Marrakech & the Sahara

This was an excellent and varied trip but what made it extra special was our fantastic guide Hassan Hiss. He was extremely knowledgeable, well-organised and patient and calm at all times. Everything went like clockwork and he made everything seem effortless which it cannot have been - there was a lot to co-ordinate. Superb Hassan! All the superlatives, thank you for looking after us and giving us a super and very memorable week.

One of the best weeks of my life! I learnt so much about the life, culture, geography and history of Morocco, as well as how to sit on a camel and not get too sore! The people were fabulous and only a week after arriving back a few of us have met up and re-lived our experiences.

Morocco is a beautiful country, wonderful people, stunning landscape and healthy wholesome food. This trip gives you a chance to experience the amazing contrasts that the country has on offer, from the stark beauty of the Sahara, the beautiful mineral rich mountains of the High Atlas to the frenetic pace of Marrakesh. The trip to the 16th century Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou, where they filmed Gladiator and Game of Thrones was fascinating and other small chances to sample local traditions like a Hamam and a tea ceremony were also welcome. This is a great introduction to adventure travel.

I loved this holiday.  Beautiful mountains, incredible desert vistas.  It was varied and interesting, and the amazing group made it even more memorable.

Tagine overload, brillant people and amazing countryside.

A great way to get a taste of the country and to cover the great variety of the country, from the remote quietness of the Sahara in the south to the hill village life in the Atlas Mountains to the hustle and bustle of Marrakech. For those looking to squeeze in as much as possible in a short time and to get a real taste of Morocco then this trip is ideal - we squeezed so much in the week - I loved it!

This trip was really fantastic, I had a wonderful time. The group was lovely and a real mix of people. I travelled on 28th March and expected it to be cooler but it was more like 35 so check the weather, I think that also had an effect on the effort level so keep an eye on that if you're thinking of going, the hotter the harder! There is a great range of things covered here, desert, mountains and Marrakech are all very different! and some journeys in the bus are quite long but the scenery is spectacular and it's a nice chance for a rest.

Although there was a lot of travel in the week, it meant we saw, and experienced much more of Morocco - a special country. It was such an enjoyable holiday, and I truly relaxed! The itinerary was well planned so that we did not get caught up in the big tour groups at busy times of day.

It is an adventurous trip which offers an interesting overview of the country. The tour was generally well organised and ran smoothly, the driving was safe, the only criticise is about the comfort of the vehicle: the group of 16 people tried to be fitted in the small van, and one of tourists had to share the seat between driver and the guide in the front… The group leader Lahcen Hamyouy was very knowledgeable guide, friendly and responsible person. The best day of the journey was camel riding through Sahara desert and star gazing in bedouin camp. Also the Atlas mountains scenery was magnificent while driving and walking as well. One of the highlights was visiting kasbah  Ait-Ben-Haddou, in Ouarzazate province, after seeing this ghost town you understand why this place has attracted a lot of directors and writers of various film industries to shoot movies such as ‘Lawrence of Arabia’, ‘The Mummy’, ‘Gladiator’ etc. Tour organisers should consider to spend more time in this beautiful place rather than wasting it in the remote village in Atlas mountains in freezing prison cell-like plain rooms. That guest house was very uncomfortable to stay in and needs a lot of improvements (little mobile heaters can make big difference). The food was good overall BUT hygiene and sanitation was very poor I am afraid (most of places with non-working flush toilets, missing toilets paper and open rubbish bins). The last part of the trip - visiting Marrakesh - was not that much exciting than others. Central square with its chaotic market is really dangerous place to walk because of annoying street hasslers and pickpocketers. One Italian restaurant “Portofino” recommended by the group leader was very decent place to have a meal…

Expectations well managed prior to the holiday. Well organised during the holiday - had total trust in the guide.