Morocco trip report/Recommendations

[Debbyharper]

We had a phenomenal trip in Morocco during our last spring break. We used Mr.Hassan Bouaouina(he can be reached at realmoroccotours@yahoo.com) as a personal tour guide and we were very happy and completely satisfied with our decision. Hassan and his driver Said picked us up at the International Mohammed V airport in Casablanca,after a 7 hours flight from NYC.On the way to Casablanca,Hassan introduced us to his country,people and moroccan culture…We visited the Hassan II mosque(the 3rd largest one in the world ).Hassan explained to us what we will be doing during our 13 days and also gave us some hints about where we gonna stay.

In Rabat,we stayed in Dar El Kebira,which is a very good place to stay in Rabat. Dar El Kebira is an intimate riad meticulously furnished and decorated throughout with carefully chosen antiques and art. The staff is friendly, helpful and always there when you need them. The restaurant is beautiful with excellent food from breakfast to dinner. Our second floor room, "Chellah," was two-tiered, gorgeous and romantic. We had our afternoon driving and walking tour of Rabat’s sights including Hassan Tower,Mohammed V tombs,Chellah necropolis with the Merinides tombs and mosque right on the edge of Bourgreg river,Kasbah of Oudayas and the souks of the medina.

The next day ,Hassan asked us if we will prefer to go to Meknes and Fes on the high way or the normal national road.We asked him about the difference ?He told us that driving on the HW is more fast,but if we’ll be going on the national road ,we’ll pass by a lot of moroccan countryside villages and towns.We decided to take the national one to enjoy and see more of Morocco in its villages and small towns.We passed by Tiflet,Khemmisset and had our lunch in the Versailles of Morocco « Meknes ».There we visited Bab mansour,Swani pool and the horse stables.After we went to the roman ruins at Volubilis and the sacred or holly town of Morocco.Hassan told us that moroccan who aren’t able to go for thier ritual to Mecca,they just do it each year at the tombs of the founder and the sultan who brought Islam to Morocco in the 9th century AD.Hassan was very knowledgeable about Islam and islamic civilisation.

In Fes,we stayed in Riad La maison Blue for 3 nights.This riad is a fantastic choice for a stay in Fes. It's well situated: relatively easy to access by car & steps away from the main drag of the medina. The courtyard is breathtaking & the garden/pool area is a welcome retreat from the heat and craziness of the medina.The rooms are spacious (incredibly high ceilings) & bathrooms are quite large and have A/C. The only thing is that the rooms open out onto the central courtyard, which is covered. So your windows never open out onto the outside. Also, the doors to the room are the old wooden doors, so it's never quite light or sound proof.

Our guided walking tour of Fes medina was done by another expert.His name is Aziz and he is a local guide of Fes that Hassan was hiring for us.He is very good in history and he speaks great English.Our guide came for us and took us to Bab Boujloud which is the main entrance of Fes el Bali,The medressa Bouanania,Attarine Medressa,Tanneries where the moroccan leather crafs are made.There you will find all kind of leather products.After that we met with Hassan and Said near the Rcif plaza and we had a driving tour to Borg North and south to see the medina from the top of the hills.Then we went to the pottery place.The Fes medina was un unforgettable experience !

The next day,Hassan invited us to his mother’s home in Bhalil,where we had a fantastic moroccan couscous.Hassan’s home town « Bhalil » is a very charming mid-size town or a big village as he call it.Where you can find women making crafs on the streets and there are some people living in their cave dwellings.The caves are natural with some spacious rooms inside.Hassan’s mom is an excellent cook !Thanks to her !

From Fes, we started our daylong drive to the Sahara Desert. It was an incredibly trip – from crossing the magnificent Atlas Mountains to discovering life in Sahara towns and cities. We parked the van in Rissani, where four-wheeled drive picked us up for the forty-minute drive to Erg Chebbi in Merzouga. We arrived to a pot of mint tea in front of our Berber tent where we were going to sleep that night. Fortunately for us, we were the only ones there that night, so we had this little encampment all to ourselves. Before dinner we joined Hassan and one of the staff in a round of drumming and percussion. Then we had a delicious Berber dinner, followed by entertainment by the staff. From there we went to our tent, sat by the fire in the sand and watched the stars – the millions of stars – come out. We eventually went to bed and eventually woke up to two sounds – one of this animal snorting noise, the other a soft, gentle voice saying, “Wake up.” We got up to find our three camels sitting in the sand outside our tents, ready to be mounted and walk up the dunes to watch the sunrise. It was an incredible experience, that none of us will ever forget. Afterwards, we came back down for a great breakfast. After we had another night for relaxation at Riad Nezha which is quite new, with attentive and friendly service, good meals and a star attraction - a roof terrace with a panoramic view of the golden dunes. The room was comfortable and had a spacious walk-in shower, which was a nice touch. There was also an internet terminal for general use in the reception area.

In Skoura,we stayed 3 nights in Les jardins de Skoura which is a wonderful place to spend a few nights relaxing, it is well placed for days out at the Dades and Todra Groges, Ouarzazate's film studios and if you are on the route down to the dunes and bedouin 300km south.

Les Jardins is 4km off the main road across a river..My room was magnificent - a large bedroom, a separate sitting area and a large, comfortable bathroom. Take your own shower gel and shampoo, although the soap is very nice.You can't fault the food - breakfast is a delicious combination of freshly squeezed juice, crispy pancakes and bread with some very tasty jams. Dinner - compulsory for the first night at least because of the hotel's remote location - was also delicious, and made largely from things grown in the garden and locally. I had some excellent olives from the gard tajine en, soup, a, some lovely salads and a fine creme caramel. You can have wine or beer if you want.

After visiting the Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou,we drove via the magnificient and dramatic road of the high Atlas mountains through the Tizi N Tichka pass.The scenery was beautifull.We had a stop by a Berber cafe for mixed mint,herbs tea on the way while we were winding our way towards Marrakesh.We reached Marrakesh by the evening.

In Marrakesh,we stayed in La maison Arabe. La Maison Arabe is the perfect size, not too small, not too big; we felt like we were staying at a private club and were treated like royalty throughout our 4 days here. The service was excellent, comparable The front desk staff was particularly helpful; nothing seemed to be a problem for them and everything was done efficiently and with a smile. The hotel is full of intimate and private spaces, each a bit different, but all beautifully decorated, and they all flowed seamlessly from one to another. Every day I would discover something new. What a feast for the eyes!

This trip was un unforgettable experience !I would like to say a big thank you to our guide Hassan,driver Said,and all the people who helped us make this an amazing trip.Thank you Hassan for the accomodation choice and all what you did to make us feel like at home.You deliver more than what you promised us!