Morocco trip help
 

Hello, this forum has helped us so much in the past. Thinking of going to Morocco in Oct., 2018 for 2 weeks. Two 68 year olds in good condition, but not up to extensive hiking, etc. Enjoy more indigenous experiences and know we will need to be guided on this trip. Not interested in a large group, but have traveled with O.A.T. in a group of 12 before. Mid-level budget. Any suggestions for tour operators, etc., will be gratefully appreciated.

You are wise to go with a guide. We found the culture rather aggressive in Morocco where we spent 1 month However whenever we were with a local no one bothered us. Progol had a fabulous driver and she recommends him, Karaoui Salam with Best Places to Visit In Morocco 2018 and Private Morocco Desert Tours

virginiafish,
Yestravel is right - we found having a driver (who also has his own travel company) to be a godsend. We just returned last month from our own 2-week trip to Morocco and we did the typical circuit around Morocco - We booked the trip with another small company, but Salem (or Salam) Karaoui was hired as a driver for us, and I truly can’t sing his praises enough. I recommend him highly. If he is available, he is just a gem.

Please feel free to ask questions about the trip, too - I haven’t had the time or energy to write up a report, but feel free to message me if you want. We corresponded a number of years ago when I was planning my trip to SEAsia and remember using your report which gave me some great ideas.

Salem Karaoui https://moroccan-family.com/

Ditto, be happy to provide any info I can. We were on our own for most of the trip. We had a driver for 4 days when we went to the desert and had a guide for ½ day in Fes. Also had a driver & guide in Volubilis.

Hello progol and yestravel, both of you have helped us so much in the past. In the time from my post, we decided to go with Journey Beyond Travel who have helped us develop a very personalized trip with a driver and guides throughout our 2 weeks in Morocco. They have been wonderful to work with and very responsive to our needs. Thank for you willingness to help and we will be here for you in the future, as you have been here for us. I will post a trip report. We are not going until October.

Hi, virginiafish,
I did correspond with JBT when I was doing my planning, and without a doubt, they were impressive in their responsiveness and ability to provide a wonderful, personalized trip. I'm sure you will have a great time!

Paule

Hi! I,too, emailed with JBT when we were planning our trip. They seemed like a great company that could really provide a great service. I can imagine they would work out a terrific plan for you.

Morocco Expert Tours
 

Has anyone used this company? The Trip Advisor ratings are all 5 stars, but I became concerned when we reserved a day trip this October and he said to "remind" him a couple of days before the date. Thank you. Lois

I contacted that company too. I think you have to be wary of reviews with tour people in Morocco. It's a big issue on TA about all the fakes. I did dig enough to find out that's a reputable company, but how good they are I don't know. I would be wary of anyone saying that to me. I don't even know what you could go back and ask/say to them. How have you felt about the other interactions with them? Maybe someone will have some direct experience with them on Fodors. Have you also asked on TA? Their Morocco board is pretty active and they may have some advice.

My very first trip to Morocco was a small group guided tour with the Canadian company, Eldertreks. I thought it was well done and would recommend you have a look at their website and check reviews. It was a great introduction to the country to which I've returned a number of times since.

Sorry, I failed to read your reply with a decision made. In any case, it may be useful for someone down the line. I hope you enjoy Morocco as much as I have over the years.

Thank you so much. The problem with TA is that so many of the Moroccan tour companies have 99 percent ratings of 5 stars. It does strain my credulity. You mentioned that you contacted MET. Did you go with them and if not, would you mind telling me why not? Thank you so much. I appreciate your posts. Lois

Yes, I agree re the problem with the tour company reviews on TA. Very hard to figure out who is really good. Here's my long back story as how I chose my company. NOthing specific to MET. I contacted maybe 5-6 companies to get an idea of itinerary and price. In the end we decided we didnt want to go with a full driver tour. So after researching and trying to decide which company to use for a very small portion of our trip, I ended up finding a company in a peculiar way. As I researched Morcoo I read lots of blogs in particular paying attention to the desert portion as that's when I figured we'd use a driver. I came across a blog that I don't have a reference to anymore and they raved about the company they had used several times, Dunes Line. I ended up contacting the couple that wrote the blog and had several exchanges with them about the company, their driver and other experiences with the company. Dunes Line was not any of the ones I had contacted and I began researching them online. Of course, rave reviews everywhere just like all the other companies. I finally contacted Dunes Line and went back and forth a lot over itinerary and price. I found the owner, Siad, to be very nice, responsive and flexible. Made the zillion changes I requested for just a 4 day tour. I can give you more feedback on Dunes Line if you like.

Local guide
 

One suggestion is that when you get to your hotel or place of stay, you ask the host or one of the staff members to help you find a local guide and you can have a kind of private tour. It won't be expensive, you can haggle for 15-20 euros max per day, maybe even cheaper. Be very strict with the money and show that you are on low budget and not having a surplus to give away to anyone who wants some and you should have a beautiful experience. As it was mentioned, when you'll be with a local no one will bother you, not the beggars not the kids trying to be guides, you'll have a relaxed time and you'll enjoy the experience no doubt! Cheers

I agree that you can ask for the places you stay to get you guides or drivers. We did that quite a few times with mixed results. We had one esp poor driver that apparently the riad manager had asked not be sent for their guests. We also had an excellent guide or 2 and another very good driver. So it all depends.

Hi;
Maybe delayed to reply here, i was reading throught the fellow travellers comments and found that many travellers does not believe tripadvisor reviews 100% which causes confusion and doubt in some certain business, you can look at the history of a tour company always, and check more online to find enough details about them, always a little homework can assure your trip to be memorable.
i found articles on the newspapers which are not lies nor paid to do them, so always make sure to contact reviewers, and read the reviews with more participations from the reviewer on the travel websites and forums to make sure you re using a reliable one.
Good Luck and Happy Travels.