Highlights of Morocco

141 Reviews

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  Paul
  Written on September 24, 2017

  3.0 - Average

  At first I thought I was on a pensioners outing but in fairness they where all fitter than me ? Anyway it started off fine then it came to the day in fez we walked around for hours but the only places they stopped where shops they wanted to show you never had time to do our own shopping then there was the hotel in the desert no air con it was very hot but the worst thing for me was the 5 kilometers walk into the village it's supposed to be a moderate walk well when you are not feeling very well it's not the thing to do I was not well but there was a lady very unwell but the leader never gave us an option of how to get there we just had to walk and to top it of there was a representative of Exodus with us and she never said a word in fact all she did was makes shore she had a window seat on the bus (you are supposed to swap around ) Amanda ? on the way to the cost it was an 11 hour trip but with 30 minutes before we got there yet another stop at a shop of there choice it all seemed a bit set-up the restaurants we went where expensive not as cheap as ones I found when we where on our own but over all if your pretty fit and can stay well then it a good place to visit

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  Danielle
  Written on March 3, 2017

  5.0 - Excellent

  This trip was amazing! A hassle free way to get involved in seeing Morocco off the beaten path as well as the main attractions all with a friendly local guide and amazing culture to experience!

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  Anonymous
  Written on October 23, 2013

  4.0 - Good

  A fantastic holiday experiencing Morocco. Many varied things to see and do.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?Riding a camel in the Sahara Desert, walking in the Atlas Mountains.What did you think of your group leader?Fantastic Mustaffa's knowledge was superb. Great company and nothing was too much trouble.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Tummy problems hit nearly all of us so take the advice given and go prepared. Travel light you do not need much.Is there anything else you would like to add?Just go and enjoy it all you will not regret it.
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  Anonymous
  Written on October 22, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  If you wish to have an insight in to this wonderful country, this is an excellent starting point.  You get to see all that Morocco has to offer - cities, coast, mountains and desert - with a view to being able to decide if there are parts of Morocco you would wish to return to and see in more detail.  I would definitely go back.  Morocco truly surprised me. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Spending time in the Atlas Moutains was wonderful.  Kasbah Oliver is a lovely place to stay - you are are cut off from the madness of the outside world and at night time you get to experience true peace and quiet.  There is no light pollution and so the stars are a sight to see.  I have never seen stars so bright whilst in the northern hemisphere.I am not sure if inspirational is the right word but I did feel like I had landed on another planet when we visisted the medina in Fes.  Sometimes you got the full force of being in the Twenty First Century and then you would turn a corner and see something truly medieval - artisans and workers showing off their skills, donkeys in the streets, bizarre products and recycled goods.  Sometimes you got a bit of modern and medieval mixed in to one - standing and experiencing the sights (and smells) of the tanneries whilst looking over hundreds of rooftops all laden with satellite dishes. Just wonderful. What did you think of your group leader? Mustapha is a true legend - intelligent, patient, funny, caring and totally in love with his country.  My bag broke between London and Casablanca (the zip died) and within 24 hours (at no stress to myself) he had been to the souk in Meknes and got it fixed for me.  We were all poorly (well 13 out of the 16 of us) and he was very helpful in terms of sorting medicines, asking after us and tweaking the itinerary for loo breaks when necessary. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Definitely take anti-septic handwash with you.  As stated above, we nearly all had a poorly tummy by the end of the 2 weeks and so be very careful about only drinking bottled water and not eating salads and not eating fruit unless you are peeling it (oranges and bananas).  It goes without saying to give the street food in Marrakech a wide berth and also the fresh orange stalls in the main square a wide berth (they water it down with tap water).A lot of children we saw asked if we had pens/biros and so may be take a few extra to hand out.If possible try and experience a hammam - you might get the opportunity in the mountains in Kasbah Oliver where Exodus have helped set up a community hammam.  It was unlike anything I have ever experienced before and you will certainly get to know your fellow travellers well/intimately! My skin felt amazing afterwards.If you want to take a carriage ride in Marrakech, ask the driver what is the colour of the current tag for the horses.  If a horse has been to the vet for a health check in the past 4 months (and passed the check up) it will have on one of its front legs a coloured tag confirming that.  Don't get on a carriage where the horse has not got an up to date tag becuase that means the owner is not taking care of its horse. Is there anything else you would like to add? Starting with a small negative, there are several long days in the minibus, so be prepared for that.  There are lots of stops but a couple of the days were quite long.  The minibus was also quite small and so there was not a lot of room to move about and spread out.This is a wonderful trip.  It was tiring but there were also opportunites to relax, sit back and enjoy.  What surprised me (especially after visiting Egypt) was that I was not hassled in the souks.  The authorities have taken great pains to make tourists feel comfortable and there are always tourist police about, including plain clothes police (not that I or anyone in the group needed them).  I felt very safe and I did wander out on my own.Make sure you leave room in your bag for argan oil products, silver products, leather goods, wood products and carpets.  Make sure you ask your guide where is best to buy the different products.
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  Anonymous
  Written on August 31, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  I had wanted to visit Morocco for a long, long time and so decided on this trip. I can honestly say that both this trip and the country exceeded all my expectations, it was a fantastic experience, all the more so since I am new to group travel. I feel that the tour allowed us to gain a comprehensive overview of the country, a contry of contrasts in many ways, which is what made it so interesting. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?There were many but I particularly enjoyed our Saharan experience and night under the stars, our stay in the High Atlas where everything felt blissfully miles away from our civilisation, the Fez Medina for its mysterious beauty and mild craziness and Essaouira for its tranquil charm and chilled locals...Oh and eating delicious figs off the trees in the mountains! What did you think of your group leader?Lahcen was very knowledgeable, friendly, personable and enthusiastic. He was also very open about the local culture and religious practices, which I genuinely appreciated. Do you have any advice for potential travellers?(Some of those may be obvious, only I was new to this kind of holiday)In no particular order: - sanitising hand gel is a must, we all used it and although there were some stomach upsets, it was nothing very serious. Imodiums and rehydration salts should also travel with you- earplugs, the call to prayer resonates 5 times a day, starting at 5am! Having said that, I personally found it very mesmerising- flipflops (for summer departure if pools are involved/ and the rest for hammams) - nappy bags or similar for the stay at Kasbah Oliver (no toilet paper allowed down the toilets) - insect spray (although this could be a summer annoyance)- a bottle of your favourite spirit possibly- alcohol can be tricky to get hold of - don't be afraid to haggle when it comes to more expensive items, somebody told us to aim for a quarter of the asking price- if you have some dirhams left, DO change them in Marrakech, possibly at the airport before you leave, as there is nowhere to change them in the transit area of Casablanca airport- beware of cheeky locals (Marrakech is the only place where it happened in all fairness) who might give you false information/directions about places of interest. If in doubt, ask a shopkeeper rather than passers by. - shaking hands over price deals, for example with taxi drivers who won't use a meter, is a good idea.  - a couple of the journeys on the minibus are long so ensure you have travel sickness tablets if you tend to suffer from it Is there anything else you would like to add?The optional Todra Gorge walk is very worthwhile and so is the walk through the Tijhza Valley (the latter seemed to have been turned optional for us). If you intend to go in the summer, be prepared to be very, very hot!  I could go on as I absolutely loved this trip but take my word for it if you will and just GO!   
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  Anonymous
  Written on August 31, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  I had wanted to visit Morocco for a long, long time and so decided on this trip. I can honestly say that both this trip and the country exceeded all my expectations, it was a fantastic experience, all the more so since I am new to group travel. I feel that the tour allowed us to gain a comprehensive overview of the country, a contry of contrasts in many ways, which is what made it so interesting.  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? There were many but I particularly enjoyed our Saharan experience and night under the stars, our stay in the High Atlas where everything felt blissfully miles away from our civilisation, the Fez Medina for its mysterious beauty and mild craziness and Essaouira for its tranquil charm and chilled locals...Oh and eating delicious figs off the trees in the mountains! What did you think of your group leader? Lahcen was very knowledgeable, friendly, personable and enthusiastic. He was also very open about the local culture and religious practices, which I genuinely appreciated. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? (Some of those may be obvious, only I was new to this kind of holiday)In no particular order: - sanitising hand gel is a must, we all used it and although there were some stomach upsets, it was nothing very serious. Imodiums and rehydration salts should also travel with you- earplugs, the call to prayer resonates 5 times a day, starting at 5am! Having said that, I personally found it very mesmerising- flipflops (for summer departure if pools are involved/ and the rest for hammams) - nappy bags or similar for the stay at Kasbah Oliver (no toilet paper allowed down the toilets) - insect spray (although this could be a summer annoyance)- a bottle of your favourite spirit possibly- alcohol can be tricky to get hold of - don't be afraid to haggle when it comes to more expensive items, somebody told us to aim for a quarter of the asking price- if you have some dirhams left, DO change them in Marrakech, possibly at the airport before you leave, as there is nowhere to change them in the transit area of Casablanca airport- beware of cheeky locals (Marrakech is the only place where it happened in all fairness) who might give you false information/directions about places of interest. If in doubt, ask a shopkeeper rather than passers by. - shaking hands over price deals, for example with taxi drivers who won't use a meter, is a good idea.  - a couple of the journeys on the minibus are long so ensure you have travel sickness tablets if you tend to suffer from it. Is there anything else you would like to add? The optional Todra Gorge walk is very worthwhile and so is the walk through the Tijhza Valley (the latter seemed to have been turned optional for us). If you intend to go in the summer, be prepared to be very, very hot!  I could go on as I absolutely loved this trip but take my word for it if you will and just GO!
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  Anonymous
  Written on June 19, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  This is an excellent trip covering the highlights of Morocco.  A lot of ground is covered in a relatively short time allowing you to see a mix of cities, mountains, desert and coast.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?I loved the stay in the desert, watching the sunset and sunrise from the dunes, and the camel ride to the Bedouin camp.  The views in the Altas mountains and the relaxed atmosphere in Essaouira were also highlights in a trip full of interesting experiences.What did you think of your group leader?Mustapha was great.  Friendly, relaxed and knowledgeable.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?This is a great trip around Morocco covering a huge amount of ground and I would thoroughly recommend it.  In order to cover this amount of the country you do have to spend a fair amount of time travelling in the mini bus however we had quite frequent stops to break it up.Is there anything else you would like to add?Great trip with an excellent tour leader and local guides who provided a lot of information about Morocco past and present.
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  Anonymous
  Written on June 19, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  This is an excellent trip covering the highlights of Morocco.  A lot of ground is covered in a relatively short time allowing you to see a mix of cities, mountains, desert and coast. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? I loved the stay in the desert, watching the sunset and sunrise from the dunes, and the camel ride to the Bedouin camp.  The views in the Altas mountains and the relaxed atmosphere in Essaouira were also highlights in a trip full of interesting experiences. What did you think of your group leader? Mustapha was great.  Friendly, relaxed and knowledgeable. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? This is a great trip around Morocco covering a huge amount of ground and I would thoroughly recommend it.  In order to cover this amount of the country you do have to spend a fair amount of time travelling in the mini bus however we had quite frequent stops to break it up. Is there anything else you would like to add? Great trip with an excellent tour leader and local guides who provided a lot of information about Morocco past and present.
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  Anonymous
  Written on June 17, 2013

  4.0 - Good

  This is an incredible experience. It isn't the most relaxing holiday but get what do expect when you cover 2000km passing mountains, kasbahs, arid wastelands, deserts, and imperial cities!What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?Climbing the erg chebbi sand dunes at sunrise. A millions miles away from anywhere overlooking the Bedouin camp - truly amazing and inspirationalWhat did you think of your group leader?Very informative, maybe a little pro-Berber but a magnificent guide - pay him more!Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Beware some imperial city hotel rooms can be quite susceptible to outside noise. I.e. prayer calls, late night arguments outside local boozers, and dogs barking all night - ear plugs highly advised! Alcohol gel essential Desert is not as hot as you would expect, like a very hot Spanish summer day.Is there anything else you would like to add?My favourite part of this trip was the desert auberge, camping in the desert and the todra gorge... These are the best accommodation even though it states standard....?! Fes hotel is worst for noise although essouira hotel was opposite a mosque with the megaphone facing our room!! Frog and toads in todra gorge amazing at night while drinking wine in the kasbah Berber tent!! What an experience!
• 

  Anonymous
  Written on June 17, 2013

  4.0 - Good

  This is an incredible experience. It isn't the most relaxing holiday but get what do expect when you cover 2000km passing mountains, kasbahs, arid wastelands, deserts, and imperial cities! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Climbing the erg chebbi sand dunes at sunrise. A millions miles away from anywhere overlooking the Bedouin camp - truly amazing and inspirational. What did you think of your group leader? Very informative, maybe a little pro-Berber but a magnificent guide - pay him more! Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Beware some imperial city hotel rooms can be quite susceptible to outside noise. I.e. prayer calls, late night arguments outside local boozers, and dogs barking all night - ear plugs highly advised! Alcohol gel essential Desert is not as hot as you would expect, like a very hot Spanish summer day. Is there anything else you would like to add? My favourite part of this trip was the desert auberge, camping in the desert and the todra gorge... These are the best accommodation even though it states standard....?! Fes hotel is worst for noise although essouira hotel was opposite a mosque with the megaphone facing our room!! Frog and toads in todra gorge amazing at night while drinking wine in the kasbah Berber tent!! What an experience!