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Hi Abdel,
Our trip was fantastic! We can't say enough about Khalid, our driver. He
was wonderful. He took care of everything, including making numerous little
stops so that John could capture the perfect photo.
The itinerary captured perfectly all the things we had hoped to see and
provided us with a wonderful introduction to Morocco and its people. We
especially enjoyed the opportunity to get to know people more personally.
The guide's vast knowledge of their city's history really enhanced our trip
and appreciation for the country and its culture.
Thank you for the trip of a life time. We won't hesitate to recommend
Sahara Soul to any of our friends considering a trip to Morocco.
Sincerely,
Michelle, John and Matt
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Abdel,
I am sorry that I am so late in
responding to your E-mail. Our brief trip to
Morocco was excellent. The car and
driver we very good. The dinner at your
family home was greatly appreciated. It
gave us a unique experience far beyond what we could expect. I just have a
couple of suggestions.
Fez was where I would have liked to spend
more time.
The Ryad
Mabrouka was a wonderful experience, and then takes side trips from there. Second, less time in Marrakech. Essaouira is great. The hotel in
Casablanca, Royal Mansour, was
excellent. Our trip was all too short,
however, well structured and rewording.
Sincerely,
Richard and Fatima. C
Hawaii
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Dear
Abdel,
We returned from
Morocco
last night. It was a wonderful trip, and I wanted to thank you and your
people for making it so.
Morocco truly is a fantastic country to visit. Everything went
smoothly. The hotels were great. The food was superb. The
various guides we worked with in different locations were, by and large,
excellent. And of course, the sights and the variety of experiences were
incredible. But most of all, Youssef really made the trip! He
saw to everything, looked after our every needs, was most accommodating
and felt like another member of our family. We had an opportunity to
briefly meet your mother in Marrakesh
as well as Youssef’s family. The dinner at Miriam's mother's home was a
wonderful experience. I have lived and traveled in many parts of
the world, but this trip to
Morocco
was really special. Again, thanks to you and the people of Sahara Soul.
Warmest regards,
Mel .C and Family
Sedona,
AZ
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Hi Abdel:
Overall, we had a wonderful trip and despite a few long drives, the itinerary included some great experiences. We especially enjoyed the hike in the Ourika Valley with Kareem, a knowledgeable, warm guide and the tour of the Roman ruins at Volubilis as well as the Casbah in Ouarzazate. The Yves Saint Laurent gardens in Marrakesh and the medina and Fez as well as the pottery/craft workshop were also very interesting. We really enjoyed dinner with your sister and brother-in-law and meeting your adorable nephews. They were gracious hosts and the food was wonderful. The Riad in Marrakesh was magnificent, both our room and the general rooms. The staff at both the Riad in Marrakesh and Fez were wonderful as was the food. All of the local guides were very knowledgeable and nice. I would suggest that if you have Jewish tourists who are interested in Jewish history/culture, you tell them that there is a Jewish museum in Casablanca, the only one in a Muslim country. In reading more carefully through our travel book once in Morocco, I would have been interested in visiting the museum, but wasn't aware of the museum until our last day in Casablanca, a Sunday when it was closed. Since our flight to Morocco landed after the last tour of the mosque on June 28th, we couldn't visit the mosque until our last day. However, we could probably have visited the Jewish museum on the 28th had we known about it. Also for Jewish visitors if interested, you may want to try and arrange a tour of the Jewish cemetery before the Sabbath. We arrived in Fez on a Friday afternoon and could have visited the cemetery before sundown, but our tour of the medina was not until Saturday when the cemetery was closed. We did get to see the synagogue which was very interesting and a collection of old Judaica at a museum/store.
We also enjoyed our walking tour of Essaouira and found it to be a very interesting place. The local guide was terrific and brought us out of the way to the Jewish cemetery at our request. The local silver crafts there were wonderful and the stalls with grilled fish that Khalid, our driver recommended were delicious. We also appreciated Khalid's willingness to switch the route and drive from Essaouira to Casablanca along the coast. There was one bumpy stretch of road but it was a very scenic and more interesting route than going via Marrakesh.
Khalid did a great job driving and overall did a nice job.
Thanks again for a wonderful itinerary and a great introduction to Morocco..
All the best
Terry and David N.
California
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Hi Abdel,
Now that we’ve returned to California and our internal time clocks are readjusted I can finally reflect on what we call our “trip of a lifetime”! Who could have imagined that a chance Internet encounter with Sahara Soul Travel would have evolved into such an adventure. When we first shared our plans with friends and family, the responses went from ‘Why?’ to ‘That’s weird’. To be honest, even though we were excited, even we had some anxiety.
After leaving the rather refined but fast paced metropolis of Madrid, there was clearly a different atmosphere when we arrived at the Casablanca airport… diversity, and a form of ‘organized chaos’ that immediately intrigued us. In short we were instantly propelled out of our comfort zone into an experience that was life changing for both of us.
Aouad was waiting outside customs and it didn’t take but an instant for us to connect with his warmth and enthusiasm. He was sensitive to our needs (always finding ‘real toilets’ for us), selecting restaurants that were authentic and used fresh ingredients, and consistently punctual. We knew he cared about our well being and we trusted him implicitly.
Of course now that we’re home, we’re always asked the same question… What were the highlights of our ten days? Though the list goes on and on, I think Gary and I would both agree that riding the camel and seeing the sunrise on the desert, and our dinner with the Berber family were unforgettable experiences. We were like little kids riding the camel, the windswept dunes in their starkness were an art masterpiece, and I still can’t get over the color and fine grain of the sand. As we traveled the country and Aouad pointed out the Berber homes, we could only imagine what was hidden inside. The night of our dinner visit was pitch black when we arrived. Just walking in unknown territory toward the house tested our senses for what would follow. We were welcomed so graciously into the extended Berber family; we marveled at their self-sufficiency and we ate a meal that I would find difficult to prepare even in my modern kitchen. Our home in California is filled with the comforts of material possessions; we had a new appreciation for the definition of ‘needs’.
All of our guides: Mohammed in Fez, Abdel in Marrakech, and Karim in the Ourika Valley (we called him our “Mountain Goat”) were remarkable. They educated us on everything from bargaining to the history of Morocco. Our constant questioning, and souvenir decision making no doubt tested their patience, but they never let on. (Mohammed had the leather coat Gary bought in Fez resized and made sure it arrived in Marrakech before we left for home.) In every case we felt like we had made a new friend.
By the way, the Peugeot was very comfortable. Each of us has a “bad back” yet we were comfortable the whole time.
Because of your well-planned itinerary, our journey became an incredibly rich portrait of a country we knew little about: the dramatic geographical changes, the complex history, the rich ethnic and cultural traditions, the architecture and the crafts. At the end of each day, we thought it couldn’t get any better, and then it did; the next day always equaling or surpassing the one before. That is the message we brought home to our friends. Our perception of Morocco is very favorable, and from the excitement and sincere delight of our travel tales it wouldn’t surprise us if you add some clients to your list. Congratulations on a magnificent job
Sincerely,
Jane and Gary W.
California
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Abdel:
It was great thank you so much!!! Yousseff is the best driver! His friendliness and fun spirit really made our trip. We saw so many amazing things! Thank you! I travelled through Spain after Morocco and told all that I met that they should go to Morocco and use Sahara Soul Travel.
Thanks for everything,
Kristy C.
Indianapolis, Indiana
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Abdel:
I apologize for taking so long to return your e-mail. The trip was amazing. Morocco is a wonderful country and everyone we met was great. The itinerary that you put together is fantastic, and we could not have had a better guide and friend in country than Youssef. His efforts on our behalf made a great trip even better. He definitely went above and beyond to make our trip special. I have traveled many places internationally and have never been treated so well. Youssef represented Sahara Soul Travel exceptionally, and I have recommended your company's services to many. I, myself, plan on returning to Morocco and will utilize your services upon my return.
Please do not hesitate to e-mail me regarding new itineraries, news, etc. If you ever need a reference, please feel free to contact me or use my comments included in this e-mail. Many thanks to both you and Youssef.
Sincerely,
Christy D.
Lapel, Indiana
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Abdel,
The trip was great. Beautiful country and warm people. Ahmed was fantastic. All the guides were very good as were the accomodations.
Thanks
Mark S.
New York
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Hi Abdel,
We just returned from the ten-day Ultimate Morocco tour and it was the ultimate. Shookran Bizeff. Our three grown daughters fell in love with Morocco. We travel abroad frequently and usually make our own arrangements. We are so happy that we chose Sahara Soul for this Moroccan adventure. Everything was so well planned. The hotels and riads were great. Our guide and driver Khalid took care of everything and made sure we were always comfortable. He is a very warm and special person. The city-guides were all wonderful and gave us insights not found in any guide books. The night in the Sahara and the sunrise in the dunes was an experience none of us will ever forget. Each day in Morocco, we were so happy we chose Sahara Soul for this family trip. Thanks again to you and Khalid. We highly recommend Sahara Soul to anyone interested in seeing the real Morocco.
Ron and Sheree Cardoos
Marshfield, Mass
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Hello Abdel,
I'm responding to your request for feedback from our recent Sahara Soul trip through Morocco - April 9 through April 18. I have so much to say I could probably write a book. I spent some time reviewing our photos today, so I have fresh in my mind our experience. We spent 9 days with our driver and guide Mustapha whom I can't compliment enough - he was a true gentleman, diplomat, expert driver, companion and great representative for Morocco. He and the professional guides that were selected made our trip a memorable and outstanding experience. I know it wasn't possible to experience all there is in Morocco in such a brief time but we would definitely consider returning, and without hesitation recommend to our friends who are interested in unique travel.
We enjoyed the friendly people, the interesting sites and sounds, the food, the history, and the beauty of the country. The accommodations that were selected for us were especially interesting - Riad Zakaria was a great way to start our visit - the family and staff that ran the Riad were so helpful. They did everything they could to make our stay comfortable and their Riad was beautiful. But we also enjoyed the Berber Palace, and the amazing Riad Fes, which was outstanding as well.
I confess to being uncomfortable with the arrangements surrounding our side trip to the desert and spending the night in a tent, but as it turned out, I did really enjoy the experience. In fact, I can say the dinner we had that evening was one of the best for our entire trip. The camp itself was quite an amazing place, as were the folks we met that evening. The sand dunes were beautiful and unlike anything we have seen in our own US deserts.
I compliment you and your staff on the effort you made on our behalf. Morocco is certainly a special place in this world and you should be proud to show it off to all travelers. As an additional compliment to Mustapha I want to mention that he handled our frequent stops by the Gendarmes in a diplomatic and expedient way. I felt that their persistence in singling out tourist groups for examination was the only disappointing shadow on our trip.
Again, we had a wonderful time in Morocco and please pass along our delight to your staff and those you contracted with for us.
Fondly
Anthea and Dale S.
Florida
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Dear Abdelhay,
My trip was marvelous! Our guide and driver were wonderful, and the whole experience is one I will treasure. Thank you for putting together such a memorable excursion - Morocco proved to be a delightful country to visit and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Many thanks, Elizabeth
Elizabeth.K
California
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Hi Abdel,
We had a wonderful trip to Morocco! We loved Awad and he took very good care of us. He is a trooper and put up with all of our picture taking! And shopping! We absolutely loved Riad Kniza and Samira was so gracious and helpful, as was the entire staff. We didn't want to leave!
The trip to Essouira was so beautiful and the trip out to Ait Ben Haddou was totally amazing and breathtaking.
I can't thank you enough for arranging everything for us! We felt so comfortable and safe and we can say that Morocco was the most interesting and beautiful place we have traveled to so far! We hope to return very soon!
Thanks again,
Christi and Elena
California
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Dear Abdelhay,
We don't even know were to begin. What a fascinating country Morocco is! We were all amazed with the spectacular landscape, the medina in Fez, the contrasts in people from very traditional to very worldly, the donkeys and the Mercedes, the souks and the supermarkets, the Berbers in the mountains, the amazing tile work and the wonderful ride and overnight stay in the Sahara desert.
Khalid was a great source of knowledge and we always felt safe. He handled our family with four teenagers just great and never lost his patience. The guides that you had organized were also very pleasant and knowledgeable.
Please extend our thank you to Myriam and Youssef for welcoming our family to their home. The dinner was absolutely delicious.
Thank you for organizing an unforgettable trip. We are already looking forward to our next adventure in Morocco.
Shokran
Liliane and Christian
New York
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Abdel,
I wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful trip! Houssin was the best guide/driver possible. We really enjoyed meeting him and exploring the countryside with him. He was informative, courteous, prompt, funny and charming. Everything you could want in a guide and a good driver as well on the winding narrow roads. The Berber Palace was very nice and we really enjoyed the camel trek/camping in the Sahara experience. We were glad to get back to our hotel after our night in the desert!
We really enjoyed everything about our trip and loved exploring Marrakech and the countryside and will treasure our memories always.
Again, thanks so much for making all the arrangements. If you need recommendations, we are happy to provide.
Regards,
Rebecca Wilson
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Abdel,
We had a wonderful time in Morocco and Youssef, our guide, was a delight. Thanks for organizing this trip for us - not a detail was overlooked and we were busy and exploring every minute of the day.
We particulalry loved that we got to meet so many moroccan's - tour guides, restaurant owners, Kasbah officials - who gave the trip a flavor we would not have been able to get on our own.
We will recommend your service to anyone how asks!
Corinne and Dave
New York City
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Abdelhay-
The trip was fabulous. Both Marie and myself learned a great deal in Morocco about the country, its history and most importantly its people. We couldn't have been any more pleased with the itinerary that was planned and the accommodations that were provided. However, I must leave my greatest praise for our guide during our 11 day trip. Hossein was a constant source of perspective and context as we shared the days together exploring the country.
Brett and Marie
California and New York
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Abdel-
I really appreciate your guidance and work in putting my trip together with such short notice. It was absolutely wonderful! I had always dreamed of going to Morocco. The trip and experience exceeded my expectations. The service by Sahara Soul, Abdul who took his role as driver and responsibility for my well-being very seriously, and the kind and knowledgeable guides (Momo in Fes and Fattah in Marrakech) as well as the lovely choice of hotels (Riad Mabrouka in Fes and the Auberge Kasbah Tombouctou in Merzouga were the stars) made for a pleasant trip. The beautiful sites and warm hearts and hospitality of all the people that I met made this a very memorable experience.
I especially want to thank you and your family for opening their home to me. I enjoyed meeting them and having the opportunity to have dinner with them. They are indeed kind, generous, hospitable people. I wish all of you all the best.
I will be sure to contact you again as soon as I have the opportunity to travel to Morocco again, which I hope will be soon.
Thank you so much.
Gracia Gardner
California
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Abdelhay,
We're pleased to hear from you. Our trip was a total success!
Just to enumerate the successes: our driver, Khaled, was perfect. The guides in the various cities were also perfect. The Riads were terrific! The food in them (and all over) was wonderful. We appreciated your excellent arrangements, and we enjoyed the experience and having dinner at your brother-in-law's house. Here's a suggestion: Perhaps Elderhostel Inc. would be interested in working with you. We certainly would recommend your services to everyone,
Best regards,
Larry and Sonja
New York
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Abdelhay,
We wanted to thank you for putting together a wonderful trip. The itinerary was an excellent mix of active sight seeing and downtime to relax. The hotels and restaurants that you recommended were ideal - it was nice to be able to go to some places that weren't necessarily in our tourbook (while still making sure we hit the tourist sites we had to).
Our driver, Awad, was fantastic - he was always on time, filled in as tour guide as necessary, and took us wherever we wanted to go. Also, the tour guides you arranged were very knowledgeable and friendly. All in all, we had a wonderful time, capped off by the dinner with your family on the last night.
Thanks again for putting together a wonderful trip. Most importantly, everything you arranged happened as planned, with minimal stress for us.
We would be happy to recommend Sahara Soul to anyone traveling to Morocco.
P.S. - I now absolutely agree with you that keeping the driver for the last few days was a good idea. Thanks for setting me straight!
Fraser and Wendy
New York
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Hi Abdelhay,
We had a wonderful trip! We fell in love with Morocco. Khalid was great, we were very comfortable with his driving and he is a wealth of knowledge not only about Moroccan history, but all history. He is also a funny guy, we had a lot of laughs. We enjoyed meeting your Father and Aunt, Uncle and cousins. The whole trip was fantastic and we would certainly recommend Sahara Soul to any of our friends. Thank you for the delicious pastries and the basket and for making all of the arrangements for our trip!
Warm regards,
Karen. W and family
Massachusetts
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Abdel,
My wife and I want to thank you for organizing our 3 day tour in Morocco. We had a wonderful time, made possible through the unrivaled assistance of our guide, Jousef, who was simply the best. He made us feel very welcome in his country and always in very safe hands. He picked us up at our riad right on time with a very comfortable and clean Peugot sedan car (full size), a big smile, courteous welcome and a beautiful gift of flowers and moroccan pastries. The relaxed ride to Essaouiria quickly passed with Jousef providing an overview of the country and the local geography. On arrival, he brought us to our hotel and got us settled, and then returned later to walk us to our restaurant for dinner. Even though the next two days were filled with very heavy rain and some concern for the road conditions, we had the chance to travel down the coast to our next stop in Paradise Valley at the Hotel Cascades (Immouzer). In spite of a terribly rough night of weather, Jousef kept us smiling as we made our way back to Marrakech the next day. Very safe driving and taken at the pace of our choice, we couldn't have had a better time, capped off with a visit to a local cafe for lunch, once back in the city, then a drive into the Atlas foothills to have tea in a Berber house, and finally the honor of being invited back to Jousef''s house to have dinner with his family and friends. This was a special privilege for us. Jousef also picked us up early the next morning to get us to the airport even though our official tour had ended.
In summary, we had a great time and the cost was reasonable. There's no doubt that Jousef made it especially memorable. Please feel free to use these comments on your web site. We look forward to returning to Morocco another day.
Thank you,
Carl and Mona
New York
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Abdel,
I’m writing to thank you for making our visit to Morocco something Sandy and I will always remember. Everything was so well organized and everyone you assigned to help us was so pleasant and competent. Special thanks to our driver Mohammed.
But what really stands out is how you were able to give us a feeling of what today’s Morocco is all about. The range of people you had us meet – from college professors to Berber “rap” singers, from the elegant shop owner in Essaouira to the wood carving salesmen (“price hagglers”) in Marrakesh’s Souk – gave us a fascinating insight into Moroccan society today.
You took us to the mountains, the ocean and the desert – to sophisticated restaurants and pubs in Marrakesh and isolated mountain cafes – and we always felt safe and secure in your able hands.
Sandy and I would be happy to recommend you unconditionally.
Sincerely,
Sandy and Bill Morrissey
New York
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Abdel,
Arigato very much for making our Moroccan trip such a wonderful experience. The sceneries of Essaouira and Ourika Valley were spectacular and you made the trips hassle-free. Mohammed and Youssef were very friendly and they were never late to pick us up. (When did they find time to sleep? That is what I wondered.).
While I enjoyed the tours to these typical tourist spots, I remember the more unusual/personalized tours you arranged more. I had fun visiting the supermarket in Marrakech where the locals shop. I enjoyed watching what the local residents buy to eat. I was also relieved to be able to shop for souvenirs without negotiating prices with a retailer for everything, which usually the case in the souk. In addition, visiting a Berber household was a very unique experience. I did not imagine of being able to walk into a Berber's house and have served a green gunpowder tea with mint leaves. It was too cool! Thanks for arranging it!
We must have been one of the most demanding tourists and we must have tested your patience, but both you and the driver tried your best to satisfy our wants and needs (mostly wants...). I must say, I felt like a queen while being on your tour.
I would recommend your tour to my friends. As a matter of fact, I have already asked you to arrange a tour for my niece for this summer, haven't I?
Good luck on your tour business.
Yumi Komiyama Driscoll
Tokyo and Florida
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Dear Abdel,
How does one begin to describe this fascinating experience? We marveled at the coexistence of antiquity and modern, donkey and Mercedes, souks and Marjane, our blue-robed Land Rover driver answering a call on his cell phone without pause as we bounded toward the Sahara Desert dunes in time to catch the sunset. We had a fantastic time full of unexpected delights. Our every wish seemed to be granted. We were amazed that when we asked for anything, it appeared from somewhere. Everywhere we went, we felt so welcome. Although there were language barriers, there were smiles and gracious gestures. A smile in any language means friendship. The guides you selected for us in Fez and Essaouira were helpful and knowledgeable about history and could answer all our questions. We appreciate the authentic experiences: from Berber tents to hammam to local eateries to family homes, where we felt very connected with the culture. The most special moment was our overnight desert experience, on a comfortable camel, traveling into the night over the dunes under a blanket of wondrous stars not normally seen, alone and in complete silence except for the slap of the camel guide’s slippered footsteps on the sand. Thank you for an unforgettable adventure.
Bobbie and Earl Elbert
Florida
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Shukran Bezaf to Sahara Soul Travel for the great job! We’ve been traveling for a long time, and we really loved our experience with Sahara Soul Travel. They understood the way we like to travel, and helped us build an experience suited to our tastes and interests. Our driver, Mohammed was always cheerful and helpful, He gave us some great suggestions, helped us bargain for purchases, and gave us insights into local customs and manners. We became friends and intend to keep in touch with him. Our experience was so rich and we are looking forward to another trip to Morocco soon INSHA ALLAH.
SHUKRAN BEZAF
Peter and Laura Arthur
Louisiana
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Dear Abdel,
We wanted to tell you how much we enjoyed our fabulous trip to Morocco. Morocco is a beautiful country! It is so exotic and fascinating! It was the easiest trip I have ever made!
Abdel, you allowed us to see not only the historic places but also the Moroccan culture, to meet the local people and observe their customs. We wished we had more time to see more and spend in the places we did see. Our driver Hajib was wonderful! He became a friend, guide and companion on our journey. He was very efficient in his responsibilities and sensitive to our needs. Thank you again for a great tour. We give our highest recommendation to Hajib, and we will definitely recommend Sahara Soul Travel to anyone who is interested in seeing Morocco.
Many thanks.
David and Sally Cohen
San Francisco
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