Praise for Morocco Explored tours and treks...
The testimonials below are genuine reviews, unsolicited from our explorers and all can be verified. They date from 2006 to 2011 pre Tripadvisor and are entertaining to read if you have some time.
Browse our reviews:
Camel Trek Desert tours 3, 4, and 5 days
4x4 Offroad tours 5, 6, and 7 days
Daytrips from Marrakech
Custom tours Best of Morocco
New Years Eve Desert tours,
Mountain Trekking
- Morocco Explored rated "excellent" by 11 travelers
Sahara Desert Tours and Camel Treks
Robbin & Essalah,
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks for making our recent visit to Morocco so wonderful. From the moment we decided to take our tour with Morocco Explored the communication for payment, itinerary and information was clear, straightforward and easy. Most importantly though, from the moment Essalah greeted us at our hotel we found our tour incredibly enjoyable. We feel very lucky that two key aspects worked out perfectly. Firstly, the other couple who joined us, Lauren & Adam, were friendly and energetic, and secondly, that Essalah brought so much energy, knowledge, openness and humour to the group. His expert driving was appreciated through the winding roads of the Atlas and his willingness to give us a window into Moroccan culture was especially appreciated. We all felt really relaxed and comfortable during our wide-eyed journey through some of beautiful Morocco. The accommodation was perfect, the food was delicious, and the activities and sights were perfectly designed. We always felt able to ask if we wanted to stop quickly for a photo or have input about when and where we stopped for lunch. We cannot overstate the important role which Essalah played during the tour. It is quite remarkable that he made such an impression in such a short amount of time. We felt comfortable and confident in all our interactions with locals, and were able to get help with everything from protocol to pronunciation advice. His laughter, jokes and warmth will always be an integral part of our memories of Morocco.This tour was, in every aspect, simply outstanding. Rest assured we have been, and will continue, recommending Morocco Explored to all our friends and family. We have every intention of returning to Morocco and when we do, we know who to contact. We have happily added our positive review to tripadvisor.
Our thanks to you both and sincere best wishes for continued success in the future,
S & J Evans, Australia, 2011Robbin,
Essalah was wonderful and got a guide the very next morning. We couldn't have been happier with Hamou. He was great with the kids, super at explaining and showing us around and wonderful at answering my many many many questions. He made the trip so enjoyable and we feel like we have a lifelong friend with him!Not many people can say that they have had mint tea with Nomads who live in a cave! It was truely a very humbling and extrodinary experience.
Hamou was also very helpful when my daughter got sick and needed to see a doctor. We were so impressed! We would reccommend him highly to anyone traveling with Morocco Explored!
Essalah, was also wonderful in answering our calls and arranging for a guide and taxi service. The trip was MORE than we could have expected! It was truely an adventure of a lifetime. It felt surreal from the moment we landed.
Thank you so much for arranging everything for us. We will definitely be reccommending Morocco Explored to all our friends wishing to visit!
Sincerely,
S Preston, USA, 2011Hi Robbin,
Just to say what a wonderful trip. Rach and I had last week (19-22nd March), Marrakech to Marrakech. Hamou was a fantastic driver - great fun and very informative, and it felt like having an extra friend along on the trip. It also worked out well with Carrie, the American girl who had signed up to join us.Rach's birthday cake in the desert was AMAZING! Full credit to Hamou for making this happen in such a special way. The lunchtime before the camel trek, I managed to get Hamou to one side to ask him about organising a cake for the next day, but Rach reappeared before we had managed to set a plan, and we had to change the subject quickly so she wouldn't guess we were plotting something. To my delight though, this lack of plan didn't deter Hamou, as he went ahead and organised a lovely cake, which he carried across the desert before sunrise, from the hotel to the sand dunes where we were, and then he decorated Rach's camel with balloons (us girls were up in the dunes so had no idea any of this was going on!), and then he hid while Addi the camel man brought the cake and balloon-adorned camel to Rach - much to all of our amazed delight! So, after all that effort, poor Hamou didn't even get a piece a cake, as he was hiding and we didn't know he was there!! (We gave him a big piece of a different cake the next day).
Anyay, this is just one example of the extra mile that Hamou regularly went to on our trip, to make sure we had a great time. We learnt a lot from him about Morocco and its people in the 4 days of the tour, and wesaw many fascinating places. I would happily recommend Morocco Explored to other travellers (and will be writing a review on Trip Advisor). I am also pleased to say how much I loved riding the camel, having been a bit unsure about it beforehand. I would do it again in a flash!
Please could you forward my thanks to Hamou for making Rach's birthday so wonderful? It was a lovely surprise for me as much as it was for her!! I also feel bad as Hamou gave me his business card with his contact details on when we said our goodbyes at the end of the trip, as we were going to stay in touch, but somehow I have managed to lose the card between there and the UK - grrrr. Would you be able to pass on my email to Hamou please, so he has my email address (and to thank him for making the trip so memorable) and he can contact me if he has time.
Thanks again to Morocco Explored - definitely a trip we will remember forever.
Best wishes,
S Hill, UK, 2011Hello Robbin
Well, we are back and our trip was quite wonderful. Morocco is amazingly diverse and beautiful. Can't think of a place that I would not want to return to. Hannah took over 1000 photos and judging from my conversation with her mother yesterday, she did take a lot in. I hope and believe that she will be a good traveler to developing countries in the future. Robbin, Ronnie and Hannah join me in thanking you.
L Corshen, USA, 2011Hi Robbin
I just wanted to say what a great time I had on my tour in May/June. It exceeded my expectations. Essalah was a great guide and I really relaxed.If you want a testimonial, the following points are my experience and I don't think they have been made on your other testimonials on the site.
'The trip far exceeded my expectations. I was a single booking 'tagging along' on someone else's trip already booked for 3; in the end two 'single bookings' joined the group of 3 and we made a varied, lively group of 5. A really fun experience. My biggest decision for 4 days was 'Will we have lunch now or later?'. I would love to travel with Morocco Explored again
D Fulwood, Australia, 2011Dear Robbin,
I just wanted to drop you a line to say a big thank you to you and especially Hamal, our wonderful driver and guide when we visited Marrakech last week.We booked the Ait Benhadou excursion and Hamal arrived promptly to collect us from our hotel in a very smart minibus. He was very warm and friendly and we were especially touched by his fatherly care with the youngest member of our group, Kia who is only two-years old.
As it was the start of Ramadan we were quite aware and concerned for Hamal by the end of the day trip because he had not eaten or drunk anything for the ten hours we were with him, but he kept his wonderful friendly approach throughout.
Please pass on our sincere thanks to Hamal for making our day trip a wonderful experience and something we will always remember with fondness. We will return to Marrakech in the future and would love to book another excursion, and if possible have Hamal again as our guide.
Our only concerns were that the air conditioning in the minibus failed quite early in the day and we had to have the windows and roof vents open, and Hamal seemed worried we did not enjoy our trip,…WE MOST CERTAINLY DID ENJOY IT!
Best regards,
C Land, USA, 2011Dear Robbin,
My husband and I just came back to Chicago on Sunday from Morocco. We would like to thank you and your staff for helping organizing our trip. We had a great time and we were grateful to have the driver, Hamou to take us around. He did a really good job helping us enjoying our trip as much as possible. We will definitely put a good review at the trip advisor website.Thank you again for all your help! We can't wait to go back to Morocco again.
A Yu, USA, 2011Dear Robin and Essalah,
Thank you for a wonderful tour - Marek and I had a glorious time, and it was the perfect way to celebrate our wedding anniversary.
Essallah - thanks for making our trip so fun, enjoyable and memorable ! Your energy, passion for Morocco, humour, easy going attitude and ability to know exactly what we wanted to do/eat - was invaluable. Your friendship, and invitation to dine at your home on our last night,was a wonderful end to a great trip for us. We have travelled extensively around the world over the last 20 years- and you are definately one of the very best guides we have had the good fortune of travelling with.
We will be recommending your company to our all friends - and hope to return soon with our 2 sons in the future.
Kind Regards,
T & M Rucinski, Australia, 2010Essalah
We would like to thank you very much for showing us part of your wonderful country. We had the most fantastic time and there were so many amazing things we got to see and do. In particular the camel ride and night spent in the dunes was something we will all remember but so too was all the amazing food we ate (Ribs, Tagine and Couscous) - Catherine.Thank you sooooooo much for everything you did for us. While we were in Marrakech we bought a tagine pot and mum bought more girly stuff but we will call you early in the morning for anything. Wake up its early Essalah. Thank you so much for your amazing skills of touring advice to get us through this wonderful country. I had one of the best holidays of my life because of your help. As soon as you left us and we got to our Riad that afternoon in Marrakech we said that we already miss Salah - Brandon.
My favourite part was when we ate our first Tajine and you tought us how to eat it with the bread...hhhmmmmm it was so good. We will always remember you. I still remember when I swam in the really cold pool in Marrakech. bbbbrrrrrr that was cold. once again we just want to wish you the best and thank you very much - Ryan
Hi Essalah, as you can see we all had a great time, driven so much by the impression you were able to give through your knowledge and desire to share this with us. Thanks again and we hope to come back again - Neil
Pollock family, Germany, 2010
Hi Robin,
What a wonderful experience we had in Morocco. Although it started off badly with me being sick, it soon turned around. We had such a great time and although the drive was long crossing the Atlas mountains, your drivers certainly helped to make it memorial. We had Mehdi Bouhlila (a casual driver, but you wouldn't know it the way he looked after me when I was sick - a great asset) and Hisham for the rest of the journey. They laughed and joked with us and joined in some of the antics we got up to along the way. We couldn't have asked for better drivers as companions along the way.The trip into the Sahara was magic. Watching the sun go down as we rode into camp was glorious. We just loved the nomad camp and the meal was one of the best I had in Morocco. Lying there looking at the stars was unbelievable - they were so clear and bright you felt as though you could count them. Enjoyed the entertainment (and your birthday cake). After a great nights sleep we watched the sun rise before returning to the auberge.
Although we enjoyed visiting all the other countries on our 11 week tour, this was certainly the highlite. Loved meeting you and your friends Robin, and being able to share in your birthday celebrations. Tommy, our guide in Fez was terrific and we can recommend him to anyone needing a guide. There are some great walks around Australia should you or your friends decide to come here. If you do, please let me know as I would love to meet you all again. The photos are of the camp but if you would like any others of our trip through Morocco I will send them.
All the best,
S Henderson, Australia, 2010Hi there
We just wanted to thank you for the fantastic trip we took with Morocco Explored while in Marrakech!! What started out to be a four person adventure ended up with 14 of us caravanning through the Atlas Mountains. Everyone was so happy that they had "joined the group" as they enjoyed the adventure so much.
One of the requests that we have is whether you would be able to provide us with a map of the route that we took. Everyone what's to show their friends and family where they went. Is this something that you could mail to me and I could copy for the others?
Again, thanks so much for the wonderful experience!!
L McNary, Canada, 2010hello Robbin
i am writing to share our experiences with morocco explored on our holiday from 3rd to 10 oct. we were warmly welcomed at the airport and brought to a beautiful riad for the night. next day we met Hamel our driver for the next three days. we were pleasantly surprised that we had a private tour to ourselves. and what an experience we had. Hamel went way beyond what you would expect with a tour guide. he was extremely polite curtious, nothing was to much trouble for him. he would slow down of stop if i wanted to take photos, lunch time he would inform us what was on the menu and order for us. he showed us around his family home and met his family. we had a great time going off road and met nomads who he asked if it was ok for us to have a look around.. he told us many stories and about life etc. in morocco. after 3 days it was sad to have to say goodbye.We had a free morning in fez and a guide (Mohammond) for the afternoon who showed us around. we certainly needed one in fez... So all in all it our time with Hamel was absolutely fantasic and accommadation was surperb.
One little thing i would recommend would be for Maria (in Marrakech )to have some sort of map or at least some sort of suggestions where to go for dinner. We were aware that we could have organzied a guide but as we had been on
the road for over 3 weeks already and we were wanting just to rest before we started our tour. Unfortuately Maria did not seem to understand what we were saying. She did give us a card with the riads address.... but we did not know where to go and the taxi driver not understanding english....Thank you and also Essalah for organizing this trip for us.
Regards
M and GIvill, Australia, 2010
Hello there-
I just wanted to thank you for having created such an amazing company that truly delivers above and beyond expectations.
I took the English language tour with Salah this summer, and had the time of my life with him. Salah became my friend, showed me tons of interesting things throughout the country, and made Morocco a place I would love to return to. I can not thank you enough for building such a great company.
Best wishes
M Lisle, USA, 2010Hello to you both!
I wanted to send a quick note of thanks to both of you for a wonderful experience in Morocco. It was truly amazing and both Xochitl and I enjoyed it very much, so thank you for all your efforts in making that possible. From the planning before we left to our tour in Morocco, it all worked out beautifully and I would recommend Morocco Explored without reservation to any friends and family.I also wanted to share some of the photos taken during the trip. Essalah, I know some of these are yours! Thanks for being assistant photog along the way. Please feel free to pull a few of these if you like to use on your site or in your marketing.
As we discussed, my company handles public relations/media relations for a number of companies including one travel company so if I see any media opportunities here in the US that may be a fit for you guys, I will let you know. Let's stay in touch.
All the best,
L Lazarczyk, USA, 2010I would like to thank both of you a fantastic trip that we experienced in Morocco! The good experience started with the booking till the end of our trip in Fez. The tour we had with Essallah and Hamou was fantastic! They are very
professionnal and made our trip a wonderful experience! I will recommend your company to all my friends and will for sure write a very good review on internet. I wish you all the best and hope I will have the chance to come back again to this amazing country that is Morocco!
Your new friend!
N Boucher, Canada 2010Dear Morocco Explored,
We recently had a 5 day tour with your company from Fez to Marrakesh. We would like to let you know that Hamou, our guide, impressed us in every way. Hamou was personable, interesting, and he catered exactly to our tastes and needs. He was flexible and in short, he was absolutely excellent. I have been on MANY tours and had MANY tour guides. This is the first time I've had a guide that was flawless. Hamou was absolutely fantastic and we thought you should know.
Best,
LAston, Australia, 2010Hello,
Kathy and I went on a five day tour from Marrakech to Erg Chebbi and then on to Fes in September 2010. Firstly, we both want to say thank you for such a well organised tour and for the preparation material you provided before we left Australia. We don't have anything negative to say about our experience with your company and this trip was definitely the highlight of our 5 weeks overseas.Secondly, a big thank you to Hamoud. Kathy says you should be dipped in gold Hamoud! (This is a huge compliment). We had such a good time with you and feel like we really experienced Morocco. There was so much beauty to see, and you were always able to help us understand our surroundings.
Your expertise was so appreciated that we were thrilled to capture more of your time so that you could take us on to Chefchaouen. On that point, I am really sorry that I didn't get an opportunity to say farewell to you properly in Chef...
Anyway, thank you again and Kathy and I wish everyone a prosperous holiday season and a great 2011. We would love to hear back from you Hamoud if you ever get the chance.
One day, Kathy and I would love to be able to bring the kids over - but only if Hammou is our driver!!!
P and K Dawson, Australia, 2010
Dear Robin
Thank you very much for your e-mails and your information. However, we had a great trip and everthing fell into place at the end. All in all it was a wonderful stay in Morocco and we like to return in the future for another visit to this beautiful and colourful country.
Greetings,
J Kiener, Italy, 2010Attn Robbin Yager.
Many thanks to Morocco Explored for introducing us to the wonderful country Morocco is. The chosen route from Fes to Marrakech was notable for the diverse samples of the beautiful Moroccan landscapes and rugged terrain. Truly spectacular.Our camel trek and overnight camp in the desert was a unique experience and even though we had camped a lot in the past, this was a night not to be missed. Our camel driver and cook was great and the targine supper delicious.
The accommodation at Vieux Chateau du Dades was a great selection and the setting in the gorge a wonderful place to relax after a hectic day's schedule.
Having said all the above, we did enjoy the tour and rank it as one of the highlights of our Morocco experience.
Best regards,
J Roggeveen, Australia, 2010Hello Robin,
We're back from our Marrakech-Desert-Marrakech trip with Essalah and Hammou, and it was very good, indeed. They both took good care of us, were flexible, knowledgeable, and fun to spend a lot of time with. They added excursions and stops that were not on the itinerary, which added even more interest and fun.
The only suggestion that we have is to find restaurants with more variety in the menu. Almost all had the same choices of chicken or beef tagine, brochette, or couscous. The welcome exception was the Timbucto in Tinehir.
We will gladly recommend Morocco Explored to anyone.
Regards,
J Mitchell, USA, 2010Hello Robbin:
I am just writing to thank you for giving us the best holiday ever - everything was so well arranged and thought out and, of course, - we just could not have had a better guide than Hamou. I had never thought how adaptable a guide must be - he had to quickly learn that we weren't interested in food, and wanted to see all the animals, birds and history he could.You must have bundles of letters from people like us thanking you so much for Hamou. What a dear kind thoughtful man he is. Quiet, peaceful, and my daughter thinks he's like a walking National Geographic - he knows so much about the flora and fauna of Morocco. Everything he did just went that little bit further....we could not have been better treated.
Here are a few shots!I asked if I could buy some bread in the middle of the day - this is the first time in my life it has been cooked for me personally while I waited! - what an experience! He knew so much about fossils and rocks - and even had a hammer! He showed us about palms - lent me a bird book and found us a chameleon! What a lovely man he is - we both miss him.
thank you to your company - what an unforgettable trip - and you will be called on by my cousin and her two children shortly AND other friends from New Zealand!
thank you! Best wishes to the whole team
J Gibbens & A Myhill, UK, 2010
Hello!
I just wanted to say thank you for the wonderful experience we had with morocco explored. We were a group of 3 girls traveling from sept 15-17, and i believe our guide's name was Hassan. Would you mind verifying that and letting me know his name and his email? We went from Marrakech to Fez. We just want to tell him how great he was!
Thanks!
I Serbanescu, 2010Hammou:
Thank you so very much for these days. You are a humble, honorable and very kind man. Please accept our deep appreciation and gratitude. Warmest and kindest regards.Robbin: Smooth operation you have. Congratulations. Very well done.
Wish you all the best.
P and C Quero, 2010I just wanted to thank you (and, of course, Essalah) for a great, great trip. Yes, it was quick, but we saw so much and want to return! Please feel free to use me (and the kids) as references for future clients. We had a terrific time and felt well taken care of.
N Stanley, USA, 2009I am writing to say how much we enjoyed the recent 5 day tour we took with Morocco Explored. The trip was well organised and really enjoyable. We especially loved our time in the desert and the camel ride. Our guide, Hamou, was brilliant; he was so thoughtful and anticipated our needs, going out of his way to take us to interesting places such as a Berber museum, a hamman and a Berber Pharmacy. He even invited us to his family home and his family welcomed us with a lovely home made refreshments. Could you please pass on our deep appreciation to Hamou?
We loved the whole trip and our great guide. If you are thinking of offering trips further into the desert or Africa we would be interested.
R Sandham, UK 2009I just wanted to thank you for a fantastic trip. It was everything we'd hoped for and more. Partly due I think to the fantastic driver Hamood (apologies if i have mispelled this). He was extremely easy going and happy to adjust to whatever we wanted to do. He gave us a fantastic insight into local life and gave us plenty of information along the way. Many thanks once again,
K Waller & S Snape, UK, 2009I wanted to let you know we had an amazing time and thought the tour was incredible! Everything was executed perfectly and Essalah was fabulous to meet and spend time with. He does an amazing job and really treats his clients to a first class experience! I'll be sure to recommend Morocco Explored to friends and family planning to visit Morocco!
E Honerkamp, USA, 2009
Now I know why we needed a 4x4! Mustapha and Essalah BOTH EXCELLENT drivers on those crazy roads and fun to be with. Our 22 year old son thinks he knows how to be a better driver after the experiences! Our (other) activities, sites and guides were absolutely wonderful, with the camel trek being the most outstanding adventure of our vacation!
Erg Chebbi Berber tents. What a grand adventure, wouldn't have missed the experience for anything! Our camel guide / cook / host was very hospitable and helpful. We felt "looked after" and special, especially when we received extra blankets. A small heater w/in the tent would have made it much more comfortable for us, but we realize the safety/logistics of doing that is nearly impossible. The fabulous Sahara scenery, delicious dinner and authentic "feel" made it all worthwhile.
R Richardson and family, USA, 2008Sometimes we have two reviews form the same group.
The tour as a whole was absolutely wonderful, fascinating, unbelievable! Folks in our small town in the southern U.S. cannot possible understand the magnitude of the fabulous sites, cultures, and people we experienced during our Morocco Explored tour. Our very busy itinerary allowed us to experience so much of Morocco and its' exceptional beauty and the amazing natural and ancient sites. Everywhere, the people seemed kind, unhurried and pleased to welcome us.Your help and insight with our (7 day) itinerary was so correct. It was a lot of driving, but we wanted to see and do all we could during our Morocco visit. We felt we had an excellent overview of Morocco and the vast differences within: gorgeous coast, Sahara, desert areas, oasis, High Atlas mountains (some snow), Anti-Atlas scrub, farm land, Argon trees and surrounding area, Atlantic ports, busy cities and quaint kasbahs and villages.
THANKS for such a great, memorable vacation with grown children. Someday I hope to return to Morocco for an extended time in order to enjoy each beautiful area of this varied country.
R Richardson family, USA, 2008I wanted to send you a brief note to tell you how much we enjoyed our tour. It was flawless start to finish, and I will never be able to think of Morocco without thinking of amazing (driver) Hammou. He asked us on the last day what he should do to improve, and Alexandra and I could not figure out one thing to change. He took every opportunity possible to teach us and show us new things. For example, I saw people selling the cactus fruits on the side of the road and simply asked, "What are those?" Next thing I know, we have pulled over and are tasting them. He was phenomenal. We felt we had a teacher, guardian, friend and comedian all rolled into one. We immediately trusted him and knew we were in good hands with both Hammou and Morocco Explored.
Thank you so much for trip of a lifetime!
L Speros, USA, 2008
We totally enjoyed our trip with Morocco Explored. Hammou, our driver, was not only professional but also kind, calm and insightful. He read us perfectly and set the right tone according to our mood and needs. We felt safe and well cared for. The organisation was superb! Our three days felt like a lot more... we really got a great glimpse of Morocco, and look forward to a return visit some day. Thank you Hammou and Morocco Explored!
Greetings from, Sara and Rogier, back home in rainy Belgium.
S Smerdon, Belgium, 2008We are back after a fabulous time in Morocco. Thank you for your organization - everything ran so smoothly. The itinerary worked out well for us throughout the trip.
Our driver Hisham was excellent. Total flexible, helpful and relaxed. We would definitely recommend you using him again. Overall we were thrilled with the trip and would recommend your service to others.
A Sullivan, Qatar 2007I just wanted to thank Essalah again for making our trip to Morocco such a great adventure. We all missed you terribly in Fes because we then realized how much you had been taking care of us!
We felt safe, well-fed, happy and totally comfortable in your care. I particularly appreciated your safe driving and reminders to drink water. We will never forget the incredible natural beauty of Morocco, the camel trek, the oasis of Tinehir, five-five and laughing and talking our way for five very happy days.
C Whittle, USA 2007The Landcruiser was very comfortable, clean and well maintained. We only had one hiccup - when the vehicle wouldn't start while we were at Auberge Yasmina in Erg Chebbi and neither would the hotel's car. Minor delay of about an hour. Other than that everything about the car was fine.
Essalah was terrific all around. He made the journey so much more interesting as he shared his insights and background into Morocco. With an engaging personality, wonderful sense of humor, and a candor, we couldn't have asked for a better person with whom to experience the country.
The itinerary and the accolades for Essalah are what prompted us to pick to travel with Morocco Explored. The trip was good and interesting. Wish we might have spent a little more time in the desert and in the Tinerhir palmeraie.
Overall, this was a wonderful experience - getting out of the cities and experiencing the Sahara Desert and the High Atlas and the gorges. It was a treat to spend time seeing another side of Morocco. The night on the camel trek in the desert will always be a highlight, but the most memorable part of our trip will be of our time with Essalah and his wonderful personality as our guide.
P Li, USA, 2007
The transportation greatly exceeded our expectations. Everyone was extremely happy with it, especially when we saw on the way what some other groups had to live with. Essalah is just the best (driver) there is!
The activities were well chosen and all of the activity guides were excellent. My brother, who was unable to make the walking tour in Todra gardens, was made an especial fuss of. He pronounced his afternoon with Mr. Abdelfadil as the highlight of the whole tour.
All (the guides) were exceptionally well qualified, indeed in some cases over-qualified. They all worked hard to make the activities enjoyable for us.
I was very pleased to have selected Morocco Explored, after investigating several other options. Overall, the tour was extremely comfortable, very much enjoyed by us all and excellent value for money. I was made for us by our guide Essalah, who we would have no hesitation in working with again or recommending to others. It was with much regret that we left him to swan off to Mali without us!
P Hobbs and family, UK, 2007Thank you so very much for providing Kiran, Carolyn, Sheila and me with such a memorable Moroccan experience. While we enjoyed Marrakesh and Fez, the real journey occurred during the 5 days we spent with Morocco Explored. We experienced so many delightful sights - and an amazing amount of diversity. Mother Nature put on quite a show.
I also want to express our appreciation for Essalah. We realized just how spoiled we had become under his care when we arrived in Fes and had to navigate on our own! It was a shock! All our travel days went smoothly, which are a tribute to his professionalism. But, it is his warmth and humor that stays with us. I think we laughed our way across your country.
Please accept all of our thanks and appreciation.
S Lunden and friends, India and USA 2007We had a great time, the car was very comfortable, with more than enough room. Essalah is a good guy. Knowledgable about the country, very friendly and a pleasure to be around. He seemed to know a lot of people and our diversion to the villages outside Tinerhir were a highlight. Adi, the camel trek guide was superb. Very funny, very nice to be around.
Great itinerary, being able to see the mountains, desert, and Tinerhir was great. Again, the highlights for us were the diversions to the small villages to meet Moroccans that weren't either in the tourist industry, or trying to sell us stuff, and the camel trek.
For the reasons above. We will certainly recommend to friends who go to Morocco, or next time we are back!
J Ratner, USA, 2007Myself and a group of friends had a five day excursion with Morocco Explored and Essalah in particular. You sir, are one of the most generous, kind, thoughtful souls I have ever met. You went beyond what was required of you as our guide and made us feel incredibly welcome and more than comfortable. Your sense of humour, singing and of course your "girlfriend" (the 4x4) made our trip together one of the most memorable experiences of my life to date. The wonderful dinner we all had with you, your brother and father was one of the high lights of the whole experience. As was sitting in a tent in the desert with you and Hassan telling jokes all night.
G McBride, Canada 2006
My friends and I are just back from Morocco, where we had a most splendid time.
Essalah, our driver was superb and certainly made our five days with him most memorable. He was professional, attentive and above all fun to be with. We cannot praise him highly enough, he is certainly a great ambassador for your company.
His driving was safe at all times and the frequent stops for photos or to stretch our legs a welcome break. Essalah proved to be articulate and 'chatty', and taught us many things about the Moroccan way of life, and re-introduced us to the 'delights' of Cat Stevens!
Please can you pass on our Many Thanks to him. Morocco Explored is definately a company we would recommend to others or use again.
D Holland and friends, UK 2006My partner and I visited morocco last September and took a tour with Morocco Explored and were fortunate enough to have Essalah as our driver for 3 fantastic days. Before leaving the UK, I found Robbin very helpful with payments, and itinerary questions that I had. Our first meeting with Essalah, was the day before our trip, when he drove to meet us on the outskirts of Marrakech. He met us with a smile and drove us as close to our Riad as possible, before paying a local to take us to the door (which he refused to be reinbursed for) and also to check we were ok and knew the plans for the following day.
The tour we were on mirrored a similar tour conducted by another firm that was cheaper but travelled in big slow mini-buses lacking air con! Throughout the trip we kept bumping in to these people who were complaining that their drivers didn't stop for photos, didn't speak english and wouldn't tell them were they were going or what they would be doing next. The complete opposite of Essalah, who was insightful, funny, and very accomodating for our requests to stop or stay in places longer.
When we arrived in the desert we left on our camels for our camp and shortly found ourselves in the middle of a sand storm, which was very exciting but we were not fearful as Essalah and our desert guide where brilliant. The sand then turned to rain as an electical storm blew over, and during all this Essalah was fantastic arranging for us to eat our dinner in the tent of a local nomad family who lived in the desert — which was amazing!
Essalah was fist class, very enthusiastic, and made the trip very funny and informative for us. Keep up the good work Essalah and Morroco Explored! I will recommend Morocco Explored to any friend of mine visiting Morocco in the future...
A Wrangles, UK, 2006Myself and a group of friends had a five day excursion with Morocco Explored and Essalah in particular. You sir, are one of the most generous, kind, thoughtful souls I have ever met. You went beyond what was required of you as our guide and made us feel incredibly welcome and more than comfortable. Your sense of humour, singing and of course your "girlfriend" (the 4x4) made our trip together one of the most memorable experiences of my life to date. The wonderful dinner we all had with you, your brother and father was one of the high lights of the whole experience, as was sitting in a tent in the desert with you and Hassan telling jokes all night.
G McBride, Canada 2006
4x4 Offroad Tours
We have just returned from a 7 day 4x4 'Hidden Morocco' trek with Morroco Explored and this was the ulitmate highlight of our trip to Morocco. Our Guide Hammou was wonderful, friendly and very professional. Essalah has had wonderful previous comments and after meeting him I would say that he would have also been a great driver and host. Nothing was too much trouble for Morocco Explored and Essalah would check each day that all was going okay. We saw marvelous sites, some majical picnics in the middle of the Atlas mountains - with only nomads wandering around, it was the ultimate highlight of our trip and would totally recommend them!!
L Micalef, UK, 2009We wanted to say thanks for a great time in Morocco. It was a perfect introduction to the country, the itinerary was just the right mix of on-and-off road and our stopovers were at some stunning places! Many thanks to Essalah for the driving - also, for knowing some of the best views and photo-opportunities. We promise to give him some shares when we start up the "Monkey Hammam" business!
We wish you the best of luck for the future of the company and we hope to travel with you again sometime (Volubilis, Casablanca, Fes... etc., as well as a return to the desert).
We're happy to act as referees if you would like to list us on the site.
J Brown & F Downs, UK. 2008We would like to let you know that we had a great trip with Morocco Explored... a very organized tour company and our trip itinerary ran smoothly. The four of us on the 5 days/4 nights desert tour were extremely pleased with your service and driver. All of us in our party were impressed with his
excellent driving skills especially driving thru the Atlas Mountains region. We found our trip in the Land Cruiser very safe, relaxing and stress free. We enjoyed the music and entertainment.You treated us... with respect and kindness. We all learned a lot in the five days. You were very accommodating when we wanted special stops or for having different lunches. You were very professional, listened to us and were fun to be with. It was a memorable trip.
After our five days of touring we were looking for a couple of days of R & R; you recommended Sidi Kaouki, it was one of the highlights of our trip to Morocco. The hotel, dinners and beach were out of this world. It was everything you said it would be.
Thanks for making our trip to Morocco special. We would definitely use Morocco Explored again and highly recommend to others.
R Purdy and family, Canada 2007
Thank you so very much for providing Kiran, Carolyn, Sheila and me with such a memorable Moroccan experience. While we enjoyed Marrakesh and Fez, the real journey occurred during the days we spent with Morocco Explored. We experienced so many delightful sights - and an amazing amount of diversity. Mother Nature put on quite a show.
I also want to express our appreciation for Essalah. We realized just how spoiled we had become under his care when we arrived in Fes and had to navigate on our own! It was a shock! All our travel days went smoothly, which are a tribute to his professionalism. But, it is his warmth and humor that stays with us. I think we laughed our way across your country.
Please accept all of our thanks and appreciation.
S Lunden and friends, India and USA 2007We got to Merzouga late (8 pm) after stopping at Essalah's house. His family was amazingly kind and at the end of the visit, I felt I had a new set of family. What tremendous people. When we left, I told Salah that it would be near impossible to top that experience. We started the camel trek late due to the long travel time and seeing the stars at night and the sun rise in the morning was exactly what I'd hoped.
J Zimmerman family, USA 2006I am sending you this e-mail on behalf of all our party to thank Morocco Explored for a fantastic time in the mountains and the desert, all without exception thought that this was the highlight of our visit. Please thank the drivers, Essallah and Salim for a wonderful tour and particularly how they looked after us.
My biggest dissapointment was not being able to say a proper "thank you" at the tour end - particularly to Salim who was my driver - because of the traffic chaos ensuing at the drop-off point, (and) because he was very friendly, good company and worked hard throughout.
R Spry and friends, UK 2006
Day Trips from Marrakech
Hi Robbin,
Just wanted to pass on our thanks - the whole family had a really great day. Very happy with the organisation and professionalism of the whole trip - we'll certainly be recommending Morocco Explored to other people.
J Marsh, UK, 2010Hi,
My daughter and I have just come back from Marrakech. While we were there we arranged a day trip to Ait Benhaddou with your tour company.I just wanted to let you know that we had an amazing day trip into the Atlas mountains, our driver/guide Naeem (hope I have spelt that correctly) was fantastic, really nice, friendly, intelligent guy, he spoke excellent English and had a great sense of humour. Please pass on our good wishes to him.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will not hesitate to recommend your tour company to other travellers.
Many thanks,
Kind regards,
J & K Hunter, UK, 2010Hi Robbin,
We have just returned from Morocco and I wanted to say how much we enjoyed our day with Essalah last week. We had the most wonderful time, saw the most beautiful sights and very much enjoyed Essalah's company and all the interesting information he passed onto us.
He was incredibly professional throughout and fortunately completely unphased by my altitude sickness which was quite embarrassing!.
Please pass on my thank yous to him and I do hope that we get back to Morocco to partake in another trip.
Many thanks
H Hayes, UK, 2010Hi Robbin, back home again in Spain now. Just wanted to say how much we enjoyed our trip you reccomended to Ait Benhaddou. Everything was perfect. Our Driver (Mahmud?) was brilliant, charming and informative. We won't hesitate to reccomend your company to anyone we know travelling to Marrakech, and will definitely book with you again on our next visit. More than happy for you to use any comment that you see fit. Much success to you, four happy pensioners. Thanks again. Kind regards.
E Whitehouse, Spain, 2009We have now returned home after a wonderful trip to Morocco during the first 2 weeks of September. We decided to book Morocco Explored for a 4 day/3 night tour, and then on our return we booked 2 day trips - first to Essaouira (on the coast), and then to Demnate (Iminifri open cave) plus the Cascades d'Ouzoud.
We just wanted to take a moment to say - "Thank you Morocco Explored" for your professionalism and well organized tours. We thoroughly enjoyed taking our journeys with your company We wouldn't have been able to have seen as much of Morocco on our own and/or experienced as
much if we had not used your services. Your personal attention to detail made our "adventure" something to remember!"All the best from the Big Apple. Shukran! SHUKRAN!!
Marlene and Christine
New York City, USA, 2009Thanks so much for organizing this trip for us. We had an amazing day out and a wonderful time!!! We were especially impressed with our driver/guide/joketeller Hammou who really enhanced the day trip experience! He was polite, pleasant, knowledgeable, and a very safe driver with a wonderful sense of humour. It was lovely to meet him, and he is definitely an asset to your company.
Thanks again!!!
R Baizie, UK, 2009Luckily for us we said hello again for a daytrip to Essaouira. We had such a relaxed day there, and ate a ridiculous amount of fish, and smiled for another day! It was strange to return to the hustle and bustle of Marrakech after the hazy decadence of Essaouira! In other words, we felt that the company was professional and friendly, and we got a holiday of a lifetime above and beyond what could ever have been expected.
K Magowan and her mum, Ireland, 2008We returned to the states late last night. Just wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful time in Morocco and that our driver, Ibrahim, was outstanding. He was very patient, polite and quite knowledgeable about the various areas we traveled (Ait Benhaddou, Ouzoud and Essaouira). I appreciate your help. I wish you continued success.
V Tazian, USA, 2008
Best of Morocco Custom Tours
thank you thank you thank you.... what an amazing adventure we had! From the moment Essalah greeted us at the airport, literally walking up to me and saying 'hi Wendy' we felt really attended to. Everything went perfectly and I thank you again, all of you, for your patience as we changed our plans several times. You were right about the desert, it was truly an unforgettable experience. Everyone we met, every driver, day guides, staff in the various accommodations...were so warm and engaging. We really felt like when we left we had friends there, and the connections throughout the country are incredible; everyone seems to know everyone. And everyone knows the same series of jokes and we had many laughs with that. We learned some wonderful drum beats in the desert from Adi and then from Youseff at the hotel; it was magical. As I"d told you, I always plan my travels and love to do my own research, so for me this was a big deal to use a company (a control freak, my daughter would add...) but this trip would never have happened nearly how it did if I'd done it on my own.
We got caught in all of the horrendous weather issues in Europe ( took me 4 days to get home) and after our flight from Marrakech was cancelled after being at the airport for 6 hours, I called Essalah and asked if he knew of an internet cafe because we had to spend a lot of time trying to make all of the changes. He said no, he'd come get us and we could use his computer, and then he and Hamou made an incredible lunch for us. He offered to let us stay the night, which we didn't want to impose upon but we were so fried by that point that we took him up on his gracious offer. I promised him I wouldn't include that in Tripadvisor but I did want you to know that he and Hamou were amazing. I would like to thank Essalah in some way, I did tip Hamou, but I would appreciate it if you could suggest some way to thank Essalah for his kindness and going above and beyond what this trip was and for that, and so many other things, we both felt a strong sense of friendship with him.
So, if you can think of something, I would really appreciate it.Best wishes for this holiday season and chokran, many times over.
W Kopald, USA, 2010Thank you very much for organising a fantastic trip for us. The people who showed us around were outstanding and made our trip that much more enjoyable. Our day with Thami was a laugh from beginning until end, he also has a brain full of information about Fes. Salah was really a gem. We found him very easy to talk to and he answered our questions about culture and history. We felt he had become our friend. Hadu and Rashid were a pleasure and they also shared their knowledge of culture and history of Morocco. Hadu was very patient with my daughter and I shopping during our tour in Marrakech. Rashid made us feel very safe driving through snow, rain and cliff hanging roads. We hope one day we might be lucky enough to return to Morocco. I'll have no problem recommending your tour company to friends and colleagues.
L Instone, New Zealand, 2010
I just wanted to thank Morocco Explored- I had a wonderful time with my friend Lidia on our trip 2 weeks ago. Other than a few mishaps where no one could find our riad in Marrakesh, everything was great. Essalah was an
excellent driver and made our trip especially memorable. I will definitely be recommending Morocco Explored to any of my friends who visit Morocco!
Thanks again!
S Hrapcak, USA & Portugal, 2010Hi Robbin
I just wanted to write to thank you for the wonderful trip which you arranged for me & the girls. I have recommended you to several friends, as well as to a friend who runs a small part time travel agency.I was surprised by the flexibility of the tour, & particularly want to express my appreciation of our driver, Hamou Amgoune, who was incredibly considerate, & sensitive to our every need. When he saw how interested we were in Moroccan culture, traditions & history, & that we would be happy to see non tourist areas also, he made suggestions of places to visit that we would never have otherwise seen. It was wonderful to be in such a small, personalised tour.
Again, many thanks
M Merory, Australia, 2010Hi Robin,
This is just to let you know that we were able to celebrate New year with our son thanks to you and Salah who organized our trip back. We enjoyed our trip and think it was a great trip. Well organized and well planned.The driver Hassan who drove us back spoke excellent english and we were able to ask him questions etc. as opposed to Abdul who was really very nice but could not communicate with us on our way to the desert.
Thanks again....we will recommend your company to our friends.
Happy New Year.
M Thowfeek, USA, 2010Dear Robbin and Essalah,
Thank you Morocco Explored! Our visit with you last week was exactly what we were hoping for, and more, and we wanted to let you know that, and thank you for your contribution to it. All the accommodation you arranged for us was very good, as was the transport (and of course the driver!). We received excellent advice on everything we wanted to do, and were very well looked after throughout.We are so glad that we persisted with the trip this year after the set-back in May, as we had a great time. So many rich memories of Marrakech and the mountains and desert. We will make sure that we recommend Morocco explored to all our friends, relatives and passing acquaintences who are thinking of going to Morocco. And I will now say the same on Trip Advisor.
Best wishes
J & S Threllfall, UK, 2010Hi All,
We are in snowy Amsterdam after a very wet Lisbon and wanted to say what a fantastic time we had in Morocco. Hamou certainly made the trip for us but we also felt the coverage of the itinerary, choice of accommodation & provision if a high quality vehicle were excellent.
Alex and I had a fantastic time seeing many parts of Morocco we never would have seen if we had tried to do it by ourselves. We particularly enjoyed the camel trek and sleeping under the stars in the Sahara (a magical experience!); visiting the palmeraie, old Jewish village and a rug maker's house in Tinghir (our site guide Mohammed was great and we had fun learning some Berber words from him!); and staying in the beautiful accommodation arranged for us in the Dades Gorge. Our driver for the first two and a half days, Rashid, was a really nice guy and a great driver. It was a shame he couldn't see us all the way to Marrakech but our second driver, Mohammed, was nice too.We felt safe and in good hands the whole time, except for a small incident at the very end. When we arrived in Marrakech Mohammed arranged for someone to walk us to our riad because he wasn't able to take us himself. We went with the other guy with the understanding that we should tip him for his trouble (Mohammed suggested 20 dirhams) but when we arrived at the door of our riad and tried to tip he refused what we offered and insisted on 100 dirhams. We refused and eventually he left with 20 (I remember the info pack even said 5 is appropriate if someone shows you the way in the medina!). I understand this sort of thing happens all the time in Marrakech and that he didn't have any affiliation with Morocco Explored, it was just a shame to end the trip on that note.
On the whole, our Morocco Explored trip has been a highlight of our time in Morocco and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the country.
Kind regards,
B Monk, Australia, 2010
Robbin,
You are so prompt and helpful, we really appreciate it so much...we now know why we felt that the other tour companies weren't for us....Duane was always saying to me there is someone or something great out there that we haven't come across as yet and then when we
saw your site we just knew it was right...The universe is an amazing thing....
Enjoy
D Watson, USA, 2010Robbin,
I just wanted to write you a note with some feedback from our trip with Morocco Explored. I went on the Three Day tour from Marrakech and Essalah was our guide. Overall we had a wonderful experience. I am so glad I found your company and we were able to book with you. The trip was incredible. It is amazing how much we were able to see and experience in such a short amount of time. Salah was a great guide, the perfect balance between fun and professional. We had a great time and also learned a lot about the history and culture of Morocco. I will recommend a trip to Morocco and your tour company for any friends or family that are looking to travel. My only suggestion is on the day we go into the Jewish town. We were dropped off by Salah with a different guide who took us into the town. That was OK although I feel like when you book a tour you shouldn't be left without your guide. What bothered me the most about this day was our new guide left us at a carpet store and we had to listen to an hour long sales pitch and were pressured to purchase carpets. The entire group was extremely uncomfortable and wanting to leave but didn't know where our guide had gone (turns out he was waiting for us outside but we didn't know that at the time). This was the only part of the tour that left me disapointed. Hopefully on future tours you can avoid this situation.
We did have a great experience apart from the carpet store. Thank you very much and please tell Salah that we thought he did a wonderful job.
Warm Regards,
E Bair, USA, 2010Hi,
We travel with you to the sahara from 26-28dec 2010. We're from Taiwan. First, we wanna thank you for giving us amazing experience. It was unforgettable. Second is that we really appreciate our driver, Lahrby(?),and would like to give him some souvenir that we brought from Taiwan.
All the best,
E Chien and Y Tseng, China 2010Dear Robbin, Essalah and Hamou,
Thank you so much for our incredible trip through Morocco! We can't believe all the things that we saw and all the truly fabulous people we met. The highlights are too numerous to name, but I suppose that the Dades gorge, Erg Chebbi and Ouzoud were our favourite places. When we go through our photos, I'll send on some of the best ones!
Many many thanks and we'll see you again, enshalla.
Best,
E Lefabvre and P Kennedy, Ireland, 2010Hi Robbin,
I have sooooo much to tell you, our trip was amazing, the itinerary you planned for us was perfect... Morocco is a complete sensory overload and I can sure see why you love it so much! I've just edited the first 200 of our 650+ photos and can hardly focus my eyes anymore. Morocco Explored feels almost like family... I'm so full of Morocco all I want to do is talk about it, relive it over & over and make plans to go back. It just gets right into your soul doesn't it... like the desert sand in your travel bags.
C Pollard, Canada, 2009THANK YOU! thank you, thank you!!!
J Kurtz, Canada, 2009
Hello Robbin, Salah and Pasha Hamou: Thank you so much for making my trip to Morocco so memorable. What a beautiful and diverse and friendly country.
Robbin - thank you for all the organizing and answering all our questions so promptly. Salah - thank you for your humour, guidance, organizing, driving and friendship. Though I must say I could not figure out what that crazy driver was up to on the mountain road when I moved out of the way and he kept creeping up with the vehicle. Should have known it would be you. What fun that you made the effort to meet up there. And thanks also for always checking in with us to see if we were having a good time. Maybe you were really checking on Hamou to make sure we had not driven him crazy yet.
Pasha Hamou - You are amazing. I cannot imagine anyone doing more to make our trip memorable and all we imagined. Your knowledge of history, little known places, plants, animals and food added to our good time. The trips to the local markets for supplies for snacks and picnics and finding the perfect place to have our special lunches was so thoughtful. The desert was a blast - next time we race the 4-wheelers on the dunes and leave the guide behind. Making a table of sand for us on the dunes for our "sister celebration" and pulling out some snacks to go along with our wine was very appreciated. Lunch with a Berber family and a private concert by Hassan is just one of the multitude of special things you did for us.
All in all, our trip was truly grand. Essaouira was lovely and just what we needed at the beginning of the trip. The riad we stayed at (in Marrakech) was lovely. Maria served our dinner each night up on the terrace. She always asked what we wanted for our dinner. Her family is so friendly and welcoming. They would all come to the door to greet us. The hamam was delightful. As you said, Thami was a wonderful guide in Fez. I am sure there are more jewels to see in Morocco. Our 3 weeks flew by. Big squishy hugs to all.
A Beauchimin, Canada, 2009Just wanted to say thanks you for making my trip to Morocco a real adventure. The country was so much more beautiful than I could have imagined and the people a true delight as we were welcomed everywhere. and there is still so much more to see, even 3 weeks was not enough.
A special thank you to Hamou who put up with 3 crazy canucks for almost 3 weeks. Hamou made every day a new adventure, a botany class, a history lesson and there wasn't anything he wouldn't try and make happen for us. Picnics when we could fit it in, prickly pear lessons on the side of the road, lunch with Hassan and his drum concert, meeting up with Salah at the top of the Atlas mountains, stops at Marjane's for "supplies", totally awesome off roading (even if he did leave me on a desert road and I am sure dragging me up a sand dune was way beyond the call of duty. Needless to say sleeping under the stars in the Sahara was magical. Hamou will always be our Pasha Hamou - he is a very special person.
Shukran and I really do hope to be able to return one day - Insha Allah.
Kindest Regards
B Beauchemin, Canada, 2009Back in September my husband and I did a tour with Morocco Explored. Before setting out you answered many questions; in particular (about) the roads and you really helped to allay my fears of driving through the mountains. I have to say that you were absolutely right about as they were better than many roads I've encountered in Europe and New Zealand.
So a big thank you to you for your accurate and reassuring description of what to expect. Without that information we likely would have missed out on an amazing trip with our guide Hamou. We could not have imagined such a wonderful guide. Over the course of our three days with him we came to think of him as a friend. He is a truly unique person who made our journey from Marrakech, to the desert and then on to Fez fantastic. He was so incredibly knowledgeable about so many things, he showed that he truly cared for us and about our time in Morocco. In Hamou you have a rare gem and I can't begin to express how much he contributed to our journey.
Hamou has a pure, genuine and generous spirit and through this email I wanted to express our thanks to him by ensuring that Morocco Explored is aware of just how wonderful he is (although I'm sure you have heard this from others who have been fortunate enough to be on a tour with him).
L Chamberlain, Canada, 2009Our trip to Morocco has been our favorite vacation of all time! We still talk (and dream) about our amazing adventures there. Essalah, Hamou, and the fact that Morocco Explored did all the trip planning really made all the difference. Hamou was a fantastic guide and we learned a great deal about Moroccan life, culture and history.
Thank you!!!
J Kerr, USA, 2009Just a quick note to let you know what a wonderful time we had with Morocco Explored. Thank you for a truly magical experience in a beautiful country. Mom had a wonderful 85th birthday. I will highly recommend your trips to anyone I know heading in that direction. I hope to return to Morocco with the rest of my family in the next few years.
J Slaton, USA, 2008
We found our Morocco experience very pleasant and will recommend your company to friends in the future. We found Essalah to be very pleasant company and an excellent companion. We would also like to commend the camel guide Adi on the desert trip, he gave excellent service and was attentive at all times.
We found the accommodation was generally of a good standard and were pleasantly surprised, and thank you and your company for a pleasant and pleasurable experience.
On a personal note, I was very impressed by your own story as explained to us by Essalah, and commend you on your charitable work.
S Halik, UK, 2008We would just like to thank you for providing such a wonderful experience-our Morocco tour was simply the best experience we have had of our 8 month tour of Europe, Turkey and Egypt.
We loved every minute and will never forget this fantastic experience. The places we visited were fascinating, the accommodations and food great. Value for money compared to other providers and also it was great to have our freedom to do what we wanted. Thanks to our driver, Abdul-some tricky places he took us (gorges) which made it even more exciting! Thanks to Essalah who met us at the start and half way through our trip and was great to chat to.
Would recommend this trip (desert and camel etc) to anyone and the country itself-WOW!
J Dash, New Zealand 2008We have recently returned from our trip and wanted to let you know that we had a FANTASTIC time. The itinerary you put together was perfect and we felt that each day allowed us to learn more about the country and the culture of the people. In addition, each of the four drivers we had added a different dimension to our trip which we enjoyed greatly.
I apologize again for all the e-mails I had sent to you and would like to tell you once again how much I appreciate the time you put forth in promptly replying to them.
I have already done some advertising for Morocco Explored as I showed the Morocco photos from our camera to a woman who sat near me on the plane ride home from Lisbon then wrote down the website address for her since she expressed interest in a future trip to Morocco. Feel free to give our names to anyone who may ask for references, as I would be more than happy to promote your company.
D Danbom, USA, 2008The tour as a whole was absolutely wonderful, fascinating, unbelievable! Folks in our small town in the southern U.S. cannot possible understand the magnitude of the fabulous sites, cultures, and people we experienced during our Morocco Explored tour. Our very busy itinerary allowed us to experience so much of Morocco and its' exceptional beauty and the amazing natural and ancient sites. Everywhere, the people seemed kind, unhurried and pleased to welcome us.
Your help and insight with our (7 day) itinerary was so correct. It was a lot of driving, but we wanted to see and do all we could during our Morocco visit. We felt we had an excellent overview of Morocco and the vast differences within: gorgeous coast, Sahara, desert areas, oasis, High Atlas mountains (some snow), Anti-Atlas scrub, farm land, Argon trees and surrounding area, Atlantic ports, busy cities and quaint kasbahs and villages.
THANKS for such a great, memorable vacation with grown children. Someday I hope to return to Morocco for an extended time in order to enjoy each beautiful area of this varied country.
R Richardson and family, USA, 2008
I just wanted to write to thank you for the wonderful tour you organized for me and my parents back in January/February.
We had an amazing eight days traveling a circuit that went from Casablanca through Marrakech to the desert, to Fez and back to Casablanca. The highlights of our tour were many. But here are just a few:
• Staying with Maria and Mohammed in Marrakech was a real pleasure. They are a delightful couple who truly welcomed us into their beautiful home.
• The camel ride into the desert to watch the sunset was one of those once in a lifetime, take-your-breath-away experiences that should not be missed by anyone traveling through Morocco.
• Our guide in Fez was outstanding. He completely knew his stuff and had a real talent for keeping us entertained while being truly wise and informative. We learnt a lot from Tami in Fez…and not just about the history of the place…but about deeper things like faith, culture and politics and the like.
• And last, but definitely not least, is our driver Essalah. Essalah knows everybody in Morocco…is completely in control of every situation…and is totally cool! And his parking skills in Marrakech! You would think he was parking a mini not a whopping big 4 wheel drive! Essalah also added a bit of style to our trip with his wonderfully flamboyant attire. At some locations it felt like we were traveling with a rock star, with other tourists desperately trying to steal photos when he wasn’t looking! Essalah is very good at his job and he worked hard to make sure that our tour was a great experience from beginning to end. Our trip would not have been the same without him.
Thank you again Robbin. My parents and I had the trip of a lifetime with Morocco Explored and we continue to sing your praises to anyone who will listen.
A Cooper family, New Zealand, 2008We consider our time in Morocco as one of the most wonderful experiences ever. Thanks, in no little measure, to you. I have attached some precious memories to share with you. Regards,
L Carr, Australia 2008Just a quick note to let you know what a wonderful time we had with Morocco Explored. Thank you for a truly magical experience in a beautiful country. Mom had a wonderful 85th birthday. I will highly recommend your trips to anyone I know heading in that direction. I hope to return to Morocco with the rest of my family in the next few years.
J Slaton, USA, 2008
We would like to let you know that we had a great trip with Morocco Explored... a very organized tour company and our trip itinerary ran smoothly. The four of us on the 5 days/4 nights desert tour were extremely pleased with your service and driver. All of us in our party were impressed with his excellent driving skills especially driving thru the Atlas Mountains region. We found our trip in the Land Cruiser very safe, relaxing and stress free. We enjoyed the music and entertainment.
You treated us... with respect and kindness. We all learned a lot in the five days. You were very accommodating when we wanted special stops or for having different lunches. You were very professional, listened to us and were fun to be with. It was a memorable trip.
After our five days of touring we were looking for a couple of days of R & R; you recommended Sidi Kaouki, it was one of the highlights of our trip to Morocco. The hotel, dinners and beach were out of this world. It was everything you said it would be.
Thanks for making our trip to Morocco special. We would definitely use Morocco Explored again and highly recommend to others.
R Purdy and family, Canada 2007My significant other and I traveled to Morocco for 18 days, me for the first time, my SO is an old hand at this country. This is a trip I've been dying to go on for 15 years. I definitely wanted to do a camel trip to Erg Chebbi but we were having a devil of a time finding a tour we felt comfortable with -- that is, until I found Morocco Explored and spoke on the phone with Robbin Yager.
Not only did she encourage us to explore the trip in a different way than we were originally thinking, but she has continuously and graciously advised me about other plans, even though her company's services are not involved. I have changed our itinerary based on her recommendations and every one of them have turned out superb.
In particular, I want to thank her forever for convincing us to go to Essaouria rather than Agadir. She also suggested minimizing our time in Casablanca, which was spot on. By the way, Morocco is absolutely fabulous... I will probably come back again.
B White and SO, USA 2007Had a wonderful time in Morocco. Thank you very much for your planning and advice. Time went so quickly but we seemed to do so much within the time we had there. Essalah kept us all amused and entertained for the 8 days, more so with his wit, and driving skills!!! Even talked him into sampling some vegemite!
L Taig and family, Australia 2006
Im just emailing to let you know that we had an amazing time in Morocco. The experience was more than we could have ever expected. Essalah was the best. He really kept the spirit alive in our group, and showed us a great time. The trip really wouldn't have been the same without him. We had alot of fun, and I'm really glad that we decided to book a tour with Morocco Explored. Thank you very much for an experience we will never forget.
L Ito and friends, Canada and UK 2006On the whole, our trip was fantastic - thank you very much! The people we met were so very nice, and the scenery was unique and unlike anything we've seen before. Once I got used to the practice of haggling, that was fun too.
Although no one in my family speaks (much) French, Arabic or Berber, we had no trouble meeting and interacting with the locals - in fact it increased the charm of the trip.
Ouzoud - WOW!!! What an amazing place... the hotel was also fabulous. I think the sitting area on the second floor is my favorite place in Morocco. I could spend hours there just sitting looking into the valley and listening to the water fall. I really regret not spending 3 days in Ouzoud.
We got to Merzouga late (8 pm) after stopping at Essalah's house. His family was amazingly kind and at the end of the visit, I felt I had a new set of family. What tremendous people. When we left, I told Salah that it would be near impossible to top that experience. We started the camel trek late due to the long travel time and seeing the stars at night and the sun rise in the morning was exactly what I'd hoped.
J Zimmerman family, USA 2006
New Years Eve Desert Tours
Dear Hamou and Salah and Robin: Thanks so much for making possible the time we spent in Morocco. Both Hammou and Salah were amazing in their own way. They taught us about the country, their heritage and culture and translated for us a lot more than Arabic and French. Their energy, will to help, and pride about their land was contagious and hard to forget.
A Malamud, USA, 2010I just wanted to say thanks for a great tour, this new years. We had such a great time and have memories we will treasure forever. I also want to say a special thanks to our driver, Abdul. Apart from being the first Moroccan who wasn't trying to haggle us, and even though his English was limited (it was still fun trying to communicate with him - the love that he has for his country and heritiage was evident, and it made us feel a little bit special that he was showing us this place he clearly loves. Hopefully we'll be on another tour soon! Thanks again.
L Schulze & D Bergen, UK, 2009Thank you for you good (New Years) wishes. We wish you the same, and more!! We consider our time in Morocco as one of the most wonderful experiences ever. Thanks, in no little measure, to you. I have attached some precious memories to share with you. Regards,
L Carr & family, Australia, 2009We would just like to thank you for providing such a wonderful experience-our Morocco tour was simply the best experience we have had of our 8 month tour of Europe, Turkey and Egypt. We loved every minute and will never forget this fantastic experience. The places we visited were fascinating, the accommodations and food great. Value for money compared to other providers and also it was great to have our freedom to do what we wanted. Thanks to our driver, Abdul-some tricky places he took us (gorges) which made it even more exciting! Thanks to Essalah who met us at the start and half way through our trip and was great to chat to. Would recommend this trip (desert and camel etc) to anyone and the country itself-WOW! Merry Xmas. Kind regards,
J & J Dash, New Zealand, 2009
Lovely to hear from you and thanks for the card! I fully intended to email to say what a fantastic time we had in Morocco. You looked after us brilliantly - and Hammou was a great driver and companion too. We had good fun together - and he took some brilliant pictures for us. Time has rushed by and of course Christmas has been a very busy time as always. We've just had our fourth day of partying - and now need to get ready for New Years - another party! Thank you so much for helping to make our holiday such a fantastic and memorable time. Our three nights in Marrakesh were also facinating - hope we will visit again some day. Here is our Christmas card for you - we sent the same to all our friends! Happy New Year!
With love,
Willis family, UK, 2009Thanks a lot for your mail and thanks a lot for your fidelity to Tomboctou and our team. We are very glad to have you here and will do the outmost to always be at your entire disposal. This writer is impressed of the way and speed you did grow your entreprise and has already told this to Mr. Sallah.
Till soon then,
Edi manager of kasbah tomboctou, morocco, 2009I am a New Zealander and when talking with some friends in Qatar about travelling in Morocco, your tour company came up. They, with a couple of other friends travelled with you in December 2006. They RAVED about their experience with you!! Saying that it was the best trip they have ever done!!
A future traveller, 2008I just wanted to let you know that we all had a great time! Essalah did a great job of getting us to all the places we hoped to see and the timing was fine. Both my friends were extremely happy with the trip, the experiences and the photos they got (we will see more as they get them developed). So... thank you VERY much for making it such a wonderful tour. This was their one trip to Morocco so I am glad it was a positive one (that was my job! [:)]
V Bowler, Morocco 2007
Mountain Trekking
Mgoun massif treks
"I just wanted to write you and say that I really enjoyed our trek in Morocco and thought that Morocco Explored did a great job. I have already passed your company's name onto others who are thinking of travelling to Morocco with my recommendation."
"I want to thank you for one of the most incredible adventures of my whole life. I am still trying to assimilate everythig that we did-it was a most awesome experience, one I won't forget. I think it would be pretty hard to top that one. At this point, I don't even want to try. Thanks for everything."
"Our Morocco trek was a full of adventure, every day was different. If you like change and have lots of energy, this trek is for you. The food was the best because I didn't have to lift a finger. Lots of thought was put into arranging the cut up veggies, the Tagine was different every day, and we never got tired of this delicious food. We were well cared for and had a great adventure."
"I enjoyed the trek very much. It was a real stretch for me in may ways, but so glad I was able to do it. I've never seen developing countries up close before. It's made me aware of how blessed we are to live in country with an abundance of everything. The whole experience was enlightening, the group of people were amazing. I survived and now I know I could go on another trekking trip. Thank you again, it was amazing."
"I'm unable to fully describe my experience trekking in Morocco, words alone cannot describe feelings and amazement which I experienced. It was life altering in so many ways… hard to come back and carry on with my busy life."
"Morocco people are amazing, especially the villagers, nomads, trekking guides, and mule handlers. Family and friends are their priority and they are a very proud people. Their work ethics are highly admirable. I especially love the Berber people… thank you Robbin and Salah. An incredible life experience I will never forget. I'm forever altered for the better. The way I carry myself and hold my friends and family. Again- thank you."
I just wanted to write you and say that I really enjoyed our trip in Morocco this Fall and thought that Morocco Explored did a great job. I have already passed your company's name onto others who are thinking of travelling to Morocco with my recommendation. I am home now and back at work and into the normal routine.
Comments are from the Chilliwack Outdoor Club, 2010 traverse and summit of M'Goun.
We have recently returned from 9 wonderful days trekking in the High Atlas Mountains with Morocco Explored. We loved everything about the trip; the organisation of the trip, the well chosen route, our guide Mohammed and his team of mulists Brahim and Abdouhl, and the food. It was a true adventure and so much more "real" than previous treks we have done with bigger, well known, international companies.
Accomodation was a mixture of camping and gites and on the last night we were even invited to one of the mulists home for dinner.
If you are looking for a professional, friendly adventure in Morocco then I thoroughly recommend Morocco Explored.
L Hollands, Australia, 2008The (M'goun) trek was absolutely one of the real highlights of the trip. Yesterday, I received two CD's and once I looked through the photos I realized just how great the trek really was. If people contact you about trekking my response would be that the M'Goun region is a must do!!!!
T&A Magee, Canada 2006.
High Atlas treks
I hope that you are well in Marrakech. Sorry this has taken me so long to get back to you but I just wanted to say thanks for all of assistance you gave us with organising the trek in the High Atlas Mountains.
Steve and I had a fantastic time and Mohammed was amazing (he spoke 5 languages). He was professional, informative and a lot of fun. The meals were amazing and the trek took us through some amazing scenery that was different each day. It was the highlight of our trip to Morocco and we have recommended it to all of our friends. My only regret was that we thought that we had taken more cash with us on the trek as we intended on giving Mohammed a bigger tip as he really was brilliant.
H Deas, Australia 2007We had a great trek! Everything was really well organised, the guide was very informed, friendly and we got on well with him.
The food was fantastic, so much fresh fruit and vegetables and everything was presented beautifully. Everybody that we met and the muleteers were extremely friendly and helpful. Best of all was the birthday candles and chocolates on Dannys 36th and also the bottle of wine and the phone call from your colleague who we met in Marrakech was such a nice touch.
We definitely would choose your company again should we decide on future treks or tours in Morocco.
F Murphy, Switzerland 2007You have been recommended by a friend who used your company recently and said you were fantastic! We definitely want to do a trek of some description and will book through you.
A future trekker! 2007Greetings from the Pacific Northwest! The vehicle and the drivers on our trip were excellent, as was the food (although there was usually too much of it!). The guides were very good.
The High Atlas trekking ghites on the first two nights were nicer than I expected (the second night in particular), but I enjoyed the home-stay on the third night more because it gave us a chance to interact with a Berber family. For the same reason, the lunch we had with a family on the third day was a highlight of the trek.
T Hamerlinck, USA 2007
Saghro massif treks
The Saghro Trek felt like more of an adventure than the High Atlas trek, in part because there were so few tourists in the area. The ghites and campsites were great. I really enjoyed our trip and would recommend Morocco Explored to others.
T Hamerlinck, USA 2007Thanks for all of your help in putting together our trek, which was a fantastic experience. The muler crew in particular – Ahmed, Hussein and Hassan were hard working, great cooks, and good companions. Their sense of humor transcended the language barrier, and they really made us feel welcome and part of their culture. We particularly enjoyed the nightly serenade by Hussein with backup vocals from his two compatriots.
We were also very happy with the guide Lhassan whose good humor kept us going through the tough days of the trek. In particular his services were invaluable in negotiating the taxi rides, something that would have been very difficult on our own.
They (the guide and mulers) all gave us service above and beyond the call of duty... they showed endless patience and good spirits.
D Dobson and family, USA 2006
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