Elle_melle,
I’m so glad you love the photos! I’m sure you will love Morocco and I hope you get there soon!

Paule

I did look at your trip report before I posted this! thanks for that. and I contacted moroccan-family tours. This is the itinerary they sent me. I have talked to someone from Morocco and a friend who's been there a lot and they said the same about Rabat and chefchaouen. How many nights in the desert did you spend and was that sufficient you think?

We were only in the desert camp for one night and I think that’s fine. We did stay on the edge of the desert (Merzouga) and explored the area before going to the camp. We had a particularly windy night so while we enjoyed it, we didn’t get to sit outside and stare at the stars.

The itinerary you posted is doable with a driver but I really don’t think you need do as many stops. I think it’ll be a more enjoyable trip if you slow down and take it all in. We loved Fes - it’s as intense a place as can be, but it really feels like you’ve landed in the middle of Morocco. If you go back to Moroccan Family, do ask for Salem (pronounced Sah-leem) and let him know I told you to ask for him!

Progol - A belated thank you for your wonderful trip report. I came across it more than a year ago when I began researching a visit to Morocco. Your photos and descriptions were so helpful! I contacted The Moroccan Family Tours and ended up booking our trip through them. It was a wonderful experience all around - every detail was organized and handled with grace and charm. There were four of us and we all agree that this was one of our top travel experiences ever. Salem and his team are first-rate! I can't recommend them enough. And I can't thank you enough for the recommendation and inspiration.

Hi, rross! Thank you so much for the update and your kind words! I’m absolutely thrilled that you enjoyed your time in Morocco and especially pleased to know you were also happy with Salem and his company. He is really wonderful, isn’t he? And Morocco is a fascinating place, though sometimes overwhelming, and having someone who’s both a wonderful companion and an excellent guide really makes the experience so much richer.

Thanks again, Paule, for your very inspiring trip report. Like some others here, I too, contacted Salem and arranged our 2 week tour with him. There were 5 of us on our Moroccan odyssey. I'm already thinking about our next trip there! From our first in real life meeting, Salem exhibited all the kindness, enthusiasm and knowledge of his beloved country. It was a bit of a whirlwind tour, but unless you want to concentrate your time in just one area, there is no way around it. I'm very happy we got to experience the variety of cities and villages. A special treat was meeting Salem's family and staying at his family's desert camp. It didn't take long for Salem to notice our pace, what we liked to do and see, how much time for shopping! We told him we were interested in eating where locals eat and so that's where we ate from then on! He arranged local guides in Fes, Volubilis and the oasis in Skoura. Even though we were on somewhat of a schedule, I never felt rushed. We enjoyed a cooking class and hammam at La Maison Arabe on the edge of the Medina in Marrakech. We loved going to workshops of various crafts people. Salem was very helpful in knowing which shops had quality goods and we learned to tell the difference as we toured. The riads Salem selected were all very beautiful and comfortable. The breakfasts were sumptuous to say the least. We liked that we could spend a little time by ourselves in the evenings with Salem making suggestions about where to eat and where to go and not go. We felt completely safe all the time. After spending two weeks with Salem, we are, as he would say- "part of the family". He has a gift of connecting with people and a true sense of hospitality. If you have some particular interest, Salem can design a tour just for you. The beauty of a private driver and guide like Moroccan Family offers is that there's lots of room for flexibility and spontaneity. I really appreciate the time it took for Paule to write such an extensive trip report. Our group was able to have an unforgettable experience because of it. and isn't that what travel is all about---bringing strangers together to experience our very beautiful world.

Christy, thank you for such lovely thoughts! I’m so pleased that you had a wonderful experience visiting Morocco and, even better, your time with Salem was as special as it was. Everything you did sounds fabulous and I’m even envious that you got to visit his family’s desert camp (it didn’t exist at the time I went in 2018). And it makes me happy to know that the people who work with him come to know him as a friend, as my husband and I do now. It’s 7 years since we made our own visit and we’re still in touch with Salem regularly. I guess you could say we’re all part of the Moroccan family!

Please excuse my delay in responding to your kind words. I’m still recuperating and have been slower than usual in responding to you.

Hope you are healing well. I finally got my rug hung up. Here's a few pictures. Having a devil of a time uploading them!!


in Marrakech

the rug shop- truly works of art

inside our tent at family camp

Christy, what wonderful photos! So much color!

I love the rug you bought - it looks beautiful hanging up. We have an older one which we are using (gasp!) on the floor! And the shot of all of you in the Marrakech market with Salem is really making me smile.

you can see the rug we bought hanging over the rail in the upper left hand corner. Part of it is tufted, so not really practical to be on the floor. many of the rugs are of course meant to be used as, well, rugs!! others, like this one are really works of art.

They’re all lovely! If only I had room for more…

What fabulous report! The pictures are amazing. We leave for Morocco in 5 weeks, and this makes me so excited. Thank you!

Your trip report is fantastic! I hope to use Salem with Moroccan family in October to drive the two of us from Marrakech to Fes. How many nights and where do you advise to stay to see Ait Benhaddou, Dades Todgi Gorges, Desert and Merzouga. You mentioned you would have liked to see mountain villages. Where are they?

Out trip will be 3-4 days in Marrakech, 1 night Essouria, 3 days Fez with day tour to Melnes and Voulis. Would you extend any of these?

TY

We went with Salem for two weeks last April/May. I would defer to Salem to advise about mountain villages. we did a loop from Casablanca (where we flew in and out) to Chefchouen, Fes, down to the desert, across High Atlas to Marrakech and Essaouria. It is at least 3 hrs from Marrakech to Essouria . I would definitely stay longer in Essaouria. Too far to go for just one night, IMO. we went to Salem's family's camp in the desert which I recommend. We moved around more than I usually like, but in order to get an overall experience, that's just how it was. It's one of the best trips we've taken. I would go back in a heartbeat!

Beautiful photos! Thank you for sharing!