I wanted to write to you about our Morocco journey earlier in April. It was absolutely wonderful with so many highlights. There wasn’t just one standout, it was all extraordinary. The pacing was good, riads comfortable and our meals excellent. We were surprised at the abundance of wild flowers as we journeyed into the mountains. There were vast stretches of red, purple and yellow, adding so much to the landscape.
Of course, our driver Achraf Nouri was beyond superb. He was such a good ambassador for Morocco and your company. We were completely safe with him and he treated us very kindly. Achraf introduced us to a coffee car which was parked at the side of a very steep, winding road. The proprietor was a very industrious young man and he served us the best cup of coffee we had over our entire trip. We gave him oranges and went happily on our way.
I have told a number of people about your company and I hope to experience Kenya in the future. Thank you for give us a trip of a lifetime.
I would like to express some of my opinions and thoughts on our trip to Morocco.
We were met right on time in Casablanca by Achraf Nouri, our driver. I have traveled world wide, meeting different guides, drivers, etc. and Achraf is the BEST! He was most caring and polite, honestly expressed his views, had a sense of humour, was always on time and his expert driving skills were amazing. Not once in traversing some very narrow alleys, filled with cycles, motorcycles, pedestrians and other touring SUVs did we ever touch any of these. Many times he had only centimetres of space in which to manoeuvre our vehicle.
I found Morocco so exotic. Each day we were stunned, most pleasantly, by something totally new to us. The airport in Casablanca was crowded with people returning from Mecca, all dressed in white, pushing over loaded carts, all containing the prized box of water. Achraf explained the hadj to us. How lucky we were to see this sight.
We had a detailed tour of Casablanca and then had an interesting drive to Rabat, ahead of the king’s entourage so we saw pairs of soldiers(?) all along the highway and always on the overpasses.
I don’t know how ratings are done for the riads but Dar Zouhour certainly rates more than 3 stars. The lady in charge was very welcoming; breakfast and dinner were superb. Different food is one of our joys when we travel and we are knowledgeable critics.
We wandered in the medina, got lost, but a mother (sister in Calgary!!), no English, pushing a two year old girl in a stroller, spent over half an hour leading us through the crowds determined to get us to a main street and exit. We took her to tea before parting but learned she was still nursing so we couldn’t even treat young Neddie to a banana.
I enjoyed the varied geography, plantings, farms, all along our drives between cities. We had lots of questions for Achraf. A hard life outside the cities! Alladin(sp.), was a great guide in Chefchaouen being into women’s and ecological issues,hiking, etc. He could tell us about the Jewish history and Rif Mountain activities.
I enjoyed our family dinner in Ouzoud with our young guide Imad’s neigbours. Rokia, the mother, cooked and the Father Mohammed visited. Great dinner in their special guest sofa room. Achraf ate with us. I loved the Gorge area, a geologist’s paradise.
Fes was another “wonder”. We all bought small carpets. The palm-lined centre boulevarde was beautiful. We did see a few craftsmen doing work with clay, and tiles.
And then Marrakesh with another stunning riad. The staff, one lady in the small kitchen coped masterfully and Josef (sp.) was remarkable, so attentive serving us on the beautiful rooftop. He even had a breakfast ready for us at 4am. ,the morning of our departure. We were generous with our tips as they were well deserved. It was a very different riad, all white in decor. Of course the Majorelle Gardens were stunning and the Berber Museum and even the Museum Farid Belkahia.
We enjoyed the fishing docks, the view from Riad Mimouna where you could easily jump right into the ocean if there weren’t so many rocks. Elizabeth and I even attended a Baroque Tango concert as it was Music Festival week. A highlight was talking to a model ship builder in his shop in the medina. Such a talent and then sending them world
wide to customers. Of course we saw Argan Co-ops run by women all along the highway back to Marrakesh.
And the last, but not least, small nicety to happen to me was at the taxi stop where we stretched our legs. I bought ice cream and gave the vendor’s son a small tip and small Canadian flag pin. He ran after me, shook my hand, and pulled me down for a slight kiss on the cheek!!
I told my doctor a little about this trip and she quickly wrote your company name down along with Achraf’s.
Thank you Aaron and Amy for letting us plan such a marvelous trip under your guidance.
Susan and Landra (April, 2024)
