While we’re ‘social distancing’ and basically banned from travel abroad these days, we’re still dreaming of a trip to Morocco, originally planned for April 2020, and now hopefully happening in September 2020.
We will be primarily focusing on Marrakech, Fez, and a desert trek on this trip. For ease of travel from the USA, we will be flying into Marrakech, and plan to spend several days there. In addition, we would like to include a camel trek into the desert for 2-3 days. Does anyone have suggestions on best way to find (w/ contact info) a great desert trek of a few days starting and ending in Marrakech. Ending in Fez also a possible option. Also, we are looking for good, fun guides for Marrakech and Fez, particularly guides with great knowledge of the souks, and the patience to put up with our shopping (and dining) passions. We are planning a total of about 10 days in Morocco before continuing on to southern Spain.
Posted by
Washington DC
27096 posts
It will be a fairly slow trip from any place of real tourist interest in Morocco to a place of similar interest in Spain. I'd investigate flights to see whether air would be a better option for that leg of your trip.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
I should have clarified that we will fly from Marrakech to Spain (likely Malaga) at the end of our time in Morocco. There a numerous flights most days.
Posted by
Washington DC
27096 posts
Excellent.
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
7346 posts
We went in January 2019. Stayed at Dar Kawa riad in the medina old town. They arranged for excellent guides, who came to collect us each day (different guide each time, but all very knowledgeable and patient). We weren’t doing a lot of shopping, but there also wasn’t any pressure to buy from a particular vendor, so there was no commission-making scheme. We spoke with another couple not staying at our small riad, and they had a different guide, who kept pressuring them to certain shops.
We also did a cooking class with Souk Cuisine, which included an extensive visit to the souk (market), and every two participants being assigned a different shopping list - a bit of a food quest. In the end, we’d all gathered that day’s ingredients, and headed to our big kitchen nearby, to prepare a feast. There was more couscous than we could all eat!
in Fes, we stayed at Dar Finn riad. Same deal, they got us truly outstanding guides. We flew between Marrakech and Fes.
Can’t recommend our desert/camel/camp tour with Desert Majesty enough. They picked us up, and dropped us back off, at our Dar Kawa riad in Marrakech. We sprung for the upgraded camp option - private toilet. They offer a discount if you pay in cash, but they have to be perfect bills, no creases or marks of any kind. Apparently their bank is a real stickler.
Posted by
7659 posts
Morocco is nice.
Can't recommend a guide, but we did visit Agadir in the south. We did a tour that took us to a fort in the desert. On the way, we saw great scenic places and stopped to see goats that climb up in trees to eat the leaves of the tree.
Also, I lived in Saudi Arabia for five years working for the US Army and visited Egypt twice. Rode a camel twice and frankly would not want to ride one for very long. It is an experience just getting on and off the camel. It is not like riding a horse. You are about twice as far from the ground as on a horse and the camel tends to do what it wants.
Posted by
Southeastern USA
996 posts
When we were in Morocco on the edge of the Sahara, we booked an excursion where you could ride a camel out onto the dunes to watch the sunset. Everyone in our group seemed to do fine with their camel. Everyone, but me. This was not even my first time on a camel. I knew what to expect, and I still spent the entire ride (both directions) with the feeling that death or at least some horrible disfiguring injury was imminent.
(My camel had a mind of its own. I had a mental image of him/her laughing if I fell off and then deliberately stepping on me...just because he/she could. The camel and I just didn't bond, what can I say?)
If you do decide to take a long camel trek, be sure to take sunglasses and maybe a scarf to wrap around your lower face so that the sand doesn't blow into your mouth.