Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Auberge in the Sahara, camel trip into the desert and desert camp.Mountain hostel and very friendly people.  The rest of the group really made this a great holiday - would be very difficult to improve on. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mustapha was an excellent guide and really looked after us.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This trip introduced us to the real Morocco which was awesome.  At the end of the trip we encountered Marrakech souk which was disappointing - everybody decided it was "plastic Morocco" just for the tourists.  The Majorelle Gardens were very pleasant and well worth a visit.  The new town area near the hotel was fine too with some good restaurants and bars.   

Most Inspirational Moment

There were several great moments on our trip:The camel ride in the desert with it being made all the more realistic due to a "mini" sand stormWalking in the High Atlas MountainsVisiting a family in the High Atlas MountainsThe souk in Fez

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was excellent and could not have been more helpful and ready to explain anything we asked.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Most important is not to travel during the Festival of Eid (15th October 2013) as virtually all of Morocco shuts down. On our trip the Festival of Eid co-incided with our free day in Marrakech. As virtually everything was shut, it meant that there was very little to do and made the end of the holiday finish on a real low. It even affected our guided tour round the old city as everything was shutting early and the guide had to rush to get us round before they closed. You also need to be aware that on the day of the festival, they burn the sacrificed sheep's carcasses on the street corners (not a very pleasant smell)The standard itinerary does not use any riads and the rooms are pretty basic, so we would have liked to have taken the upgrade accommodation option if it had been available to us. 

Suggestions

The first hotel we stayed at in Cassablanca was in a side street somewhere where the only place we could eat was in a take away pizzeria!Also be aware that alcohol is very difficult to come by and most of the hotels did not sell any.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were so many inspirational moments......Watching the sun come up in the desert; Todra gorge and the spectacular cliffs; the blue fishing boat at Essaouira - seeing the catch landed and fish landing at my feet; the noise, excitement and colour of Djeema el Fna square in Marrakesh; the amazing starry night at the Gite at Tijhza and the wonderful food served there and so much more.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was very knowledgeable about the sights we viewed and helped to give a good insight into life in Morocco. He was very caring and helpful and made sure we got the best out of holiday.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't forget to take your imodium! Many of us suffered with digestive problems. However, this did not stop us really enjoying ourselves. Remember to take suitable 'covered up' clothes for some of the places you will visit - long sleeved top and scarf.It does get very hot at times so be aware of this.

Suggestions

This is a fantastic holiday with lots of variety. It states it is leisurely with elements of moderate. The moderate is the walking which I estimate was about 8/9 miles and we would have welcomed having a picnic lunch during the walks rather than waiting until 2 to 3 o'clock for food! The leisurely was mainly sightseeing and was hectic too! At no time is there chance to become bored which is great! If you like an full and active holiday this is a great trip to do.We have come back rather Tagined out and we did not like cous-cous even there! The food experience was interesting but some of it was not to our taste. If you want alcohol, this is a bit of a problem though our leader did make sure we found shops to purchase wine. Be aware it does get expensive buying drinks in the few restaurant that do serve alcohol.

Most Inspirational Moment

Fez medina

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour leader really was amazing. He was informative, funny (berber sense of humour) and most importantly looked out for us and looked after us.

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting Hassan 2 MosqueExploring the souk in FesTaking a camel out into theSaharaWalking out of Todra gorge

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was personable, informative, and demonstrated assertiveness when needed in resolving disputes with locals and solving problems. He had a good sense of humor and knew when to allow us time to relax and when it was important to get us moving. He was really punctual, uncannily so and keep the trip on schedule without any real effort.  In my opinion he could not have worked harder to make out trip special and I grew to have a lot of respect for him over the duration of our stay. Thank you so much Mustapha.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Travelling can be stressful and going away on your own and planning trips can be a lot of work. I found travelling with Exodus meant I could go away and focus on having a great time without having to worry about how I am getting to the next place on my journey. For an inclusive holiday where you want something different with out the hassle I would recommend an Exodus trip. I will certainly be travelling with them again given the opportunity.

Suggestions

I would like to commend our driver though out the trip. He was safe, adept at negotiating the roads and at no point did I have any concerns about his driving.  Finally I would like to extend a big thank you to Exodus for the opportunity to travel with them, I have some great memories to take away form my vacation to Morocco.

Most Inspirational Moment

-

Thoughts on Group Leader

Amicable, but tour not what I had imagined, more suited to retired americans.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a guide book, be prepared to go and do stuff on your own.

Most Inspirational Moment

The auberge in Merzouga, literally right on the edge of the Erg Chebbi dunes, and the camel trek and night out in the bedouin camp was awesome! It was such a relaxing place to be after the hussle and bustle of the cities in the north, and had it not been a full moon (which in itself was great) i'm sure we'd have seen millions more stars. Do make the effort to get up early for sunrise, we did it both days and it was great, although suprisingly freezing cold!! The desert Berber's music after dinner was great too!Essaouira was also a favourite, a real laid-back and charming city. Make sure you resist tempatation and do all your shopping here...it's cheaper and you can get everything here (including the cool wooden soup spoons that you'll be using in the mountain gite!).Jemma el fna square, Marrakech - you must eat at the food stalls! It's an amazing experience, the food is piping hot and so much fresher than anywhere else we ate, plus hearing the banter from the guys working on the stalls "take a butchers", "see ya later aligator", etc. will have you in stiches! I can personally recommend stall 114!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mustapha was great! A really friendly guy who seemed to really enjoy sharing his country, its culture and his Berber roots with us. He'll happy answer any question you have and do his best to help you with anything you need, including buying the music that was played in the minibus and teaching us the amazing Berber card game Bonjour Madame, Bonjour Monsoir! It'll be spreading across the UK soon!I have to mention Abdul too, our lovely driver who took us very safely on this wonderful tour! ..and always with a smile! 

Advice for Potential Travellers

It's easy to change money in the airport in the baggage reclaim area, there's also loads of ATMs available, just tell the guide you need one and he'll find somewhere to stop.The meals worked out more than in the trip notes so be aware of that. We ended up having 3 course meals for both lunch and dinner on some days at the start which was both excessive and expensive, although cheaper than in the UK. I wish I'd spoken up sooner and asked for more cheaper places or supermarket stops for lunches! A few words of French would be really useful if you get the chance to learn some before you go, otherwise English and body language will be fine.

Suggestions

Go on this trip, its awesome!!! I'm already planning my return to Morocco! ;) 

Most Inspirational Moment

Difficult to select as the trek up and down the Todra Gorge, the camel ride into the Bedhouin camp in the Sahara and the scenery in the High Atlas were all up there.  Not forgetting the relaxing time back in the warmth of the resort of Essaouira, with it's fascinating port and wonderful fresh sea food.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mustapha was informative, knowledgeable and very enthusiastic about his Country, sensitive to the Group's needs and had a wonderful sense of humour.  He seemed really happy and excited when he was able to manoeuvre a mock Wedding celebration between a pair in our group the man[Tim] of which was going to propose to his partner[Kensie] on Valentine's evening, for which he had already invested in a beautiful engagement ring!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Do believe the weather advice that Exodus give you in terms of the cold temperatures at this time of year and take plenty of warm clothing.  After 6pm and through until about 10am the temperatures were very low and some of the buildings had no heating[as 75% of the year, I guess the temperatures are so high as to be uncomfortable].  However, our own cocern from the Climate sites we had investigated, which predicted up to 9 days of rain in Morocco during February, were totally unfounded from our experience of 5 minutes of showers in Marrakech on the Friday before we came home on Sunday.

Suggestions

We were quite taken by the outline of the trip before we went, giving us the opportunities to see Casablanca, Fes, Marrakech, whilst travelling through the Middle Atlas, experiencing the Sahara on a camel.  Trekking the Todra Gorge and driving through the High Atlas.  It turned out all to be a great trip with like minded people[of various ages from about 27 to 72], an inspiring Tour Guide and an excellent, safe driver. We stayed in a Gite in a remote mountain village in the Tijhza Valley, which we had to walk an hour and a quarter to get there.  This gave us a real sense of isolation that the village people happily live in, including the opportunity to have mint tea & cakes in one of their houses.Our first trip with Exodus, but I'm sure it won't be our last....plenty of interesting Countries still to explore!

Most Inspirational Moment

Spending the night in the Sahara.Amazing.Never been in such a beautiful environment before.Never seen so many stars.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mustapha was a joy to be with.Extremely knowledgeable,very accomodating and fun.Nothing was too much trouble for him.A true gent.

Advice for Potential Travellers

A little French would be helpful.Take plenty of money with you.So much to buy, but you must be prepared to haggle.Its good fun but towards the end of the trip can be a bit tiresome.Watch out for the child pickpocketers in the square in Marrakesh especially at nightime.

Suggestions

Loved every minute of this trip.Breathtaking

Most Inspirational Moment

The visit to the Roman City of Volubilis, the camel ride into the desert and the camp in the Bedouin tent in the Sahara.  The Auberge in the mountains and the morning hike along the mule track.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our Group leader Lahcen was possibly the best we have ever had.  He was enthusiastic throughout, could not be more helpful and eager for us to get the best from our holiday.  His knowlege was exceptional and the level of information was pitched just right for our need.  His English was easy to understand (not always the case we have found) and he listened to all our questions and needs very attentively. Mohammed (our driver) was brilliant both at driving, attending to our suitcases and accomodating his passengers.  He quickly became one of the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go on this one, it is an absolute winner!! Something for everybody.

Suggestions

All the Moroccan people we met were absolutely charming but the people at the Auberge Sahara and the hotel in Essaouira were quite exceptional.