Dear Akim,
We are now in Taghazout relaxing after our wonderful trip
around Morocco.
We had a wonderful time with our driver Mohamed who took very
good care of us throughout. It was great that he was always
there to pick us up from outings which made for a very stress
free trip. His driving, in sometimes very difficult conditions
such as heavy snow in the High Atlas was to be commended. We
feel we saw much more than was in the itinerary and people we
have since spoken to have been amazed at what we actually
fitted into the twelve days.
Regarding the dinners, all included, we could not fault them
from the Style club in Marrakech to the home cooked meals in
the Riads.
By chance we were invited to a Berber wedding which was being
held next to our Kasbah Omar at the Ourika Valley which was a
real bonus. Stayed with it till midnight. A lot of fun.
Even though we were guided everywhere, we felt we got to
experience the local flavor and so believe our trip was
wonderful value. Because of the spread of accommodation you
supplied from very good small riads to the opulent riad in Fez
we feel we have certainly seen a wide cross section of
Moroccan life.
Finally, thank you for organizing all this at what was very
short notice. It all went very smoothly and again thanks to
for making all the arrangments
Hope you have a great year.
Kind regards,
Robert and Karen Grozier
Robert Grozier & Wife _
Australia
Traveled - January 2008
Hi Akim,
This is just a quick note to tell you how wonderful our trip
was in every
way! Youssef was a fabulous incredible guide and organizer and
we had one of
our best holidays ever!
The care and personal attention and warmth was unbelievable
and I am
grateful to you and your people for making Morroco such a
memorable and
exhilerating experience.
I am writing up a full blog to post on travel advisor and
other places as
well.
I wish you a marvelous New Year and once again, our great
thanks for
everything you did for us.
Best,
Gareth
Gareth & Wife + Friends ,
NY_ USA
Traveled - December 2007
Dear
Akim:
My husband and I want to let you know how much we enjoyed our
Moroccan vacation. The itinerary covered a geographically
diverse area and a great blend of large cities with small
villages. We crossed paths with a few other American couples
and discovered we were the only ones to visit and stay in the
Ourika Valley (one of the highlights of our trip). A chance to
see the rustic Berber villages up close and personal, the
“real
Morocco” as some have called it, should not be missed.
In fact, I encourage all your clients to plan their travel so
that they are in the Ourika Valley on Monday, Thursday or
Friday for the weekly souk. Not at all like the larger souks
in Fes or Marrakech!
Having our own driver provided a level of flexibility in our
travels as well as a more relaxing experience. We never had to
worry about arranging transit to or from a restaurant or local
site. Our driver, Anis, was great. His driving skills were
well above average and he was always there to make us feel
safe and special. While we did not feel at all threatened
during our visit, I especially liked traveling around the
cities and countryside in a minivan without “Tourist
Transportation” surrounding the exterior in multiple
languages.
We both enjoyed the Moroccan food – although I would add that
the most delicious tagine we had was in a small roadside
restaurant almost at the top of the Tizi-n-Tichka pass in the
High Atlas prepared by a 15-year old chef. And on our first
day in Marrakech, we asked Anis to take us to a local, not
touristy, restaurant for lunch. We were the only Americans and
the food and ambiance was just what we were looking for. Early
in the trip we decided that we could not eat the normal
3-course lunches served. But the 10+ dishes in a Moroccan
salad with bread was just perfect. The restaurants were
usually very agreeable to this request.
The accommodations were great. The Riad in Fes and Kasbah Omar
in Ourika Valley were a nice balance to the luxurious hotels
in Rabat and Marrakech. And nothing compares to riding a camel
under a full moon to our camp in the desert. This trip had it
all.
We were pleasantly surprised to find that French was spoken
throughout Morocco. This made it much easier to communicate
with the locals, especially the children. We brought along
some small candies and had fun distributing them to the small
children in the villages we visited.
Our only negative experience came when I had an allergic
reaction a few days after a mud facial at the hammam in
Ouarzazate. On our way into Marrakech, Anis stopped at a local
pharmacy and I was able to get some antihistamine pills and
cream to calm my irritated face. The medications worked and I
was able to finish the trip with little or no discomfort.
Another benefit of having a knowledgeable, local driver.
Many of our friends are interested in our Moroccan vacation
and we have no hesitation in recommending Marrakesh Voyage to
them. Overall we felt the itinerary was well planned, well
organized, and well executed.
Regards, Eve Kahn & Ed Estin
Eve Kahn & Husband - Napa, CA
_ USA
Traveled - November 2007
AKIM
Just a quick note because I have so much paper work to catch
up on but I wanted to tell you what a wonderful golf trip we
had. All the golfers had a great time. Our driver ABDOL made
the whole experience wonderful. He took care of every detail.
he really made the experience very enjoyable because we never
had to worry about anything. He made sure it was right. The
hotels, restaurants, golfing, and sightseeing were all superb.
Abdol said that I should return and do the Sahara desert in a
tent trip . some thing for me to look forward to..... again
thank you for a most memorable trip. I'll stay in touch as I
hope you will and let me know of any future deals to wonderful
MOROCCO.
jerry
Gerald Long - USA
Golf Tour - Traveled - November 2007
Hi Akim,
Sam and I had an excellent time in Morocco, and we were
equally pleased to meet you and your family. We didn't have a
chance to say goodbye to Meg as she seemed to be falling ill
that evening. I hope she's doing better now. Please give our
regards to her.
We were very pleased with all the arrangements that were made
for us. My favorite part of the trip was definitely the
desert. The camel ride was fun, and being in the desert was
magical for me. We also loved all the riads that we stayed in
(though I would say the bed at Casa Hassan (Chefchaouen) was a
bit too hard for us). We would also like to mention that our
driver, Mohammed, was especially thoughtful, and really took
excellent care of us. He was a skilled and safe driver.
Always on time and very accommodating. He even drove us
around for an extra day in
Marrakech even though he was not required to. He also
made sure Youssef arranged a good guide for us in
Marrakech, whom was by far the best city guide we had
on the trip (her name was Souad). Another guide that deserves
special mention is Kareem. He definitely showed us the
warmest Berber hospitality on the trip. He was very attentive
to our needs, and also made sure that none of us slipped on
the rocks as we climbed the waterfall.
The itinerary overall was also excellent.
Thank you again for arranging a memorable trip for us. Below
is a link to some of the photos we took during the trip. Hope
you like them!
http://web.mac.com/hawksworth/iWeb/ShortTrips/Morocco.html
Best Regards,
Bonny
Bonny & Sam Lee - USA
Traveled - October 2007
Dear
Akim:
Please excuse the delay in my email feedback – there has been
a lot calling for my attention after being gone for all of
September…
So, I would say that the most pronounced, most positive,
aspect of our trip was definitely the graciousness and
kindness and patience and open-heartedness of our guides,
especially Fateh and, most especially, Youssef. From the
standpoint of our Open Center staff, these gentlemen were an
honor to work with, absolutely professional, especially with a
string of frustrating itinerary changes that we tried to
implement, but more importantly than that, and from the
perspective of both us as staff, and our participants, was
their warmth and depth of character and generosity. They made
themselves so fully available, very much beyond expectation
ordinarily, especially more significant given their fasting.
Our guests were deeply moved to have been invited to Youssef’s
home and visit with his family. And we were all incredibly
enriched by the depth of knowledge Fateh shared with us during
our visit to Bahia Palace . As an organization part of whose
mission is to explore the deeper meaning of the world’s
traditions and events, we were concerned that we would find
ourselves meeting only the more superficial aspects of the
culture and history and people of Morocco , but that was not
our experience at all. Akim, we very much want to thank you
for putting us in such good hands.
We also wanted to thank you for bringing us to the incredibly
beautiful kasbah Omar: both the people and the place itself
were more than we had hoped for.
Please know that our experience in Marrakech was absolutely
remarkable, and that we deeply appreciate all you did to
contribute to that.
Many thanks, and many warm regards,
Andrea
Andrea Lamanto - The New York Open Center - USA
Event in Marakech - September 2007
Akim,
I apologize for the delay in sending this letter but I'd
like to inform you that we had the most amazing and
out-of-this-world experience while vacationing in Morocco.
Our driver Abdel was not only very careful and cordial but
also extremely hospitable and eager to share with us the
Moroccan lifestyle. We are most appreciative of him opening up
his home for a home-made chicken cous-cous meal with his
lovely family. It truly made our trip more than personal now
that we have a 'new family' in Morocco!
We will highly recommend this trip with your company to our
friends who have seen, from our pictures, the many splendors
of Morocco!
We hope to travel back very soon as we know there are many
other treasures yet to be seen!
Again, we give our highest marks to your agency and it's tour
guides/driver.
Thank you so very much!
Dr Richard Zapanta & Family
Richard Zapanta & Family - USA
Traveled - August 2007
Akim,
Thanks for your note. I am happy to share my Moroccan
experience with you. I really enjoyed the trip. I saw so much,
met some wonderful people, ate great food, and have many
outstanding memories. I will recommend visiting Morocco to all
my friends and your tour company specifically. I haven't gone
through all my pictures but if I find something worth
'publishing', I'll be sure to send it along.
Highlights - without a doubt for me it was spending the night
in the desert. Outstanding.
Our guide Mohammed was great. The guest house proprietor
Lachen could not have been more welcoming and warm. Breakfast
was outstanding. While we didn't sleep in the room, it seemed
fine. The shower was adequate and clean.
Fattah - our guide in Marrakech - was wonderful. He is very
knowledgeable, has a warm and engaging manor and was not pushy
when it came to taking us to
places to shop.
Anis - our driver - he was great. He got us where we needed to
be, on time and safely. He answered our questions and engaged
in conversation. He helped us understand the culture the
better.
Karim - our guide in the Ourika Valley. He was flexible and
adjusted our itinerary based on my abilities (not a fit for
the hikes and treks specified
in the itinerary). All he kept saying was 'it's no problem'.
He and Hafida and Naima at Kasbah Omar made us feel like we
were staying in a real home. I learned so much about the area,
the Berbers and history from them all. And I must mention
Salima (I think that's her name). She was our masseusse. Our
massage (after the hammam of course) was the perfect ending to
a wonderful day of walking the valley.
Itinerary - I really enjoyed the mixture of experiences -
cities, desert, rural mountains/vallies, ocean. I came away
with a real appreciation for the
country as a whole and the diversity of terrain and peoples.
Riads - in Marrakech and Fes, and Kasbah Omar at the high
atlas were all very good. The rooms were well appointed, clean
and very comfortable. And, we were served some of the best
food we had on the whole trip in each of them - better than
some restaurants.
With my overall feedback very strong, I do want to share a
couple of thoughts that I think would improve the trip
experience for others.
I think future travelers could benefit from more
information/guidance from you prior to the trip. I'm not sure
how seasoned a traveler your typical customer is but some
things Kelly and I did/prepared for out of experience that
others might not know to do.
For instance -
- emphasize hiking shoes should be required for Ourika Valley
treks
- sunscreen and hats given the really strong sun
- tipping guidelines (or at least advise people to have change
with them to tip EVERYONE)
- no facecloths provided
- let people know which accommodations have pools so they can
bring bathing
suits if they want to swim
You may be sorry you asked after having read this long note! I
do want to say again how wonderful the trip was and I will
always remember it with a
warm smile and many happy memories.
Thanks to you.
All the best-
Linda
Linda Jacobsen & friend - USA
Traveled - August 2007
Dear
Akim,
Back
again from our journey through Morocco, it was really a
memorable journey to see the country, thanks to our best
driver Mr Anis and the local guides who were very helpfull to
assist us during the trip.
Also the
experience to stay in the Riad in Fes and the kasbah omar in
the mountain side of Ourika was marvelous, as we are also able
to attend a local wedding party at night near our kasbah.
We hope
to share our experience with our friends in Indonesia and to
give more informations about Morocco and for sure we will
recommend to use Marrakech Voyage Tour.
Thanks
alot Akim , all the best and success.
Ridwan
and Alice Wihardja
Ridwan & Alice Wiharda -
Jakarta Indonesia
Traveled - August 2007
Hello, Akim -
First of all, we had a wonderful, wonderful time! We loved Morocco, loved the people,
the colors, the food, the varied experiences we had all through the country.
We especially enjoyed Youssef, who handled every glitch, every issue, every problem,
every request with efficiency, humor and a positive attitude which we all really appreciated.
By the end of the trip we all felt that Youssef had become
a lifelong friend! Having him with us made our trip the best it could be!
Now, looking back over the two weeks, I'd like to give you some feedback about our trip.
Casablanca: touring the Hassan II mosque was really terrific, and shopping in the Habous
was a memorable experience (Jon bought a kaftan there - and we had lots of fun doing that).
Rick's Cafe since Casablanca, the movie, is such a classic…..The food's pretty good, but
if you've seen the movie, the restaurant itself is a cool experience.
Rabat: we really enjoyed Rabat, and had a fantastic guide - Achmed.
Fez: wonderful city, excellent guide - Mohammed. We were thrilled with our decision
to stay in Fez for 3 nights and enjoyed the Riad Norma very, very much. Of course, Youssef
had to scramble to get us in there since we had been bumped out of the Jnan Palace because the
king arrived on the same night we did - just one example of the great service Youssef gave us.
Meknes: fascinating visit to the granary - well worth the trip.
Driving to Erfoud: this was a beautiful and interesting drive and we enjoyed all the places
we stopped in along the way. The Desert: We enjoyed this part of our trip very, very much
because it was so different from anything we have ever experienced. Because we had
an extra day scheduled in the desert, we had the flexibility to go out to the nomad camp.
We enjoyed Merzouga and enjoyed our early morning camel ride out of the auberge to see
the sunrise. And we all loved the skiing on Erg Chebbi!! Jon and I loved watching our kids
climb up and ski down - and the kids thought it was the best! Memorable experience for our family.
Tinghir: Nice place to stop over on the way to Ourzazate.
Ourzazate: We had fun seeing the movie lot and enjoyed an impromptu visit to an herbalist /
apothecary, but you were right about only needing one night there.
Ourika Valley: That was a big hit……… very nice trekking with our mountain guide Karim to see
all the hidden villages……that was another highlight of our trip in addition to the Sahara.
Marrakech: Lovely hotel, fascinating city -- we loved Marrakech. We especially enjoyed having
dinner with your family one night and lunch with Youssef's family on another day - these were highlights!
So, all in all, we had a great visit to Morocco, and came home very, very happy with our experience
there. Once again, Youssef made all the difference! He's a tremendous asset to your agency and
his positive attitude and sense of humor kept us smiling for the entire
two weeks. We will definitely recommend your agency to our friends -- in fact, we already have!
Thanks so much for reading such a long email - and for creating such a memorable vacation
for our family. We'll never forget it!
Deborah Krass
Deborah
& Jon Krass Family
Traveled - Summer 2007
Akim,
I do not even know where to begin! To say thank you for
planning such an magnificent trip, feels like a huge
understatement.
We knew we were in for the time of our life, when Hussein with
his warm, gentle face met us with open arms at the airport. It
took us about 15 minutes to become fast friends. I believe he
knew what he was in for when we passed a souk two hours into
our trip and we were already taking marvelous detours! With
cameras, video and our savior Hussein, we were off. As my
father likes to say, "we are like herding cats", you can't
quite keep us in control and Hussein seemed totally prepared
for us.
Your country is fascinating, the diversity of people, culture
and topography in such a small area is astounding. Around
every corner we became more and more enthralled with Morocco.
One Riad was more beautiful and welcoming the next. Then of
course there was Casaba Omar. What a magnificent place to be.
The warmth and hospitality that was shared with us could not
have been more perfect...and what a view!
Dinner with your family was truly a special treat. Aside from
being one of the best meals, Miriam and Yousef stole our
hearts and were a pleasure to be with. How lucky were we that
we were able to meet you whole family and share this time with
them.
The cities, Marrakesh, Fez, Rabat, Meknes, Casablanca and
others were eye opening and so diverse from one another that
it was hard to believe we were in the same country. The
desert, the camels, the Berber villages, the donkeys, the
seaside, the gardens, the synagogues, the souks, the gorges,
the valleys, the people, the goats in trees and oh the
shopping! Boy did we shop.
Although we thought we were going to start out in a bigger
vehicle, we were thrilled with the way things turned out. Had
we not needed a car to follow us with our many purchases, we
would never have had the opportunity to meet Said. Even with
out language barrier, we felt we truly got to know him and
spending time with the people of Morocco was at the top of our
wish list.. We felt very fortunate that both Hussein and Said,
were so comfortable hanging out with our crazy family.
The retaking of our parents wedding vows could not have turned
out better. How fortuitous that Youssef was friendly with
Jacob Kadosh. This event could not have been more perfect, and
was filled with kindness and warmth, exactly what you would
hope for, for an occasion like this.
There were so many highlights in our journey it is hard to
pick only a few to mention. However being invited into the
home of a Berber family during our walk in Ourika valley and
Hussein working out us being able to visit a Berber nomad
family truly was the people experiences were were hoping for.
We gave out chocolate, pens, balloons, clothing, head scarves
and I think best of all, Polaroid pictures of them and us.
Right after visiting with the nomad family, we were rewarded
with a full rainbow. These are the memories and expierences we
will all carry with us forever.
Handing out liters of water to Shepperd's along the road
prompted many great smiles of these hardworking men and was so
heart warming, I am smiling as I write this. Seeing the sights
of a country is one thing, experience a country is another. We
can not thank you, your family and Hussein enough, for
providing us with such an unbelievable Moroccan experience
The one thing that I think that came as surprise to all of us
was the extreme warmth and comfort with closeness of the
people We hugged and kissed and held the hands of both men and
women. It continues to amaze me how people can connect with
out sharing a spoken word between them. Where ever we went it
was like being a member of the family.
Our only regret was not having another six weeks to explore
and experience the wonders and the people of Morocco! Alas our
trip had to come to an end. After many hugs and tears we
headed home.
I truly hope to return to Morocco at some point in the future.
I feel there is still much to explore and experience.
If the opportunity presents itself to you with your future
clients, you should encourage them to bring and instant
camera. It was a big hit! Like with my father, please feel
free to have any of your future clients contact me.
With warmest regards and my gratitude,
Debbie,
Abelow Family
Traveled - May 2007
Akim -
We returned from Morocco just 20 hours ago after an absolutely
fantastic vacation in your wonderful country! I know Judy
plans to e-mail you in
more detail, but I wanted you to know as soon as possible just
how wonderful
everything was and how much we appreciate all the extra things
you did
and arranged. Your family, Kasbah Omar, your gifts of djelabas,
the Berber
entertainment, the other places we stayed, the meals we ate,
the surprise
synagogue wedding and everything else - and I do mean
everything - was
just perfect. Hussein was unbelievably terrific and he was,
himself, a
highlight of the entire vacation. He deserves a bonus for
putting up with us and
probably a few days rest to recover. The fact that we were
able to do
everything we wanted to (and to change part of our planned
itinerary)
is a tribute to his flexibility and resourcefulness; he is an
amazing man!
And more importantly for Morocco's economy, all
the things we bought. We consider ourselves so fortunate to
have been able
to really interact with Moroccan families and other people -
not only your
family, but a Berber family who invited us for tea as we hiked
through their
village as well as a Nomad family we saw and visited while
driving. We left
lots of chocolate, pens, and a bunch of our clothing with
various
people and enjoyed giving bottles of water to shepherds from
time to time. Thank
you again for everything and thank your family as well as
Hussein. We hope
there might be an opportunity to meet with you in person and
maybe Meg to
share more of our thoughts and stories from the trip. Of
course,
please feel free to use us as references if any prospective
clients would like
to talk to us.
Bill,
Bill, Judy Abelow and Family
Traveled - May 2007
Hi Akim,
I promise that I will get back to you. I have been away a lot
(fencing and school trips) so things have been crazy. I want
to write a detailed email ........ I promise that I will get
back to you with a longer version. The short list would be
that we loved the trip and would like to do it again, this
time with the desert. Our driver and friend Abdul was great to
travel with and he was there for us all the time. Alex
and I both looked at each other yesterday and said, "We miss
Morocco." Wonderful memories!! We even went out for Moroccan
street food............thanks to you.
Anyway, details to follow.
All he best-
Cheryl
Cheryl Kozyra & Family - New
Jersey
Traveled - April 2007
Dear Akim
After Morocco I went on for a few days to Israel, and I only
got back home yesterday, that is why I hadn't written.
Out trip to Morocco was SPLENDID, it really was very very very
good, and we kept thinking nice thoughts about you all along
(and voicing them too!).
We had excellent chemistry with our guide, Muchtar, he was
very knowledgeable, pleasant, with a good sense of humor, and
extremely patient (something you definitely need to travel
with my family). I think he is the best guide we have ever had
in our entire history of traveling to any country in the past.
I want to tell you that I know how complicated it must have
been to get us always kosher food, but it was definitely worth
it. The kosher food added a huge step to our enjoyment (even
though I am afraid now I will have to go on a very strict
diet!!).
And the hotels were also excellent. Fortunately, they were
ordered from nice to gorgeous, so we were always pleasantly
surprised. We liked the Palais Rhoul so much, we decided to
spend the last day in the Hammam and the gardens!
All in all, it was really a perfect trip, and my father was
extremely happy.
I thank you very much for your excellent work.
All the best,
The Katz Family - France, Israel & Mexico
Family Reunion
Traveled - February 2007
Dear Akim,
On behalf of my whole family, we thank you for the most
memorable trip to Morocco. We especially appreciate what you
and your friends did for my mother. Even though she had a
cold, that birthday party really cheered her up, and we could
not believe that she actually got up to dance!! Please do
convey our gratitude to your friend at Ourika Garden.
The entire trip was lovely, and I am grateful to your
suggestions for limiting our trip and not going to too many
places. As it was, we already had the seashore, the mountains,
the desert, and the medina. You were right that more would
have been too exhausting. For us, the Sahara trip was
definitely the highlight - spending the night in the desert
with the first full moon of the year was just incredible.
Although my mother did not go into the desert, she was game
enough to get on a camel and have a photo taken.
We are very pleased with your arrangements, especially such
last-minute planning for the busiest time of the year. We
especially appreciate the personal touch, and enjoyed meeting
your family and your friends. That made the trip very special.
Please be assured that we will tell our friends about your
services. Our friends are very interested in Morocco after
seeing our photos.
Thanks again,
Hazel
Dr. Hazel Szeto & Family - NYC
Traveled - December 06 / January 07
Hi Akim:
The trip went really well. We
enjoyed the sights and the architecture of Morocco. The food
was generally very good too. We particularly enjoyed the
kasbahs, the Dades and Todra gorges and the cities of
Marrakech and Fez. Khalfaoui was a really great driver and
extremely helpful and accommodating throughout the trip -
and always with a positive attitude. He really did well to
take care of all our needs and also took us to meet his
family - your sister and nephews! Thanks for all your help,
advice and the superb planning of the itinerary. I'll be in
touch in the future because I would like to take my wife and
kids there the next time.
Thanks again,
Arjun
Arjun Desai & Father -
INDIA
Traveled - October 2006
Akim:
Sorry for the delay in responding. We had a delightful time.
Everything went off without a hitch....and our driver
Khalid was
GREAT!
The hotels were the highlight of our trip.....as I am sure you
heard.....we did hang out at the hotels a bit. The Kasbah in
the High Atlas is to die for and my wife loved the horseback
riding.
Thank you so much for all your help, guidance and suggestions.
Your guidance was excellent. Although we are always a bit
wary booking through the "internet," you smoothly and
seamlessly delivered on all that was promised. Most
importantly, the driver and guide you provided were
delightful. The accommodations were truly outstanding
and for us, the highlight of our trip.
Without your
suggestions, we would never have identified such fabulous
Riads.
Thank you for all your help. The trip was delightfully
smooth -- great accommodations -- fabulous restaurants and no
surprises. Your promotion from president to travel counselor
is well deserved:::)))))
James & Donna Gordon - CA
/ USA
Traveled - September
2006
Hello Akim,
We returned last Tuesday from Spain and Morocco. I just wanted
to let you know what a wonderful time we all had. Our driver
Abdul was waiting for us when we got off the boat in Tangier
with a very nice and comfortable van. Abdul did a wonderful
job. He was a great driver and was always punctual and very
helpful. Our stay at Riad Mabrouka in Fez was wonderful. The
staff was so attentive. Our rooms and the courtyard and garden
areas were just beautiful. We had a very enjoyable day in Fez
with our guide Abdul (another Abdul) and a delicious dinner
with entertainment at Maison Blue. The following day we really
enjoyed Meknes, Volubilis, lunch at Moulay Idriss and finally
Chefchaoen. What a beautiful town. Casa Hassan, although not
as luxurious as Riad Mabrouka, was so conveniently located
near the main square. The people of Morocco were very
friendly and welcoming to us. We were all very impressed with
the beautiful mosaics in all the buildings we visited but the
most pleasant surprise of all was the delicious food. We
absolutely loved the Moroccan salads, pastilla, and the
tajines, and fresh fruits and most of all the mint tea. When I
got home, I bought a Moroccan cookbook immediately. If there
was one complaint, it was that all the
interesting presentations in Fez (ceramics, carpet, tannery,
cloth ) also included a bit of high pressure sales after the
presentation. All three couples bought mosaic tables which we
are looking forward to enjoying in our yards here in
California. Thank you very much for organizing a trip to
Morocco that we will never forget.
Sincerely,
Carol and Dennis Sporleder
Sporleder/Jones/Scott group
Laguna Niguel, CA September
2006
Akim,
we are back! It was a wonderful trip and I wanted to thank you
for organizing everything. Youssef was great and we have become
good friends with him now!
Again,
it was an amazing trip and thank you for facilitating it!
Warm regards,
Boris & Jennifer
Rapoport- NYC
Traveled / August
2006
Akim,
Sorry I
have not had a chance to tell you about our trip but I have been
away for the last two weeks.
We have a
great time in Morocco and loved the country. Our driver, Khalid
was great. He was always on time, friendly and knew exactly
where to go. We really enjoyed his company and insights on
Moroccan culture. The people were all very friendly and we
enjoyed learning about the Islamic tradition.
We really
liked Feta, our guide in Marrakesh. He was very knowledgeable
about the area, history and culture. He did take us shopping
where we bought more items than planned. Of course we bought
rugs and some pottery. We were not very good a bartering, but by
the end of the trip the shop keepers said we were like Berbers.
We enjoyed
our “trek” in the Ourika Valley. Our guide was very nice and
drilled some local phrases into our heads that we used the rest
of the trip. It was a great experience to see how simple the
people live in the mountains.
Many
thanks to you…..We were extremely happy with the trip you
planned for us and the experiences we had. It was a great way
to see Morocco. We have already recommended going to Morocco
and using your services.
Mark & Lisa Leonard -
USA
Traveled / July 2006
Dear Akim,
We had the
most wonderful trip of Morocco. Philip and I both really
enjoyed getting to see a little of your marvelous country, get
to know a little of your culture and meet some wonderful
Moroccans.
We now have
some very special memories that will never leave us - thank you.
There is not
one aspect of our holiday that we would have altered. Thank you
for your effort in planning this for us. Everything was planned
and organized just how we wanted it. We will certainly
recommend Marrakesh Voyage to any one wishing to visit Morocco.
Of course we were spoilt with our guide (Youssef) - thank you.
Please let
Youssef know that we will send some photos to him when we rid of
our jet lag. We only got home last Saturday.
If any New
Zealander or any one contacts you and wants a reference please
don't hesitate to give them our email address. We will give a
glowing reference.
Many thanks
again
Best wishes
Philip and Janette
Walker - New Zealand
Traveled / June 2006
Akim,
An excellent trip. Hajib did a phenomenal job
in taking us to all the places we wanted to see and explaining
interesting details that we might otherwise miss along the
way. The riads and hotels you have selected for us
were fantastic. Having dinner with the Berber family at the high
Atlas was amazing experience. A great job to him and
to your company.
Thank you so much!
Eamonn Oley -
California
Traveled / Honeymoon- February 2006
Dear Akim,
What can we say?
Our vocabularies don’t include enough superlatives to describe
our
Morocco
experience.
The best laid
plans could not have produced these results without Youssef.
Just having a car and driver is the best way to tour a new
country, but he was exceptional. Most of all it was his
unflinching good humor that made him a perfect companion for
those 28-days. Not once did he appear bored with his job
or with us. He went far beyond being just a driver, giving us
all sorts of information about the country as we drove along.
But when we had a guide in the car with us, he never said a
thing, leaving it to the skilled guide to inform us.
That showed respect for the guide and we chalked that up as
another of Youssef’s admirable characteristics.
What made this
trip far superior to any we have ever taken anywhere in the
world was being invited to his present home and to the family
home where he grew up. We were simply thrilled to meet
them all, to “break bread” with them, and to be made to feel
so welcome. We were struck by the genuine love and
respect they showed each other. We felt as accepted as
if we were part of the family.
We’ve discussed
ranking our experiences in order of interest and/or
importance, but we weren’t able to do that. They were so
varied and so many to choose from. We really did like
being in two places for longer periods, to rest and collect
our thoughts.
Fez
and
Marrakesh
were the most appropriate for those long stays and we
appreciated the opportunity to be on our own, exploring the
medinas and getting the “feel” for those exotic cities.
Riding camels in
the sand dunes was definitely an experience we’ll long
remember. From our vantage point on the dunes, Ralph took a
photo of a caravan of camels bearing a group of tourists.
That photo is now the “wall paper” on our computer.
We apologize for
writing this over a week after our return home, but we wanted
to write more than a “thanks-it-was-a-great-trip” message.
Please do feel free to call on us to use as references for
future clients.
With our sincere
thanks for your superb planning of a magnificent tour of your
great country,
Ralph
and Joan Meyering - USA
Traveled - August 2005
Hi Akim,
We appreciate your following up and want you to know that we had a
wonderful time in Morocco. We worried that the timing -- late July and
early August -- would have us traveling during the worst heat of the
summer, but we were extremely lucky. We arrived in Fez just after a heat wave broke, and departed
Marrakech just before the heat returned. The evening breezes in the square in Marrakech were delightful.
There is no easy way to sum up the many experiences we crammed into a few short weeks.
The riads we stayed in were a delight, especially Riad Mabrouka in Fez. And Khalid, our driver, was not only
an excellent and careful driver, but an attentive companion as well, who was still willing, after a hard day's
driving, to make the extra effort to get us to and from a late dinner. He took good care of us.
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My one real regret is that I couldn't fit one of the gorgeous carved wooden doors into my suitcase!
So many wonderful pieces appearing in so many unexpected places. Next trip, perhaps.
Thanks for all your help in arranging this.
Pat
Ward's family & friends - USA
Traveled - July 2005
Dear Akim,
My family and I would like to thank you and your team for the
wonderful holiday in Morocco. Our experience was as magical as we had
anticipated, with many exciting events thrown in.
Radouane was amazing and most of the credit for making the trip so
fascinating goes to him. He was very patient and put up with our
changes in plans with a calm smile. He gave us a real insight into the
Moroccan culture and allowed us to understand the culture with an
insider's point of view. He introduced us to a great many eating
experiences.
The dinner with your family was a warm and lovely experience. Your
sister, brother-in-law and your brother, made us feel so welcome.
Sharing a platter of couscous with all of them made us feel a part of
the family.
We would like to once again thank you for all the arrangements that
were made.
Gita Arjun & Family - India
Traveled - May 2005
Hi Akim,
First of all, we would really like to thank you for arranging
Everything for us. Everything went smoothly and according to plan. The trip was incredibly
well planned and even the delayed arrival of our luggage (our flight was delayed from London
and the luggage didn't make it through to the connecting flight) didn't really affect the traveling
plans. So, our many thanks for that.
Our driver/guide/escort Youssef was incredible- we were incredibly
Grateful that we heeded your suggestion and hired a driver- we would have been lost without
him- with no Moroccan Arabic/Berber and French to help us, it would have been quite difficult
to travel away from the cities. Having a fluent English speaking guide to accompany us
throughout the trip was the best decision on our part for this trip. He was fantastic and incredibly
helpful. Plus, having a native constantly by our side removed any apprehension
That we might have otherwise experienced. At the very least, his presence certainly deterred
the hassling by the uncertified guides or any other unscrupulous individuals (which we kept
reading about when we read of accounts by people who have gone to Morocco before).
The itinerary itself was wonderful. Truthfully, we were a little
Skeptical on the pace of the things arranged for us throughout the 11 days. But, thankfully, everything
worked out perfectly. The initial hectic pace slowed down after our Sahara trip. The night at the newly
renovated Kasbah was definitely an interesting experience. The down time at Marrakech was fantastic.
It was the perfect place for us to wind down after the rather fast-paced whiz through the other cities.
Despite the pace set by the itinerary, it was a pleasant surprise to
Find that it also allowed some flexibility- for example, we opted for a
Sunset instead of a sunrise at the dunes (which worked really well with us) and the itinerary is flexible
enough to allow us to do that. So, well done! And we thank you for that.
The guides chosen for specific sites were also very, very good. We
especially enjoyed Z, who was our guide at Marrakech. Their knowledge
on the cities and customs were impressive!
As for the accommodation- we definitely enjoyed them all. It was
fantastic that we have had the opportunity to experience every kind of
Accommodation on offer- from a riad to a converted Kasbah and 5-star hotels. Brilliant! We particularly
enjoyed our stay in Palais Jamai in Fez and Les Jardins de La Koutoubia in Marrakech. The latter's
location was particularly ideal. Only a few minutes walk from the market- it was definitely convenient
for us to just zip down to the market to buy things we needed.
Thanks again Akim, and we will definitely keep you in mind when we plan
For our next trip.
Warmest regards,
Najmin Adlan - Malaysia
Traveled - April 2005
Dear Akim,
