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We had an amazing trip to Morocco planned by Michael that far exceeded our expectations. In planning the trip, Michael listened to our interests and tailored the trip to cover a wide geographical swath of the country and a variety of cultural and historical sites over the ten days we were there. When Michael told us that he only hired the best drivers and tour guides, this was no exaggeration. Our wonderful driver, Hakim, and amazing Berber guide, Momo, were consummate professionals and very personable to boot! We were to learn that Momo had been a tour guide for former President Reagan and his wife Nancy. More recently, he was the guide for Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Hillary Clinton. We jokingly said that he should mention the Connors from Massachusetts to future clients!
Our journey included an overnight in Casablanca where we saw the massive Mosque Hassan II; two nights in the charming Medina of Fes with its souks, art, architecture and antiquities; a night glamping in the Sahara Desert; and the many historical and cultural wonders of Marrakech. Among the sites in Fes we toured were the ruins of Volubilis, the late Roman capital of the province of Mauritania, a fascinating UNESCO World Heritage site; the Art de Poterie ACH pottery co-op; and the Chouara Tanneries.
In Marrakech, the exotic Yves St. Laurent Botanical Garden with its breathtaking array of flora had a peacefulness and tranquility that would be difficult to replicate. The adjacent Yves St. Laurent and Berber Museums were fascinating in terms of St. Laurent’s long and deep connection to the region which was an inspiration for his work; and the Berber Museum’s artifacts from the nomadic tribe that originally settled the land of Morocco. In contrast to the tranquil gardens, the lively Djemaa el-Fnaa Square and marketplace was a highlight of our vacation. Throughout, our guide Momo’s interpretation of the sites and surroundings was invaluable.
Our driver Hakim ferried us safely over the precarious roads of the Atlas Mountains twice. On the long journey from the desert to Marrekech, we spent a night at the beautiful Ksar El Kabbaba Hotel in the Skoura Valley. To say we were pampered by the wonderful hotel staff during our short stay would be an understatement. In fact, we wish we had spent two nights there. On our last full day, we went on a hike in the Ouirgane Valley in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains on a path that took us through several small, old villages which gave us a sense that we had been transported to the ancient times. Our guide, Omar, provided us with walking sticks and interpreted many points of interest along the way, treating us with walnuts that had just fallen off a tree! Later that day, we had lunch at the retreat of Sir Richard Branson and toured the beautiful grounds with amazing views of the Atlas Mountains and the valley.
All in all, we met incredible people who were so kind and helpful in making us feel welcome. The guides on our individual tours and hikes were superb. Our appointments with various vendors to review and sample their wares, which Momo had arranged, were always low-key with no pressure to make purchases. Hotel staff provided impeccable service throughout our stay and the cuisine was varied and excellent. The way that the old traditions continue to thrive along with modern life, and the daily devotion of Moroccans to their Islamic religion, are two overarching impressions of Morocco that we as two Americans will long remember.
Our trip to Marrakech was incredible. Our group of 4 were happy with our choice of destination (to stay only in Marrakech with day trips outside the city). The weather in September was incredibly hot, so this was not ideal, but nobody’s fault. Our trip planner Michael was available to us throughout our trip if needed.
We were in Marrakech for 5 nights and it was perfect. This allowed us to see the sights, do some extensive shopping (rug negotiations with the assistance of our guide) and enjoy some leisure time in our Riad including Hamam appointments. Even with it being a long day trip, traveling to Essaouira was well worth it. Our itinerary intentionally focused on food, design, and culture (with a dash of history). It was perfect for us.
The most unique experience we had was visiting Popham Design tile manufacturer where we were given the opportunity to make a couple of tiles with the tile workers.
Our trip planner worked closely with us on choosing our experiences and curating our dining. Michael tapped in very quickly to what we wanted to do, and then connected us to an incredible guide with lots of design and food experience. Our driver was also incredible.
During our trip, one of our group got sick (with a cold) and Michael made him and his team available for any needs that may have arisen as a result. Very comforting in a distant land.
My wife and I had our planned trip to Morocco postponed on two separate occasions due to Covid-19. Our 3rd attempt this April finally became a reality and it was more than worth the wait! Wendy introduced us to Michael and I cannot say enough good things about him and the trip his team helped us plan. For starters, he was extremely patient and understanding throughout the entire process of our first two tries—the firm’s cancellation policies were also very fair. Their knowledge and expertise of where to stay, what to see and what activities to partake in was second to none and our itinerary was virtually perfect—I would not change a single thing! Our guide and driver were positively lovely and went out of their way to fully satisfy any of our requests whether planned or impromptu.
Morocco is a wonderfully unique destination. The culture, the people, the artisanship, the food—it is truly a fantastic and one-of-a-kind place to visit!
For the second time now, Wendy has helped us organize and plan a spectacular trip; I can only highly recommend her service if you are looking to have the most memorable vacation ever!
We just returned from two weeks in Morocco and I have to say it was one of our favorite trips ever. Michael listened to our preferences and crafted an amazing itinerary. We were a group of four and we all thoroughly enjoyed our adventure. We had a cooking class, belly dancing lessons, quad riding in the desert, sidecar riding through the medina, a 4-hour hike through the amazing Atlas Mountains—fabulous restaurants and hotels. Our guide Driss has to be the best guide in Morocco. He was knowledgeable, engaging, funny and such a sweet man. Our driver Hatim was also the best. The people of Morocco are so warm and friendly and welcoming. We learned a great deal about the Muslim religion and customs and how important family is to them. We’ve been to many countries in Africa and Morocco has to be one of our favorites.
We had the most fabulous 14-day experience in Morocco. Michael curated a seamless itinerary, a truly exciting journey where each and every day produced some form of WOW. We stayed at the most exquisite hotels as we travelled from Casablanca to the Atlas Mountains. Thanks to Driss, our calm, intelligent and fun guide, and Unis, our always obliging driver, all we had to do was enjoy.
We had our first speechless moment in Casablanca when we visited the Hassan ll mosque, a magnificent tribute to the craftsmanship, architecture, resources and people of Morocco.
From Casablanca we drove through rolling hills, farms, valleys, dams and riverbeds to the chaotic and ancient UNESCO city of Fez, a place replete with endless narrow streets, souks, palaces, mosques, stores, merchants, and artisans. It was here that I learned to cook my first tajine.
We had so many wow moments in Fez. From an evening dinner with Fatima, a feminist, to being thunderstruck by hidden gardens, endless mosaics, fountains and artisans creating their works. From there we headed to the gorgeous Royal City of Rabat, replete with parks, boulevards, exotic gardens, Mausoleum and the charming Casbah of Udayas. This was a totally unexpected gem of a city.
Of course no trip to Morocco can exclude Marrakech with its endless night entertainment, and carnival atmosphere. But the truly wow moment was taking a motorcycle drive through areas outside of the Medina as well as through the Medina. Then again staying at the Mamounia is one big wow.
For a calm respite we took a side trip to Essaouira, where we could escape from the frenetic pace of Marakkech. What a charming vibrant port and resort town.
We ended our stay in the Atlas Mountains, where we spent three glorious nights sleeping in a Berber tent at the award-winning Kasbah Tamindot. We had the most incredible experience hiking to a village that our guide said was called Hard to Reach. We should have paid closer attention to his statement, and at 6,000 feet, we finally reached the perfectly named hamlet of Hard to Reach. As our reward, we were served the best ever vegetable tajine, hot soup and tea! What a finale to our journey.
My husband and I recently returned from a trip to Morocco planned by Michael. The trip was superb. To begin with, we had a wonderful guide who stayed with us throughout the two-plus-week trip. He was not only a talented guide—sharing with us his deep knowledge of the country and its culture—but a kind, thoughtful and devout person who truly cared about our enjoyment, well-being and how we experienced Morocco. The trip itself spanned much of the country—from the cities of Marrakesh and Fes to the Atlas mountains, the Sahara desert and the seashore. While we had to drive long distances to cover everything we wanted to see, the time passed quickly, as the scenery throughout the country was gorgeous and dramatic. The drivers were careful and great—accommodating many requests to stop for photos. The hotels Michael recommended were each special in their own way (riads in the cities, kasbahs in the mountains and a tent in the desert) and the experiences he planned for us—cooking classes, dinner with a university professor to speak to us about the Sufis, walks through villages, markets and the old cities—were truly special. Wendy treated us to a WOW Moment in the desert—a camel ride up the dunes with hors d’oeuvres and champagne as the sun set—which was truly WOW! We did, unfortunately, suffer some health issues during the trip, but Michael and our guide were very accommodating to adjust our schedule as necessary. The country itself is fascinating—and we learned so much about its history, politics, culture and role in the world. We have traveled extensively with Wendy’s experts and every trip has been great. We heartily recommend both Morocco, Michael and Wendy!
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our 12-day trip to Morocco. Our trip covered a wide range of landscapes, culture, and experiences. Enjoyed spending time in the souks in Fes and Marrakesh, where we saw many aspects of life dating back to medieval times. Also enjoyed spending some time in the countryside, observing life in small villages, where things have changed little for centuries. Enjoyed watching artisans making pottery, carpets, fabrics, and argan oil. My wife really enjoyed falconry in the High Atlas Mountains. The food was very good overall and the service in the restaurants and hotels were excellent. We felt safe during the entire trip.
Arrangements were thorough, from the moment we got off the plane and going through customs until we passed security on our departure flight. Our guide and driver accompanied us during the entire trip. We found it helpful to have the same guide who helped give us a thorough background of the country and culture. We are independent travelers, but they insisted to take us anywhere, including restaurants at night. Needless to say, we were spoiled. I certainly recommend Morocco for the exotic experience that we had.
We booked a Morocco trip with Wendy’s recommended planner, as we have in two prior trips. We went March 5 and returned on the 17th. We were two couples with a private guide and driver for the entire trip, and by the end of the trip we were sad to say goodbye to both of them.
Our guide was Redouane and our driver was Aziz. They were both so gracious the entire trip. Red was the consummate guide, with his knowledge of all of the groups of people in Morocco, the Muslims, the Berbers and the Jews, and taught us so much history and culture. Using Michael Diamond as the planner was phenomenal, as we worked on the itinerary and made changes even at the last minute. Every hotel we stayed at was perfect and when we decided to change restaurants at the last minute or cancel — there was never any issue. We had friends who went on a tour with 30 people and said they would never do it again. There is just nothing like a private guide when traveling for the ultimate experience. Wendy’s lists of travel planners cannot be beat.
I booked a trip with Michael Diamond to Morocco but had to cancel due to an unexpected illness. He was extremely helpful and honorable and went out of his way to help me get refunds. When I am able to travel again I will book the same trip with him.
We are delighted to give Michael Diamond an “excellent” rating. We can’t remember planning a trip that took so little effort on our part. We didn’t need to ask or have anything clarified; Michael had it all covered. The itinerary was well-planned, combining leisure time with activities and not-to-be-missed experiences. They are the only tour operator we will use when we return to Morocco.
Our expert guide, Driss, who accompanied us, was outstanding. He was informative, engaging and entertaining. A true professional and a joy to spend time with. Our driver, Abdul, was skilled at driving on mountain roads, and he always magically appeared on time, waiting for us with a smile and a helping hand. They both went to great lengths to provide us with experiences beyond expectations, and we cannot thank them enough. All our accommodations were highlights of the trip in and of themselves. The rooms were beautifully decorated, the common spaces exquisite and the grounds glorious. The management and staff know the true meaning of hospitality. The restaurants Michael selected and reserved were spot-on based on our conversations about food. His extensive knowledge and great listening abilities are the perfect combination for a great trip!
This was an absolutely amazing trip for a first time to Morocco. First, our guide, Amine, was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable about all of the locations and sites we visited. Second, the sites and towns themselves were absolutely spectacular.
We started our trip landing in Casablanca, but then found our guide and driver and immediately drove the 3-4 hours to Fes. I was a little nervous about whether that would be comfortable after a long, overnight flight, but it turns out, sitting in the car and watching this unfamiliar scenery go by was absolutely perfect—especially since it allowed Amine to orient us to Moroccan culture, a little bit of history, and our trip logistics.
When we got to Fes, we were able to immediately check into our hotel (because we had spent the time required to take the trip), and we then went out and began to see the souks of Fes. We did this again the next day, complete with a trip to see Moroccan ceramics-making in action, a working tannery, and any number of mosques and other cultural sites.
Our next major city was Rabat, which was also nice. Our guide told us that Moroccans themselves tend to find Rabat boring—lol. We did not, but when we got to Marrakesh, we understood what he meant.
Marrakesh was the absolute highlight of the trip. Our hotel was absolutely amazing. On our last day, we made an absolutely fascinating trip hiking on the High Atlas and then ATV-ing and camel riding in the desert.
It was an absolutely once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I would recommend it to anybody.
Michael Diamond planned our trip for 4 to Morocco. We had a bit of a rough spot when he was too busy to return calls, but one outreach to Wendy’s office resolved that. Michael’s selection of hotels was perfect for our group. I lacked the time to dig deeply into where and what we wanted to do. Michael hit the nail on the head. The driver we had was a delight. The guide was perfect.
He had a story teller for us, which was so fun, and a female historian who came and talked with us. We really learned so much from the historian. All very interesting. We had an incredible WOW Moment, when we were surprised by a dinner prepared for us at sunset in the desert. We had no idea where we were going for dinner, and thought it was just another dinner. Instead we had an awe-inspiring experience.
I got COVID right before our trip. Michael was able to shuffle and rework our time. It was a huge amount of shifting around, at a very busy travel time. He got it all done well.
I wouldn’t hestitate to recommend Michael highly. I was constantly e-mailing him during our trip to thank him. That says it all.
PANDEMIC TRAVEL I can’t use enough good adjectives to describe Michael Diamond, but the first one has to be patient.
I originally contacted Michael in the fall of 2019 for a family trip for summer 2020. Well, we all know what happened…and our perfectly planned trip was canceled. We rescheduled for summer 2021, tweaking the trip a tiny bit to be even more perfect…but Morocco had a major Covid outbreak that August, and we had to cancel our trip just 5 days before departure.
By this summer, Michael and I had barely any tweaking to do, and we had spoken so many times that I felt certain he knew exactly what my family of 5 (children ages 22, 20, and 15) was looking for. Then, a week before our trip—my husband needed an emergency appendectomy! Thankfully the doctor cleared him to travel if he was up to it, and Michael promised that he would do whatever necessary to help us have our dream trip.
And it was! From the moment we met our guide Driss and our driver Zakaria, we knew we were in good hands. We traveled to Fes, Casablanca, Marrakech, and the Atlas Mountains, and every hotel exceeded our expectations. All of the staff in each of the hotels were hospitable, kind, and helpful. Michael planned great excursions for us, including a magical night in the Agafay Desert with dinner under the stars, and a sidecar/motorcycle ride through Marrakech. He also helped to break up the long drives (Morocco is bigger than I thought) with interesting stops along the way. There was nothing I would change except the weather—110 in Marrakech was a little hot!
Michael was truly a wonderful travel advisor and very much deserves the title of WOW expert.
Thanks for always helping us to plan amazing trips!
PANDEMIC TRAVEL Working with Michael Diamond was a pleasure. After months of planning a family trip to Morocco over the holidays, our trip was abruptly cancelled after Morocco closed its borders due to Omicron. Looking forward, my husband and I decided to do a modified trip to Morocco over the summer. Michael was quick to point out the pros and cons of summertime in Morocco, but we opted to do it and had a phenomenal time. From the moment we were greeted at the airport by our guide Marwan and driver Zach, we knew this would be a great week. Both Marwan and Zach were literally “on call” 24/7 and we never had to worry about a thing…even taking us to and from dinners. Michael prepped Marwan ahead of time that we wanted to see Jewish as well as Islamic sites. Marwan didn’t miss a beat and was extremely knowledgeable. Michael was well connected with “out of the box” experts to make our trip extra special. We spent several hours with a professional photographer taking us around the old Medina in Fez teaching us how to take the perfect photos and spent half a day with a world renowned interior designer who took us to his favorite shopping spots in Marrakesh. He and Marwan helped us do our best price negotiating! In our many years of traveling with WOW experts, we have never had such phenomenal service as we did with Michael, Marwan and Zach. They literally left no stone unturned. We spent about 9 days touring Fez, Rabat and Marrakesh. This is a trip we will never forget!
PANDEMIC TRAVEL We just returned from amazing adventures in Morocco, thoughtfully arranged by Michael. Our discussions with Michael began in November 2021 and from the beginning, he understood our priorities and interests. As a result, our trip included a range of cities and smaller towns as well as Jewish sites and hiking opportunities. Our 15-day itinerary included overnight stays of different lengths in Casablanca, Tangier, Chefchaouen, Fes, a hiking destination in the High Atlas, Essaouira and Marrakesh. Michael booked fabulous riads in each location and had wonderful recommendations for dinners. The trip was flawlessly executed by Michael’s local contacts. Our guide Said’s love of his country’s history, culture, art and architecture tremendously enhanced our trip and remained responsive to our particular interests. Fayssal, our superb driver, flawlessly coordinated with Said whenever necessary and was available for evening transportation to our dining destinations. Morocco was an excellent choice for our return to international travel. Thankfully, no issues arose during our trip that required Michael’s attention, but we traveled with confidence knowing that he and his local staff were available at any time. We would recommend, with no reservations, planning an unforgettable trip with Michael.
PANDEMIC TRAVEL The three of us just returned from a 12 day trip to Morocco planned by Michael Diamond. When the three of us put our heads together after our trip we could not come up with a single change we would have made to the planning. Michael worked with us early to understand all that we wanted to see and do, then planned the perfect trip for us. We were met at the Casablanca airport by a gentleman who guided us through the airport, bypassing all the normal lines and took us to our waiting van to meet our guide Zayd and our driver Mohammed. These two were wonderful, guiding us every step of our trip giving us great details about the many places, architecture, and culture we visited. This was no easy task as we visited Rabat, Chefchaouen, Fes, the Sahara for a camel trek and Marrakech. This does not even include the countless little villages while traveling the Atlas Mountains. Zayd’s extensive knowledge of his country and Mohammed’s driving skills made our trip truly special. Just wonderful!
Our trip ended when another gentleman named Asad guided us back through the Marrakech airport avoiding all the normal hassle. Just a perfect trip!
We used Michael Diamond to plan a family trip to Morocco, with our two children in their twenties. He planned a trip that was a great deal of fun and very well suited for us. His knowledge made our travel more efficient and made great use of the time we had there. With only one exception, every restaurant was terrific and our wonderful guide was flexible in planning the kinds of experiences our family wanted and enjoyed. When adjustments needed to be made along the way, they were taken care of quickly. It was a superb experience and we highly recommend him.
Michael did a good job creating a 2 week trip to Morocco that catered to our interests. We had a wonderful guide and driver who made sure we were well take care of as we visited Fez, the desert, Marrakech, Essaouira and the High Atlas Mountains. Our only issue was a lack of communication in the weeks before we were to leave for Morocco, we had to email Michael several times to get our itinerary. This was very frustrating and disappointing as one would expect a Wendy Perrin Specialist to be more responsive.
Michael Diamond was excellent from beginning to end. He planned a thoughtful and wonderful trip. We had a few issues along the way and michael was super responsive and attentive. I would highly recommend him for anyone considering a trip to Morocco!
If you are thinking of traveling to Morocco just book it! I could not recommend Michael Diamond enough as our Travel Specialist. We just returned from 10 days in Morocco and it was the best family trip we have ever done. Each day of the itinerary got better. Amazing culture, scenery, food, activities and the four of us (my wife, 17 year old son and 15 year old daughter) had the best time. I highly recommend this adventure and the travel specialist (Michael Diamond) we worked with via Wendy Perrin. We are already beginning our next family vacation for 2020 (Vietnam!?!).
From my first conversation with Michael, it was clear I was in good hands for the planning of our honeymoon to Morocco. After getting a solid understanding of what my husband and I were looking for, he built an itinerary that really reflected what we were looking to get out of our special trip. Right before the trip, when we both had a ton of questions, Michael was very responsive!
Our Moroccan adventure was incredible. It was perfectly planned: the hotels and riads were destinations in and of themselves and the restaurants Michael chose for us were fabulous. Michael even handled our dinner reservations. Every experience and place visited was well thought out: we never felt that a moment was wasted. Michael was very accommodating of our requests for changes, even working out a change I asked him to make less than a week before we left home! Our guide and driver were just great and we learned so much from them about their culture. Michael arranged experiences that put us in touch with many wonderful people in the country. That is so very important to us because we want our travel to mean something on a personal level. We are not going just for push pins in a map. We want to connect with people when we travel.
I think that many people might assume that using a travel planner like Michael Diamond is too expensive, but we found that our time and travel dollars were maximized by not making a bunch of blunders as we surely would have done if we had planned this trip ourselves. Michael has a wealth of knowledge about the country and he made every minute count. Looking back, it is hard to believe how much we squeezed into our time there. Sounds crazy, but I feel sorry for anyone who goes to Morocco without Michael’s guidance.
Our trip to Morocco included a private driver and guide the entire two weeks. Michael connected us with the driver, Yousif, and the guide, Abdul. This was first and foremost the greatest enhancement to our travel experience he could provide. In addition to the itinerary Michael put together and booked for us, Abdul facilitated several off the beaten path experiences that were unique and enriching.
Michael’s choices for hotels were excellent and he picked an appropriate balance between hotel and room type to provide tremendous value.
We had no problems or inconveniences at any time during our trip.
Michael provides a guide and driver at all times. Our guide, Ghani was amazing. So warm, kind and knowledgeable. As first time visitors to Morocco Michael’s suggestions as to where we should go and what to see were perfect. Marrakesh ,Rabat and Fez. Highlights were the cooking class at Fez Cooking School, hiking in High Atlas Mts followed by lunch at Richard Branson’s Moroccan Retreat, seeing the ancient synagogues, eating amazing food and haggling in the souks. We were glad that we stayed in Riads instead of the usual Four Seasons. Excellent service and lovely staff. They do your laundry gratis! Only problem was flight to Fez from Marrakesh was changed and Michael got in touch with us immediately and arranged for us to drive there instead with the same guide. A wonderful journey.
Michael Diamond’s trip planning from the first phone call was meticulous. The itinerary allowed us to experience varied parts of Morocco in the most time efficient ways. The guides were both very knowledgeable and courteous and our driver was extremely timely, professional and pleasant to be with.
We stayed in riads every night except for the last night in Casablanca and this added to the flavour of the experience near the Medinas.
The restaurant choices were spot on and the cooking class and “storytelling” provided some interesting windows into the country. The day with the designer was great as he was able to recommend trusted vendors and avoid confusion. The “tented suite” at Tamadot was unexpected and provided great views of the Atlas Mountains.
Clearly Michael has encyclopedic knowledge of the country and an inside track on the best people to deal with.
We felt comfortable and cared for throughout the trip.
Michael gave us great advice. A few things he suggested we have a guide for we decided to do on our own. We should have listened to him! He made sure our every need was met, including supplying us with a local phone when ours did not work.
Our trip to Morocco was highlighted by our outstanding guide and private driver. Our guide, Ghani was so knowledgeable, as well as flexible with our itinerary. My wife and I have traveled throughout the world, and this was the first time we used a guide. It truly enhanced our experience. Additionally, when we missed our flight from Fez to Marrakesh, ( no fault of his) he solved the problem without a moment’s thought, saving the day. When we had enough of walking around the Médina, he was quick to move us along to another destination. Even when walking the Médina in Fez, we were escorted with an extra guide that walked behind us, literally “having our back”, just looking out for any pick pockets. I would highly recommend Ghani, and our driver Housain.
Morocco is a beautiful, unique and culturally rich country and Michael Diamond is an expert. My husband and I spent time traveling through Fez, the Atlas mountains, and Marrakech. We saw diverse landscapes and met wonderful people. Unlike other countries, it is very important to have a guide (and driver) when visiting Morocco. One reason we had such a wonderful time in Morocco is because of the smooth transitions and guided activities within the country. Also, Michael Diamond’s selection of hotels was incredible. We loved every place that we stayed and felt welcomed by the staff of each place. If you want an upscale, guided trip of Morocco, then a plan by Michael Diamond is a must!
Morocco par excellence! Michael Diamond and his team knocked it out of the park for us. When I talked to Michael on the phone I told him that we enjoyed art, history architecture, nature, and being physically active. He crafted the perfect experience for us. What’s not to like about a trip that encompasses 5 World Heritage Sites and 1200 miles across incredibly varied terrain – Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, camping in the Sahara with the Berbers, Skoura Oasis, Marrakech, and back to Casablanca.
Our guide, Nouri, was articulate, interesting and knowledgeable and together with our driver Yusin contributed to a bespoke experience. We were treated like VIPs throughout the trip – Michael even expedited our passage through passport control in Casablanca (both ways). Lodging was varied and amazing – riads, casbahs, a tent with a king bed and fine linens, and luxurious city hotels. Scheduling was impeccable, everything happened as expected, yet there was ample allowance for some creativity. We had some long days traveling in the very comfortable van, but it was broken up nicely with interesting (and sometimes necessary) stops. Overall, Michael provided us one of those trips of a lifetime.
Michael Diamond and his team did an excellent job. The quick version is:
Michael knows Morocco cold. Very impressive. Even our guide made an offhand comment one day that when he is in the medina in Marrakech with Michael, Michael often shows him shortcuts, and our guide is a native.
Flawless logistics (and we covered a lot of ground in Morocco). Clearly had good people on the ground making doing advance work before arrival at every hotel, activity, etc. I am detail oriented (OK, compulsive) as you know, and Michael’s people nailed it.
Michael personally chose excellent guides, hotels, activities and restaurants for us – I almost never work with travel agents but he really listened and again, nailed it.
Driver who accompanied us for our 10 day trip was excellent – safe, efficient and always there when we needed him. Harder than it sounds as you know.
Overall, this was a great experience and a lot of that is due to Michael.
Anyone can go and book an extremely expensive trip with top-notch hotels. That guarantees almost nothing in terms of how well the experience unfolds. We were in the right hotel rooms, seeing the right sights, doing the right activities the right way, from start to finish and it was completely stress free.
Thanks for recommending him!
Michael and his team made a great Morocco vacation for us.
My husband has to use a walker (foldable) to walk, and can’t walk for a long time. Based on our special needs, Michael picked hotels with accessibility. These hotels have wonderful views, good restaurants, nice lounge area, like little resorts.
Our guide and driver were very helpful, flexible and patient with us. The places we visited are all basically flat and accessible via walker. When there were few steps, our guide always helped us. When we were tired and wanted to cut short the tour in Medina, our guide and driver got us picked up as quickly as possible. Our driver loaded/unloaded our walker for us at every stop.
We had a memorable trip to Morocco.
Michael Diamond did a fantastic job of arranging a trip to Morocco for four couples. We particularly appreciated the guide that he set us up with. Our guide was highly knowledgeable about Morocco, extremely flexible and helpful, and made our trip a real pleasure. Michael also chose one of the best hotels that we have ever stayed in—a lovely riad in Marrakech. Michaels special arrangements were impeccable—from restaurants to the designer that took us to special shops, to the cooking class that we all loved. We all agreed that connecting with Michael was the key to a trip of a lifetime
Michael Diamond is an absolute wonderful travel expert concerning Morocco. We originally were scheduled to leave for our 2-week tour of Morocco in April, but due to illness, we had to cancel this trip and reschedule for September. Michael was extremely understanding, thoughtful and considerate in helping to reschedule the trip as originally planned. My husband and I had a wonderfully enjoyable tour through Morocco, well planned and executed with both an exceptional guide and driver. Our guide, Hussane, was very well versed in all of the historical facts and also concerned for our well being in every aspect of the 2 weeks we spent together. Our driver, Mustafa, was just as considerate and concerned, and an excellent driver. Michael was determined for us to have Hussane and Mustafa for our time spent in Morocco. The hotels and kasbahs where we stayed were fabulous. Both my husband and I are well-seasoned travelers, and we were so thrilled with this spectacular trip to Morocco that would not have been possible without Michael Diamond. Anyone who wants to have the most exciting and enjoyable trip to Morocco must use Michael.
Michael Diamond planned an extraordinary trip to Morocco for my husband, me, and our three adult children. He contacted me immediately and helped me plan an itinerary that took us to Marrakech, Fes and the desert. The first itinerary he came back with wasn’t to my liking as I wanted to stay longer in Fes. He went back to the drawing board and came up with a great plan by reversing the order of the destinations. We stayed in wonderful places and, most important, he provided us with the most amazing guide and driver.
Having this extraordinary guide was definitely the most valuable part of our trip. Except for the time we spent at our riads, he accompanied us for the entire time. He arranged private visits to souks in the medinas, a great hike with a local guide in the High Atlas mountains, another one in the Toghda Gorge area, and a colorful, local old guide at Volubilis whom we will never forget!
Our trip to stay at a luxurious encampment (private bathrooms with showers! air conditioning!) in the Sahara Desert was definitely a highlight of the trip for us. None of us will ever forget the camel rides to the top of the dunes for sunrise and sunset.
Michael’s restaurant recommendations were key since one of our daughters is a vegetarian and another has many food allergies. He made all of our reservations and made sure all of the restaurants were aware of our special requirements.
This was a perfect trip and I very highly recommend Michael Diamond to anyone planning a trip to Morocco.
Michael did an excellent job of working with me to design a trip that was perfect for us. His approach was unique from others in that we had a driver and a guide. This was important to me. I considered other vendors but none of them offered this.
His choice of hotels, activities, and restaurants was excellent. If something needed changing his guide did an exceptional job of altering our itinerary or events.
Michael also arranged for an expediter firm to meet us on our arrival and ease us through Moroccan customs and immigration.
Our driver always arrived with an immaculately clean car and plenty of drinking water. We continued our trip beyond Morocco so our driver got our clothes washed, actually dry cleaned, for us.
Our guide, Marwan, arranged for our Marrakesh hotel chief to make vegetable soup when we just did not feel like a big meal. The soup was excellent.
Many of the items listed above indicated to me over and over that Michael and his team were the right choice for us.
We really enjoyed our trip to Morocco that Michael arranged for us.
Our guide, Mohammed and our driver, Mustafe, were absolutely terrific.
The accommodations were great and varied. Our trip to the Sahara did not go as planned; we arrived in the middle of a sandstorm, quite exciting. There were 9 of us, and Michael responded to requests from many of us prior to the trip. I would recommend him.
Michael was instrumental in planning our two week trip to Marrakech and Fez. We concentrated on architecture and design as I attend design school. He listened carefully and created an itinerary that covered not only major points of interest but quirky places off the beaten path.
We spent many fun and interesting days with our loyal guide, Hassime. We began our time together in Marrakech and were delighted when he informed us that he would be joining us in Fez. It was emotional when everything came to an end, as he had become a son to us.
Sometimes, a local designer would join us to expertly explain and expose us to different aspects of the industry; I helped weave a huge, black and white Berber rug, on the loom at the medina showroom. In a lighting factory in the industrial area, I observed metal being intricately cut and filed to create breathtakingly beautiful sconces and pendants of huge proportions. I created and fired my own 8-inch square, black and white tile, in a factory outside the city. We watched men hand carve cedar with intricate, geometric, design, forming screens, doors and decorative woodwork. We visited the tannery and to watch leather being dyed.
In a tiny shop, through a cave in the medina, we observed silk, of agave, woven into fabric on the loom. Moroccan colors are the most vibrant I’ve seen. Everybody was smiley and happy to allow me to watch them work. They gave me hand-carved spindles and tassels and samples of glittering passementerie and braid. One gentleman carved a shoehorn, out of real horn for my husband. Hassime asked him to please make a small hole in the handle, and I attached a tassel.
The last factory we visited was my favorite. It is a porcelain factory where all kinds of tiles and pottery and vases and dinnerware are created and hand painted. The mosaic designs on wrought iron table tops are out of the ordinary. I am planning on ordering two.
In addition to ALL of this, Michael ensured that we saw every museum, garden, palace, spice market, and minaret. He helped me with restaurant reservations when my hotel was letting things slide. He arranged all transportation, and there was a lot. Always with a clean, shiny Mercedes SUV, that was on time, even at 2 am.
He arranged a day trip to the Agafay for lunch in a private tent (wonderful) and camel rides (hilarious ). Our young host, Hamead, was so humored by my fascination with his elaborate (really) turban, that he promptly unraveled all 20 meters of it and recreated his
“Lawrence of Arabia” vibe so I could see how it’s done.
Honestly, I could go on, but I am sure you get the gist.
I asked Michael if he did any other countries, say India? and his response?
“No Sandra, I don’t. I’m a Moroccan kind of guy”.
What more could you possibly want?
Michael Diamond planned a truly extraordinary trip to Morocco for my husband and me. He exceeded my expectations from the very start, which is tough because I am a frequent traveler and have high expectations. He took such great care in asking important questions and listening thoughtfully to my responses in order to plan a personalized trip with the perfect hotel choices (we prefer small over larger properties), relaxing and efficient pace of travel, wonderful dining reservations, and excellent private guides and drivers. He even planned a day with a designer to assist me in shopping for rugs and apparel in Marrakech. I loved that Michael did not approach the trip from routine travel plan but he really planned every element just for us. It was evident from the beginning that Michael has been planning bespoke trips to Morocco for a very long time and has the very best contacts in the country.
He was so patient as I adjusted my trip itinerary a few times before locking in a plan. We stayed in Rabat, Fes, Marrakech, Skoura, and Casablanca. Michael checked in on us during our vacation, which was thoughtful.
Our favorite experiences were the tour of Volubilis, the medina of Fes, the shopping day in Marrakech and our stay at Dar Ahlam in Skoura. Michael was also super speedy in adapting our schedule at the last minute when our international flights were canceled and rebooked for an earlier arrival in Casablanca. Michael responded to my urgent request early in the morning on the actual day of departure in scant minutes and assured us that our guides would be there to meet us at the new arrival time. Oh, and I forgot to mention that pleasure of having the VIP airport service at each stop where it is available.
It was such a wonderful travel experience! I cant think of a single misstep. I would not hesitate to recommend Michael Diamond. Thank you, Wendy, for leading us to Michael.
Our trip, planned by Michael Diamond, was spectacular. The only faux-pas, not on Michael, was that we had to wait about an hour at the CMN airport for the guide/driver to arrive (apparently there was a traffic tie-up) and I, unfortunately, wasn’t given the 24/7 contact information for Morocco and had no choice but to reach out to Michael via WhatsApp (but the reception was poor). While I feared that this was emblematic of what was to come, I could not have been more in error. The rest of the trip was INCREDIBLE! And our guide, Hassan, was beyond amazing – a 15, on a scale of 1-10! Michaels riad selections were outstanding, as were his restaurant recommendations. I would recommend, without hesitation, Michael for anyone going to Morocco!
My family’s Morocco trip was organized by Micheal Diamond in March 2018. It was an eye-opening fun and adventurous trip! We did motorcycle rides, camel riding, cooking classes, pottery and of course walking around in the medina. It was well organized at a good pace. We liked our tour guide, he connected well with the kids and the driver was always prompt. I highly recommend Micheal for next trip and anyone who is thinking of exploring Morocco!
Michael Diamond planned a wonderful trip for our family to Morocco. He selected perfect accommodations given what we had requested in advance. The time spent in each city was perfect. He secured us the best guide. Even my Millenial children commented how good Mohamed was.
One night I asked everyone what was the best part of the trip. They came up with many different answers (how good is that?!?!?) but universally agreed that the best day was shopping in Marrakech with a local designer who guaranteed great quality and best pricing!!
The only glitch was finding the airport expediter the last day but it finally did get resolved. Our driver failed to call when he was an hour away. Michaels team on the ground eventually cleared up his mistake and we made our next flight in plenty of time.
I would have no reservation recommending Michael Diamond and his team to plan a trip to Morocco.
We very much enjoyed the Morocco trip Michael Diamond planned for us. We already had flights booked in & out of Marrakech, so travelled October 1-15, 2017 in a circle from Marrakech to Ouarzazate, staying in the oasis town Skoura, then to Erfoud to the desert-dunes, next onto Fes, then through Volubulis Roman ruins to Rabat, Essaouira, then the beautiful Ourika Valley & national park. It was exotic, diverse, historically very interesting, sophisticated with Arabic design, great food (pomegranates were ripe), lovely hotels both in the medinas and the cities & desert. The guide and our driver were excellent and responsive to our questions, needs and special requests. Highly recommend Michael Diamond.
We had a fantastic trip. From the moment we arrived and were met by the VIP service in Casablanca airport, everything went smoothly. Loved all the accommodations – Riad Fes, Kasbah Tamadot, and Villa des Orangers. Villa des Orangers more than Riad Fes, mostly because of the spacious bathroom. Although I loved the rooftop terrace at sunset at Riad Fes – magical. We had the “A” team with guides Mohammed and Hassan and our driver, Youness. They were amazing. I think Mohammed is the best guide I have ever had. He is an amazing storyteller and provided us with a wonderful introduction to Moroccan culture, history, and life. The hikes and hiking guides in the High Atlas Mountains were also exceptional. The cooking class at Palais Amani was really fun. The vegetable tagine was the best tagine we had the entire trip. The lunch we had with Mohammed at Café Nejjarine was the best Moroccan meal we had other than our cooking lesson. A fabulous trip full of great memories with my adult son!
Michael Diamond is superlative and I encourage anyone going to Morocco to utilize his services.
He customized a fantastic honeymoon in Marrakesh for my children from 9/29/17 through 10/1/17. He listened to what they wanted and planned accordingly. The tours, tour guides, and accommodations were fantastic. When we missed our flight from Madrid to Marrakesh we called him at 7 am and he was there and had us fixed up within an hour with our private transport at the airport when we arrived. The kids felt like they got to experience the real Marrakesh and just wished they had more time. I will use Diamond again.
Michael Diamond did a fabulous job with the itinerary, and our guide (Zouhair Aarab) was truly a special guide. He was always on time, very knowledgeable, and very pleasant to be with. He made our trip to Morocco very special. After the trip we feel like to come back to Morocco again and again. Also a very big thank you to Wendy for introducing us to Michael Diamond. This was truly a trip of a lifetime.
I’m not a travel agent—I’m a journalist who has spent the past 30 years reporting on how to travel smarter. To maximize your experience, click to Ask Wendy for a personalized recommendation for trip ideas and custom-trip designers, tailored to your location and preferences.