Jamal's tour was the gem of our entire visit in Morocco. We hope to return the favor to him someday if he makes it out to California. I discovered Jamal here, on TripAdvisor, after reading all of the stellar reviews, and we are truly indebted for the recommendation. I mean it when I say his tour was the highlight of our trip to Morocco! None of our other tours lived up to his. He also has a heart of gold and integrity.
Communication with him was super easy, friendly, and fast! He emailed me back within 24 hours of reaching out to him and was able to confirm a tour date with us immediately, which he fulfilled with us mid-July. I had a hefty list of what I wanted to see in Fes before arriving, and he said "no problem!" My list included the Medina, souk, tannery, lunch in the medina, rooftop views, the madrasa, and Jnan Sbil; he absolutely delivered, and went above and beyond, spending hours extra time with us with no extra charge. I want to add that Jamal is super friendly and has noteworthy integrity as well because he protected us from tourist traps and kept our safety his priority. When we went to the UNESCO Heritage Chouara Tannery, for example, which is free to visit, he took time to sincerely assure us before we went in that although they would try to sell us items inside, we should not be pressured at all to buy anything; he told us that he would be in the lobby area if we needed help bargaining and gave us ballparks of what items usually went for, which saved us from paying an arm and a leg. I want to reinforce, genuinely, how much integrity Jamal has. When we returned to our Riad with shopping bags 9 hours later, our concierge was so worried that we had been scammed and that we had had one of those tour guides that takes you into stores who upsell tourists. When we told her how much we paid for everything between ceramic objects, leather, and woven pillow covers, she said, "Wow, actually, you got some great deals!" Our concierge told us that most tourists come back and are overcharged on items they buy, but she made a point to say that Jamal was the first guide she had heard of outside of the riad's recommendations who was a man of gold for not seeking extra benefits for himself on our tour, and she asked for his name to provide guests a recommendation for him, which says a lot! I also went onto Google to see how much these items go for online, and can vouch that we did, indeed, get the best prices! Additionally, he kept us safe. While visiting the old Jewish Quarter next to the palace, Jamal asked us to halt as we were walking and said we should turn around. As we started walking the other way, he said that usually he doesn't take us back out the same way we came, but he noticed strange behavior among the locals and it seemed that a fight had started between two men, which the women were watching, so he got us out of there as quickly as possible so as to keep us safe.
Now, let me tell you about the tour! Not only did we get a full tour of the Medina, but Jamal also gave us nuanced local experiences, tours of the palace gardens, the Royal gate, panoramic views, and all of the information you could ask for! As a historian, I had done a lot of research already, but Jamal exceeded my expectations with his historical knowledge of Morocco and Fes. He definitely knew his history! We had a lovely back and forth conversation about the history of Morocco, from the 12th century to present. At the start of our tour, he met us promptly at our Riad and walked us into the Medina upon its opening. We started in the souk and made our way past food merchants and their opening routine, which was a lovely time of day since it was cool and we beat the traffic. One of our first engagements was a visit with an alchemist of mint tea, who genuinely had the best of all 30-something mint teas we had in Morocco! It was this hole in the wall place up steep tiny steps on top of shops in the Medina, and the alchemist was the sweetest man with the BEST tea! We proceeded through the souk, which branched off into a few other markets - I forget what they're called (one for non-food, everyday items, and another for clothing). We had guided tours arranged through the UNESCO Chouara Tannery, a local reputable weaving workshop (loom photo attached), and Art Naji (renown historical ceramics workshop), which was/am super excited about. My father was an architect and I grew up around stone and ceramics, so I was stoked to go through this workshop and could tell that the products were of excellent quality. If I still worked in architecture, I would highly recommend these products to my clients, and I will recommend this workshop and it's products to friends and anyone who is interested. I just want to reinforce the nuances of this trip because there were so many of them. We went into a baker's kitchen, several artisan workshops (all of which were internationally renown), a mint tea alchemist's lab, and UNESCO sites, all within the Medina itself, which is a complex and fascinating labyrinth. With Jamal, we also had a smooth experience with the price negotiations dance.
At the end of the day, he took us to the highest point in the city for some spectacular panoramic views. It was a lovely way to end the day together. He then escorted us to our dinner reservations, which we had made separately. He was so kind as to ask for them to escort us home through the medina since it was otherwise a maze for us, especially at night. The whole day felt surreal. Not only had we had this incredible local experience, but I walked away with a trove of knowledge, brilliant photos with my Nikon, a list of local places to return to, gifts for friends and family, and a new friend, with Jamal. He truly is a gem of a person, and he is what made Morocco accessible and great for us. Not once did I feel clawed at by merchants or uncomfortable. My fiance and I felt safe the whole time and we walked away with the gift of meeting other Moroccans who were kind and hospitable, just like him.
In sum, I grant Jamal Elhadi my highest possible recommendation and will say that your visit to Fes will be the most memorable for positive reasons in his hands. Thank you, Jamal! :)