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Client Reviews |
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Well we are home after a wonderful trip. I can't
imagine that you could have made any easier or better for us than the way
it was. Both Dawn and I feel that the trip exceeded our expectations,
which were probably higher than they should have been!!!
The trip from the airport right to Volubilis was a
great introduction to Morocco, and the driver, "Sveetie" was informative,
entertaining, and a wonderful man to introduce us to the people. The
oranges that were available right along the road was a nice start for me
personally! Meknes and Molay Idriss were beautiful to see and our guide in
Meknes, Htmid (?) did a fine job explaining about the history and showing
us the sights.
Fes, for it's culture and quiet was very nice, also.
Idriss took us around the city first, by car, so that we could get an
overview and then we spent the afternoon wandering the Medina and visiting
the souks. Idriss, the guide, was extremely helpful in finding the right
souks to visit and assisted in translating any issues during negotiations.
Miriam and the Dar Mousmoodie was comfortable and the food delicious. They
were extremely considerate hosts, always with the food and "eat, eat, eat"
!!!
I enjoyed the train ride to Marrakech, although it
was long the scenery was remarkable for it's variety and change along the
route. I didn't realize that it went to Rabat and along the coast so that
was a real treat for me.
Dar Pangal was a relaxing spot from the madness of
Marrkech. Julio was a gracious host, and his cook administered to Dawn
when she was down our second day there. It's amazing what a teaspoon of
cumin can cure! Assiz, our guide for a half day in Marrakech was really
fun. He was very informative about the local history and the must see
sights. He also assisted in helping us locate the supermarket and a petit
taxi so that we could pick up some wine for dinner. A thoroughly enjoyable
man, and an expert guide of the Medina. Julio's riad was beautiful,
without to many guests, and a perfect location to get away and relax, yet
close enough to be able to be as active as you wanted.
The drive to Mahamid was quite an experience. I
cannot say enough great things about our guide, Bhram, and the driver
Abdul, who were early in picking us up and extremely attentive during the
trip. I renamed Abdul "Mario Andretti" because he was one fast driver, but
I never felt unsafe, he was just a real good driver!
The time in the desert was the perfect ending to our
trip. I am still a little speechless about it, because I am still
processing the information. Habib was the perfect host, gracious and
entertaining, " I was born with sand in my eyes." The food at the Hotel
Sahara was some of the best we had during the trip. Our guide, Bhram, was
extremely informative and obviously very proud of his nomad culture, as he
has every right to be! The camel ride and sight seeing were very
educational and eye opening for us. I feel in love with the culture and
wanted to stay, except it's bit far from the ocean for me!
Awesome job, Luiza. I have already recommended you
to other people who have asked if this was a good way to go. And I will
continue to recommend you to anyone who hears about our trip.
Don P. Dawn S. (Deserts & Empires) |
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We--my daughter Monika, granddaughter Natasha, and
I--thank you most warmly for making available to us the "Camels and Camps"
trek in Morocco. We had a wonderful time. The ride through the Atlas
Mountains and in the desert was rough, relative to some other outings
we've had, but Amdyaze the driver and his 4x4 made it all very easy. Habib
treated us very well at the Sahara Hotel in M'Hamin and our desert guide
Ibrahim was extradordinarily kind and helpful. The experience of the
changing environments and especially the two nights of camping in the
desert were better than we'd hoped, even in our fantasies.
Thank you and congratulations on conducting such a
marvellous operation.
Alvin L. (Camels & Camps) |
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We had a wonderful trip and attribute a lot of it to
Sahara Trek. We felt very well cared for and enjoyed the repoire we had
with all the drivers, guides and riad owners/operators that we came in
contact. We basically had to put our trust in you to make the trip happen
and run smoothly and were pleased with how well everything went. Thank you
so much for contribution to our very memorable trip. We will recommend you
highly to all our family and friends. Thanks
again,
Suzanne (Ancient Empires) |
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Hi, we had a wonderful time in Morocco- it is hard to
believe that such an exotic country is only a 7 hour flight away! A lot of
people asked me about the trip so here are some photos and details (sorry
if it is a bit long).
We started in the 1200 year old town of Fez which is one of the oldest
living medieval cities in the world - we stayed in the old city which is
characterized by a labyrinth of narrow, winding alleys with ten foot walls
and no windows. The Muslims do not have windows on their houses since they
don't twant their women viewed by other Muslims- the only day light is
from an interior courtyard. The women walk around with veils and long
Berber robes (we did not quite fit in) and they are absent from the
streets at night (we were in minority when we went out at night- it is all
men (good for us!!!!) and the men pack the outdoor cafes but no women)
Also, since it is Muslim, there is no alcohol- we missed our good wines
and beer- got tired of all the mint tea. A few tourist hotels did offer
warm beer and wine- but there were WAY too few of them....
One evening we spent several hours trying to find our way out of the Fez
medina (Old city)-there are very few gates out of the walled old
city-along the way we met many locals offering to be our unofficial
"guide" to get us out of this maze of almost 10,000 alleys and blind
turns. There were very few tourists and since the walkways are about 10
feet wide, the only transportation in the medina is donkey and cart (no
cars or taxis in the walled city) . A highlight of the old city is the
tanneries where the animal skins are carried by donkey to the tannery and
then treated, dyed and dried out in massive mud brick vats- we were proved
with mint sprigs to sniff since the odor is overwhelming (they use pigeon
droppings, cow urine and fish oils to remove the fur from the skins).
We had a brief tour in Casablanca- Karen and I were refused entry into the
King Hassan Mosque which holds up to 125,000 worshipers since we were
wearing sleeveless tops- we had asked our guide if we needed to cover up
and he said we were okay since we were with him- well, he was wrong. We
were humiliated as the guide at the Mosque yelled and pointed to us in
Arabic and pulled us out of line because of our tank tops! Our guide
quickly went to find some dirty used scarves for us to properly cover up!
We stopped at Rick's cafe from the movie Casablanca but it was closed for
renovations (we had been looking forward to a cold drink there!)
(SAHARATREK NOTE: the real Rick's Cafe only existed on a Hollywood film stage.
Also, please
do read our
Practical Guide on Morocco, it will help you figure out what to wear and don't
wear)
Next we went to Marrakech which is known for its main square in the medina
with its jugglers, snake charmers, dancers, hundreds of smoky open air
food stalls and fresh orange juice stands - we got henna tattos in the
square and unfortunately they have not yet faded... We also went to a
hamman which is a Moroccan spa- it starts with a steam bath, followed by a
body scrub with black sea salt, clay and olive oil soap- it was very
enjoyable until we had buckets of warm water dumped unexpectedly over our
heads. All this "cleansing" was followed by a wonderful one hour massage-
the Moroccans really know how to pamper themselves! (we went to a tourist
hamman since our guide said we would not be able to handle the local's
hamman which involves sitting in an extremely hot steamy room on a dirty
concrete floor with naked Moroccans)
We had the privilege of being invited to our guides' family homes for two
lunches- we had all read about etiquette if we get invited into a family
home but we forgot all the rules- first we had stopped at a local grocery
store and found cold beer- we wanted to bring it into the home since we
knew it was a "safe" drink- but the guides said we absolutely could not-
their families did not even know that they drank! Faux paux number two was
when we walked into the house and forgot to take off our shoes (we had to
be asked to remove them), next we used the forbidden left hand to eat (the
left hand is never supposed to go near food since it is the hand used in
the bathroom-there is no toilet paper -you just use water to splash off
with the left hand) , the final faux paux was when we walked outside and
the women waved good bye in the doorway and I went to take their photo and
they screamed and slammed the door- women do not want their photo taken
because they are afraid it will affect their beauty. We did imitate the
family and "slurped" our mint tea. We all sat on carpets around a knee
high table- the food is eaten with the hands- scooped up with bread- there
are no napkins, plates or silverware - we made a total mess dripping food
everywhere... (SAHARATREK NOTE: again, see our Practical Guide on
Morocco)
The highlight of our trip was our two days in the Sahara desert (despite
the 122 degree heat). We had a really fun guide and driver and a music
man- they made the trip!!! We drove through a sand storm to get to the
desert- slept in a tent the first night and woke up covered in sand! Had
to wear closed toe shoes to avoid stepping on scorpions. In the morning, I
got up and walked out of the "camp" and saw three camels waiting patiently
for us- it was like out of Hollywood movie- these were our camels! There
was no guide in sight - the camels just sat on the ground waiting... I had
the ornery camel- when I first got on , he did a nose plant in the sand
with his butt in the air and I was hanging on at a 45 degree angle. He
remained grumpy for the five hour trek. The turbans we wore were not
fashion statements but necessary accessories to keep the sand out of our
faces. Five hours on a camel is enough (could hardly walk the next day!)
so next we took a 4 wheel drive truck deeper into the desert and passed
many wild camels and nomads with their tented houses. We set up camp as
the sun set in front of 350 foot high sand dunes. Our guides put out
Moroccan carpets on top of the dunes, served drinks and hors d'oeuvres on
silver trays and sang and played Moroccan music on handmade instruments.
We slept on mats on the dunes knowing that there were nomads and wild
camels all around us- it was an incredible sight seeing the huge sand
dunes glowing from the stars and moon. It was a bit boring driving back
from DC on route 50 Monday night knowing that the night before we had been
in the amazing Sahara desert!!!!
Sharon G. (Deserts & Empires, July 2006) |
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We are back in Israel now and are flying to Miami
tonight. Everything was fabulous in Fez and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Ridad
El Yacout.........drop dead gorgeous! I don't recommend trying to catch
the last flight from Cassablanca to Fez because you're too rushed and if
it's running behind, you don't get to your Riad till 1:00am and your wiped
out. Our tour guide NoorDean was great and our guide coordinator Idriss
was the guy who really got everything done! Our driver Mohammed was super
and we loved him. These guys knew how to do thier job exceedingly well.
We toured Casablanca for a few hours.........King Hassan II Mosque will
blow your mind. Our driver there was also very nice. We also saw a Jewish
Temple.
We DID have a big problem when we got to Marrakesh. No one was there to
meet us at the train station and all the cab drivers wanted to rip us off
like crazy. We called Idriss and he had our tour guide, Jamal, come pick
us up in his own car. Jamal said the driver got into an accident and
couldn't make it.......don't know if that was true, but we were so tired,
we just wanted to get to our Riad (SAHARATREK NOTE: the driver is
ok, but just like any city, accidents do happen). The Riad Dar Les
Cigognes is also fabulous! Not as traditional, but more like a South Beach
version of a Riad.....we loved it and they gave us a day pass to Nicki
Beach Club and we spent our free day laying by the grand pool
there.......LOVED IT! You can sit on the roof top terrace at the Riad Les
Cigognes and watch the storks that are nesting on the all the roof peaks.
Jamal got us a new driver (Habib) and he took us to the High Atlas
Mountains which was also great. Jamal seemed rather burned out as a tour
guide and we decided not to spend the afternoon with him after going to
the mountains. We had a good time on our own as well.
We also had a misunderstanding about the luggage weight. Itzik thought it
was 20 kilos per bag and we had 3 bags. We had NO problem getting into the
country, but when we left, they charged us almost $400 dollars for being
30 pounds overweight. Itzik was FURIOUS to say the least. If we would have
known, we could have split the heavy stuff between the 2 of us and carried
in on in a hand bag.
I was a little disappointed that everything was SO EXPENSIVE as far as the
shopping goes. We walked out of many shops empty handed because they would
not come down on the prices. The best shopping was in the Riad's boutique.
Prices were marked and were reasonable and "no haggling needed".
I also highly recommend the Hammam treatments.......this lady scrubbed off
a layer of skin but it was so invigorating and relaxing at the same
time......we both loved it. Then we had a massage and felt fabulous.
This was a trip of a lifetime! We really are starting to miss home and
can't wait to get back to share our photos and funny stories!
Lera & Itzik (Ancient Empires, May 2006)
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The trek and our guides were extremely keen and
insightful where they were and where to go. The camel ride was sore but
fun. The food was great and none of us got sick from anything. My son had
brought along his martin backpacker and we had a packed tent every night
for a jam session. It was great fun and the goal to get to Chegega was all
worth it. It was a great trek and would do another in a heart beat.
Thanks again,
Kathleen S. (Camels & Camps, April 2006) |
| We came back yesterday and we had a wonderful time in
Morocco. In just ten days we saw very different Morocco's: city, sand,
mountains and sea. Especially the Sahara tour was a special experience.
One thing that we didn't realize was that the trip from Marrakech to
M'hamid was that long. I know it was described on the program, but it took
nearly eleven hours one to way to M'hamid. If we had realized how long
that is, sitting in a car for so long, we would think twice about doing
that. We had a very wonderful time in the Sahara and we wouldn't want to
have missed it.. What made it worth while was: the first night (very
rough, no camp just a tent, sand blowing in your tent, waking up after
very bad sleeping and being in the middle of just nature and no touristy
things); the sand dunes (seeing the sun going down over the beautiful
dunes was really great); dinner and singing on the second night (very nice
cook, and guides who made us feel comfortable and created the right
atmosphere for a night in the desert by singing for us); our guide Ahmed
who was a great companion, full of humor, helpful, charming and reliable).
We hope you that our feedback is of help for you and want to thank you for
this special tour.
Martin and Arianne V. (Deserts and Empires, May 2006) |
The trip was excellent; well-organized at both ends
(yours and in Morocco); the accommodation was fine and the guides and
Habib in M'Hamid were quite wonderful. The 'What to Take' made a lot of
sense and in fact I reduced my 55 liter rucksack to two stuff bags and a
bumbag for the desert part. Boiled sweets to suck and baby wipes seemed to
me the most essential items, in addition to a small first aid kit of
antiseptic cream, gauze, band aids, Betadine germicidal soap and aspirin.
Neen, one the guides, cut his thumb rather badly and my nephew developed
blisters so the kit was put to good use.
Six days is quite a tough trip and I am pretty tired at the end of it
(plus the journey from M'Hamid to Tangiers was long) but if I at 59
can do it, anyone can. I particularly appreciated the peace, quiet and
time to fall into a reverie as well as the sheer beauty of the
desert and I think I learned a few things about myself along the way.
I would recommend Sahara Trek to anyone who is thinking along the same
lines and would advise them to avoid some of the 'cowboy' outfits I heard
about. Feel free to pass my e-mail address on to anyone who is
contemplating a similar trip but still has doubts.
Once again, many thanks,
Stew H (Ultimate Sahara, March 2006) |
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Hello from Ingrid out here in the Sahara Desert. Thank
you very much for everything you did to get me out here. I had a wonderful
time, and enjoyed my time in the desert with Hossine and Ibrahim and
Lushgar, the camel. Everything went really well, and they looked after
everything for me. I can't say enough about how nice both of them were and
that I will definitely be coming back for another trek in the desert, and
this time I am bringing my friends with me, because they have to do this
trip too. I will be contacting you about another trip sometime, probably
going in April.
Also, my accommodation in Marrakech is nice, and I will
have some time to get into the Kasbah to do a bit of shopping. Again,
wanted to say thank you for all of this, and to let you know that
everybody here has been so good and professional and that I truly enjoyed
my 6 day trek into the desert. You have some good people working for
Sahara Trek out here, and I thank you for that.
Ingrid G (Ultimate Sahara, December 2005) |
We have traveled throughout the world including some
very luxurious places. This was the best trip we have had. Our group
had all people aged 10yrs to 53 yrs old and all of them had a great time.
Great food, especially freshly prepared grilled Kabobs and Berber bread
eaten in a native Moroccan restaurant where locals were eating All the
hotels and excursion trips were well planned. Our guide Abdul Fatah was
the best and a good man. Playing golf at Royal Moroccan Golf Club with
caddy was a great experience. Out of all the places to stay and eat the
best part was the people of Morocco were extremely hospitable, ready to go
out of their way to make you feel welcome in their country and want you to
come back. Privately escorted trip is the way to go. This was by far the
one of the most memorable trips we have had. Very safe country to travel.
I will highly recommend traveling to Morocco at least once in the life
time.
Dr. M. (Idriss Special, December 2005) |
Many thanks for planning the Morocco trip for us. We
had a fantastic time. Both Idriss (our guide) and our driver were
fantastic. Everyone enjoyed the trip and got a good insight into the
country.
Just two points in terms of feedback. I have passed these on to Idriss
also:
- Dar Masmudi is a beautiful riad and in a great location. However, the
heating was very bad. It is true that it was unseasonably cold throughout
our trip, but Dar Masmudi simply lacks the infrastructure to deal with
even less cold weather than what we experienced. Our group was super
easygoing and so am I, but after the first night there, I was ready to
move out because of the cold. Idriss spoke to the owner and the situation
improved for the next 2 nights in our rooms. In the common spaces, we had
to wear full on gear as if we were outside including hats! In addition,
the whole experience there can be improved via simple additions, such as
reading lights. There is only one light per room and that is simply not
enough. By the way, the food there was very good.
- Our schedule was fantastically thought out. For groups that are
particularly interested in the culture and history of Morocco, is it
worthwhile including a little more detail for the daily visits to museums
in order to make sure we they hit all the highlights. We ended up adding a
few musems to the schedule (especially in Marrakech, which we of course
paid for out of pocket) and also a few stops such as the Atlas Film
Studios and a few Kasbahs along the Dades river valley that were not on
the schedule. In addition, indicating where the arranged meals will be
(name of restaurant) is helpful also. Idriss and our driver were fantastic
about being flexible and making sure that we covered all the ground that
our group was interested in.
Thanks again,
Maria-Lisa F. (Idriss Special Build A Group Tour, December 2005) |
We did one of your desert dashes recently and I thought
that you might like some feedback from the trip. Overall, I think that the
whole trip offered us some fantastic opportunities and we had an amazingly
varied three days. The trip was well thought out, we covered an awful lot
of ground ( literally) and we saw some amazing sights that we simply would
not have done had we stuck to major towns in Morocco.
We did get the 4x4 (and I would have been very concerned had we not !!) ,
initial impressions were great, the driver and Hussein were on time, and
were very friendly and helpful more or less throughout the three days.
Highlights were very much the day spent out in the desert, the camel ride
and the dinner spent out in the stars where a lot of effort went into the
meal etc.
My only reservations / concerns / constructive criticism are as follows:
* The Ryad we stayed at in Zagora really wasn't up to its four star
credentials - in fact it was more like a Hotel. It was sad, tired and just
didn't have the added extras that are now commonplace in any Ryad of four
star quality ( and we stayed in a lot!!) . Having said that the staff were
very pleasant and we were the only guests in the place which made it a bit
cavernous! (SAHARATREK NOTE: there's finally a new hotel in Zagora
which will become standard in future tours).
* My only other comments revolve around the personalities and their
idiosyncrasies. Our two guides tended to see the three day schedule very
much as a 'guide' rather than a script, so there were days when we did
very different things to what we had expected. Most of the time this was
fine, but often there seemed to be little rationale behind change of
itinerary, or if there was it was not explained to us. We rejigged things
around so much on the last day that we only got a short tour of the UNESCO
site (which we had both really wanted to see, and which we should have
seen on the first day) and arrived very very late and tired in Marrakech.
I imagine people who want everything very much 'to the letter' would have
found the constant changes difficult to handle - especially when the
itinerary is tight as it is without adding other activities.
The above comments were in the context of an overall great time and I hope
that you find them useful. The series of Desert trips are a really great
idea, good luck with the business in 2006.
Rachel B. (Desert Dash, December 2005) |
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We returned from our trip to Morocco late Thursday night.
I wanted to
let you know how pleased we were with the whole trip. I wouldn't change anything about the trip. I thought
it was all wonderful and well planned. We were very well looked after, and
never once felt in any danger.
Thank you for providing us with us with the vacation of a lifetime!
Take care,
Paula and Dan B (Marrakech to Sahara, November, 2005)
PS.
If you can get Sunday's New York Times, you might be interested in an
article in the Travel section about the writer's trek into the Sahara.
It was arranged with Cherg Expeditions out of Ouarzazate. After reading
the article, I realized how lucky we were to have found Sahara Trek.
http://travel2.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/travel/04oasis.html?pagewanted=2 |
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I just needed to share our
experience with people who MAY want to travel to the desert...
After an 8 hour drive from Marrakech
(with a 2 hour stop in Ouarzazate for lunch - and in which we slept for 6
hours), we finally reached our first stop - M'Hamid. They call it the end
of the road because technically, that's where the road ends...really. It
hit me like a brick wall - I'm really out in the middle of no
where...probably even where the birds turn around and fly back to
civilization. Cool. My sister and I were met by Habib, the tour operator.
He showed us to a room where we could freshen up and take a shower. We
then left to have supper with his wife and son, Sami. Enter Mustafa - his
cousin and our guide to be. He was an absolute wonder. After supper
Mustafa drove us to the edge of the desert where we were set to spend our
first night in the desert - under the stars. We were never afraid as
Mustafa always stayed near us. Far enough for us to keep
our intimacy, but close enough for us to feel secure. The next morning, we
all had coffee together and then set out on our camels. Now what a riot!!!
We named one of them Georgette and the other
Chewbacka (from Starwars). If you heard the sounds they make, you would
understand! And believe it or not, it wasn't uncomfortable at all!
After a 3 hour camel trek, and many
ooohs and ahhhs, (the scenery is just breathtaking) we stopped for lunch.
Lunch was a fish tagine along with rice and salad - but unfortunately, we
were too excited to even think about eating. After walking around a little
and visiting the next nomad tent, our jeep came to pick us up to bring us
to our final destination - the desert, the real desert with sand dunes and
everything!
Once we arrived at the bivouac, I
was speechless. The view was spectacular. The tents were all set up in a
semi-circle, with a fire pit in the middle, and beyond this, the sand
dunes. We got there in time to see the sun set - which was amazing. And
then, surprises of surprises, a real honest to god desert storm! Wow. Sand
flying all over the place, all of us trying to get our things inside the
one building in place.
Since we had to stay indoors, we
enjoyed Mahjoub's guitar playing and Mustafa's tam-tam. Once the sand
storm ended, we got to go for a walk on the dunes - which you gotta be in
shape for! Then, another night under the stars and then, it was
unfortunately time to head back to M'Hamid. It was THE best
experience of my life. Mustafa our guide was truly amazing. He answered
all our questions - and we had many! He was polite and considerate -
always asked if we needed anything. He gave us a crash course in desert
life and survival - very funny.
I strongly recommend that everyone
must try this at least once in their life. Very unique and wonderful.
Sahara Trek, thank you and I'll be seeing you all again very soon! I hope
you post this on your web site so that other people realize what they've
been missing!
Isabelle P. (Desert Dash, Sept. 2005) |
Thank you, we had a nice trip and hope to do it again in
2007. I will post reviews on fodors, lonely planet etc.
kind regards,
Michele W (Deserts & Empires, Sept. 2005) |
Many thanks once again for all your help through
planning my clients trip. He has just come in to see me & he has nothing
but brilliant things to say about SaharaTrek & Morocco.
He was extremely impressed with the service the tour guides offered & all
the information they had provided. He is a client, that when happy, will
recommend gladly to his friends & family.
I will always bear in you mind for any further Morocco requests that I may
receive.
Samantha W.
Club Travel Fourways |
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I would have done this sooner but writing a review of
our trip truly marks that it's over. Coming back home was difficult due to
culture shock. To see how wasteful us Americans are is horrifying. I
was beyond impressed with the craftsmanship in Morocco - nothing is
wasted, everything is recycled.
Idriss in Fez was an incredible guide. He took us
through the many 19,000 streets in the old medina, stopping to talk to
friends and introducing us. We could not believe how friendly and
welcoming people were. He knew a tremendous amount of historical facts
and seemed to enjoy us with the history of the country. This info was
very much appreciated since this was our first stop.
Casablanca was our second stop and the only part of the
trip we didn't care for. Although the Hassan II Mosque is a beautiful
piece of architecture, it felt like a Muslim Disneyland - a place built
for no other reason than to be a money-making tourist attraction. Our
driver, although pleasant, was neither informative nor charismatic. Nor
did he seem to pay any attention to our request for a Moroccan lunch.
Instead, he took us to a hotel restaurant where we got to pick from a menu
full of omelet's and fries.
In Marrakech, Mohammed, our guide was great. He showed
us the sites and more importantly
how to make our way from the riad to Jemma El Fna Square and back. Once we
felt comfortable we had the rest of our time to ourselves. Our hosts Fouad
and Ouafa in Marrakesh [3-star Riad God's House] were beyond
welcoming and helpful. We walked into our room and our jaws dropped. Maria
and I thought our itinerary got accidentally upgraded to five stars. We
took turns sleeping in the newly tokened "Princess Bed".
We opted to take a day and go to Essaouira. Long drive,
but well worth it. This is a place we'll have to go and spend some time to
explore. Kind of cool to see the Atlantic looking west, can't wait to see
the sunset.
Off to the desert. I have to make this one short, not due to events but
due to the fact that I could write a novel about our experiences. Our
driver Abdul was great we had lots of fun driving to Ouarzazate. There we
met our desert guide, Houssine. We can't say enough about this man. He
took to us
and we took to him like family. We all piled into the mini-van and
ventured the rest of the way to M'Hamid. If you think spitting watermelon
seeds is fun, try date pits!
Once in M'Hamid we were greeted with tea and dinner. Then decided to
sleep on the terrace. What an experience to sleep under the desert sky. At
some point we made it to the desert and again -WOW-... We couldn't imagine
better people than Houssine and Abbdou to have spent our time there with.
We have not laughed that much in a very long time. Words can not properly
explain
or describe what we saw, who we met and what did all while in Morocco.
Luiza and Sahara Trek, THANK YOU. You truly have put together an amazing
look of Morocco. What made it even more special is the people that showed
us around their country and we can not thank them enough for being so warm
and welcoming. We can't wait to return.
Thanks again,
-Debbie and Maria B. (Deserts and Empires, April 2005) |
I just wanted to thank you for arranging a wonderful trip
for us. We had a great time, and all of the
scheduling and preparation done by Saharatrek resulted in an almost
effortless experience for us.
I'd like to comment in particular on how great Idriss was as a guide
through our arrival and in Fez, etc. He does an excellent job, and
he was very thoughtful throughout.
The accommodations in Fez and Marrakech were terrific. Such
interesting facilities and gracious hosts. Does Julio have an email
address? I'd like to send a note of thanks and also inquire about getting
a recipe for the orange preserves/marmalade he served and which he said
were homemade.
I'd also like to especially mention how much we appreciated our driver
from Marrakech through the rest of the trip. I really never got his name
(and was kind of embarrassed to ask after the first day). He was very
personable, helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable.
Once again, thanks.
-Flo and Bill W. (Deserts and Empires, June 2005) |
|
My friend Solo and I have returned to the good old USA
and are bit slow to adjust to our "normal" way of life after our intense
two week adventure in Morocco. After winging it on our own for more than
ten days, and loving every moment of it, the highlights of our tour where
definitely the Desert
Dash with SaharaTrek and our stay with Julio.
Your driver picked us up at Julio's on Sunday at 9 am exactly as
scheduled. After navigating expertly through the maddening traffic
of Marrakech he took us through breathtaking scenery into the Atlas
mountains and on to Ouarzate. Here, after a relaxing lunch, we were
joined by our guide Hussein, and on we went to Zaragora. On the way there
were many spectacular sights and ancient
Berber villages. We would have liked for Hussein to sit with us in back
of the van instead of with the driver, and share with us some of the
history of the places we encountered. When we tapped him on the shoulder
asking questions, his answers were usually brief and not very
informative. We suspected that he simply didn't know, something no man in
Morocco could ever, ever admit.
Our overnight stay and breakfast at the Hotel la Palmeraie in Zagora was
very pleasant. The beds were clean and there was plenty of hot water. The
pool looked inviting, however we had no time to test the waters, as
Hussein and our driver were waiting to move on to M'Hamid. M'Hamid at the
end of the road, and in particular the old Hotel Sahara with our camels
waiting for us outside,
was straight out of Hollywood. We had just enough time to refill our
water bottles before we mounted our chameau, and off we went into the
desert accompanied by a sweet little camel driver leading the way on foot
and Hussein bringing up the rear. Undisturbed by the fact that there
seemed to be no trail in sight the camel driver in his flowing blue robe
and white turban safely
delivered us after about a two hour ride to a little cool and comfortable
mud hut in the middle of nowhere. Almost immediately after we dismounted
he turned his camels around and disappeared, still walking, into the
sunset. Quit a sight!
Almost simultaneously a dusty brightly painted open jeep from saharatrek
appeared at our "door". Solo and I climbed into the back. With Abdul at
the wheel and Hussein in the passenger seat we embarked on a ride we will
not soon forget. We where very impressed by the extreme skill with which
Abdul maneuvered the Jeep through deep sand and bumpy terrain. I also
realized very quickly that the picturesque head dress, we call a turban,
is not a fashion statement, but an extremely utilitarian accessory.
Fortunately I had purchased one of these three meter long scarfs prior
to our journey and now had it wrapped tightly around my head and face,
only exposing my eyes, which I protected with sun glasses from the
blowing sand. No cowboy hats in the desert!
We passed a free camel with a baby on our way. It seemed almost like a
mirage.
After stopping at a lush oasis for some refreshment we arrived at
our desert camp in the early evening just in time to see the sun go down
behind the dunes. Several Berber tents were set up in a semicircle, one of
them open, furnished with colorfully carpets, low stools and two tables.
We smelled the delicious aroma of food cooking. Soon we were served a
lovely dinner by candle
light while the stars emerged in a velvet sky above us.To top it all, we
were serenaded by three guys singing and playing Berber drums. I leaned
over to Solo and said: "I can't believe we are in this movie. Here we are,
two old ladies in their sixties in the middle of the desert with some
Arabs playing drums".
Our sleeping tent was well prepared with carpets, mattresses and plenty
of blankets to protect us from the cool of the night.
We rouse early in the morning. Before breakfast I was able to identify
two types of birds that were busily gobbling up the plentiful black
Beatles as members of the flycatcher family. There were several pair of
nesting swallows. We also noticed small mammal tracks behind the tents.
Soon we started our long journey back. We passed nomads with their goats
and a fairly large herd of camels before we said good bye to the desert.
In M'Hamid we were met driver and van, who, after a long ride, delivered
us safely back to Marrakesh and Julio's.
All in all we had a wonderful experience, and we want to thank you
for making it possible.
-Claudia W. (3-Day Camels and Jeeps, March 2005) |
|
My friend Solo and I have returned to the good old USA
and are bit slow to adjust to our "normal" way of life after our intense
two week adventure in Morocco. After winging it on our own for more than
ten days, and loving every moment of it, the highlights of our tour where
definitely the Desert
Dash with SaharaTrek and our stay with Julio.
Your driver picked us up at Julio's on Sunday at 9 am exactly as
scheduled. After navigating expertly through the maddening traffic
of Marrakech he took us through breathtaking scenery into the Atlas
mountains and on to Ouarzate. Here, after a relaxing lunch, we were
joined by our guide Hussein, and on we went to Zaragora. On the way there
were many spectacular sights and ancient
Berber villages. We would have liked for Hussein to sit with us in back
of the van instead of with the driver, and share with us some of the
history of the places we encountered. When we tapped him on the shoulder
asking questions, his answers were usually brief and not very
informative. We suspected that he simply didn't know, something no man in
Morocco could ever, ever admit.
Our overnight stay and breakfast at the Hotel la Palmeraie in Zagora was
very pleasant. The beds were clean and there was plenty of hot water. The
pool looked inviting, however we had no time to test the waters, as
Hussein and our driver were waiting to move on to M'Hamid. M'Hamid at the
end of the road, and in particular the old Hotel Sahara with our camels
waiting for us outside,
was straight out of Hollywood. We had just enough time to refill our
water bottles before we mounted our chameau, and off we went into the
desert accompanied by a sweet little camel driver leading the way on foot
and Hussein bringing up the rear. Undisturbed by the fact that there
seemed to be no trail in sight the camel driver in his flowing blue robe
and white turban safely
delivered us after about a two hour ride to a little cool and comfortable
mud hut in the middle of nowhere. Almost immediately after we dismounted
he turned his camels around and disappeared, still walking, into the
sunset. Quit a sight!
Almost simultaneously a dusty brightly painted open jeep from saharatrek
appeared at our "door". Solo and I climbed into the back. With Abdul at
the wheel and Hussein in the passenger seat we embarked on a ride we will
not soon forget. We where very impressed by the extreme skill with which
Abdul maneuvered the Jeep through deep sand and bumpy terrain. I also
realized very quickly that the picturesque head dress, we call a turban,
is not a fashion statement, but an extremely utilitarian accessory.
Fortunately I had purchased one of these three meter long scarfs prior
to our journey and now had it wrapped tightly around my head and face,
only exposing my eyes, which I protected with sun glasses from the
blowing sand. No cowboy hats in the desert!
We passed a free camel with a baby on our way. It seemed almost like a
mirage.
After stopping at a lush oasis for some refreshment we arrived at
our desert camp in the early evening just in time to see the sun go down
behind the dunes. Several Berber tents were set up in a semicircle, one of
them open, furnished with colorfully carpets, low stools and two tables.
We smelled the delicious aroma of food cooking. Soon we were served a
lovely dinner by candle
light while the stars emerged in a velvet sky above us.To top it all, we
were serenaded by three guys singing and playing Berber drums. I leaned
over to Solo and said: "I can't believe we are in this movie. Here we are,
two old ladies in their sixties in the middle of the desert with some
Arabs playing drums".
Our sleeping tent was well prepared with carpets, mattresses and plenty
of blankets to protect us from the cool of the night.
We rouse early in the morning. Before breakfast I was able to identify
two types of birds that were busily gobbling up the plentiful black
Beatles as members of the flycatcher family. There were several pair of
nesting swallows. We also noticed small mammal tracks behind the tents.
Soon we started our long journey back. We passed nomads with their goats
and a fairly large herd of camels before we said good bye to the desert.
In M'Hamid we were met driver and van, who, after a long ride, delivered
us safely back to Marrakesh and Julio's.
All in all we had a wonderful experience, and we want to thank you
for making it possible.
-Claudia W. (3-Day Camels and Jeeps, March 2005) |
|
We had the most amazing trip! We spent a total of 2 weeks
traveling through Spain and Morocco, and the trek was by far the
highlight of our adventures! Abdou (our driver), Houssein (our
trek guide) and Habib at the Sahara Hotel were all fabulous and
welcoming and everything we could have ever wished for. I could
have never imagined a trip this incredible. Every single person we
met was welcoming and friendly and informative, I truly feel like I have
made lifetime friends from this trip, and I cannot wait to go back to
Morocco for a more in-depth visit and trek through the Sahara. The
only glitch, and it was so minor it doesn't even matter, is that our
hotel change was never communicated to Abdou, the first driver, so we
started about an hour and a half later than scheduled. Other than
that, everything was smooth and perfect. You run an amazing tour
service, and I will definitely be recommending it to all my friends.
Thank you so much. -Elizabeth M. (Desert
Dash, March 2005) |
Our trip to Morocco was wonderful. I'd
go again in a heartbeat with your service, Sahara Trek. I'd watch out for
my purchases though. I felt very pressured into making purchases without
knowing how much things were worth. Yesterday I went to a Moroccan store
in Seattle and saw a lot of the pottery and other things I bought of the
same quality or better for less money that I had purchased in Fez and
elsewhere in Morocco. Other than that I loved the quality of your
service such as being picked up on time, the quality of taxis, vans and
the kind guides. Idris was fabulous! He is so professional, so caring
and knowledgeable.
The accommodations in Fez were superior and the staff there so friendly,
they were like family. The breakfast was awesome. We had everything we
could possible want, cheese, hot donuts, toasts, other breads, a boiled
egg, fruit, jam, syrups.... coffee, hot milk. Simply wonderful. There was
a fruit basket in our room, terry robes, extra towels, everything. When
ever we returned from an outing we were immediately served hot mint tea (I
miss it so much) and these little spicy cookie things in the great room.
This room in the bed and breakfast looked similar to many of the tiled
palaces we visited.
The owner in Marrakech was wonderful and so was Latifah, his helper, but
the breakfast there left something to be desired and it was very cold in
the rooms. Although once Latifah made me these excellent pancakes in the
kitchen. She is very sweet.
My favorite part was the day trip to the Atlas Mountains, which had been
my idea. Our taxi driver, Alol, was a total dear. We ate at the most
fantastic restaurant. But touring a village was equally wonderful,
photographing the children and seeing their homes and of course the
country side was so peace compared to Marrakech. Alol's pleasant and easy
going nature made it all the more fun.
The Roman ruins were very interesting too. We enjoyed that day trip very
as well. I wished we had had another day to just wonder around Fez. I
hope to come back with my husband and spend more time in Morocco.Ingrid
M. (Deserts & Empires, March 2005) |
I wish that we were still there! I have to let you
know that our trip was absolutely amazing. I'd say it was perfect in
every way, everyone was extremely helpful and gracious. Really, really
wonderful.
Thank you so much for everything! Also, I'm writing a story about the
trip and pitching it to the Denver Post travel section (they had expressed
interest in the idea when I approached them about it) and I plan on raving
about Sahara Trek and Morocco. If the story gets published I'll be sure
to send you a copy.
-Greg H. (Marrakech to Sahara, March 2005) |
|
We felt that all the arrangements made by Sahara Trek
were wonderful. All trains and plains left/arrived on time, and we always
felt welcomed when we arrived at a station/airport. The itinerary was very
well organized, and we appreciated your flexibility in helping us schedule
Essaouira, La Mamounia, and reducing the number of days in the desert. We
were thrilled to have included Essaouira, but if we had it to do all over
again-we'd cut out a day in Marrakech and do an additional day in the
desert-which is similar to your original itinerary!
The riads in Fez, Marrakech, and Essaouira were fabulous. Their location
in the medinas added greatly to our overall experience; though it was an
odd feeling in Fez to not be able to venture out on our own in the
evening, as was recommended by everyone.
Two of our guides were superlative: Ali in Fez and Mustafa in the desert.
Although they were different from each other-one a college graduate who'd
studied Shakespeare and the other a nomad who'd love to be back in the
desert full-time-they were each integral to our understanding of the area
of Morocco in which they hosted us. Our family felt that they were
extremely professional, proficient in English, able to tackle almost every
question we threw their way, and made us feel that they really cared about
what they were doing. Ali was a true gentleman and scholar who
seemed to be a good representative of the old and new of Morocco. We
appreciated his love for his city and his desire to introduce us to the
history, culture, and religion of his country. Everywhere we went, Ali was
greeted by friends and acquaintances which impressed us no end.
Mustafa is a truly unique person: his attentiveness, humor, kindness,
intelligence, and warmth resulted in a bond, created over only 2 ½ short
days, that took us all three by surprise. We actually cried when we said
good bye to him, the last day in M'hamid. Ali and Mustafa are both
"winners" and you are lucky to have them. Idriss and Habib--were also
solid, though our dealings with them were minimal.
A couple things to think of in the future. I'd asked before we went about
tipping and was referred to the web site which suggests $1 day/camel
driver and $5/day for a city guide. I'd consult with Idriss and Habib and
consider updating the web site depending on what they say; as we were led
to believe that those amounts would be too low and insulting.
You two have a great thing going! We will certainly return to Morocco and
when we do we will call upon Sahara Trek to help us put it together. We'd
be happy to speak as references should you need us to.
-Mary, Carl, and Peter S. (Deserts and Empires, March 2005) |
|
Elizabeth and I just returned from Morocco and we
wanted to write and say that we had a wonderful time! The Desert Dash was
excellent and our stay with Julio was outstanding. He is a wonderful man,
and his house was immaculate. We loved our time in desert and exploring
the dunes was amazing. Thank you for all your help!
-Eric G (Desert Dash!, March 2005) |
|
I just wanted to let you know what a fabulous time we
had during our trip in Morocco. It was truly an adventure and we
thoroughly enjoyed our 8 days with Sahara Trek. There were so many
highlights it's hard to pick a few. Our drive through the mountains and
out to the Todra Gorge was an amazing introduction to the beauty of
Morocco and the ever changing scenery. The Sahara of course was
spectacular and our time there and at the Hotel Sahara was truly
memorable: some of the best food of our trip prepared by Najie and the
cook at Erg Zhigaga, sand sifting through the tent and gently falling on
us as we slept through a windstorm, singing and drumming by the Saharawi
under a starlit sky, a hot shower after 2 days in the desert. Habib
shared with us his love of the desert, his pride in his staff and his
commitment to expanding tourism for the area. He certainly added to the
adventure factor of our trip as he is a force unto himself! He was also
right that we should have spent more time in the Sahara. But after a
great night in Ouarzazate, including dinner at a friend of Habib's and
Mustafa's, Abdul and Mustafa led us on a tour through Tazenakht (buying
carpets from the women's cooperative), Taliouine (lunch at a beautiful
Auberge), Taroudannt (negotiating for bracelets and doors), Agadir (tea
with a friend from Zagora) and finally to Essaouira. They were always
helpful and happy to oblige, even when we wanted to detour to see the
Cascades at Emmouzer.
Thank you so much for working with us to put our tour
together. We ran into a number of large bus tours and no one we spoke to
was having nearly the experience we were. I can hardly wait to return to
Morocco and I have already recommended SarahaTrek to friends, so hopefully
a few more Canadians will get to have the same type of adventure we were
able to have.
I really only have 2 small complaints. If I had known that our luggage
would be traveling with us inside the Jeep, I would have brought a much
smaller bag. You should probably warn stupid North American tourists that
tend to bring too much junk with them. It certainly was not a big issue,
but as we bought carpets and other stuff, it was starting to get pretty
crowded. We had a fabulous time in the desert, but our guide Muktar was a
little over the top in terms of his show of affection for us. He was very
informative and helpful, but his 'clinginess" got a little annoying at
times.
-Cathy C. (Custom Marrakech to Sahara, March 2005) |
To put it simply, we had a wonderful time. Morocco
exceeded any of our expectations - Marrakech
is a magical city we hope to revisit soon, and the desert and dunes were
even more impressive than we could have imagined. Our experience with
Sahara Trek was also good - we've noted often that we would certainly
recommend your services to our friends (and have already done so). We had
almost no problems, which is remarkable for a trip such as this. So,
anything I mention in this email is really just meant to be useful for you
as a means of improving your services.
Marrakech was fantastic. Julio and the Dar Pangal were both great. The
guide set up for us in Marrakech ended up calling to say he'd be a few
hours late, and Julio was kind enough to show us the way to the Jemaa El-Fna
so we could maximize our time there. Certainly above and beyond in
our minds. Mustafa, our Marrakech guide was quite good - helping us
navigate the streets and orient us with the city (while explaining much of
the city's rich history along the way). The only suggestion I would make
with respect to the guide is that he brought us to a carpet salesman who
gave us an impressive demonstration of Moroccan carpets (which was
incredible!) but made us feel as though there was a slight expectation to
buy. Again, this was not particularly upsetting or off-putting for us,
because we did get a great demonstration of carpet-making and of the
various kinds of Moroccan carpets, so we certainly can't complain about
that.
Of course, the desert component of the trip was also indescribably great.
The drive out there through the pass was beautiful, and the driver and
guide stopped at appropriate points for photos, etc., which was certainly
appreciated. There were some problems with the vehicle, however,
which is really our only complaint. We were under the impression the
vehicle we took out to the desert would not be the same as the 4x4 we took
through the desert. This was difficult in terms of the space in the jeep,
which, after our large bags were stored, left virtually no room to sit and
made access to the seat belts impossible. The drive was incredibly
impressive, but was not the most comfortable seven hours of our lives.
The vehicle also struggled at points - stalling every few minutes for the
entire trip, which definitely extended the length of the drives both to
and from the desert (as the driver could never really get above 50 mph
without the car stalling at any point in the trip). We also had two flat
tires when coming out of the desert, which required us to stop in the
desert to change (which gave us a great photo opportunity), and then again
on our last day in Zagora, where we had to spend an hour at an off-road
mechanic station. Not the ideal way to spend our last day in Morocco, but
we were grateful that our driver was so attentive to our safety.
The guide for the latter part of the trip did a great job - bringing us to
a pottery maker and library that were not scheduled, but wonderful
additions to the itinerary. The driver handled the tremendously
struggling jeep as best as he could.
Again, Ted, we can't thank you enough for setting up this trip. We will
both remember it fondly for quite some time, and can't wait until the next
time we can find an opportunity to head back. I am sure we will be
referring your service to friends in the future. Thanks for everything!
-Brad and Bryan (Marrakech to Sahara, March 2005) |
I have forwarded your email to my clients and hope they
will respond. They told me that they really enjoyed themselves on their
"Desert Dash" and that the guide was very nice and helpful. The pictures
they took were phenomenal!
I would also like to add that my dealings with yourself and Ted were
always pleasant. I appreciated your accessibility and true desire to help
and ensure your clients had an enjoyable trip with SaharaTrek. I will not
hesitate to recommend your company to my clients and friends in the
future!
Please feel free to use my comments for your website or any other
marketing materials. Take care.
-Meagan R (Desert Dash!, March 2005) |
Just to let you know we had a fabulous time in Morocco.
The tour was perfect, the guides were wonderful, the Riads couldn't be
better. The only thing that was wrong was my inability to bargain. I
think I paid 20 people for four years when I bought my rugs. Boy
did we have fun!
Thanks for a wonderful trip.
-Joey W. and John M. (Ancient Empires, March 2005) |
| Just back from my trip. Many, many thanks to you guys for
setting me up on this wonderful time. Fantastic and something I'll
recommend to all my friends who travel to interesting places. The guides
like Mustafa in Marrakech and the Nomad guide and driver Abduhl who work
for Habib in M'hamid were very good. Great driver in Casa, so all is
well. Only thoughts would be that the poor hotel Riad Salam in Casa has
gone far downhill (think Turkish prison), and Les Cigone was for my tastes
better than La Mamounia which also seems to be slipping a bit. But these
are Conde Nast minutiae. This was a great trip and you have a wonderful
company; how can you beat the Zhigaga dunes? Next time I'll do three
nights there. Many, many thanks. -Rob W, (Feb. 2005) |
I just wanted to say thank you for organizing the
wonderful trip to Morocco. I don't think we had any complaints! The
hotel the first two nights (Dar Masmoudi) was the perfect way to start the
trip, I
never imagined we would stay in such a unique place.
I have put some of my photos of the trip with my other internet photos on
Pbase.com. I put a link to Sahara Trek with my photos because you guys
and Morocco were worth spreading the word about! If you want to have a
look, go to:www.pbase.com/christina/morocco.
Carter's photos are at
www.pbase.com/carter/morocco
Thanks again.-Christina N. (Deserts and Empires, Feb 2005) |
|
 |
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