Youseff was a great guide and gave us alot of information on the history, culture and sights etc in Morocco. He accompanied us everywhere during the day, escorted us to restaurants at night, literally would be at our beck and call if we needed him. Judging by all the welcomes he got everywhere we went, I thought he could easily run for office as it seemed everyone knew him and he knew everyone!! We had a flat tire on our drive down from the Atlas Mts and within an hour or so he had us on our way, the villagers were very helpful to him and freely offered assistance to help us out.
His restaurant suggestions were spot on and many were preferable to what was offered at the hotels. In brief, he genuinely cared about our safety and delivered an unforgettable experience for us.
The experiences we had were amazing, camel ride, tent sleepover for example, Had we been younger and more fit we may have tried other adventures along the way like seeing caves and spending a night in one or whatever else. All the driving around, although lengthy, gave us a good overview of the country, its towns and people.
If we wee do do it again, we would have probably eliminated Chefchouen and used that time elsewhere, like another night in Essouria and Fes. It would have been preferable to see Quorrazante (sp) over Skora. Skora hotel was gorgeous with a wonderful room, meal and staff, but the town held no interest for us.
We enjoyed all the restaurant choices with only 2 exceptions, that being Casa Hassan, that meal was totally flavorless and not at all reflective of the Moroccan cuisine we experienced everywhere else. The roadside stop near desert was equally less than wonderful but we understood that it was a way station and really didn’t expect more. However, the rest of the restaurants were varied according to our tastes and fabulous including all the lunch selections he chose for us.
The hotels were great and a fine sampling with clean accommodations, adequate amenities, efficient and friendly staff. Our favorite was Riad Fes, clearly the stand out in our book. Maison Arabe was nice, very busy place and they were quick to change our room on the 2nd night as they too noticed a foul odor in there. I just expected they would supply us with a room scent mister but was surprised and pleased by the upgraded change. The place in Skora was awesome except for the location and like a wonderland once the door to the outside was closed. The Essouria room were very basic accommodations but had a great view and the town was easy and safe for us to navigate on our own.
On the whole I would do it again especially with Yourself as our driver and guide, I never once was fearful as his demeanor in every situation was calm and professional. Great driving skills.
I would, had I known, eliminated the Casablanca-Chefchoen bit and gone directly to Fes and spent more time there. However, I understand for some that may be overwhelming as a first experience and Chefchouen eases one into the trip but it took too much time away from the other places. The drive back to Casablanca, had we known better, also could have been eliminated if we had done a RT from Fes. Most of our most memorable experiences were between Fes and Essouria.
Great trip, none the less, and I passed along your booklet to my daughter who will be contacting you for Nov 2023. She and her husband love hiking, adventure and some of the activities that require more fitness would appeal to them. They most likely would only have 7-10 days due to work. She will contact you.
We could have done better with our choices in shopping as I am sure we over paid in most cases but most of the items we purchased were small and bargaining over a few dollars not worth it. The rug we purchased in Erfoud from Mamadoo may not be truly authentic as I did not have the presence of mind at the time to test the fibers or acrylic vs wool or for the color fastness. But we love it and it is still a good memory of our time there.
Thank you for your great service and I would certainly recommend your company to everyone I know who has an in traveling to Morocco.
Sincerly,
Susan P.
October of 2022