Discover Marrakech & the Sahara

Traveler Reviews

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  Lizzie

  November 17th, 2013
  A great itinerary covering different parts of Morocco- desert, mountains and Marrakech- in a week. Really enjoyed the...
  A great itinerary covering different parts of Morocco- desert, mountains and Marrakech- in a week. Really enjoyed the variety of each day and the beautiful secenery. Won't be my last trip to Morocco! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The camel trek into the desert and sitting around the fire at the campsite was fantastic, as was watching the sun rise over the sand dunes the next morning (well worth getting up early for!).Enjoyed visiting the towns and villages in the Sahara which meant we could get a sense of the 'real' Morocco.The walks in the Atlas Mountains were a personal highlight as the scenery was beautiful.  What did you think of your group leader? Rachid was an excellent guide- very knowledgable and accomodating. A few people on the trip were ill and he did a great job of looking after them. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? I think this is a great trip if you want to see different aspects of Morocco in a relatively short period of time.I travelled in the second week of November and the weather was great- warm and sunny in the day (but not too hot) and cool at night- take a jumper. The campsite in the desert is more luxurious than most of us expected - the tents are very roomy, with enough space to stand up in, and have matresses and blankets so you won't be cold. The camp even had proper toilets!The hotels were excellent quality- most of them had a pool and wi-fi.The food was good but not much variety- outside of Marrakech the menu is very limited and often just offered tagine, cous cous or omlette! And we drank a lot of mint tea!There was a bit more time spent on the bus than the trip notes suggest, but this is a necessary trade-off to cover such a large area in a week, and the scenery you see from the bus makes the trips enjoyable.Highly recommend visiting the Majorelle Gardens during the free time in Marrakech- they are beautiful and it's a relaxing way to spend ah hour or so. Is there anything else you would like to add? Brilliant trip- you won't regret it!Show more
  Traveled in October 2013
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  Adrian

  November 8th, 2013
  The tour was fun, informative, and culturally relevant. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The...
  The tour was fun, informative, and culturally relevant. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The visit to the Sahara and our stay at the Berber camp was super! Sitting around the campfire at night while our hosts and the guests sang songs, all under a clear night sky with thousands of stars was delightful. What did you think of your group leader? Our tour leader was exceptional! His knowledge of the country, the people, and the culture is formidable. With his pleasant demeanour, tolerance for the quirks of the different nationalities comprising our group, and a good sense of humour, he made our visit comfortable, easy and fun. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? How to avoid getting sick: It's really easy to get an upset stomach in Morocco. To avoid this, don’t eat any uncooked vegetables unless you washed them yourself with properly treated water (i.e. bottled water), drink bottled water or manufactured drinks from bottles (i.e. don’t drink tap water, or any drink that might be made with tap water or fruit that doesn’t have the peel removed), and wash your hands with soap as often as possible. I’d also recommend brushing your teeth with bottled water and even cleaning your toothbrush with bottled water. Indeed, almost everyone on the trip got sick at some point (some quite sick actually) likely because they didn’t follow these simple rules. How to avoid getting ripped off: Bargain! Almost everything is negotiable in Morocco. I start my bidding at a maximum of 20-25% of what a merchant is asking, and never pay more than 50%. If I'm bargained up to 50% and the merchant says he/she won't sell, I say "No thanks," and walk away. 99.9% of the time, the merchant will not let you walk away so easily, but will still drive you past 50%. Don't let remorse get the better of you! Absolutely insist that 50% is your final offer. Eventually the merchant will give. Even if she/he pretends to be upset, don't get fooled, they're still getting more than what they would get from a local. Is there anything else you would like to add? Enjoy! Morocco is relatively safe and this tour can be a lot of fun.Show more
  Traveled in October 2013
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  Amanda

  November 8th, 2013
  Our trip around Morocco was lovely. We were able to see parts of Morocco that would have been more difficult to visit...
  Our trip around Morocco was lovely. We were able to see parts of Morocco that would have been more difficult to visit on your own. Diving through the mountains, camping out in the sahara, going on a camel caravan ride, staying in a small village, and ending in a big city with lost of people and markets made for a very nice and varied trip. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Of course watching the sunset over the dunes in the sahara after reaching our camp on camle back is an experience I will never forget. What did you think of your group leader? Abdullah was great. He was very sweet, knowledgable, helpful and professional. He always took the time to asnswer our questions. He did a very good job explaining what we coudl expect and we alsways punctual and accomodating. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Bring some medication for nausea and upset stomach. Even though we were careful about the food, a bunch of us got some bad cramps. Also, the drive through the mountains is very windy and made a few people nauseous even though we had an excellent driver. Is there anything else you would like to add? 8 days goes by fast, so if you have the chance, extend your holiday and take atrip out to Essaouira for a nice relaxing stay by the seaside. Also, visiting the ancient city of Fes is spectacular!Show more
  Traveled in October 2013
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  Carla

  March 21st, 2012
  A great introduction to Morocco with a fantastic group of fellow travellers! What was the most inspirational moment...
  A great introduction to Morocco with a fantastic group of fellow travellers! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? I appreciated the contrasting landscapes -- rocky, desolate desert --> stunning mountains --> the buzz of Marrakech's medina. What did you think of your group leader? Mohammed found a good balance of guiding and letting us take things in on our own. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Prepare for some long days of driving, especially in the beginning. The upside is that you'll gain an appreciation for desert life.The desert camp and mountain gite were more luxurious that we anticipated. My husband and I were almost disappointed to find ourselves in a private room with access to Western-style toilets!When you arrive in Marrakech, hop a taxi and have dinner in the Medina. We ate near our hotel which I regretted after visiting the Medina the following night - the buzz is amazing! And try a hammam! Show more
  Traveled in February 2012
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  David

  March 21st, 2012
  I had a fantastic holiday. The programme of events were tremedously varied allowing you to get a good insight into...
  I had a fantastic holiday. The programme of events were tremedously varied allowing you to get a good insight into the country. The tour guide and group of travellers were also excellent What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? I enjoyed the sahara by night experience and also the atlas mountain climb What did you think of your group leader? The guide was vey informative and an excellent guide. The trip notes were also very imformative and help prepare you for the trip Do you have any advice for potential travellers? The holiday really gives you an experience of some of the key highlights of morrocco. Some days are long and the coach transfer are long on occasions. However you get a great experience of the culture food and people of morrocco. The sahara experience was excellent however the overnight accomodation was slightly more sophisicated than maybe published. I would really reccommend this holidayShow more
  Traveled in February 2012
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  Froniga

  March 19th, 2012
  A really great overview of Morocco - lovely to include the desert, the mountains and Marrakech. Lots of travelling,...
  A really great overview of Morocco - lovely to include the desert, the mountains and Marrakech. Lots of travelling, but plenty to see along the way. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Watching the sun do down over the Sahara after a camel-trek to the campsite was special, as was sitting round the campfire later on.  Exploring the kasbah at Ait Ben Haddou before the big groups of tourists arrived was lovely, really quiet and peaceful, and the bustle of Marrakech was a real contrast! What did you think of your group leader? Mohammed was great, very friendly, lots of useful knowledge and good advice on how to get the best from the various places we visited.  One bad restaurant choice on our first night in Marrakech, but a great recommendation for our last night made up for it. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Be prepared for some long-ish mini-bus journeys, but the bus was comfy and spacious, and it gave plenty of opportunity for general chat amongst the group.  Food was generally great and plentiful - it sometimes felt like more of an eating holiday!!As I've found with trip notes for other Exodus trips, the amount of money they recommend you take is nowhere near adequate, unless you were only to have the most basic meals and spend nothing on extras (and by extras, I mean as basic as fizzy drinks).  There are lots of AGMs along the way though, so it's easy to get more currency while you're there.On the flip-side, the accomodation was generally better than the trip notes suggested, particularly in the Sahara campsite (flushing loos!) and the mountain gite.  Yes it can be quite basic, but very comfortable.1 day in Marrakech is really no way enough, but it will whet your appetite to go back for a long weekend under your own steam! Is there anything else you would like to add? Would completely recommend this holiday, it is a great overview of the country.  March was an ideal time to go temperature-wise, nice and warm (around 25 degrees) in the day, but cool enough to sleep at night.Show more
  Traveled in February 2012
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  Matthew

  March 5th, 2012
  I felt that the tour was an excellent for both solo and people traveling as couples.The tour also had a good mix of...
  I felt that the tour was an excellent for both solo and people traveling as couples.The tour also had a good mix of walking and culture which I enjoyed. We were always kept busy, and I liked this pace, we fitted a lot into a week. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? One  inspirational  moment for me was the camel trek in the desert, with a long line of camels walking up and down the sand dunes, travelling slowly towards our desert camp. What did you think of your group leader? The tour leader was very friendly and had good knowledge of all the places that we visited and stayed.Also the group leader was good at making sure that everyone was having a good time and alright. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? If  I had any advice to any potential travellers thinking about doing this tour, it  would be, when you spend the night in the desert bring enough warm clothes to keep you warm all night. It will be much colder than you think! Is there anything else you would like to add?  This was my first time traveling as a solo traveller, I throught that it was very easy to settle into being part of the Exodus group, and I shall certainly use Exodus again. Show more
  Traveled in February 2012
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  Bartlomiej

  January 30th, 2012
  It was all together enjoyable trip. I have met very interesting and nice people and it was fun to share my...
  It was all together enjoyable trip. I have met very interesting and nice people and it was fun to share my experiences with them. I have also realised how easily one off person can spoil such a trip for the whole group. Solo departures are a tricky business after all. I felt safe and taken care of. On the other hand I had enough time for my personal explorations or thoughts Show more
  Traveled in December 2011
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  Deirdre

  January 19th, 2012
  Do not choose this trip if you dislike long minibus journeys. Every place we visited was excellent, but I was hugely...
  Do not choose this trip if you dislike long minibus journeys. Every place we visited was excellent, but I was hugely disappointed by the amouunt of time spent in transit. Maybe too great a distance for a short holiday? What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Most surprising - finding sheeps testicles on my plate during an excellent New Years Eve dinner in Zagora.(Yes we all tried them)Best Day - into the High Atlas to visit the semi derelict Pasha's palace (read up on him and 20thC history before you go) then on to the Gite.Best memory - Wandering around Marrakesh as night falls - no problems at all if you are on your own, as the people are lovely.  What did you think of your group leader? Rashid was always charming, cheerful, available and well organised - an excellent leader. Very passionate about a good future for Morocco, improving education in the rural areas etc. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Camping in the desert is unbelievably cold in December - January - take thermals/hat/gloves etc, and loose trousers on the camel ride or suffer!Polish up your French if you want to chat to local people Agree the price before you start a taxi journey, and stick to it. Otherwise the driver simply makes up a number. Show more
  Traveled in December 2011
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  Sara

  January 4th, 2012
  A beautiful country and an excellent introduction. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Spending...
  A beautiful country and an excellent introduction. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Spending Christmas in the desert isn't many people's idea of a good time but meeting a group of fun people and marvelling at the stars in the eerie darkness after a 2 hour camel ride is pretty hard to beat! What did you think of your group leader? Excellent - really good local knowledge and good language skills.  Our driver was also a star - the roads can be a little crazy in Marrakech and the mountain roads sometimes look perilous, but I felt totally safe. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Always bring your own loo roll!  Take advantage of the walking in the mountains - you won't regret it.Show more
  Traveled in December 2011