Our trekking/Sahara adventure was the perfect addition to our trip In Morocco. The pre trip organisation with Mohamed was seamless - he was quick to respond, informative and helpful. The trip itself was nothing short of incredible. The scenery was outstanding, some of the most beautiful landscapes we have seen in travelling the world. The trek was tailored to our ability, so we were pushed but nothing beyond our scope. The trek was really embedded in the local area, and so was a truly unique experience which meant we saw parts of Morocco that you wouldn’t normally see if sticking to the cities.
The true star of the show was our guide, Hassan. He was beyond what we could and would expect in terms of a guide. Not only did he have local expert knowledge and answered all our questions regarding the area, culture and traditions, he was thoughtful, kind and truly made our experience an unforgettable one. He pushed us on our trek, checked in with us regularly, chatted with us and also allowed us to have time to take in the experience. He assisted in creating an unforgettable and unique experience. We want to thank him so much for making our trip so memorable.
In addition to all of this the cook Lasan that accompanied us on the trip was outstanding and the food was local authentic and absolutely delicious.
If you are thinking about a trekking adventure to the Berber Atlas Mountains area look no further and book with Trekking in Morocco!
If you're looking to support an indigenous, local, sustainable, responsible and accommodating organization, look no further. Mohamed and his team are incredible. They strive to meet your needs and comforts and check in often to hear and incorporate your feedback and preferences into the trek planning. By supporting this organization you are directly supporting the livelihood of dozens of people, from your guide to the donkey driver, baggage carriers, drivers, restaurant owners and riad staff, and their entire families. I would happily take any trip with this organization again.
My father (65) and I (25) had originally planned a 5-day trek, 3 days up and down Toubkal, 2 in the Sahara. Not only were we able to rent snow gear, sleeping bags, and more appropriate hiking boots upon arrival, when we reached the refuge on Toubkal at the end of Day 1 and realised that my father would not be able to continue the trip up the mountain, Mohamed and our wonderful guide Abdullah worked out an alternate plan for us, at no additional cost. We returned the next day to spend two nights at a beautiful riad in the valley near Imlil, taking a walking tour around the local berber communities (where all the guides are sourced from), and a shorter "Three Valleys" 3-hour day hike to see stunning views of Toubkal from below. Our guide Abdullah was great, professional and attentive to my older father's needs. He made sure we were taken care of and carried our water and heavier items when it was clear we would struggle. He offered great ideas for alternate plans, insights into local life, attentiveness to our needs on the trail, and also respectfully gave us space to ourselves when it seemed like we needed it. You also know everyone is local, because you can't walk through the village with them by your side without waves and hellos from people they've known their whole lives!
The food during the mountain trek was handmade by workers at mountain stops on Toubkal, and by our wonderful riad host Hassan near Imlil, who incorporated our preferences into the meals. The accomodation in Imlil itself was perfect, warm in winter with tons of tea and absolutely incredible views of the surrounding mountains. I had several deep discussions with Mohamed and Abdullah about life and the challenges the community faces, and they related how their organization works to connect the local community with international visitors, allowing them to support local needs through volunteering efforts as part of their mountain trek, but only if they demonstrate a sustained commitment to the project. This is as local as a service can get, and absolutely not commercialized like many are.
While the Sahara portion of our trip was slightly disappointing (None of it Mohamed's fault, but the way the land itself is managed: very touristy visit to the dunes, tons of other groups on camels, ATV tracks all over the sandunes), the journey there really gives you a taste of Moroccan life outside the city. You experience a variety of berber villages, while seeing stunning scenery of both natural and manmade beauty on the way to the desert. Our driver was kind and courteous over the long journey, and Mohamed went out of his way to accomodate us with perfectly planned eatery stops and comfortable accomodation.
Overall I could not recommend this organization more highly, and would gladly take another trip with them (as Mohamed has offered to me, since I did not make it to the top of Toubkal as intended), in a heartbeat. Book your trip now!
alejandronature
30 Jan 2020
Mi pareja y yo escogimos 3 días en el Atlas subiendo al Toubkal y 3 días hacia el desierto de Merzouga. Ha sido el mejor viaje de nuestra vida, exactamente lo que íbamos buscando.
Nuestro guía los 6 días fue Mohamed, un guía muy profesional, hablaba español, inglés, francés... Muy educado y atento a cada segundo a todos los detalles para que nos sintiéramos a gusto. Él nos hizo sentir súper bien y nosotros nos sentimos muy seguros, nos encantó que siempre adaptaba todo a nuestras peticiones y siempre estaba con una sonrisa en la boca. Le hemos cogido mucho cariño. El cocinero Abdul nos hizo una comida riquísima y siempre la tenía preparada cuando llegábamos. Dormimos 2 noches en un Riad cerca de Imlil donde Hassan fue un anfitrión perfecto, cocinó super bien y pudimos hablar mucho con él junto a la chimenea. Cuando fuimos a Merzouga paramos en Aib Ben Haddou, valle de las rosas, ouarzazate, valle del dades, gargantas del todra y Hisan el conductor también fue educado.
Sin duda durante los 6 días nos sentimos como reyes, nos trataron súper bien y Mohamed siempre estuvo atento a nosotros, lo recomendaría 100%.