Under Moroccan Sun

We are a family of four (two adults and a teenage boy and girl) and all of us had an amazing time during our stay in Morocco, thanks to the thoughtful itinerary Maryem put together and everyone involved in making us feel so welcome. Ismail, our driver, deserves special mention: he made us feel safe on every journey, shared wonderful insights along the way, and was always thoughtful about the family's comfort, whether making quick stops or offering guidance on the best places to eat and shop.

One of the highlights of the trip was our cooking class. The preparation was outstanding, the family who hosted us was so welcoming, the food was delicious, and the dining room setting was stunning. We spent a beautiful afternoon sharing stories and learning together over a wonderful meal.

Our camping stay in the Agafay desert was stunning and exactly the right change of pace after a couple of lively days in Marrakech. And our time in Essaouira offered a perfect retreat of sea, sand, and culture at a more relaxed rhythm. Ismail's recommendations there were excellent, and we loved strolling along the beach each evening on our way back to the Riad.

The accommodations Maryem selected were wonderful — beautiful, clean, and perfectly sized for the whole family. Breakfast at every hotel and Riad was delicious and the perfect start to each day.

In short, our five days in Morocco were truly unforgettable. The locations, accommodations, activities, and people who made it all possible were absolute top class, and I'd highly recommend them to anyone planning a trip to this incredible part of the world.

I'll definitely trust Kim Kim again for future travels — whether back to Morocco or elsewhere. Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Riad Chbanate

Essaouira

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alkamar Camp

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hôtel & Ryads Barrière Le Naoura

Marrakech

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Cooking Class with local chef

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

After attempting to book a vacation to Morocco ourselves, we realized that we were slightly out of our depth. Finding detailed information was hard, so we ended up contacting multiple travel organizations to get quotes and analyze their suggestions. One individual stood out among the rest - Majid. Majid was the most responsive tour planner we've ever encountered. He was quick to respond, and he always addressed the details or issues we had. We can't say enough good things about our trip - it was magical.

Speaking of being unable to say enough good things, we can't say enough good things about our driver and sometimes tour guide, Moha. He was incredibly detail-oriented, always flexible, and always put us ahead of his own interests. In fact, we can honestly say that his only concern was whether or not we were having a good time. From start to finish, he literally took care of everything. When we wanted to change something on a whim, he made it happen and never gave us any indication that it was not possible. And you never had to ask him for something twice - he always remembers. When we went to Merzouga, he was kind enough to show us the local market, and we even had the opportunity to have lunch with his family! It's those personal touches that make things so special. If you plan a trip to Morocco via Majid, ask for Moha - he's the kind of guide that makes you want to come back on vacation, so long as you get him again as your guide. And if you are lucky enough to get him as your guide, Inshallah, be sure to take his suggestions along the way based on the timing, weather, etc, as my wife and I said throughout the trip, "In Moha We Trust."

Finally, we would be remiss if we didn't mention some of the local guides that we met throughout our experience. This is another nice touch to what Majid plans and Moha organizes: a local guide who lives in the place you are touring. Nabil gave us the perfect introduction to Morocco in Rabat, providing us with a detailed, rich history of the country's capital. Abdou gave us a tour of the Roman City of Volubilis, highlighting its most important architectural features and mosaics (and kindly gave my wife his hat, which she still wears to shade her on a sunny day). Hakim masterfully navigated us through the maze-like medina in Fes on a historical and food tour, ending at a community oven where we had freshly baked Moroccan pizza. Finally, if you are lucky enough to have a stopover in Dades or the surrounding area, be sure to go on a long hike with Mohamed, a local who knows the area like the back of his hand, is impossibly kind, and loves his job.

This was a truly unforgettable experience, and thanks to all those involved!

Thanks so much to Majid for his patience in helping us create a fantastic trip and itinerary.

Special thanks and appreciation for Khalid, who was super fantastic! He always had a smile, was super helpful and insightful about local culture and history, provided great insights everywhere we went and ensured a fantastic experience for us. He was invaluable and helped to really make the experience special and unforgettable.

I cannot adequately put into words how fantastic our 12 Day Moroccan trip was for my daughter, 23, and me, from the planning stage with Maryem to being dropped off at the Casablanca airport by Ziad at the end. We ventured to Rabat, Tangier, Chefchouen, Fez, Merzouga, Ait Ouffi, Marrakech, and Casablanca, and even with all of that, it was not enough; I need to go back and explore even more of this wonderful country.
It all started when I stumbled across the Kim Kim site while attempting to plan the trip on my own. My daughter created a profile, and the next thing I knew, Maryem was assigned as our travel planner. She put together an outstanding package for us, capturing everything we wanted and making the process so much fun! She encouraged feedback and changes and gave advice when solicited. We changed a couple of the riads to ones we found, and I regret not using the one she originally selected for us in Marrakech.
Maryem built an incredible journey for us through Morocco, allowing us to experience the diversity of the country; my daughter and I felt the love she poured into designing our adventure. After everything was planned, she provided tips to help us, and then we kept in contact with her throughout the trip. She is a sweet and amazing lady who stole a piece of our hearts.
Ziad, our driver & travel manager! Oh my goodness, he made this trip spectacular for us, and we will forever be grateful to have him assigned to take us on this grand adventure. He was so much more than a driver for us; he was our protector, translator, storyteller, and ultimately, our friend. Ziad was a true professional as he navigated the roads, arranged meetups with our tour guides in various cities, made suggestions for stops along the way based on our conversations, and helped us get situated at our riads. We absolutely adore Ziad!
We stayed in 6 riads, 1 hotel, and a luxury camp. Our #1 rated lodging was Dar Rihana Dades in Ait Ouffi in Dades Gorge. It was the perfect setting with an amazing view, a beautiful and spacious room and bathroom, a comfortable bed, delicious dinner and breakfast, and a very welcoming and personable host. Our next favorite riad was the stunning Riad Nila in Chefchouen, and our 3rd was Riad Kalaa in Rabat, with a beautiful courtyard and delicious food.
The Tiziri Luxury Camp in the Sahara Desert was a wonderful experience with a camel ride, stopping to watch the sunset, dinner, and traditional music afterwards.
We had two amazing and passionate tour guides during our journey: Othman in Rabat, who has never met a stranger, and then Mountain (Mohamed), our hiking guide in Dades Valley, who welcomed us into his home for a meal with his family.

Hotel Reviews

Tiziri Luxury Camp

Merzouga

What a fun experience to camp out in the Sahara Desert! We were offered the choice of riding on a camel out to the camp or riding in a vehicle. We chose the camel, and it took about two hours, with a stop to watch the sunset. We arrived and had a delicious dinner, followed by traditional music afterwards around a fire. The tent was very spacious, and the bathroom was much more than what I expected for tent life. The staff was fantastic! We met with them down at the bottom before our ride up to the camp, and then they fed and entertained us into the night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casablanca Marriott Hotel

Casablanca

This is a beautiful new hotel with very comfy bedding. The staff were very friendly, and we enjoyed our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palais Zahia

Old Medina, Tangier

This riad was in the middle of the medina, a perfect location for exploring the town. It had lots of character and charm.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ryad Salama

Fes

What a beautiful riad in Fez! The hosts were very welcoming, and the courtyard was gorgeous with lush vegetation, a fountain, and a pool. The room was huge with beautiful stained glass windows.

Authenticity & Character

We loved the stained glass windows in our room and bathroom, and it was the most beautiful courtyard of all the ones we stayed in over 12 days there. The bathroom had an incredible sunken tub & shower.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

This riad was so very clean and lovely and served amazing food. My only complaint is that these were the hardest beds during our trip. I probably could have asked for a mattress topper, but I didn't even think about it at the time. I found an extra blanket in the closet and used that as a mattress pad for two nights.

Riad Kalaa

Rabat

This was our first experience staying in a riad, and we loved it. The staff were very friendly and gave us our first mint tea and cookies in Morocco, which I came to love. The room we stayed in was beautiful, as was the courtyard and patio on the roof. The food was exceptional at dinner and lovely at breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Riad Nila

Chefchaouen

This riad was simply stunning with its elegance, neutral color patterns, and numerous nooks and crannies to explore, including multiple patio levels overlooking the gorgeous town; I would recommend it to anyone staying in Chefchouen.

Authenticity & Character

The design of the hotel is spectacular and simply beautiful.

Location

Very easy to get to and the views from the room and the patio were wonderful.

Staff

Everyone we encountered was very nice.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dar Rihana Dades

Douar Aït Ouffi

Of the 8 places we stayed in during our 12-day adventure, this was our favorite one. It is located in the perfect setting with an amazing view, and it was so calm and peaceful; I could have stayed there for much longer and was sad to leave the area. The room was beautifully appointed, serene and spacious, had very comfortable beds and a large and lovely bathroom. Dar Rihana Dades provided delicious breakfasts and dinners in a lovely dining room, with quantities of food that made you groan, but you kept eating because it was so good. And as wonderful as all of this was, it was made even better by the very welcoming and personable host, who also served our meals and entertained all the guests with his charm and wit.

Authenticity & Character

The colors throughout the riad are simple and elegant, and the walls are adorned with captivating portraits. The rooms and bathrooms are beautifully designed, the patio areas have lovely wrought iron railings and spiral stairs. The pool is a stunning blue, very clean and the lounge area around it is large and well laid out.

Location

The riad is located in the lush, green Dades Valley, surrounded by terracotta colored hills. The view here was by far the best one we had. I fell in love with the serenity of the area, and we went hiking with a guide while there.

Staff

Everyone at Dar Rihana Dades was very welcoming and happy, but none more so than Mohamed. He greeted us with a huge smile when we arrived, brought our luggage to our rooms, and served us breakfast and dinner; I'm not sure when he sleeps! As he moved around the dining room, he easily conversed with all of the guests, making everyone comfortable with his wit and charm, making us smile and laugh. I had gotten hurt before arriving at the riad, and during dinner I asked if we could move to a table near the window because I was starting to feel light-headed. He quickly moved us and opened the windows on both sides of the room for a cross breeze. He checked on me repeatedly to ensure I was okay, and at the end of the meal he brought me ice for my swollen lip. In addition, each day he would check in with the guests to see if we slept well and if there was anything we needed. While the quality of the Dar was outstanding, Mohamed's attention to the guests made it an even better experience. Oh, and whenever we were out on the main patio, he would bring us refreshing ginger and orange juice drinks.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Not only was the riad very clean and beautifully decorated, it smelled so good in the lobby/lounge area; I commented on it to my daughter each time we passed through it. As for the beds, of the 8 places we stayed in while venturing around Morocco, these were the most cozy and comfortable. It turns out Moroccans like their beds more firm than I'm used to, so it was very pleasant to fall deeply asleep in a nice cozy and comfortable bed.

Activity Reviews

Tangier to Chefchaouen: Hercules Caves, Tetouan & the Rif Mountains

Morocco

It was a beautiful drive from Tangier to Chefchouen! We made numerous stops along the way with our phenomenal driver/travel manager, Ziad. We had fun at the Hercules Caves, getting dressed up in traditional clothing.

Guided Tour of Tangier

Tangier

We liked our guide, Kalid, a.k.a. Columbo. He was very nice, but I would have liked to explore more of Tangier and not just the medina. He was very sweet and did take us to a nice restaurant to grab a bite to eat because we were so hungry; maybe this took away from our tour time and from exploring more with him.

Rabat to Tangier with Guided Tour in Both Cities

Morocco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ziad, our driver & travel manager! Oh my goodness, he made this trip spectacular for us, and we will forever be grateful to have him assigned to take us on this grand adventure. He was so much more than a driver for us; he was our protector, translator, storyteller, and ultimately, our friend. Ziad was a true professional as he navigated the roads, arranged meetups with our tour guides in various cities, made suggestions for stops along the way based on our conversations, and helped us get situated at our riads. We absolutely adore Ziad!

Transport

Half-Day Private Sightseeing Tour in Rabat

Rabat

Osman (Othman) was our tour guide, and we loved him! He was so personable and knowledgeable about the history of Rabat. He smiled, laughed, knew everyone throughout the city, and shared his passion for his town with us. I highly recommend him to anyone visiting Rabat.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our personal driver and travel manager, Ziad, made the trip throughout Morocco amazing.

Youssef our driver was incrediable. He was on top of everything and ensured our trip was top of the line. Youssef well portrayed the culture he represented by his honesty, compassion and willingness to go out of the way so that our trip was perfect.
We appreciated the families we had dinner with . The dinners were a special occasion for us to meet new people