Rich Rediker and friends on a sunset camel ride in the Sahara

10 of us (5 couples in our 60’s and 70’s) just returned from an amazing 2 weeks spent in Morocco. While I normally plan these group trips myself, I decided to save time and try using Wendy’s WOW List Moroccan supplier. We were not disappointed. In fact, everything promised turned out to be nicer and better than expected.

I started working with Radia last September on a Zoom call. I told her the kinds of activities we liked and then worked tweaking her suggestions.

Around the first of the year, Radia said she was leaving for a while and turned us over to her colleagues Nassim and Amal. While we never heard from Radia again, her colleagues didn’t miss a beat.

The key to a successful trip is a great guide and bus driver and we had the best in guide Mohamed and driver Khalid. We were promised a 12-seat bus plus 2 seats in the front for the driver and guide. Instead, we received a very comfortable 16-seat (plus 2) bus allowing us to spread out.

Our entire trip was during Ramadan, which we thought was a benefit. There were fewer tourists, people didn’t smoke in the crowded medinas, and we participated in delicious Iftar dinners. It was also interesting walking through the markets in the late afternoon as everyone was scurrying to buy food for their Iftar meal.

All 5 couples arrived in Casablanca at different times and everyone’s pickup went smoothly. In fact, for the 2 weeks, every event took place right on time without a hitch.

On many days, our itinerary said, “picnic lunch included.” This was an amazing understatement as these lunches were often feasts in unique and incredible locations.

We are active travelers and our trip used excellent local guides for our activities including hikes, e-bike biking, a cooking class, wine tasting and a gorgeous sunset camel ride in the Sahara.

We chose our lodging together and each place was unique and comfortable without being too expensive. At many riads, the 10 of us occupied almost every room and we had the place to ourselves.

Our favorite riad was Dar Rihana in Dades. It is owned by 3 brothers who are amazing gourmet cooks. After dinner, they led us in local music and dances.

After our 2-week tour from Casablanca to Fes, the Sahara, Dades, Marrakech, and the Atlas Mountains, we were dropped off in Essaouira where we spent another 4 days making our own arrangements. We stayed at the excellent Riad Chbanate, who booked us a great local guide and a ride back to Marrakech.

Craig and Stephanie Smith had a farewell dinner on the rooftop terrace of Essaouira’s Salut Maroc with new friends: private guide Jamal and driver Majid.

We just returned from an amazing two weeks in Morocco, organized by Hicham’s team. We have nothing but positive things to say about the entire experience. It was our first time on a WOW List trip, though we had traveled several times in the past with someone who also happened to be one of Wendy Perrin’s experts, the late Toni Neubauer.

We spoke with Radia on the phone, and told her the general route that we wanted to take: Casablanca, Volubilis, Fes, the Sahara Desert, Marrakech, and Essaouira. We told her that what was most important to us was to have a stellar guide. We also told her that we have a strong interest in music, and would like to incorporate learning about Gnawa music in some way. We told her that our hotel preference was to stay in riads instead of international chain hotels. She put together a great starting itinerary, which we just tweaked a bit to add some additional activities. Planning the trip went quite smoothly.

From the moment we were met at the Casablanca airport by our private guide Jamal and private driver Majid, we knew that we were in for an incredible trip. They were both so hospitable! Jamal was incredibly knowledgeable about the culture and history of his country. He had lots of interesting information to share. He was very attentive to all of our needs, and he made us laugh a lot. He made sure that we saw everything on the itinerary and then some.

Hicham’s company provided personalized welcome gifts, as well as power adapters, a map, and some local money to start us off before we had a chance to go to an ATM.

Majid drove us many miles in a huge loop, from Casablanca to Volubilis, to Fes, to Ifrane, to Merzouga, to Todra Valley, to Dades Gorge, to Skoura, to Marrakech, to Imlil, to Essaouira, and back to Marrakech. We always felt very safe with him behind the wheel and he had a great sense of humor.

We stayed in beautiful riads with a very personal touch, and enjoyed all kinds of delicious food. All of the riads were wonderful, but the Riad Almaha in the Medina of Marrakech, where we spent four nights, was thoroughly enjoyable, and we felt quite at home. The riad was an oasis of calm in the midst of the bustling Medina.

In addition to seeing many historic sites (mosques, synagogues, palaces, medinas, souks, tanneries), we also had adventures. We went for a camel ride and rode ATVs in the desert. We went for a hot-air balloon ride outside of Marrakech. We went for a hike in the High Atlas Mountains from Imlil to Armed. One of our favorite activities was the sunset motorcycle sidecar tour of Marrakech, suggested by Radia. We felt like we were in a movie, riding through the Palmerie and the Medina in comfortable, roomy, sidecars. A definite must-do!

Another highlight was an impromptu visit to the Todra Valley for lunch at Jamal’s family’s home. We were so honored and humbled to be invited into their home for lively conversation and a delicious lunch. This excursion added even more driving for Majid on a day that already had a lot of driving, but he happily obliged, and joined us for lunch. It also afforded us the opportunity to see the beautiful Todra Gorge.

To satisfy our musical interest, Radia organized a thoroughly enjoyable private Gnawa music workshop with master musician Najib Soudani in Essaouira.

We had one day when we weren’t feeling our best, and Jamal adjusted the itinerary so that we were able to do what we could that day, get some rest, and do the remainder of the activities the following day. He was able to find some electrolyte drinks for us to keep us from becoming dehydrated when our stomachs weren’t at their best. Luckily, that only lasted a day, and then we were back to our normal selves again. We were very grateful for the flexibility.

It’s hard to believe that we packed so many amazing experiences into two weeks! By design, we didn’t have much down time on the trip; we like to maximize our time. But we did have an unbelievably relaxing hammam treatment in Fes. Although we chose a whirlwind trip, we feel like it gave us a good overview of the country, and now we know which places we might like to return to in the future.

With Jamal and Majid at our sides, it felt like we were traveling with friends we had known for a lifetime. The itinerary was wonderful, but they made the trip into an experience that we will cherish forever.

My three friends and I went on the most magical trip to Morocco in October 2023. The itinerary was planned beautifully and our guide, Anouar, was a walking encyclopedia! We learned so much, some that we even retained! We were honored to be invited to his house for a wonderful meal prepared by his mother. War had just broken out in Gaza and we had some concerns about traveling even though I was reassured by Hicham and Radia’s team that we’d be safe. They were right. We were welcomed everywhere we went by warm and friendly hotel staff; and we felt completely safe with Anouar. We thoroughly enjoyed traveling with him. We loved our driver, Magid, who was fabulous too, with excellent driving skills! He was so attentive and caring. I wonder how many miles we put on that Mercedes! With Magid’s ever-present smile he made us feel like we were really important to him. Fes Cooking School was a hoot and we had a blast making a delicious tagine meal we heartily consumed. The Dunes and the camp accommodations were spectacular. I kept pinching myself that we were really there atop camels traveling to our camp, and the next night we sat on a dune watching other guests come to the desert on their camels in front of a setting sun backdrop. Unbelievable beauty in the starkness of the dunes. Every hotel was as nice as the next and we wished we had more time at each one. Another highlight was the hike in the High Atlas Mountains with tea and a fabulous lunch on a rooftop surrounded by the mountains. The sidecar ride in Marrakech was icing on the cake. We’re going to the medina in this??? The itinerary going from Casablanca/Fes/Desert/Marrakech/Casablanca was perfect. It was completely magical and the weather was perfect. A trip of a lifetime! Go!

Morocco has a rich history, remarkable cultural diversity, amazing points of interest, and warm, welcoming people. We have just returned from a spectacular, long-awaited trip there planned by Radia Tehitahe. Radia carefully listened to our trip goals and needs. She then expertly planned a wonderful two-week itinerary and many unique experiences.

We will long remember the huge Hassan II mosque in Casablanca, the glorious Medersa in Fez, the Roman ruins of Volubilis, the beautiful Blue City Chefchaouen, the grand Mausoleum in Rabat, the exciting souks and square of Marrakech, and the vibrant beaches and fish market of Essaouira.
Unhappily, the recent earthquake prohibited our intended stay in the Atlas Mountains and time did not allow a side trip to the Sahara Desert.

Equally memorable were learnings about the Muslim religion, the rich Jewish history, the Berber culture, the many kings, and French colonial rule. This information, and our many questions about it, was expertly communicated by our amazing guide Mustapha. Mustapha is a prime example of a superb Wendy Perrin WOW guide…an invaluable trip manager, highly knowledgeable, an effective communicator, flexible, and attentive to a client’s every need. Mustapha made our trip very special and we are so very lucky Radia assigned him to us for the duration.

Mustapha had a valuable partner in Zazac, our calm, personable driver. Zazac negotiated our complex routing with ease and handled the innumerable, often chaotic, roundabouts like a pro. He also generously transported us to and from dinner restaurants. His Mercedes van was very comfortable for the sometime long drives between cities.

We prefer small, local, boutique hotels. Radia made some great choices for us. The various riads were gorgeous with well-appointed guest rooms, amazing staffs and delicious breakfasts. We loved Palais Amani in Fez but our favorite was Maison L’Arabe in Marrakech. Food was an adventure. There were many new things to try, making our chef-guided souk food tour in Fez extra special. At Radia’s recommended Moroccan restaurants, we became experts in the many versions of tagine.

Before arriving in Morocco, we had some anxiety and uncertainty about our first visit to an Arab country, especially in the context of troubling current events in the Middle East. But Radia, General Manager Maryama, and co-founder Hicham were reassuring. Mustapha and Zazac were alert and careful. Local authorities, including “tourist police,” were vigilant. We felt safe and calm throughout our trip.

All in all, visiting Morocco was a remarkable experience which far exceeded our expectations. We are eager to relive it through our hundreds of photos and sharing stories with friends. We highly recommend Hicham, Radia, and their colleagues.

Milinda Martin in the famous “Blue City” of Chefchaouen.

It had been 20 years since I had visited Morocco, and I have to say, the country is going through such a positive time. People are happy there! The government is building tons of affordable housing, redoing the waterfront areas, and spiffing up all the cities. It’s a good time to visit.

Thanks to Radia and her team, I was able to indulge my desire to learn more about the history of this country, especially the Berber culture, the invasion of the Arabs, and the long history of the Moors and Jews. Radia did not disappoint; all of my guides were experts and very willing to discuss the benefits and challenges of being such a rich land where everyone wants to be. My guide in Tangier, AbdulRahman, was OUTSTANDING. He was born in the Medina and his family still lived there, and he was able to share stories of how Tangier has changed over the centuries with all the invaders. He shared the local delicacies — mint tea and amazing cookies — with me, and we truly felt like friends by the time I moved on to Chefchaouen.

With Radia’s guidance, I visited Casablanca, and the amazing Hassan II mosque, with a Muslim scholar who could really immerse me in the religion, far beyond the 5 pillars. The trip ended in Marrakesh, where I had the most unique experience of learning how to make mosaics. This wasn’t a “tourist activity”; this was a visit to a gentleman’s workshop where we cut the tiles, arranged the mosaics and eventually plastered the mosaics into place. Radia provided a translator because the artist — having mastered this trade 40 years ago — did not speak English.

And I have to give a strong shout-out to my driver, Rachid. Throughout my tour, he was always on time, always kind, always conversational, and a great driver to boot. This is what I like about planning with Wendy Perrin: meeting the people and seeing life like a local. We visited the communal bakery and the hammam, two vital components of life for every Moroccan. I was able to go hiking in the Atlas Mountains, obtain early entry to the Majorelle Gardens, and have someone guide me through the mazes of the Medinas. The riad in Marrakesh was truly divine! Unlike other tours that whisk you here and there, in international hotels, where you never meet a local, Radia and her team ensured that I felt like a Moroccan from the very start.

Max & Julie Silbermann and friends rode camels to a desert camp in the Sahara.

Morocco October 2023
We are 2 couples that wanted to go to Morocco as a bucket-list trip. We were introduced to Radia through Wendy Perrin and immediately began planning our trip. Radia called us to talk about our interests, timing, budget, wish list of things to do and see, dietary issues, and everything else you can think of! We received a draft itinerary in a day or two and then began to tweak small changes to incorporate the must-do’s with the want-to-do’s, which resulted in our final itinerary. Radia and her team were always very responsive to email correspondence and kept us fully informed after the earthquake about any changes to our proposed itinerary. Radia’s colleague Aicha worked with us to set our dinner reservations and took care of the last-minute changes to our itinerary like our cooking class instead of our Atlas Mountains hike because of the earthquake. Radia’s office certainly took care of every detail and we felt very well cared for throughout our entire visit.

We started in Casablanca. Then onto Rabat, Fes, the Sahara Desert, the Dades Gorge, Marrakech, and we ended in Essaouira. And so much in between! We toured cities and learned about amazing centuries-old culture. We rode camels to our desert camp and watched sunset and sunrise over the dunes. We drove ATV’s over the Saharan dunes and couldn’t believe the colors of the sand. We felt well-cared for and safe throughout our entire trip. A 2-week trip giving us a fabulous overview of Morocco! Our guide, Haddou, was very knowledgeable and able to easily discuss aspects of Morocco’s history, culture, religion, and politics. He was a pleasure to travel with and never tired of our endless questions!

The accommodations were spectacular and we enjoyed every morsel of Moroccan food! Our days were the perfect mix of activity and time for reflection.

Thank you, Wendy Perrin, for connecting us with Radia and her team! We can’t wait for our next Wendy Perrin trip!

Thanks to the careful and personalized planning by Hicham and Radia’s office, Morocco will be in our hearts—always!

The colors, the food, the scents, and the Moroccan people made for an unforgettable two weeks in October. Our accommodations were beautiful, particularly The Palais Amani in Fes, and The L’Ma Lodge in Skoura. We lucked out with our personal guide and driver. Both men were knowledgeable and always pleasant. They provided us with security, insight, and guidance throughout our entire 14-day trip. Their recommendations for dining spots were invaluable.

Highlights: walking the souks in the Medina of Fes, especially during our private tasting tour, and our cooking class at Palais Amani. I look forward to impressing my friends and family with a delicious vegetable tagine! The two nights we spent at the luxury camp in the Sahara gave us a different taste of Morocco after the bustle of the medinas. Seeing the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakesh was a bucket-list check off for me…incredible.

Ending our trip with a stay in Essaouira provided the slower pace needed to catch our breaths before heading to Casablanca for the flight home. Delicious seafood!

Hicham and Radia’s office worked closely with us to ensure that we had a full, exciting, and complete view of the country. I would suggest that you do a bit of research on your own before contacting them in order to best apprise them of your interests. I wouldn’t hesitate to refer them to anyone planning a trip to this beautiful part of Africa.

Camels in the Sahara. Photo: Yehuda Schmidt

Before the glow begins to fade we want to write about our amazing trip to Morocco!  We visited Casablanca, Marrakech, Fes and the Sahara desert from October 5 – 16, along the way we saw countless villages and interesting sites.

From start to finish Radia’s team was professional yet personal, organized yet flexible to our needs, deeply knowledgeable and overflowing with warmth and concern. Radia really listened to our desires and needs. We were able to craft a wonderful trip.

Our itinerary, from north to south, from city to desert (even cheesy camel rides!) was perfection. We had requested unique hotels that spoke to the culture of Morocco. We loved the hotels chosen! The riads were beautiful with internal courtyards rich with gardens and fountains. They were unique and comfortable. Different enough that we fully felt in vacation mode but familiar enough that we could relax.

We had to slightly change our itinerary due to some physical limitations and due to the earthquake. Radia’s team helped make our changes seamless.

My heart though is with Ahmed Mha, our guide, and Younis El Guarah, our driver. They were the golden core of our trip. Younis, aka Mr. Magic, was always waiting right where we needed him to be. He drove professionally and capably. I am a nervous passenger but he was calm and respectful. He cared for us in a way I didn’t know was possible. Zero stress!

Ahmed was a perfect tour guide. His knowledge is deep and constant. No matter what the topic or the discussion, he had the context and the history to enrich the conversation. He “knew” us and our interests of history and culture. He adjusted our schedule to fill our every need. For example, due to our situation we could not hike the Atlas mountains so he planned a magical day in the port city of Essaouira. It was one of our absolute favorite days. We loved the medina and the seaside.

I would also like to mention their attentiveness to me when I was not feeling well. They provided unparalleled care. I felt supported and cared for as if I was home. It was very touching. They gave me a day to recover while touring with my husband but we returned to the spots that I was most sad to have missed.

We most definitely recommend Radia and her team!

When we awoke on September 9 to read the headlines about the earthquake in Morocco, we were deeply saddened by all the loss of life and damage to people’s homes and property. And we were also ready to cancel our trip that was to begin a week later.

Radia had done an excellent job with an itinerary that began in Casablanca and moved to Rabat, Menkes, Fes, Merzouga (desert camp), Dades Gorge, Marrakech, Essaouira, and back to Casablanca.

When we heard the news our first inclination was to cancel. Radia was reassuring as to the situation in the country. We also reached out to the various hotels in which we were booked and the story on the ground was clear. The devastation was in particular areas and that the economy is so dependent on tourists that they encouraged us to come. But they also clearly put the decision in our hands if we felt any discomfort in travelling there.

We went and are very glad we did.

I was coming in from Paris and my wife from New York and you guessed it, my wife was delayed. No problem as our guide, Mustapha, and I headed to a local coffee shop and had a chance to talk about the country and his background. Both he and our driver, Abdul, were great comrades for the two-plus weeks in the country. I have done many tours with custom guides and would rate Mustapha’s knowledge, flexibility, personality, and pacing of the trip as among the best I’ve encountered.

As for the trip, all of our expectations were exceeded. Some of the most memorable moments were:
• Dinner at a traditional Moroccan restaurant (our first, but not last, tajine-cooked meal) overlooking the casbah of Rabat
• Lunch at a local restaurant in Moulay Idriss on a Sunday – the sights, the sounds, the smells, the buzz of families dining out
• In Fes, watching artisans make intricate tile objects such as fountains and tables
• Watching a butcher in the Medina in Fes shave a cow face (for what reason I do not know)
• A dinner experience at numerous stalls for different courses in the medina
• The drive from Fes to Merzouga and seeing desert and various oases along the way
• The beauty of the afternoon dunes before a camel ride to view a sunset in the desert
• Tea at the tents of a nomadic Bedouin family
• A breathtaking drive from the Dades Gorge to Marrakech. There were clear signs of the earthquake damage along this route. Very sad to see government-supplied tents for those who lost their homes
• An incredible “singing” welcome upon arrival by many birds in the trees in the courtyard at the Villa des Orangers
• An exciting motorcycle sidecar ride through Marrakech and the medina – great for movie making
• A photoshoot (arranged by Radia’s office) at La Mamounia
• Another great food experience at the night market in Marrakech. From snails to soup to fish to sweets. And all the street entertainment
• Goats in trees near Essaouira. You have to see it to believe it
and many more.

This was quite an experience and we plan to come back to visit Tangier!

The big learning for us is that unless the disruption caused by a natural disaster is directly in the area you plan to visit, it makes sense to see what is going on where you intend to visit. And I can say that the places we stayed and visited were very appreciative of our coming despite the news that was flowing to the world on the scope of the damage.

We traveled to Morocco in Sept for 10 days. Our trip was well planned by Radia Tehitane and her staff. She managed to route us to many of the places most trips cover in our relatively short travel time. Our guide Wadid was very knowledgeable and provided us with excellent guiding throughout the trip. Our driver Mehdi was incredible, as some of the roads were terribly narrow, winding, and had occasional construction. We found ourselves in Marrakech during the earthquake, but felt safe and knew any problems arising from that would be handled for us. Having a guide with us throughout the trip greatly added to our experience.

We used Hicham’s office for a one-week, 4-city tour. They were very professional and planned a fantastic trip for our 2-couple group. We visited Fes, Chefchaouen (the blue city), Rabat, and Marrakech. All were worth a visit, although Fes and Marrakech were our favorites — Fes for its old city and Marrakech for our visits to the spice market, souk, Medina, Bahia Palace and the YSL museum. We stayed in the Medina of each city in really nice boutique hotels. The Al Maha hotel in Marrakech was our favorite and highly recommended. The staff was always attentive and we had a great time with them. In fact everyone we met in Morocco was very friendly and we always felt safe wherever we went.

Of course a good guide is what makes a country come alive for you. We had some of the best in Jamal, Abdul, and the 2 Mohammeds, kudos to each of you. We didn’t know much about Morocco before we arrived but in the short week that we were there we sure got a lot of information and a better understanding for the country — enough to recommend a visit to others.

But the trip wasn’t all Medina and history. We also had some fun times: a huge lunch at a winery (another thing we learned, the Muslim country of Morocco makes some very good wines!); visited an Ancient Roman town; rode in sidecars on a motorcycle tour (what a kick); and took a Tagine cooking class.

Morocco is not a big country but the cities are spread out and the mode of travel between them is by driver and van. This review wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Hicham our trip manager and driver. He was the best. He was very good company on some long drives and was a master in getting the van through some congested areas and medieval streets. He also managed the trip to perfection — on our first day after a long flight from the USA to Casablanca we were scheduled to visit the Roman town after our winery lunch. Hicham asked me if we were still up to that visit? I enthusiastically said we were. A few minutes later he noticed I was sleeping in the seat next to him. He said he had a suggestion for us — reschedule everything and get us to our hotel in Fes for good night’s sleep. We still did the Roman town but on a different day and enjoyed it a lot more. This is what a good travel company can do and this team did it seamlessly.

So in a few words — try Morocco, you’ll have a great time.

I just came back from 10 days in Morocco. I planned the trip with Hicham and Radia’s office. They did an excellent job at finding exquisite hotels and providing super guides. Our focus was on hiking in the Middle and High Atlas Mountains. The hiking specialists led us on terrific hikes. In the High Atlas Mountains we hiked from guest house to guest house through ancient Berber villages and mountain passes. The trip was fascinating, challenging and exhilarating. We also found time to wander the medinas of Fes and Marrakech with local guides. Morocco is an otherworldly experience. I highly recommend a visit here for those curious about non-Western cities or hiking. The people were very kind and welcoming (eg, when hiking through Berber villages we were invited in for dinners and tea by a few local residents). 10 days was not enough to cover all that Morocco offered.

Leon Malkin’s daughters with their driver and guide in Morocco. Photo: Leon Malkin

I’m happy to write this review of our extraordinary trip to Morocco that we experienced with the help of Radia Tehitahe and Mehdi El Mliji. Their agency was recommended by Wendy Perrin, who I have used for several other trips in the past with excellent results. This trip was for myself and two daughters aged 50 and 46. We went the first part of April 2023, during Ramadan. All three of us concluded that the trip was beyond expectation. The weather was perfect this time of year, the riads were exceptional, the sights were amazing, and the Moroccan people were very warm and welcoming.

The trip was paced perfectly, but definitely the highlights for us were the absolutely wonderful guide Mohamed and driver Majid. They were such a pleasure to travel with, always on time, always with a smile or a joke, always with our safety a priority. We felt completely safe and pampered.

Our favorite cities were Fes and Essaouira. The ceramic work and tannery in Fes were especially interesting, and dinner at a local host was most enjoyable. The Medina was fascinating. The cooking class was so much fun, going to the market with our chef. In Marrakesh we had the honor of being invited to Mohamed’s house to break fast with his lovely family. We learned so much about Islamic architecture and religion, and we were very impressed how our two guides were able to fast all day and still be bright and cheerful without ever complaining. In Essaouira we got to see the goats climbing the argan trees and visit a woman’s cooperative where they processed the oil. Also of interest was visiting the old Jewish quarter and the synagogue. Every city and place had interesting things to see. My daughters went home after 10 days and I went on to Tangier and then took the one-hour ferry over to Spain. We all agreed it was an exceptional trip and we left with hundreds of photographs and wonderful memories. We would definitely recommend a trip to Morocco with the help of Radia’s team, and many thanks to Wendy for the recommendation.

Kim Liao and family in Morocco.

Our family of three (2 adults + a 5-year old) had a phenomenal time in Marrakech and Zagora and know with certainty that it would not have been so magical without Hicham’s team.

This trip was singular to the nth degree (even accounting for a car crash, nearly missing our departure flights, and an overly aggressive souq vendor who harassed us when we got lost).

Radia planned a gem of an itinerary. She was super-patient as we worked through various itinerary options and gave excellent suggestions for where to stay and what to do.

Execution
Hicham’s office delivered one of the best onboarding and welcome experiences we’ve had the pleasure of experiencing. I’m not just talking the fast track arrival experience which is neat. I’m grateful for:
Starter cash so you can tip your hotel porters
Local phone so you can reach your driver and ops team
Personalized welcome gift
Local office to sort out problems
Vans with WiFi (uber-handy when you have an 18-hr RT drive to the desert)

On our second-to-last day, we were rear-ended (other driver was at fault, and thankfully all parties were safe). Noureddine was unfazed, and we only waited maybe 10-15 minutes before another car and driver came for us so that we could continue with our itinerary.

This is the sort of big stinking problem that no one wishes on their vacation, but having Hicham’s office infrastructure in place made a scary situation seem like no big deal.

Driver and guides
Our driver, Noureddine, was a total pro and made our trip memorable. It was such a pleasure to have a laid-back professional willing to share about Moroccan culture and work with our schedule, even when he was fasting for Ramadan. I have so much respect for how tough it is to go the entire work day with not just no food, but no water!

I won’t forget the time near Zagora where it was pushing 3:30 and we needed lunch, but no one was serving because of Ramadan. Noureddine was able to find a spot that ended up delivering one of the most memorable meals we’ve had anywhere. Seriously, look for Cafe La Belle Vue Chez Mustapaha. It was amazing.

Our guides on the select tours and treks we went on were terrific. Nabil from Insiders Marrakech really stands out in our mind, as does Ahmed who took us on our Ourika Valley trek.

Activities
The activities that Radia suggested for Marrakech were spot on. We really loved:
1) Sidecar tour of the city (don’t miss this! You get to see parts of the city that tourists don’t go to, including the Beverly Hills section of town)
2) Ourika valley trek (we were the only ones on the trail and our picnic lunch was so special. There is a donkey who meets you for lunch so kids who get tired like our son can ride the donkey on parts of the flat road on the way back)
3) Having a pre-arranged babysitter to watch our son while we enjoyed a hammam experience

It shouldn’t stop you, but the Majorelle Gardens were surprisingly a meh experience (it was overrun and felt like being at Disneyland). The YSL museum was a definite waste of time. I was wowed by the YSL exhibit in Denver in 2012, but this museum has maybe 20-30 dresses max on display. If you’re going anticipating dresses galore a la the travel exhibits for Alexander McQueen (Metropolitan Museum of Art), YSL (Denver Art Museum), or Dior (Brooklyn Museum), this is not it.

Accommodations
We had great experiences with all the locations that Hicham’s team picked for us. The Caravan du Sud tents in the Sahara were something else—we’ll never forget how special the experience was and how lucky we were to be the only party there that night. Our 5-year-old loved running up and down the sand dunes!

The Almaha Riad was where we spent most of our time. It was a solid stay that could easily have been exceptional except for:
1) Refusal to turn the pool heater back on. On the day we arrived, April 7, the pool was heated. We left for the weekend and on April 10 when we returned, the heat had been shut off. We asked 3 different staff members if it would be possible to get the heat back on, but were denied. La Maison Arabe, a competitor, had their pool heated for that week we were there, so it was baffling to us why the heat would be shut off before peak heat arrived.

2) There was unevenness in the quality of the reception staff. While some were super friendly and happy to see us, there were definitely ones whose vibe was that we were disturbing them when all we were doing was passing through the reception area. The crew working the restaurants is top-notch. We looked forward to seeing Yussain, Youssef, and Red One every day (apologies for all the mis-spelled names).

Suggestions for improvement:

Majorelle Gardens
Originally, we were supposed to get to the gardens for a 10am tour, but we found out the day before that the tickets hadn’t been booked, and so 12:30 was our new start time. We didn’t want to waste our last few days on vacation and opted to arrive earlier to shop (you don’t need more than one hour BTW, there aren’t many stores around).

I would have wanted to avoid having to eat around here to be honest, and wish we had known about the food situation. Had we known, I would have lobbied hard to have our tour time start later in the afternoon, and definitely not at 12:30, so we could grab lunch elsewhere. Alternatively, I should have asked for help securing a reservation nearby.

Fast Track Departure
Fast track arrival is great, but fast track departure is almost a necessity given the inexplicable delays we faced in all three pre-departure lines (ticketing, security, passport control).

For whatever reason, we were not on the Fast Track departure list and even though Noureddine tried hard to find the person for us, they never showed up. We were already cutting it close and our driver wasn’t able to make progress with his calls, so we went it alone.

I suggest confirming Fast Track departure the day before you leave so you aren’t worried you’ll miss your flight as we were. All in all, it took more than an hour for us from ticketing through to gate arrival and it was a touch scary, as we’ve never cut it that close to departure before.

TL:DR
I swear I didn’t mean to write an essay :)

Book with Hicham and Radia—it’s a no-brainer!

We had a terrific experience with Radia. Our guide was Mustafa and our driver was Abdul on a 2-week journey starting in Casablanca, on to Fes, the Sahara, Marrakesh, and Essaouira. We did a fairly standard tourist loop since this was our first trip to Morocco. The second half of our trip was during Ramadan, which did not present any significant issues, although it could be physically challenging for staff. Most of the medina shops (at least until mid-afternoon) as well as restaurants were open, most even still serving alcohol.

Our guide and driver were terrific. When we had dinner away from the hotel (and our guide had lots of terrific suggestions), they always took us and came back for us when we were done. This meant they had long days. Our guide was happy to wander with us through the medina even on half days which were at our leisure. Our guide and driver were always available to resolve any problem, including getting lost luggage from Air Canada delivered to the second stop on our journey. We will happily use this company for our next trip to Morocco.

After a lengthy travel day, we were so happy to be greeted with someone who led us through FastTrack. So glad this was part of our “package.” After a tiring day, it was nice to have someone lead us through all of the immigration process in a quick and efficient manner. We were then warmly welcomed by our travel guide, Hicham. We then had a 4-hour drive, with our driver Abdel, to Fez. Unfortunately, we had not anticipated that long drive and had not eaten dinner. So we were quite hungry upon our arrival into Fez. Luckily the hotel restaurant was still open and we were able to grab a dinner. There were not many choices for a pescatarian but the ambience and service were lovely. The hotel itself was so warm and inviting.

The following day we walked about the Fez Medina. We saw so many things (and bought quite a bit too!). The ceramics shop and tannery were unique learning experiences. We learned much about the history of Fez and gained insight into the Moroccan culture from Hicham.

The following day was one of my favorites. We saw the ancient ruins of Volubilis, which were so spectacular. Our guide for that walking tour was so informative and engaging. We had a blast with him. This was followed by a lovely local winery visit. We had overall less involvement from our guide for this day’s experience. We would have liked to know a bit more about options for dinners around the hotel. I think we would have liked to do some exploring on our own (particularly on the days when we were on our own for meals).

The next day we drove to the desert. This was quite a long haul. We knew about the timing but I guess we expected a few stops and perhaps a bit more information on the way. The arrival to the desert was lovely—the camel ride and night in the desert were iconic (and perhaps a bit touristy) but still totally worth it. We had such a great dinner experience in the tents—our waiter was regaling us with Moroccan trivia (while practicing his English). The sunset that day (from the back of our camels), followed the next morning with a glorious sunrise, were truly awe-inspiring.

We drove to the Gorges the next day. The views were lovely. The hotel that night was probably our favorite because of the views (although it was quite chilly and we couldn’t get the heat to work!). The dinner at the hotel was fantastic. Again, the drives were a bit long without lots of “options” for lunch spots (but this is likely not surprising given the landscape). We did get to meet a traditional Berber family, which was really a treat.

Then we started our trip to Marrakech. We visited the Kasbah and the Telouet Kasbah. This was a highlight of the trip. Our guide for the site was Mohammad. His family had been slaves on the property in the past and he gave such a unique perspective. It was so eye-opening and informative.

We ended in Marrakech, were we finished up our trip. The first day here was filled with walking the streets and learning a lot about Islam from Hicham. We toured the Medina and were able to do some nice shopping. We gained so much information that day. Lunch was on a rooftop restaurant, which gave us great views of the city. The following day, I went solo (my daughter wanted to relax poolside at our great hotel). I had a chance to hike and be guided by one of the locals. I visited some local families as well. I had an amazing lunch with some of the most spectacular views.

The last day in Marrakech, we went for a hot-air balloon ride and then did a tagine cooking class. Both experiences were top-notch. They really wrapped up a great experience! Then departure also went very smoothly with the FastTrack option. Our kind guide got teas for my daughter (as she indicated how much she enjoyed Moroccan tea)!

This was truly a fantastic trip. We felt safe and cared for throughout the experience. The food was fantastic (and very accommodating for an almost vegetarian!). The hotels were all top-rated. The last one in Marrakech was a dream! We had a hammam experience there, which was surreal. As it was Christmas during our time there, they had a special meal for that day. We were feeling a bit too tired to go down to dinner, so staff brought up the special menu to our room. The room had a fantastic rooftop that we had private access to as well—really, really lovely!

I think my daughter and I would have liked some time to explore on our own. We would have appreciated some “down-time” to see some local area on our own. That being said, we certainly got a great overview of the locations we visited. Morocco was a great 1-week experience. There is some driving, so be prepared for that.

Our trip to Morocco was from Feb 18-27 2023 and it included Casablanca (1 night), Chefchaouen (1 night), Fes (2 nights), and Marrakesh (5 nights). Hicham’s team always aims to provide top guides in each city as well as wonderful drivers. Our driver was Zakaria, and he was extremely informative and professional the entire trip. It was amazing to see the country from his eyes. He took us to a gas station for a meal and it was honestly the best meal of our the trip. We loved our hammam experience in Marrakesh, rug shopping in Fes, local market pit-stop where we saw donkeys parked on the side of the road, the crisp spring water flowing through Chefchaouen, and baby goat we got to hold in the Atlas Mountains. If you are considering booking with Hicham’s office, my advice would be to book early so you can get the best of the best and get ready for a wonderful trip. If you’re lucky, maybe you can bump into the king!

Our trip planned by Radia was absolutely fantastic! The planning process with Radia was easy. I had a general idea of the cities and sites that we wished to visit ,which Radia developed into a thoughtful and exciting itinerary, including such highlights as a gourmet lunch and wine tasting in a beautiful vineyard near Fez, an excursion to the Roman ruins of Volubilis, a motorcycle and vintage sidecar tour through Marrakech’s medina and a sunset camel ride in the desert. Radia’s office helped us choose excellent restaurants for all our meals and handled all the reservations. Radia also arranged a very fun market tour and cooking lesson in Fez, where we learned to make chicken tagine in a rooftop kitchen overlooking the city. Our guide and driver chosen for us by Radia were both a perfect fit for our family, and they went out of their way to make sure we were having a wonderful vacation. We cannot wait to return to Morocco in the future.

Riding ATV’s through the gorgeous sand dunes of the Sahara. Photo: Traveler Lauren Schor

Radia and her team put together a trip of a lifetime for our multi-generational family of eight. Our 10-day trip to Morocco over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays was one of the best we have ever taken together. It was the perfect combination of cultural experiences, food experiences, sightseeing, shopping and adventure! We spent three nights in Fes, one night in the Sahara and six nights in Marrakech (due to the holiday season some of the Riads had minimum stays, but there was plenty to do for the 5 days!). Radia suggested the perfect Riads for us (Palais Amani and La Masion Arabe), along with a luxury tented camp in the desert. Each day was a new adventure and our incredible guide, Bouch, really made the trip that much better. We have taken a lot of trips with a lot of different guides around the world, and Bouch really topped them all! He made sure everyone was always happy, from the kids to the grandparents, and changed things last-minute where he saw fit. We always seek out unique, local experiences when we travel and Radia and Bouch really made sure we had plenty of them! Highlights included a hike in the Atlas Mountains followed by a cooking class at a local Berber family’s home in the mountain village. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience we will not soon forget! There were even mules to help carry some of us up the mountain! We also loved the sidecar tour around Marrakech—such a fun and different way to see the city beyond the medina, where most tourists spend all their time. But, everyone’s favorite day of the trip was the time we spent in the Sahara. We felt like we were in the pages of National Geographic as we drove ATVs over the gorgeous sand dunes—so fun and thrilling with the most unbelievable scenery. And we drove the ATVs right to where our camels were waiting to take us on an unforgettable sunset ride and then on to our luxury tented camp for the evening, where our belongings were waiting for us. It was truly a dream come true. We also had another surreal experience in the Sahara when we had tea with a nomadic Berber family who lives in tents without electricity or running water. We were able to talk to them and ask them questions about their life (through our guide, who translated for us)—it was a very educational and eye-opening experience, especially for our teenagers. It is not easy to get to the Sahara, but it is most definitely worth it and there are different options for how to make the journey that can be discussed. Morocco is a feast for the senses. Even just walking around the medina and souks, the sights, sounds, tastes and smells you will experience will leave a lasting impression on you. It is such a special country, I could go on and on. My only regret is not seeing other parts of Morocco, but it is definitely a place I plan to return to and I will definitely be contacting Radia when I do (and requesting Bouch as our guide!).

We have recently returned from an amazing two-week adventure to Morocco. Radia Tehitahe created a wonderful itinerary for our 2020 trip which was modified for our 2021 trip and again modified for our eventual 2022 trip.

Travel during the Covid period certainly has its risks and challenges, and Radia kept dealing with the associated issues, for which we are most grateful. The itinerary enabled us to tour both large and small cities, enjoy the mountains, and interact with several local families. The hotel accommodations were perfectly chosen. They were well located, quite comfortable, and each offered ideal service and meals. Radia gave us an opportunity to experience and appreciate life in Morocco thanks to a wonderful itinerary and a great guide and driver. We were blessed to have an extraordinary guide (Mohamed) and driver (Abdoul) for the two-week period. Spending time with Mohamed was like attending a college history class. We spent countless hours discussing Moroccan history and the associated cultural differences of the various groups who reside in Morocco. My wife needs a hip transplant and so we traveled with a lightweight wheelchair. Mohamed pushed that chair everywhere for two weeks over terrain that wasn’t exactly level. Finally, how many travel representatives provide a starter set of local currency and provide a cell phone with key numbers locked in, should we need to reach the agency, the guide, or the driver…? As we think back on the trip, there wasn’t anything that Radia could have done to improve our experience. Thank you Radia, Mohamed, Abdoul, and the other staffers who contributed to our memorable experience.

Amazing, exceeded our already high expectations—that sums up this vacation.

From the planning stage thru drop-off at Casablanca airport, everything was exceptional.

To avoid writing a book, I’ll just jot down a few of the highlights.

First and foremost, our guide Houcine and driver Ossama were excellent. Knowledgeable and expert—and always on time, always there before we were.

Skipping Casablanca and going directly to Rabat to start was spot-on. The 3 Riads in Rabat (Euphoriad), Fes (Palais Amani) and especially Marrakech (La Maison Aribe) were beautiful and perfectly located for our walks/sightseeing. Great staff everywhere, same for the cooking class at La Maison Aribe.

The tented camp outside Merzouga was as expected, the camel ride in one day and the dune buggy the next was fun, but more personal was the time spent with the Nomad family, sharing their bread and tea. Big highlight.

The two over-the-top hotels, Dar Ahlam and Kasbah Tamadot, were wonderful. I’d give a 6th star to Dar Ahlam due to the service and dinner locations, and just the vibe.

Maybe our favorite moment was after the hike in Imlil with a local guide (Hassan): After reaching the top we finished by having tea with him and his wife in their home. Rooftop Berber lunch after was excellent but the family tea was a truly memorable moment.

A wonderful trip and thank you everyone involved.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  Our family of 2 adults+2 older teenage boys just returned from a week in Morocco, organized by Radia Tehitahe. We had 3 nights/2+ days in Fes, 24 hours in the desert at Merzouga, and then 3 full days+nights in Marrakech. Radia organized us an absolutely fantastic trip! Our itinerary was a mix of sights, cultural visits, and food experiences – every day was different and packed with activity. She also built in time for us to relax or explore on our own. We connected by phone to plan the trip and went through 2-3 variations of an itinerary before finalizing. Radia asked great questions and gave me good choices for activities to choose from, understanding limitations on time/interest/cost. Once in Morocco, we had a terrific guide and driver for the week. Ahmed and Aziz took very good care of us: stocking the van with snacks good for our son allergic to nuts, accompanying us on extra walks, arranging a birthday cake and celebration for our other son, reserving spots for lunch or dinner as needed. We really appreciated the attention to detail throughout our visit as well as Radia’s and Ahmed’s recommendations for us as we went along. They nailed it! We won’t ever forget the sandstorm in the Sahara, or the gardens of Marrakech, or sunset over Djemaa Al-Fina, or the endless maze of the medina in Fes, or the Roman mosaics in Volubilis. It was a wonderful trip start to finish.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL Radia & Oussama put together a top notch itinerary for my husband and I to experience Morocco in just 8 days. We were blown away with the hospitality of all of our guides, the local people in general, and of course our amazing driver Ahmed. The experiences were all exactly tailored to what we discussed ahead of time, while also allowing for on the fly modifications based on how we were feeling (ex: adding on extra time to our hike in the Atlas mountains). The dining was excellent, whether it was our driver choosing a place for us to stop along the way on our road trip, or a selected restaurant in Marrakech, every meal was a hit. Our guides took great care of us, acquiring entrance tickets, paying restaurant tabs, etc so that we didn’t have to worry about it. All we had to do was show up and enjoy ourselves, Moroccan people are friendly, hospitable, and we felt so very safe the entire time, even when we ventured out solo.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  We have just returned from a great two-week trip to Morocco. The trip was planned by Radia Tehitahe (except the riads, which we selected before finding Radia). We started in Casablanca, then moved on to Fez (from there we visited Chefchouen, Meknes and Volubilis). The scenery in this area of Morocco was beautiful, with vista of green, hills with acres of olive trees and wonderful people. Our next stop was Marrakech, a personal favorite, where we enjoyed wandering in the souks, a food tour, cultural highlights like the Radia Palace, great restaurants, the Atlas Mountains and beyond with connections to the Berber community and a lovely riad. Then on to Essaouira, a lovely seaside city with great views, open streets, and wonderful seafood.
The absolute highlight of the whole trip was our driver Said, a warm, friendly and extremely helpful person who we all appreciated so much. He literally could not do too much for us, including shopping for clothes and pharmaceuticals in Fes as our luggage was delayed for five days (thanks to KLM and Air France). He was with us at all times, is a great ambassador for Morocco and has become a good friend.
Radia’s recommendations for tours and activities was perfect, and the selection of guides excellent.
We highly recommend Radia’s team and a big thank you to Wendy Perrin, who did indeed provide a WOW experience.
In fact we will lean on Wendy’s connections to help us plan a few days in Istanbul next year.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  Just back from a great two-week trip to Morocco, arranged by Radia and her team. This was twice delayed by Covid, so we made sure health issues were taken care of first. Morocco is actually a great place to visit in the Covid world, as it has an extremely low infection rate and most of the places we visited were outdoors and spacious. Our driver and guides were fully vaccinated, masked etc, so we felt completely safe. Radia also worked with us on being flexible on cancellation policies as Morocco was closed for a time before our trip.
The trip planning process was excellent, with Radia working very patiently with me to adjust the trip itinerary, hotels and activities as required. The trip to the Sahara, staying in a tent amidst the sand dunes, was special, along with a hike/mule ride to a Berber village at the top of a mountain, including tea with a local family. Our driver Said was with us the whole trip and was fantastic- a good driver as we hit a snowstorm on a mountain pass, and always flexible as timing or weather changed, re-arranging/adding items to the trip. They even provided us with some small bills upon arrival so we could have money for tips before we were able to hit the ATM.
Overall a fantastic experience and would highly recommend Radia and her team.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  Just got back from Morocco with my 3 kids (ages 3,7, and 9). We could never have planned such a wonderful experience. We rode camels, went ATVing along the ocean, and my girls love couscous. We loved our guide. He has 3 kids himself and was empathetic to the occasional chaos. My snake loving daughter, loved the cobras and snakes she was able to hold. My 7 year old got a fever and cough and our guide helped us find medicine for her. Honestly it is always an adventure to travel, but with 3 kids we have to be able to pivot, and pause. Everyone was so helpful and kind. The Four Seasons was perfect for kids. The beach was beautiful. We feel so lucky to have been on this trip!

PANDEMIC TRAVEL My husband and I just returned from two weeks in Morocco. We used Radia and Hicham to organize the trip. They did a spectacular job. During the planning phase, they were truly interested in our interests and incorporating them into the itinerary. They also had recommendations of their own which were spot on. We were met at the airport by a greeter who fast tracked us through the official process and led us to our personal guide and driver waiting for us outside with their Mercedes van. Totally seamless. The vehicle, driver and guide were top notch. Our guide, Husan, was outstanding. Perfect English. Knowledgable. Great sense of humor. The boutique hotels were all great. Flexible itinerary if we wanted to return to, say, a particular shop, or linger at a particular attraction (such as the YSL museum and garden). Three days before the end of our trip, the airport closed as a result of the new Covid virus. The team didn’t miss a beat and took care of us for 3 days in Casablanca until we could get a flight out. Really felt safe and cared for. We ended up having a great time in the modern city of Casablanca (which was a surprise). Morocco is a fully functioning, multi-cultural, diverse society that offers so much to the visitor. People are very friendly. Most speak English. Shopper’s paradise for any budget. We highly recommend Morocco as a destination and Radia and Hicham as the people to make it all happen for you!

PANDEMIC TRAVEL We returned from our family trip to Morocco on October 17. It didn’t really feel that much different to me than a trip taken before Covid. When we were in a crowded store or surrounded by people in the open, some of us put our masks on; but overall, it felt quite normal. And yes, our guide and driver wore their masks at all times, making us feel very safe around them, in the van and elsewhere.

Radia and company were extremely helpful when it came to the overall planning. She suggested great experiences that everyone loved, and the hotels and restaurants were superb. My biggest gripe were the rooms at Villa des Orangers – and that was a place that I wanted! Ha! Here’s what I’ll say about it: the public spaces are beautiful, the staff is lovely and the 12 year old was enchanted with the pool! But the rooms need a serious facelift. The lighting is horrendous, there are not enough electrical outlets, and the rooms all just look tired and worn out. In fact, I’m very surprised the place still gets such high ratings. But again, that was my pick so any complaints I have are my own fault. The last hotel in Marrakech, Palais Ronsard was absolutely exquisite. Everyone was in love with their rooms (once again, the 12 year old was gleeful over the gorgeous pool) and that hotel was one I hadn’t even heard of. Kudos to Radia on that one!

And again, Radia picked some fantastic restaurants. Each night we had delicious food in glorious settings. And our guide, Miloud Chacha picked fabulous places for our lunches. We were all wowed by the food experiences!

And speaking of our guide – he told us to call him Chacha – he was simply fantastic. My husband and I had a wonderful guide on a Moroccan trip we took several years ago, and we were convinced that no one could live up to the high standards of that guide. Well, Chacha proved us wrong. He was everything you could hope for in a guide: knowledgeable, entertaining, personable. The 12 year old just adored him (actually we all did) and had big tears in his eyes when he realized he was saying goodbye to Chacha and wouldn’t be seeing him again. I can’t think of a better compliment to pay to a guide! And our driver, Deress (I’m sure I’m spelling his name wrong) was also lovely. Len and I were alone with him when he ferried us back to Casablanca (we had stayed one day later than the rest of the crew) and we had the opportunity to chat the entire way from Marrakech to Casablanca. He was also a fount of knowledge and entertained us all the way.

Radia checked in with me, by phone, when we were a few days into our adventure: just to make sure everything was going OK. There was miscommunication about PCR tests (cost for coming to the hotel and the fact that they required a cash payment) for 5 of the crew, so there was so scrambling and ATM searching. But “the scramblers” said that in the scheme of things, it was not a big deal and they were fine with it all.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL Just back from Morocco and I can’t thank Radia and her team enough for her creativity and flexibility in planning our trip. We reached out to Radia in the fall of 2019 and were impressed with her plan for an 8-day tour. We booked our trip in December 2019 for April 2020 departure just as covid began to be reported in the news. Three weeks prior to departure, she contacted us about our lockdown and theirs. We rescheduled for April 2021 as we never imagined what would unfold. In January 2021 we asked for another reschedule. Our group – four women who are all experienced travelers – was able to book the trip for September of 2021. Through this, Radia was always available to answer questions and ease some last-minute anxiety.
Every aspect of the trip was wonderful. We asked to dine outside as much as possible and Radia and her team provided that and more. We enjoyed stunning views of the Fes skyline as the sun set during dinner. We dined at both a rooftop restaurant and by the hotel pool in Marrakech. And perhaps most memorable of all was the luxury camp in the desert where we had a delicious dinner then listened to an impromptu concert by the camp staff.
The hotels were luxurious and unique and extremely comfortable. The hotel staff were always wearing masks and often volunteered that they were vaccinated.
Our guide, Miloud Chacha, provided fascinating historical and political context for the sights we were seeing. He provided us with opportunities to meet locals while still being covid safe. One morning, we took a quick walk through a local market and bought local dates. Our driver Abdel managed to smoothly navigate dense traffic, scooters, and one afternoon, torrential rain. Our van was immaculate and well provisioned with snacks, water, and lots of hand sanitizer.
The local guides were great. The guides for the Fes food tour, the Roman ruins of Volubulis, and the Grand Mosque in Casablanca were knowledgeable and personable. One of the trip highlights was a visit to a Berber pharmacy where we were the only customers and our guide showed us wonderful teas, skin care, and spices.
Because of covid, there were few tourists in Morocco and we were able to go into the souks to do some shopping while still maintaining distance.
I just can’t thank Radia enough for our adventure.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  We just got back from a 2 week trip to Morocco that had originally been planned for June of 2020, but the world had other plans… We were put in contact with Hicham and Radia by Wendy Perrin for that original trip and kept in touch with them as we ultimately moved the trip to Sept. of 2021, thinking surely COVID would be behind us then. We worked primarily with Radia and largely revised our original itinerary but with a few tweaks learned from the interim. Radia from the very start was quick to respond, helpful and upbeat. She understood the kinds of things we wanted to do, that we wanted charming riads not big hotels and that we were willing to be active. I gave her a rough outline of the 5 places/areas of Morocco I was most interested in seeing and that this was to be a family trip with our grown children (ranging in age from 27 to 31). After all this meticulous planning, fast forwarding to the trip itself, it was a great sequence of places starting with landing in Marrakech, heading right to Essaouira on the coast the next morning for 2 nights, followed by a long drive (totally worth it and not to be missed) to the Sahara to a desert camp for a night, back to Marrakech for 3 nights, then to the high Atlas Mts for 2 nights and ultimately to Fes for 2 nights. Essaouira was perhaps our least favorite of the locations but still interesting and the most fascinating experience there was taking us to the docks as the sardine fishermen came in: a scene of mayhem, color, sound, smell, and unbelievable variety of sea creatures and since it had been a good catch, the fisherman were giving away lots of fresh fish to the poor who thronged around with buckets. We had a guide for the whole 2 weeks, Anouar, and a driver, Hafid, who were both terrific. Hafid drove confidently and well through absolutely harrowing roads that had my husband intensely thankful he was not driving, through mountains and city streets and was always waiting when we needed him. Anouar was a crucial part of the trip (both chosen by Radia, although he freelances) and a fount of cultural and historical information about his beloved country and even more beloved Fes (just for the record, everything is better in Fes). He steered us to wonderful quality shops, whether it was jewelry or fresh dates or leather goods and was willing to help haggle in Arabic, when needed. So much of this trip was different than what one might expect of a trip to Morocco in non-COVID times because tourist numbers were still way down. Rather than acting resentful we found Moroccans generally friendly, enthusiastic, willing to be of great service and places that were open (sadly many restaurants we might have wanted were closed, either temporarily for COVID or now permanently) rolled out the red carpet. For example, one of the absolute highlights of the trip was a night in the Sahara at a desert camp. It is a long drive (roughly 12 hours split over two days each way) to get there and our comfortable van with Hafid gave way for the last hour to 4-wheel drive vehicles capable of rough sand roads and ultimately just hard sand. Then we transitioned to riding camels into the dunes (actually dromedaries because only one hump in Morocco) for about 20-30 min but they would have let us ride longer, or not at all if one didn’t want to). Normally set up for about 8-10 full size luxury tents in this Berber camp, we were the only tourists there, and I think the first ones in almost 15 months, but they treated us with such warmth and welcome. Plentiful food, fresh orange juice brought up to the top of the dune where we were watching the sunset, a feast followed by music and singing on traditional drums around a camp fire with unbelievable stars. We got up to ride the camels again to see sunrise over the dunes. Another highlight of the trip was our hotel in the high Atlas Mts (near where some of Game of Thrones was shot) Kasbah Tamadot (owned by Richard Branson). They had gorgeous, extensive grounds with pools, nooks and crannies with appealing seats, lawns with games from grass tennis courts to bocce, ping pong, and showed the movie Casablanca on a big screen on the lawn with headphones that evening if one wanted to see it (was great fun). The physical, mountainous setting was spectacular. We also did a hiking afternoon with a local guide, Rasheed, who couldn’t have been better. One of us wanted a less strenuous experience but still to go, so Anouar accompanied me with Rasheed taking others in the family, and we had two mules for riding at times if desired. Our last stop, Fes, for two nights was wonderful and a good capstone. Anouar knew excellent shops for those of us wishing to purchase ceramics, leather goods, and fresh dates (quite a dizzying array of each available so having someone’s expert guidance for quality and price was invaluable). Fes normally would be clogged with tourists in its narrow alleys but because tourist numbers were down so much, we had much easier path through places. The riads we stayed in at each location of the trip were exactly the level of accommodation we had hoped for and Radia delivered: more like charming smaller boutique hotels with Moroccan history and art all built around beautiful interior courtyards, usually with fruit trees and fountains, with outdoor and/or rooftop dining. Our last evening in Fes was memorable because Anouar invited us to have dinner in his home with his family and had arranged with his wife to make a few of the dishes we had most enjoyed on the trip (e.g. chicken bastilla) and on one other occasion had a friend of his who owned a restaurant which was closed, open up with a private rooftop dinner for us with one of Marrakech’s speciality dishes served. – On one COVID related note as a warning, Radia had very nicely set up rapid Antigen testing at our hotel the day before leaving, required for us to fly back to the US. While they did come do the testing, they did not include our birthdays and passport numbers or stamp each certificate that they were supposed to email to all of us (and only 2 of the 5 of us got their emails), which Anouar ultimately solved. At the airport, the lack of this info on the test result caused consternation as to whether it was acceptable but ultimately Air Maroc let us fly. I don’t fault Radia in the least but if you need COVID testing, make sure the facility includes all that info on the results certificate. – All in all, it was a really terrific trip and I’d urge people not to shy away from visiting Morocco as soon as possible, preferably even before all the hordes of tourists reappear. So much of our experience was in open air that this also helped us feel safe in COVID times. We felt that going through Wendy Perrin who put us in touch with Radia who then hired out guide Anouar and driver, was a really successful way to have customized a trip that was exactly what we wanted and had ultimate flexibility and focus to our needs and wishes, with invaluable local knowledge and experience. Radia checked in with me by phone several times during the trip to make sure all was going as planned. Five stars all around! – Marcia Wood, Portland OR

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  On September 4-12, 2021 I had the pleasure of traveling to Morocco with three of my closest friends. Hurricane Ida just passed over the East Coast, the Delta variant of the coronavirus was spreading, and unruly passengers was all over the news, so my trip started with some trepidation. All was immediately eliminated with an easy and comfortable flight on Royal Air Maroc and a warm welcome from our guide, Miloud. He took exceptional care of us throughout the entire trip!

We had a wonderful time seeing the sights of cities and towns, including the desert, and sleeping in lovely hotels along the way. The food was delicious everywhere we ate and I really appreciated the complimentary goodies left for me at several of the hotels. Miloud educated me and made me feel immersed in the culture, which is what I was seeking. Highlights included the Casablanca mosque, tasting our way through Fez, tagine cooking in Marrakesh, and shopping at the ceramic cooperative and tannery. Watching the sun rise from the basket of a hot air balloon and riding a dromedary through the desert are tied as my most memorable experiences.

I can’t say enough about the communication before and during our trip. They quickly replied to all of my emails and checked in (twice!) while in Morocco to ensure my satisfaction. The trip I enjoyed via Hicham and Radia exceeded my expectations!

PANDEMIC TRAVEL I can’t thank Radia enough for taking such phenomenal care of my daughter, her husband, and their children (age 10 and 12) as COVID-19 rearranged the world order this past week. My family even reported back that, despite the tumultuous situation on the ground and the fact that their 10-day trip was cut short by three days, they had a terrific time. But for me, it was their safety that mattered most. While hotel after hotel was closing its doors (including three that my daughter was to stay in), Radia’s team arranged excellent alternatives. As their super comfortable van (with wi-fi!) passed shuttered restaurant after restaurant on the five-hour drive from the desert to Skoura, their guide, Mohammed, contacted his Berber connections who opened a restaurant just for the six of them—incredible! And, most important, Radia notified them about Morocco’s impending shutdown of the skies way before other tourists heard from their booking agents, allowing them precious time to secure seats on an emergency flight arranged by Britain to transport stranded visitors back to London (don’t get me going on the shameful lack of response from the US government . . .). “The best of houses is the house where an orphan gets love and kindness,” according to the Prophet Muhammad. This mother of four temporarily orphaned family members is forever indebted to Radia and her team, and I look forward to returning to Marrakech and Dar Ahlam as a family and seeing this beautiful country through Radia’s eyes.

My husband, 22-year old son and traveled over the holidays to Marrakesh, Atlas Mountains and Fes. Our Travel Planner did an excellent job of preparing an interesting itinerary and iterating upon it based on our feedback. They found excellent lodgings in a very high travel season that we were not able to find on our own.

Excellent responsiveness and trip planning. Felt like they really understood our M.O. Presentation of options and recommendations visually easy to understand. Pre-trip communications were great. Availability, responsiveness, proactiveness during the trip were also great, including some unforeseen local changes – such as upgrading our hotel when the hotel was overbooked. Local guide, driver and van were all top notch. Guide was especially great in knowledge, tempo, friendliness and adapting to us. We felt safe and cared for. We recommend one guide for the whole trip, too, because then we got into deeper discussions about religion, government, extremism, family. We were extremely happy with the specialists, especially as seasoned travelers, and would recommend them to others.

We had only 5 days for our visit. The planner worked with us to arrange 5 full days to cover what we were interested in, at the pace that we wanted. I felt that it was jam-packed but not rushed, which was perfect.

Our driver was very good and accommodating. Our guide was great; very knowledgeable, interesting, very pleasant, and went out of his way to make the trip great for us.

I had hurt my knee prior to the trip and all TE walking and climbing exacerbated it; the team was as accommodating as possible, including a last-minute change where a car was arranged to take us up into the high atlas mountains.

All the accommodations were top notch.

Also, this was a fairly last-minute trip, and the team was very responsive so we were able to do this with a quick turnaround.