Choosing A Morocco Tour Operator?
 

My wife and I are considering a trip to Morocco in October or November. May or may not happen, depending on several things.

In any case, I wonder about the glowing reviews that all Morocco tour operator and guides receive her on Fodors and TripAdvisor. Most of them are obviously bogus.

What we'll do is write several, feel out the vibes, ask for references, things like that, but wonder if any experienced Morocco travelers have advice on choosing an agency?

Thanks

Have a look at boyrus Morocco Trip Report - Family of 7 for 7 days. Whatever co. they used seemed to be awfully good and reasonable.

Yes, that one looks legit. I'll read it in depth later this evening. Thanks much.

Reading others trip reports is an excellent idea and contacting the travelers directly can also help you feel comfortable about your choice. We were in Morocco for 8 nights (Marrakech, Ouzarzate, Merzouga/desert, Fez). We used BlueMenofMorocco.com and really loved our driver/guide. Can highly recommend.

Here is a link to my trip report along with pictures:
http://www.fromhometoroam.com/catego...frica/morocco/

We went on a trip in 2010 planned by Journey Beyond Travel - I chose them after doing a lot of research here and on tripadvisor. They have some suggested itineraries or you can customize your own. We really loved everything about the trip.
Here's my trip report if you're interested:

http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...in-morocco.cfm

jgg and Leslie_S, Thanks! I took a brief look at your reports and they are great. I will share them with my wife and we'll delve deeper. Nice work in the photos too.

Much appreciated.

Haha, a brief look. I re-read mine yesterday and can't believe how I droned on and on. World's longest trip report probably.
Have fun in your planning and enjoy your trip!

Hope you find them helpful! Happy planning!

Hi,

I would recommend Morocco Unplugged.

Jalil benlili is the proprietor and I not praise him highly enough.

Do, do you research but the best way is to seek recommendations from people who have experienced.

Should you wish for Jalil's number and e-mail address let me know.

Blue

If one of you is over 50 I can recommend Eldertreks. Small accompanied groups plus local guides and drivers, comfortable accommodations, reasonable cost and enough activity to make it interesting without undue strain. Theirs was my first experience on a non-Europe trip and I've been back to Morocco now a number of times on my own as a result.

http://www.eldertreks.com/tour/ETTD000031

Thanks MmePerdu. We are over 50 and that Eldertrek tour looks like a nice itinerary. For now we have selected an outfitter who has been working with us on a customized tour, Morocco Explored.
http://www.moroccoexplored.com/

We are very happy with their responses to our questions and setting the trip up. If we decide to go to Morocco (not certain yet) then we will use them.

But I'll make a note of Eldertreks for future consideration.

If i was you i would not choose any of this companies, i would only work on my trip by myself and plan to hire a car and take a guidebook and a map enjoying the real Morocco by myself, and experience it much better and the driving too.
Have fun.

Nelson, did you finalize your trip? My husband and I (maybe with our daughter) are planning to go in Nov. also. Will appreciate any info you have. If our daughter decides not to go,maybe we can join to share the expenses? We have been travelling independently for the last 15 years and are from the east coast.

Nina88,

Our first choice destination on this trip was Egypt. Initially we decided to drop that due to current events but have decided to take a wait and see approach for the next few months. So currently Egypt is still first choice and Morocco is on on the back burner for the moment.

Morocco Explored was our first choice for an outfitter. Note that a long camel safari was a major part of the trip for us, not necessarily for everyone!

Good luck with your trip.

We are also considering a trip in late October or early November. We are thinking 14 to 16 days, and we prefer 5 star accommodations. We have been looking for a tour operator that would offer a private tour of Morocco, but we haven't had much luck. Any suggestions?

Check this link which can provide you with helpful trip reports about Morocco Travel company, and contact them to make your plans: http://www.tripadvisor.ca/SearchForu...195&geo=293730

Good Luck

Thank you. That site is most helpful. I will write out an itinerary (or wish list), then post it for suggestions before I contact a tour operator. Thanks, again.

Hello, I am one of those glowing reviews, and I really think most of them are not bogus..not sure why everyone assumes they are; obviously you have to be aware of that possibility. I think I read every review before our trip, and contacted one that had a lot of positive reviews. He responded immediately and as it turned out, my fellow traveler was able to meet with him here in the states and further plan our itinerary. (he comes to the states once a year) I also contacted one of the previous reviewers, as I saw she lives in my state, and was able to have a nice long informative phone call with her which also eased my mind! We ended up having an awesome trip, like so many of the reviews and I would recommend the agency we had without reservation. I think if you contact some of the previous reviewers and as you say get a feel of your potential guide, you'll be writing one of those glowing reviews too!

Just so readers have some perspective, there are, I believe, at least 2 tour companies owned by this family (father & son?), from what I've been able to gather from various forums. I'm not impugning the credibility of the posters here but I have noticed a rather large number of very glowing, shall we say, reports about them. While probably legitimate, there are a large number of them (not unlike reports done after Gate 1 tours) which leads me to believe they are in some way "encouraged" by the companies. They, obviously cannot force people to say how good they are but I just wish to point out that there are other very good tour companies in Morocco. So don't necessarily let the sheer numbers of these reports lead others to believe that this is the only good one. I begin to be suspicious when numbers of people write similar recommendations.

I share MmePerdu's views. Morocco seems to be peculiarly susceptible to fake and/or solicited reviews. They are frequently removed from this site, although perhaps not from others.

In any case, you can actually visit Morocco without any agency...

We are planning to travel with Lacen Boujouija later this month. Janipace, did you use him also? I don't get much information from him aside from the initial itinerary, so am a bit concerned and would appreciate all the honest feed-back I can get. We're taking a child with us so more vigilant than usual.

Well, thursdaysd, I think it really is hopeless. It may come down, like it so often does, to traveling vs tourism. Never the twain shall meet.

he can be just travelling, he has positive recommendations, no worries about your trip with him, i'm sure he will help as soon as he get time.

<i>> It may come down, like it so often does, to traveling vs tourism. Never the twain shall meet.</i>

In the Lounge I once I posted a link to a NY Times article about that topic, thinking people might find it interesting. Instead it angered folks, the implied suggestion that one style might be better. There are still scars on my throat from that. Good thing you are posting here!

Of course the main point of Kipling's poem is that the twain can and do meet, but maybe not in the Lounge.

Nelson, I love Bowles' characters, Kit & Port Moresby in 'The Sheltering Sky', who say they're travelers, not tourists, and while the line of demarkation may be fuzzy, I don't think even the tourists among us can dispute that there is a difference. The difficulty is locating the line. The book (& movie), appropriately, begin when Kit & Port arrive in Tangier.

Maybe it would have been a good idea, since you mention the Lounge, if members had been required to choose either the Lounge or the travel section of the forums when the change was made. Or maybe the choice is de facto. Tourists & travelers are divided by much more, I suspect, than their travel habits.

Well, occasionally the Lounge can be worthwhile even for people mostly interested in travel (not going to claim to be a traveler - that's for others to determine). Normally I visit it a couple of times a year when someone mentions an interesting discussion, or one gets moved there, but I just started a thread on what correction to choose for IOLs after cataract surgery that I am finding very useful.

I, too, visit the Lounge occasionally for a bit of entertainment. It can be a prickly experience or one of invisibility, depending on the thread, so I've learned to mostly not bother replying. My comment to Nelson was just for the sake of making a point and, I agree, it can be worthwhile, occasionally.

And by the way, as I'm sure you know, you belong in the traveler category, as I aspire to be. Thinking about a possible definition of the 2, after I posted above, maybe it has something to do with sometimes not knowing mid-trip where you might be heading next, to be open to the possibility of being blown off course. Having the time and inclination to go with a moment that you couldn't have predicted from home.

Well, thank you, MmePerdu. Unfortunately, no travel to speak of last year (renovated the house instead). IF my cataract surgery goes well, and I don't need additional surgery, I have some hopes of getting in some travel this year.

Haven't you been to India? I would think that counts as traveling....

I think we must be twins separated at birth, I also had "no travel to speak of last year (renovated the house instead)."

I've been a great number of places, including several extended trips in India.

Well, I can only hope that your 2014 doesn't include eye surgery!

I have to be in Detroit in August (!!!) for a wedding, I'm thinking Atlantic Canada before and northwest South America after. How about you?

I haven't been to Sri Lanka and I'd like to go back to Hanoi for at least a couple of months. So those 2 for sure with possible side trips back to India (Auroville & Darjeeling District) and a part of Sarawak I'd like to see more of, farther up the Batang Rajang than I went last time.

Then by the time I'm in India I'm half-way around so it's always tempting to just keep going as I have twice before. Mainly to finish a couple of long walks in England. But then there's France or an umpteenth visit in Morocco. You know the feeling. I'm going to try and resist, though, as I get tired at about the 5 month mark and would rather stay in Asia for the duration and keep Europe for next. I used to do spring in Europe and Asia in fall when my life was more structured. Having all year now can make the decisions trickier.

Sounds like a good trip!

Do you collect FF miles? I use an affinity credit card for AA and now have enough miles for my fourth RTW in biz class. You don't use the normal mileage tables, there's a separate OneWorld table and biz class is only about 50% more than economy. Only problem is that you only get one open (land) segment.

I, too, have an AA credit card for the purpose, wouldn't you know it. I may use the miles for a business class to Asia from the west coast, as I did last time in '12, and play it as I go with Air Asia after that so I'm not pinned down time-wise. I also use a combination of AA miles and Airtreks, a consolidator I've had good experience with. They're good for less expensive bus. class and 1-way tickets and you don't have to get them very far in advance like the FF tickets usually.

I've checked with Airtreks a few times, but I was always able to do better myself. With the OneWorld award I've been able to change my travel dates, although not the routing, for free. Don't know whether that is still the case. I really, really appreciate biz class on the long hauls. Last time (BKK to LHR) Qantas gave out PJs - great meal, good wine, hours of sleep.

I've changed Airtreks flights on occasion without fees or difficulty. Airtreks has been particularly good for bus. class when I haven't had the miles for it. I can manage steerage trans-Atlantic but not trans-Pacific. And I now use mostly Air Asia rather than buy from Airtreks within Asia.

I've been thinking about Ecuador, have never been to S. America. I have a terrible habit of going again & again to places I've loved so, so far, S. America has fallen by the wayside. I have a former husband in Brasil so may combine a visit with Ecuador. Or maybe not. But right now Asia is calling again. I think it might be the food.

I'll have a look for the OneWorld award. Is it 1 multi-segment ticket like the air passes used to be? Cathay Pacific had one of those.

I think I found it. Is this the one?
https://rtw.oneworld.com/rtw/

Yes, that looks right.