed there for a total of 4 nights so we had the chance to get to know the staff. There was only 3 men that we met. They were very friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

They were short staffed, so one of the times we stayed, they weren't able to help us with our luggage. That was the only negative. The one person at the front had to do everything, greet guests, serve breakfast and also be the porter. Perhaps they should hire a porter when the hotel is busy.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were all clean and very comfortable. We enjoyed the breakfast and they even gave us a key when we went out in the evening.

Riad Mimouna

Essaouira

The staff was wonderful; however there wasn't in room safe so we kept our passports at the front desk. The breakfast was wonderful and Essaouira is beautiful and a relaxing place for 3 nights. I found the rooms to be a bit dark.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The Medinas are like a maze. It's a bit difficult at first to get around; especially when it is crowded.

Staff

The staff were friendly and very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Chefchaoeun to Fez via Volubilis, Moulay Idriss & Meknes

Morocco

It was a wonderful tour and we learned so much about the Romans in Morocco,. It is well worth visiting.

Quality of Experience

We loved the cooking school in Marrakesh and the Hamman experience. I wouldn't recommend the Hamman in Marrakesh. It was too crowded and so busy. We loved the Hamman in Essaouria. It was called the Dar L'Oussia spa and hotel. That one was the best. If you have a small group, I would recommend a private Hamman at a hotel. It's just more relaxing and quiet. The one in Marrakesh was very touristy!! When your guest are preparing their trip, I would warn them about Ramadan. Driving long distances during Ramadan isn't too easy as well as finding shops and gas stations open in the smaller, rural areas.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our drive Ilyace was wonderful. Spoke great English, no accent. We had a great local guide in Fes. All of the local guides were great!

Transport

Wonderful, comfortable SUV . It was just my husband and I. However the driver was great and stopped when we needed to. It was a bit difficult during Ramadan to find a service station open.

Guided Tour of Fez Medina

Fes

We had a wonderful guide. He was young and had a great sense of humor.

Quality of Experience

The people in Morocco are very friendly. We felt safe and didn't feel threatened by pick pockets. However we were always careful. What I disliked the most were the mopeds and motorcycles in the Medinas. They were loud and obnoxious always honking at the pedestrians. I wish they would ban them in the Medinas.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The car was clean and comfortable and we had an excellent driver.

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Dine with a Local Family

Morocco

The family that hosted us were wonderful. The son, our host spoke very good English. The food was delicious and very authentic. They took time explaining the food and the customs in a typical Berber family. It was a great experience!!

Quality of Experience

Transport

Visit Majorelle Gardens

Morocco

Beautiful gardens. I'm glad we went toward the end of the day. It was very crowded.

Quality of Experience

Three Hour Cooking Workshop at La Maison Arabe

Marrakesh

The restaurant staff did a great job! We loved the set up and equipment. They did great job explaining Moroccan cooking and ingredients.

Quality of Experience

A Relaxing Hammam Experience: The Art of Moroccan Wellness

Morocco

It was a great experience; however it was so touristy. I could see they appealed to the mass tourists groups.

Quality of Experience

Guided Mule Trek in Toubkal National Park

Morocco

Mostly walked up to the Falls and rode the Mule down.

Quality of Experience

Transport

We loved Lucy our mule. She was very sweet.

Guided Tour of Essaouira

Essaouira

We love Essaouira and visiting the Jewish synagogue was fascinating. I didn't know that Morocco had a large Jewish community.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nice guide! He was very informative

Original Travels (Hamza and Said) made the booking of and in-country experience incredibly easy and enjoyable for our trip to Morocco. Everyone was so polite and cared for our comfort every step of the way. We had a few local guides throughout our 9 day trip that were very knowledgeable, polite, and showed us places we would not have found on our own. Our accomodations were excellent everywhere we went. But best of all was our driver Tayeb who immediately became part of our journey. He was certainly professional and made sure our transfers were comfortable and the experience we wanted, but he enriched the adventure with great conversations, sharing so much knowledge about Morocco both historical and present, and we left feeling like he was a close friend.we highly recommend asking for Tayeb if you travel to Morocco!!

We had a good trip, we enjoyed Morocco, and received excellent service from KimKim. Our local guides were all excellent. Sharif in Fez was highly knowledgeable and professional. The guide who took care of us on our camel trek was so friendly and helpful. We do not recall the name of the two guides who helped us on the ATV trek. They were fantastic. We were not accomplished at driving through sand and they helped us constantly and with good cheer. Sa'id led us on a hike through the 'monkey fingers' near Dades. He knew a lot about the area and was exuberant. That hike is listed in the itinerary as 'easy' and we were a bit concerned that it would not hold our attention as all 4 of us are accomplished hikers. The hike was NOT easy. We walked up-stream and over rocks and boulders. Perhaps Sa'id could see we were excited by a challenge and took us on that route. It was perfect! We needed a bit of help up some of the taller rocks, but all of us enjoyed our experience greatly. Our next local guide was Oosama in Marakesh. He was excellent, knew his history and territory, helpful, and showed us many things.

Our driver/guide was a very nice young man. Your itinerary suggested that our driver would be knowlegable but might have little English language skills. We found his English to be excellent. We landed during Eid and could not visit the great Mosque, so we had excellent alternatives. We visited the Chellah archaeological site. But Samah did not really know about either. He explained we should just enter and walk about. A local guide would have been far more helpful in framing and orienting things. The second stop, which included an excellent place to have lunch, was the Chellah site. Of course our driver could not come with us, but he was also unfamiliar with the site. We were told we would have to buy tickets, but we did not know why or for what. I'm not sure he knew. As it ended up, the Chellah site was absolutely perfect. The archaeological digs were explained in a guided recording and were very interesting. The gardens were nice, and lunch was excellent. But we had no way of knowing any of this before being asked to pay an entry fee. We understand that a driver is not a guide, but perhaps Kim Kim should sponsor the drivers to visit the sites so they know what to tell tourists. The same issue arose when we did visit the Mosque in Casablanca at the end of the trip. Samah had not been there, he took us inside but they would not allow him to buy our tickets (perhaps as he is not a registered guide) but after he handed us entry funds we were really confused about what to do. The ticket seller didn't help at all. We didn't know the museum was right there and free and we could see things while we waited for our formal tour. The formal tour was oddly organized (herding all different language speakers into the same group until we got inside the Mosque itself.) It would have been great to know that. My sense is that Samah will be an excellent driver/guide with a bit of help from Kim Kim in visiting the sites himself, and as he learns more about how tourists think.

The hotels were nice. The food was excellent. The Dades hotel was especially excellent. The staff did everything possible to make our stay wonderful. We did have real issues with the hotel in Marakesh, but a call to Sa'id, our local contact, and everything seemed to be taken care of. Sa'id was really helpful both before and during our trip. He helped make it a great experience.

Hotel Reviews

Orient Desert Camp

Merzouga

The staff are incredibly kind and helpful. The tents are well designed and spacious.

Authenticity & Character

There were rugs covering the central court, that also had tables and ottomans in the central area. The staff provided evening entertainment around a camp fire.

Location

Our arrival was riding a camel through the dunes as the sun was setting. Quite the expirience.

Staff

Always ready to make the experience excellant.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Braya

FesfE

The staff at this Riad go above and beyond to be helpful and provide a lot of information. The rooms are very unique and well appointed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

This place was absolutely amazing! It is very well appointed. The staff are incredible, a level of service that is way beyond expectations. The food is spectacular! From the welcome tea and cookies, through breakfast and dinner, the flavors and presentation were amazing. They were exceptionally accommodating for food preferences and made alternative dishes.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Optimal for seeing all of the interesting points in this area.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The staff work very hard on keeping all public and private areas clean. It was spotless.

Palais Sebban

Marrakech

This is a larger Riad then others that we have stayed in. There were a lot of activities happening when we arrived. Upon checking in at all other riads we were warmly greeted and and had a nice welcome. No such warm welcome was made checking in to the Palais Sebban. It set the tone for our visit.

Authenticity & Character

The decorations were amazing the carved plaster, tile mosaics and painted wood gave you a good sense of how these homes were original appointed.

Location

Staff

The first two staff members that we interacted with were horrific. They were inpatient and took actions that we specifically did not want them to do on our behalf. The remainder of our stay the staff were helpful- but with the ability to provide and overall rating, the weak staff pull down the rating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was near a banquet room and the noise was quite a challenge. There was a wall of windows and doors that faced the inner courtyard with a set of stairs that were used to get to other rooms. The window coverings were inadequate to provide privacy. The room was equipped with a dehumidifier and three aroma diffusers. The scents were overwhelming. The sitting area had authentic furniture but was in need of repair.

Activity Reviews

Arrive in Casablanca, Visit Hassan II Mosque, Transfer to Fes via Rabat

Morocco

Underwhelming experience. Chaotic purchase of tickets and lack luster guided tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Tour of Fez Medina

Fes

Sharif was quite knowledgeable and he paced the tour so we all could enjoy different aspects that interested us..

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Samed was able to meet us at each transfer point and made seeing all of the sites very easy.

Fes to Merzouga Sunset Camel Ride via Midelt & Erfoud

Morocco

The camel ride and sunset were wonderful. The ride was long, with a couple of quick stops to see the monkeys and the fossil exhibit.

ATV Ride in the Dunes of Merzouga

Merzouga

An amazing experience not to be missed. The guides were great at assisting us if we got stuck. They provided a snowboard to try on the dunes. They took picture and videos. We enjoyed the adventure.

Quality of Experience

It was fun and excting.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Two guides were knowledgeable, kind and helpful.

A Taste of History at Dar El Bacha

Marrakesh

Great guide, but very very crowded. Best to view if you have an interest in the architecture of the period.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Transfer from Merzouga to Boumalne Dades via Tinghir & Todra Gorge

Morocco

Live Like a Real Nomad: A Caravan Trek in the Sahara

Merzouga

Hike through Berber Villages

Morocco

The hike along a river bed (after a rain) was challenging. We loved it. The views were spectacular, the guide was helpful, and we exerted ourselves just right. We hiked on for lunch at a local home. It was a great experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boumalne Dades to Marrakech via Ouarzazate & Aït Benhaddou

Morocco

There was a lot to see on this very long ride. We stopped for lunch, which was ok. We skipped the movie studio. Our stops at the argan oil and rose oil places were more sales than informational. We did two very different kasbahs where we had excellent guides and learned about the history and architecture of the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Our guide was excellent and helped us to see and understand many things. A highlight was peeking inside a bakery where people bring their own mixed dough to be baked in a huge oven. Marrakech is a chaotic place. It is good to see it with someone who knows where they are going and why it is interesting to see certain things.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Great Day,

My experience with KimKim and my specialist agent Mr. Said was more than I had expected! From time I corresponded with him via email and WhatsApp was beyond excellent customer service! He listen to my request and my changes to the itinerary and we came up with an excellent trip plan for my Birthday! He even title my itinerary Mary’s Birthday Culture & Adventure! Which was a Wonderful touch it made me feel very special! With everything going on in the world he even reassured me that Marrakesh was safe and if I didn’t feel comfortable about traveling right now that I could reschedule (top notch service) ! I decided to take my trip and I’m glad I did! From the schedule pick up at the Airport with Amead whom was very kind, gracious and patient! He took us to a restaurant for a light breakfast and a park near our Riad to visit while we waited for the time of check in! He was Amazing! Our next guide was Mr. Abdul which took us on our Food Tour which was absolutely delicious, he was very informative of the culture and food, he listened to us concerning food consumption and delivered! We also had me Abdul for our Culture and Shopping tour which we experienced a lot and purchased some great items! He got us in a Restaurant for lunch which we truly enjoyed! Mr. Jamal was with us for 3 days in the mountains, the desert and back in Marrakesh! Mr. Jamal has a kind spirit, he is very patient and makes you feel safe and comfortable! I can truly call him my brother, he provided the best service that I could have ever experienced! I can go on and on about how wonderful Mr. Jamal is, you will have to book his services to experience it for yourself! Kim Kim Travel you are blessed to have him in you community! Mr. Jamal is a jewel! If you are looking for a solid team to take care of all your travel needs in this beautiful country in Morocco please choose Kim Kim Travel, trust me you won’t be disappointed ! This is a professional service provider that will take care of all your needs! We have been blown away by the services provided and you will be too! Blessing, Mary Richburg (USA)

Booking with Kimkim was easy. Mohamed and Said, our main contacts, helped with the planning and were flexible on our schedule and what we wanted to see. Our primary driver, Karim, was amazing! We learned a lot about the Imazighen (free people) from him. Our trip started during the last days of Ramadan and many places were closed but we still got to do a lot, including an extra, unplanned stop at Chellah in Rabat. It was one of the many highlights of this trip. Karim also recommended and drove us to several different restaurants that were wonderful, including one that had a fun show with various musicians, dancer, and magician. In Fez, our local guide patiently took us to many different tradespeople and sites within the Medina. Because of Eid al-Fitr, several tradespeople were off but we still had a wonderful day and I especially enjoyed the serenity and beauty of the mosque we were allowed to enter. In Marrakech, we ended up with a substitute guide, Charma Ouammi, that Karim recommended when our original local guide got sick. Charma was the best and we were extremely happy the substitution and with Karim for the recommendation. We definitely want to come back and spend even more time in Marrakech and the Atlas mountains.

Activity Review

Half-Day Guided Tour of Marrakech

Marrakesh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Karim was patient and informative

The trip was excellent overall.
Trip coordinator did a superb job and was always available to solve any problem or small change we required.
Our driver was incredibly nice and had a great attitude and was always very kind.
Thank you very much for a great trip!