Sharon put together the perfect itinerary for us. After that, it was smooth sailing. Ahmed, our lovely driver, met us at the Casablanca airport as planned, and it was game on from there. I can't remember exactly the names of all the people we interacted with, but every one of them was amazing!!!
Our guide in Casablanca was so nice to us, very knowledgeable, and gave us a great tour. Then off to Rabat, where again our guide was super sweet and knowledgeable, and the tour was great.
Sayeed is the best as he took us all through the various parts of Fez allowing us to experience the old city and its neighborhoods and Souqs, the pottery coop, the tannery, and many, many other fascinating structures. Everything about our time in Fez was wonderful, and it is our family's favorite city to explore. Plus, since we are a family who like cats, it was heartening to watch Sayeed interact with and feed many of the cats on our tours - they love him too!
Ikram - what's to say about the most beautiful person we had the opportunity to spend time with. She is my daughter Megan's "twin flame" and they continue to chat. Ikram and her entire family were the sweetest and most welcoming ever ... who does that? Well, they do. We love them! We don't remember the name of the young woman who gave us a tour of the ruins, but she was so kind, and we loved that she was trying so hard to learn English.
Abdul was so very kind in giving us a tour of the 'Valley' - and how he remembers the most intricate details of the area's history is far beyond us, but we so very appreciate his passion for the history, the land and the people. Hakeem, our Marrakesh guide, was also super knowledgeable, and we loved the tour. He also connected the dots on how everyone is related which was both fascinating and helpful to better understand the people and culture of Morocco.
The family consensus of our top memories are the Sahara (riding camels, atv's, glamping, sunrise/sunset), the Valley of Roses with Ikrams family (the experience with Ikram was such a genuine experience with Moroccan culture and hospitality), and the souqs in Marrakech - they were definitely fun to explore.
However, none of that compares to Ahmed ... he is a very kind, smart, compassionate person who did everything he could to make us feel comfortable, safe and welcome. We very much appreciated his driving skills since we weren't exactly prepared for the drivers of Morocco (much crazier than those in the States!). And because of his deep love for his family and his Valley, we feel a close bond to him , his family and the Valley as well. We hope so much that Ahmed fulfils his dream of visiting the United States someday, and we hope even more that he takes the time to visit us in Cincinnati.
A big thanks to everyone who helped make our dream vacation the most heartwarming, educational, eye-opening and fantastic journey ever.
Hotel Reviews
Riad Nesma Suites & SPA
Medina, Marrakech
This was an outstanding hotel for us to end our trip. Its location is perfect for exploring Marrakesh.
Kasbah Tiziri
Kelaat Mgouna
Just when you think the hotels can't get any better, you stay here and are treated by the kindest people. The garden area was beautifully kept, the breakfasts were so yummy, and the rooms were spacious and clean.
Sahara Stars Luxury Camp
Merzouga
I half expected to see something from my Boy Scouting days, but boy was I blown away at these accommodations. I'd never heard the term 'glamping' before ... now I understand.
Best staff by far. Very welcoming and accommodating.
Staff
I was allowed to stand in the kitchen and watch breakfast being prepared. It was wonderful.
Activity Reviews
Private Cooking Class w/ Souk Tour
Morocco
The lunch was perhaps some of the best food we had. I'd like to think my family contributed a lot to that, but all the accolades go to the professionals who made the lunch incredibly special.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guided Tour of Marrakech
Marrakesh
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Dades Valley to Marrakech via Ait Ben Haddou
Morocco
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Day with the Locals in the Valley of Roses
Morocco
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Merzouga to Dades Valley Via Todgha Gorge
Morocco
Guides, Drivers and Staff
ATV Quad Tour of the Desert
Merzouga
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Fes to Merzouga via Ifraine and Azrou - Camel Trek to Desert Camp
Morocco
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Rabat to Fes via Volubilis and Meknes
Morocco
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Afternoon Guided Tour of Rabat
Rabat
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Arrive in Casablanca & Transfer to Rabat
Morocco
Guides, Drivers and Staff