lindasO6341VU
20 Dec 2019
This has been the highlight of our Moroccan holiday so far. Dris our guide looked after us the whole way. We hiked as high as 2600m. Due to a change in weather he gave us a different option which we decided to accept. Our accommodation onfirst night was luxury the second night was simple and just what we wanted, in a quaint village with chooks and goats around us. We were always warm, well fed with lovely Tangines, bread of course, coffee, tea and fresh salads. I cannot praise this your enough. Fantastic!!!!!
Nassim was our local tour guide on this 3 day trip through the valleys and we were accompanied by Ibrahim the cook and a mule. Where shall I start? This trip was just amazing! Nassim was super friendly, helpful and funny. He is a very knowledgeable guide and safety always had top priority. Ibrahim spoilt us 3 times a day with heathly fresh local food.
My friend and I enjoyed every single minute! We were blown away by the landscape we walked through and the amazing views we had across the valleys. If you like hiking, this is a must do trip while you are in Morocco
We are so so happy with our experience with Omar, Astara tours, our guide Nassim and our muleteer Mohamed. We are already thinking about how we can go back in Spring!
First, Omar was super responsive and professional before our trip. I had a lot of questions and he always responded within a day, before and after we officially booked. We communicated seamlessly via email and WhatsApp. He was so helpful every step of the way, even a few days after our trek ended when we were back in Marrakech and going back to the airport.
On the first day after getting picked up at our Riad, he introduced us to his cousin and our trek guide, Nassim. What can we say about Nassim? He was an incredible guide: we had tea in his village with his aunt's family, he taught us so much about Berber and Moroccan culture, he adapted the trek to our goals, and was just great company all around. He was super professional, positive, and informative. We had such a valuable personal & cultural exchange with him and feel lucky to call him a new friend.
Day one: met our guide, visited a small Berber village, had fresh squeezed orange juice in the mountain pass, began our ascent up into the mountains, met a goat herd, hiked up to the peak and had incredible views before hiking down into a neighbouring valley and next Berber village where we stayed the night.
Mohamed, our muleteer, was also so incredible to have with us on our trek. His cooking skills are exceptional! And he has the sweetest, cutest mule that carried all of our stuff. Honestly our first lunch in the mountain pass was the best food I had in Morocco up to that point, and we had been in Marrakech eating good food for the previous 2 days. We always had fresh vegetables, bread, tea, and a hot dish (lentils, tajine, couscous) for lunch on the trek and at night we had tasty soup and a different hot dish. Everything was fresh and high quality. For breakfast we had crepes, jam, yogurt, and Berber eggs. Really we ate so well on the trek, better than we could have imagined. Not only was Mohamed a great chef, he was also so lovely to speak with and full of interesting stories and history. He and Nassim have a great connection so it was great to be around them.
Day 2: 7 hours trekking, more tea stops with beautiful views, another tasty lunch, great balance of hearty exercise and breaks. We ended in a beautiful small village where we were able to have a traditional Berber hammam-- highly recommened after two days of trekking, and so different from the hammams you will find in Marrakech.
Day 3: 5 hours trekking, more fresh squeezed orange juice (really the OJ is spectacular up there), last lunch with Mohamed, a waterfall, finally going to Imlil where Nassim took us to a local rug shop where rugs are better quality and less expensive than in Marrakech. Saying goodbye to Nassim and Mohamed was so hard! Then our driver transferred us to our next hotel.
Overall, a memorable, perfectly executed trek. We wouldn't have changed anything. Highly recommended if you're looking to get some exercise, see gorgeous nature, and learn about Berber culture. Bring a camera, a book, warm clothes for nighttime, and book it!