I was blessed with having great guides. Following a 5-star review on Trip Advisor, I chose Morocco Countryside Tours and corresponded with them by email prior to leaving the US. Said, the owner always replied promptly, answering every question I had - and I had many! I hired the guides first for a one-day trip to Chefchaouen, (the blue city in northern Morocco), thinking I'd get to know them and decide if I could feel comfortable with them on a 3-day trip through the countryside and into the desert. I did, so a couple of days later, we left on our road trip. They picked me up at the residence of my friends in Fes and off we went. Often stopping for photos, we also made a lunch stop each day. Since Youssef (the driver) and Hmad (the guide) were Muslim and observing Ramadan, they were fasting - so while I had lunch, they disappeared for an hour or so and had a nap. The first night, they dropped me off at the edge of the desert where I joined a camel caravan, and they went to break their fast at the home of a relative who lived nearby. I spent an amazing night at Bivouac Azawad, a luxury camp in the desert. The following day we continued on our tour through the countryside, climbing the Atlas Mountains, and staying overnight at the lovely Hotel Xaluca Dades near the Dades Gorge. The third day we continued toward Marrakech, where they dropped me off at my small intimate hotel, the Riad Idra. The cost of the two night's (1st class/luxury) accomodations, breakfasts, and dinners along the 3-day trip were included in the very reasonable tour price, which also, of course, included the costs of the vehicle and the 2 guides. My only expenses were my lunch and any other personals I wished to buy. Here's a photo of one of the roadside markets and my guides….I give this company 5-stars and recommend them to family and friends….check out their website; they offer many different kinds of tours.
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