Morocco Holidays, Marrakech & Essaouira Riads

Very relaxing and enjoyable, our first visit to Morocco and loved it. Riad (Dar El Souk) was wonderful and service brilliant, Maddie and the staff were so friendly and helpful. Food delicious! Highlights: Wandering around in the sunshine soaking up the atmosphere and visiting a Hammam (recommended by Maddie) A bit disappointing: Trip into the foothills booked locally taken to all the honeytraps, should have pre-booked with you as your trips look far more personalized. Jan C March 2011

I just wanted you to know what a fantastic holiday we had in Marrakesh. Riad Akka was lovely and Mbarack very helpfull. We especially loved our trek in the mountains the guide was excellent and we were very lucky with the weather, clear blue skies and sunshine the whole time we were there. All pickups and arrangements were spot on, thank you so much. Christine K Jan 2011

The Rebali Riad was AMAZING! We want to go back now and stay there forever. The chef was fantastic and cooked us an amazing meal on our last night. And his assistant chef was also fab and very kind natured! I wish we had made more effort to learn their names. I hope you can pass on our sincere thanks. The accommodation everywhere else was also fantastic - but not quite with the same wow factor. This isn't a weakness. We were just very spoiled at Rebali. Peter T, Nov 2010

Highlight was camel trek into the desert (although riding a camel is like sitting on a bag full of spanners – very sore bum). The accommodation, food and entertainment (drums and songs from the Bedouin), night sky, sunset and sunrise – fantastic! Also the mountain drive – scenery amazing. Please pass on our thanks to our driver “Ibrahim” who was fantastic! Martin G, Nov 2010

What a brilliant weekend! I just wanted to thank you for organising everything so that it went like clockwork. Riad Timila was perfect for us - wonderfully central yet so peaceful, and we loved the decor. Brahim made us all feel totally at home, and is faultless! Nothing was too much trouble for him and his attention to detail helped to make everything run totally smoothly. A true professional and such a lovely person. We were also very impressed with your drivers. It was a real bonus to be met at the airport and to have all our transfers arranged. The drivers were all great, with immaculate timekeeping, and very warm welcomes. We all enjoyed every aspect of our trip, and it was a great idea to take a break from the bustle of the city with a day in the Atlas. Once again, the organisation was seamless, with a wonderful guide and delicious lunch. Please thank all the people who helped to make my birthday weekend such a success. I am absolutely certain that we will be back - a couple of nights in the desert sound a must for next time!!! Fiona M, Nov 2010

We had two long drives, Marrakech to Fez and Fez to Merzouga. I found advice on the internet that Marrakech to Fez was quicker if you went on the motorway via Casablanca than what looks the most direct route via Beni-mellal. Unfortunately I let myself be persuaded by the manager of the Marrakech Riad that the shorter route was OK. It was a very slow drive, constantly getting stuck behind slow moving traffic and donkey carts. As such it was a very long drive (probably 9h vs the 5.5h that was predicted for the motorway route). The drive from Fez to Merzouga was very straightforward though also long (about 8h). The most difficult part seemed to be getting on the correct road out of Fez where signs aren’t too clear. Fortunately the manager of the Riad gave us good directions. This was also the only day of rain we had which was a shame because I think some of the scenery would have been quite spectacular with clear visibility. I did purchase a good road map of Morocco before we left the UK and I would suggest this is essential for someone driving there as the hire company didn’t provide anything. Rod - Oct 2010

We would like you to know what a fantastic holiday we had in Morocco. It was far better than I had ever dreamed of and as my family had left it all to me to plan, I would have had to suffer their wrath if it had been a total disaster!
We had a fantastic time at Rebali Riads. We can't speak more highly of the staff and their polite and considerate manners. The food was delicious and the standard was always excellent whether it be breakfast or dinner. Everywhere was maintained immaculately which made our stay most pleasant. With this being Nigel's and my first holiday for five years and the first for years that we haven't self-catered, it was such a relaxing time for us all, especially me, not having to do the usual household chores! We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Kandousi and the boys learnt a lot from his cookery lesson. (Me too, but I was washing up as he finished with things!) We chose anchovy’s and sardines (freshly caught, of course) as a starter, followed by goat tagine. It was all delicious. On Kandousi's day off we went to Windy Kaouki, which was pleasant, but we preferred the food that we had at Rebali.
You may remember that you recommended us to stay at Riad Chergui in Marrakech for four nights, and that too was like 'Paradise'. We had a fantastic time there and we were made to feel most welcome. Again the standard of everything was extremely high, which to us is important. We also loved our trek in the Atlas mountains and our guide was great company. We had an excellent lunch too. My sons were very proud of me with all the walking and clambering over rocks, as I have recently had a hip replacement, and they never expected to see me participate in anything so energetic again! We would like to say thank you very much for advising us and booking our accommodation, trek and taxis, which without doubt made our holiday completely care free. We will certainly be very happy to tell everyone what fantastic service we had from Fleewinter, and hopefully we will travel with you again in the future. Again a million thanks. Hermione L October 2010

Alisdair, We had a really good time thank you, we found Morocco intriguing, exciting, worrying and beautiful by turn. Special mentions must go our guide Abdul and his team in the mountains and to Monika and Rafael at Rebali who were excellent. We were treated to a goat feast at Tamarterte for our wedding anniversary and the Nuptial Tent at Jardin D'Issil. All in all a terrific and memorable holiday, our thanks to you and your team. Mark - Aug 2010

Highlights: The culture, friendly people, the feeling of going back in time, the souks and definitely Dar Rocmarra. Museums a must. A good feeling of safety within the medina walls. The driver who collected us from the airport especially helpful - delivered to and collected from Riad. JB June 2010

We have returned from a wonderful trip to Morocco and are so grateful to you! All your arrangements worked like clockwork, which made it all so relaxing for us. We were very well looked after at Rebali Riads and all the family loved staying there. Having a choice of pools as well as having one to ourselves was a real treat. Dinner in the riad was such a success that we did it each evening. We much appreciated the gloriously empty and vast beach and enjoyed long evening walks on it and a hilarious time riding camels. A trip to Essaouira in a bus with all the locals was a fascinating experience. We really felt off the tourist track. What a pleasure it was to stay in the Riad El Zohar. The staff were delightful and so welcoming and helpful. Naima went to great trouble to arrange for our daughter to go riding, which was a huge success and one of the highlights of her trip. The arrangements did not go smoothly, as the taxi driver had difficulty in finding the place and the stables he took us to said they had not received any booking, but they took pity on us when they understood we were returning to London the next day and arranged a ride for her. AP June 2010

We had a lovely short break - we managed to find our way around. The only thing that surprised us a bit, but wasn't at all a problem was how noisy it was in the evening even at 9.30pm - by its location, but would be the same with all Riads, is that as they are down alleyways, kids playing out, Call to Prayer, roosters, animals, people....... all part of the charm. KH - May 2010

We absolutely loved Marrakech. It just has a crazy energy to it that is great to experience. Fes was wonderful, and completely different from Marrakech - it had a very traditional and medieval feel to it, and far less tourists! I think that if we had to choose, we preferred Marrakech, simply because of the that crazy energy and the feel of the place (especially Jemaa El Fna at night!) But we consider ourselves very lucky to have experience both places. I think that the absolute highlight of the trip was the desert tour with Mark. He was a fantastic guide, and we can't rate him high enough. The accommodation and food on the desert trip was fantastic too, and we always felt like it was our holiday, because Mark always gave us the options of where to visit and where to eat etc. Overall, an absolutely superb service from Mark, and we would be extremely happy to recommend his services. I have to say that having done a lot of independent travelling, we were not sure if going through an agency was right for us. Fleewinter has totally exceeded our expectations, and far from taking anything away from the independent travel experience, it simply makes finding all those hidden gems that much easier. Keep up the good work! OG – May 2010

We had tea in Borganvillia cafe near El Zohar and also came across Cafe des Epices which was crowded with mainly English - a very good business overlooking a small square where we bought woolly hats (God knows what for) at 2 for 50 dhs when the starting price was 800. All good fun. Alfassia Aguedal which was on the route de Ourika but still close to Medina. Wonderful food even better than their other restaurant in Gueliz. We visited this hotel on the way back from Ourika Valley and organised a day room and use of the pool with soft drinks and dinner at a package price. Really good idea after a trip to the valley. The City Horse and Cart tour prices have been crossed off at the square where you queue. We decided to barter and walked away at 150dhs. They agreed this price for a 45 minute tour. On the cart itself we saw the price list once boarded at 120 dhs so including a tip we were happy to pay 150dhs. We'd been approached by many touts quoting 250-300 dhs. AP – May 2010

Alisdair took time to listen to our requirements and draw up a suitable itinerary, tweaking it to adapt to our requests as necessary. Communications were prompt and easy-to-understand, and when accommodation proved unavailable, we were intelligently advised on suitable alternatives. The advice and travel guides on the Fleewinter website were also useful pre and post-booking. I would suggest being more upfront about the distance between Sidi Kaouki and Essaouira on the website - in particular for families, who will end up paying a hefty amount for taxis in and out of the port. MS – May 2010

Loved all the Riads. Enjoyed all the exploring in Marrakech and Essaouira. Our day trip to the mountains was great, really good and knowledgeable guide well worth the trip. CF – May 2010

Marrakech – everything about it. And Essaouira – although super windy. But overall a super trip. And I got pregnant!! AB – May 2010

Highlights: Atlas mountains trip..Great meals in Trattoria & Grand Cafe Post in Marrakech. – BW May 2010

Highlights: Marrakech - Djma El Fnaa, Bahia Palace, Jardin Majorelle, Mamounia Hotel (but dress appropriately - no sandals, trainers, shorts etc), Souks, city gardens and the general atmosphere. Outside Marrakech - Ait Benhaddou, Skoura oasis/Palmerie. Area around our hotel, Ellouze, and just walking through the fields along the river A bit disappointing: Marrakech - Badi palace, Dar si said museum, Tanneries J&I April 2010

I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for help in organising this holiday it was very much appreciated. It's one of the best holidays I’ve been on and I don’t usually book with travel agents when I travel so I’m impressed that it all went so well. I would have no problem recommending Fleewinter to my friends if they were looking to book holidays to Morocco. SA - April 2010

Marrakesh: Food stall 34 very good food & very cheap. Souks cheaper nearer main square than further out (not what you would expect but it seemed that the ones further out got less business therefore gave higher prices for the fewer customers they got. Cafe France good for watching sunset but get there early & very touristy. Cafe Epice in middle of souks very nice. Ben Yousseff mosque & musee Marrakesh worth a visit. Jardins Marjorelle & Palais el Badhia worth a visit – peaceful. Local buses not reliable - taxis easier Essaouira: Best to shop here rather than Marrakesh - significantly cheaper, less stressful & locals more friendly. Recommend walking to far end of beach to sand dunes. Cafe Taros - good views of port & mint tea. Cafe la Terrase - good to watch sunset over ramparts. Restaurant Feradouss - very nice traditional Moroccan food. JL - April 2010

Food, particularly the puddings were a little heavy. Fresh fruit salad is best. Also got stung for the wine at £45 and £25 per bottle in a restaurant in the Medina. One of our party misread the menu and thought the wine was very reasonable at £4.50 a bottle - when the bill came it was £45! The guided tour around Marrakesh was excellent. The guide that La Bergerie organised was brilliant and we had a wonderful 2 hour walk in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Definitely want to go back to both places. NT - April 2010

Hi Alisdair. Now back in the snowy Isle of Man, and have searched out our woolly vests and hot-water-bottles again! I cannot thank you enough for organising such a fabulous trip to Morocco for us. Every single second of it was wonderful and Patrick and I enjoyed it so much. Really could not fault a single thing, so I will fill in your questionnaire and hope that it doesn’t look too creepy, or that people will think we are your relatives or something! Just everything was absolutely perfect, and the hotels you chose for us really were lovely, and exactly what we wanted. Obviously Marrakesh medina was a total culture-shock for us, but we survived it, and were so pleased to have experienced it, and managed not to get mangled by any of the millions of motor-scooters and cyclists speeding up and down all the narrow lanes. Favourite modern marketing by very insistent (and very annoying) shopkeeper – “Madame – you come see – cheaper than Primark!”. Classic eh. It was so easy to not have to worry about any travel problems, and all the transfers worked out perfectly, with Abdel as a delightful and helpful driver. (Won’t be sorry when the road from Marrakesh to Essaouira is finished though.......!!) As I had told you, when we are away we like to keep ourselves to ourselves pretty much of the time, and all the places we stayed make us feel so at home and relaxed that we could just do what we liked, when we liked. The rooms were all so comfortable and nothing seemed to be too much trouble for the lovely, friendly, smiley staff. Most evenings we had dinner in the gardens of the hotels, and the food was always good. We did go to Cafe Arabe in Marrakesh on the first part of the hols, and that was very nice. At Ocean Vagabond we tended to loiter around the garden/pool or on our balcony most days, and pop out for a walk and a beer and then back to the garden for the dish-of-the-day most nights as it was a nice simple, delicious meal, and happened to be particularly good value too. We did go out to Taros in the town a couple of nights, and had really excellent steaks. Loved being so near the long sandy beach, and I really enjoyed being to have a swim in the sea in those waves, and then straight back to the hotel to shower and change. All the staff were great, and went to an enormous amount of trouble (to no avail unfortunately but that was not their fault) to try to get the tv channel showing the England/France rugby match for us on the Saturday night. Fascinated by all the football that seemed to go on from early morning until really late at night [on the beach]. We did some shopping in Essaouira, as was must less hassled than Marakesh. What can I say about Dar Zemora!! What an incredible place!!! We were totally speechless when we first arrived, and are so pleased that you suggested that we stay there. The building is incredible, and the furnishings just fascinating. We were so glad that we took the Zahara suite, as we were really able to feel settled there, and having that big terrace and being right next to the pool really made everything so easy. The meals were absolutely fabulous, and once again the staff were really sweet and helpful. We have come back in such good form, which is just what we needed after our last two stressful years. We had such good intentions about making trips to the Atlas Mountains, and doing a cooking-course, but quite honestly we became so laid back; that we were practically comatose, and just spent all our time reading, doing crosswords, swimming or listening to our mp3 players. For us to be doing that sort of thing during the day-time has always seemed rather decadent, but we managed to get used to it very, very quickly without feeling too guilty. So we will just have to go again won’t we. So, again, thank you so much for all your help. Everything from the first moment I contacted you has gone so smoothly, and I really look forward to doing something with you in the future. PC – April 2010