Family Desert Holiday in Morocco

Hi Lisa,

Sorry for the late reply - I blissfully didn’t check emails while we were away.

Well I must say - THANK YOU. That was a seamlessly organised, mind-blowing trip! It was everything we dreamed of and so much more.

The hotels, people and places were magical. We just loved every single moment of that totally epic adventure.

We will be back in touch when we are ready for our next one!

Thank you so much and well done for such a brilliantly organised trip.

Sarah x

Suzie G reviewing Family Desert Holiday in Morocco on 27 July 2022

Flights with Royal Air Maroc both good, even 30 min early arrival in Marrakech. Transfers to/from hotels smooth (in spite of late hour arriving on the way there).

Treks in the Atlas Mts were superb in the spring. The Tassoult Valley was a treat for the senses, with wild flowers, tree blossom, birds (including nightingales every few hundred metres up the valley),rock formations and the frequent river-crossings. Not to mention the friendly local Berbers riding their mules to work, the children walking to school, women and children in colourful clothing. Magdaz was fascinating, with mint tea served on the roof of the agdz(?) or storage towerhouse, by the kind owner's daughter, complete with views of the mountains. There were few signs of other tourists, but this may change soon as the new access road nears completion. There were some interesting driving experiences through the river in the mean time!

The desert trek and camp near Oulad Driss made for another fascinating experience. Because it was pre-desert, with a mix of dunes and vegetation, there was more of interest than a true desert. Desert plants, insects and birds, sunset and sunrise made for some very photogenic moments. Add three camels and our two sons (aged 12 and 18) to the journey for further entertainment. The boys voted this the best part of the holiday. Shame it was only 2 days. The highlight was, for some, a camel spider in the tent, bottled and then examined and released the next morning. Some found it hard to get to sleep that evening!

Ait Benhaddou and Telouet provided a more historical slant on Morocco, ably escorted and informed by our guide Rasheed. The link between Ait Benhaddou and the film industry is a well- known attraction, but I will remember it equally for finding my first wild scorpion! Telouet is more remote, and just as interesting, and is accompanied by strikingly-coloured rock formations en route to Marrakech.

Marrakech is very much an acquired taste. It took us 24 hours to get used to the Medina and the souks, although we never actually got lost. Finding our way around (fairly) successfully, learning to ignore hassling vendors and haggling with others were all satisfying achievements. Recommended places/activities would include Palais La Bahia, Maison Tiskiwine, the Artisan zone on the western edge of the Medina, just wandering around the souks and market areas (especially the northern bits), and of course the Café de France terrace overlooking the main square (Place Jemaa-el-Fna) in the evening. Although some of the vendors were a slight nuisance, we did not feel threatened at any time. Some vendors will need to work on their patter, however. Being told by a waiter that we were a skinny family so we needed a meal at his restaurant was amusing rather than persuasive!

Travelling by 4x4 in Morocco was generally a good experience. Road surfaces were variable, according to how remote the area was, but we were too busy being distracted by the scenery to be bothered by any potential discomfort. The only slight trepidation felt was when one driver we had seemed to be playing 'chicken' with oncoming vehicles, on the single lane desert road heading towards M'hamid. Otherwise the driving was smooth and very considerate, especially on the rougher roads.
Accommodation was very good. We were made to feel welcome everywhere. The hostel at Ait ali n Itto was basic, and could have done with the hot water actually being hot, but we accepted that this goes with the territory in a remote area. All the riads we stayed in were very hospitable and generally provided good facilities. Riad Caravane at Ait Benhaddou and Dar Hanane in Marrakech were especially good quality, and welcome after roughing it for the previous 4 or 5 days. Eating breakfasts on the terraces in the mornings while watching the Atlas birdlife, or listening to the Imams in Marrakech successfully calling the faithful to prayer, was memorable.

Our guide, cooks and drivers were all excellent. Rasheed our guide was exceptional. He entered into the family spirit really easily, was a goldmine of information wherever we were, smoothed the way for us on many occasions. This included helping my lack of balance (due to a bout of labyrinthitis) by making a walking stick from a sapling so I could get across the Tassoult river without falling in. He acted as nurse for cuts and blisters on a number of occasions. His thoughtfulness and anticipation could not be faulted. He also seemed to have a very good rapport with the locals he needed to deal with. He was flexible enough to accept my idea of eating a takeaway picnic at an oasis near Zagora when returning from the desert. Abraham our first cook was much appreciated for his huge breakfasts, picnic lunches on trek, snacks on return and evening tajines. We were sad to see him leave us after 3 days. All tips given were easily merited. Thanks to Tourdust for giving us some ballpark advice on this.
So overall a marvellous Moroccan family adventure, scoring a big 5 out of 5. I wish we could do it all over again, and then some more.

Marcus C reviewing Family Desert Holiday in Morocco on 18 June 2014

Dar Thania was great - good location and Momo (the manager) was brilliant. Only comment here (and it was not a problem for us!) was that the itinerary said the whole riad but there were other people staying there throughout our time there. As I say, it did not impact on us but the boys are not the quietest. breakfast was great and they were very flexible with timing. Rooms were lovely.

The desert camp was amazing. The drive there was tough but once there, it was definitely worth it! Not sure they really got vegetarian food (but food was generally great) but that is not uncommon. Sundowners overlooking the dunes will be tough to beat! We went on a camel trek and the boys spent a lot of time running down sand dunes and trying to sand board. Our driver was good (Toufic) - on the way out there, he took us to Ait Ben Haddou and on to Ouarzazate for the day and we had a couple of extra 'cultural' stops on the way out.

Overall, everyone arrived when they should and only comments are as above. Overall five out of five for the trip.

Thank you so much for your help with organising this. I don't think 2 weeks on a beach will cut it next year!

Nicola W reviewing Family Desert Holiday in Morocco on 18 November 2013

Overall the trip went really well, we are certainly happy about your choices and organization -- and if you knew us well, you'd know that is really an achievement (it's our first time on a trip arranged by "others").

- Riad Wo : great place and wonderful host: Elsa is always present but never invasive, and is extremely helpful and available; impeccable

- Ksar Ighnda is a striking hotel, and the apt was very comfortable and appreciated after that trip leg; as a minor thing, of all places, however, the attempts to appease "westerners" is the only negative (piano bar with US/European music during dinner was really out of place - on the other side, anyway, the lamb and eggplants the last night there were fabulous! The rest, courteous and professional throughout)

- Dar Sidi Bounou: Nancy, Said, Raika, Ibrahim,the other people and the place will stay with us as the highlight of the tour. The experience was like being guests at the house of someone from Morocco, and truly left warm and deep memories - conversation with Nancy has been very interesting and instructive, and Said in particular is exceptionally good and caring. Curiously, the main deviations from the trip plan happened there, with the first night being planned for a "room" but actually spent in a berber tent(not sure Nancy thought that was the better thing to do, but we had not prepared our luggage/stuff for that setup, nor our minds... Our fault was however not telling Nancy about it, not sure why -- I'm sure she'd have obliged and moved us to a room. Also, that night, a pack of stray dogs 'camped' around the area, and barked all night, keeping me awake -- we only think that Nancy, who's obviously fond of dogs, shouldn't perhaps try to rescue or adopt what comes around (one of the dogs she had taken care of was the 'lead barker' against the pack I guess). Finally, the desert ride was not were the plan said (wild camping) but it was decided to go to a bivouac (the reason was the day before had been windy)-- it did go well overall, but as the other episodes, these options should be probably anticipated in the plan, just to be clear and set expectations. To reiterate however, this was the best part of our trip anyway, given the overall experience of the two days and the people.

- Dar Qamar: all smooth and very lovely there; we had the right place at the right time, taking a chance to relax and recover a bit before the trip back. The setting is quite striking, in the town' medina, mixing up with local people as you walk out (kids in particular), and the palm groves are one of the most surprising beauties we discovered

- a mention of Mohammed, who was essentially impeccable and responsive

- and finally, the places (to visit, I mean: Telouet, Ait Ben Haddou, M'Hamid and Agdz) you selected on the trip were thoroughly interesting and fascinating, just the types I would have selected myself.

Good job!

Stefano O reviewing Family Desert Holiday in Morocco on 09 July 2013

We had the most amazing time. It exceeded all my hopes of what the trip would be. The guides, the hotels - everything was of such a wonderful quality. Thank you for organizing everything. I will absolutely recommend Tourdust and use you again.

Claudia L reviewing Luxury Desert Holiday on 11 January 2024

Thank you, Lisa! Our trip was wonderful even with the weather disruption. We loved seeing so many different parts of the country, meeting people and experiencing the culture. The desert was surely a highlight for our boys and the creativity and artisanship of everything from food to crafts were a highlight for me. A special shout out to our guide and driver, they became a special part of our trip and we will forever be grateful for meeting them and learning from them. I cannot believe we had to wait three years for this adventure but it was certainly worth the wait! Thanks for all your help building the itinerary, modifying it and troubleshooting during our stay. Leslie B

Leslie B reviewing Luxury Desert Holiday on 01 March 2023

We had a wonderful trip to Morocco. What a fascinating country. Thank you so much for all of your help making things smooth and less stressful!

Here are a few things we wanted to pass on:

Dar Housnia was absolutely delightful. It was like an entire wing of a house to ourselves with perfect Moroccan decor. The private area where we ate was so cute, the riad staff so accommodating. I loved waking in the cozy space with our family and hearing both call to prayer as well as roosters. Just perfect.

I was a little unclear how to ask what time we were being picked up etc, but your office promptly replied to my emails - even on weekends- when we had these questions about transport times. Once, we met our guide in Imlil these details we not problematic as our guide “Abraham” totally took care of us. Abraham was awesome. You should definitely request him again in the future. He was young (29)and energetic. He had a ton of hiking experience in Imlil as he was from there. He also seemed to know everything else about morocco, the desert, the culture, etc, etc. He was approachable, kind, patient, great with our kids and answered SO MANY of our questions.

The hike was lovely - after rain the day prior in Marrakech - there was snow in the mountains. It was gorgeous. We may have been up for a longer hike up Mt Taboukel if I had known this was a realistic option for families ( I thought from reading that it was too technical for us). Yet not sure we had enough days for all these things always since getting in the desert was a priority.

The mountain house, Dar adar, was just as described… very basic. The wifi was broken (which was a nice break when you have pre-teens addicted to phones, plus my husband called no wifi an amenity to not be available by email for his work!)). There was no heat and the fireplace helped a tad - but was so very cold in the rooms. My husband loved the rustic space, I may have gone up one step in niceness of mountain accommodation if I had to do it over again. Yet, meeting the other families in this Dar Adar (including another Tourdust family from England) made this house very memorable.

We were then joined by our driver for the next several days, Jamal. What a fun guy and a perfect driver. He could joke with my kids, he had a fun smile, and he had worked with Abraham before so they were a great team. The drive to desert was long as I knew it would be. It was nice to have the stop on way there near Ait Ben Haddu. The drive back from desert was long. It was more near 10 hours of driving (plus 1 hour at lunch = 11 hours) but I wouldn’t have made any different choices.

The luxury desert camp was far and away the highlight of our trip. The tents were adorable, I was sufficiently warm even at night inside the tent. We loved the camel riding, the ATV vehicles at a nearby camp, sunsets on the dunes, music around the camp fire, meals with others at the camp and more.

The last night was at Riad Jona. This was so very very lovely. The food was amazing - such a good idea to eat here after our long drive back to Marrakech. They had a small dining pool plus a hot tub which was delightful. It was almost more of a boutique hotel as it had several rooms.

Gwyneth R reviewing Luxury Family Desert Adventure on 11 December 2018

It was totally awesome!! Climbing the Toubkal summit by moonlight is just breathtaking!!! Yes it was absolutely freezing and so glad I took layers of thermals and hat and gloves!!

The Riads you booked were great, we both loved them, although we preferred the second Kasbah in Imlil we stayed in to the Kasbah Toubkal on our first night, our room was great especially after being in hostels for several nights!! Boy were they cold!!!!

El Fenn is fabulous, Lilly Allen had been staying with her band that week and left the day we arrived! Love that place, we are planning to go back next year! Caravanne was like walking into a little boutique hotel, loved that place as well.

There's something special about the mountains, loved it!

The desert camp was really well organised, although to be honest I think two nights are enough as there is not a lot to do and it is blisteringly hot by 9.00!! But we were looked after really well and had my first glass of wine for two weeks, went down very well!!! The sundowners were so much fun, especially trying to walk through the dunes after a couple of wines!!

Really great adventure and thank you so much for putting such a fab trip together for us!

Liz R reviewing Sahara, Souks and Mountains Explorer on 14 October 2015

We had a a wonderful time in Morocco. We were delighted with our guide Mustapha. He was a brilliant pairing for us as he tuned into what we liked and didn't, taught us lots about history, culture and geology and really looked after us at all times. I would recommend him to anyone in the future. Hamid our muleteer and Sayed our driver were also excellent.

We loved the itinerary that Rebecca put together for us. She was right about how much we could fit in and so we will have to return another time to try Essaouria!

Apart from the additional bed-fellows during the trekking (which was in itself a learning experience!), we were really happy with all our accommodation. We loved the fact they were small, often family run and that the staff would look after you completely. It was so reassuring to see the clear process of quality assurance by Tourdust. It was great to meet Anna at Riad Adore and to know that the company really is passionate about its customers having a great time and the lengths they go to test that for themselves.

We were really happy with the service we got from Tourdust which can be best described as friendly, efficient and expert. The team showed genuine interest in us and our trip and I felt that Rebecca was almost as excited as we were by the time all arrangements were in place. The information pack provided was invaluable too and I must admit I printed the lot because it turned out to be more useful than guidebooks. We usually travel independently and like to do so. We'd forgotten how relaxing it can be to have someone do all the hard work of planning and scheduling and even making a decision of where to stop for lunch. I'm certain that these things made the holiday the special experience that it was.

I am struggling to think of just one thing which could have been improved. The only thing I can think of is to add 'hat and gloves' to the itinerary for the Toubkal summit. Although I think this is included in the winter trekking advice, I don't think its listed otherwise. It was darn cold up there due to the wind chill, but Mustapha had a spare pair so I was ok. If I missed it on the list then apologies.

We will definitely be using Tourdust again and look forward to hearing about any new destinations that you add (we are interested in Cuba next!!)

Matthew M reviewing Sahara, Souks and Mountains Explorer on 10 November 2014

We have just returned from Morocco after a splendid trip. Thank you very much for organizing such an excellent trip. The planning and detail put into every aspect of the trip was very obvious and ensured we had such a great holiday.
The four days trekking were superb, culminating in our ascent to the top of Mount Toubkal with its spectacular views and breathtaking scenery. Our guide, Yusuf, was very able and professional and we were particularly impressed by our cook, Abdullah, who produced excellent food, meal after meal, without exception.
We were also impressed by the very high standard of accommodation, particularly Kasbah Ellouze and Dar Hannane whose manager, Mohamed, and assistant manager, Azziz, were incredibly friendly and helpful.
Purely for information and feedback purposes, the only slight hiccup, in an otherwise flawless holiday, was the fact that the driver we had for the two day trip to Ait Benhaddou had little or no English.
Once again, thank you so much for all the planning and detail you put into this trip. As per your e mail, on a score out of five, we would award five out of five to Tourdust and would have no hesitation in thoroughly recommending your company to any prospective traveller.
None of us are on Facebook but please feel free to use any of the above comments in any of your promotional material.
We would love to use Tourdust again in any future trips and with that in mind look forward to being in touch with you both again.

Charles F reviewing Sahara, Souks and Mountains Explorer on 06 October 2014

The trip was fantastic and we felt like we had been away for a month rather than a week!

Dar Vedra was outstanding and perfect for the souks and the main square. The service was very attentive and the apartment was wonderful with big, fluffy towels and great breakfasts, with brilliant coffee. The only issue there was the call to prayer which seems to be right above you at 5 in the morning, being so close to the mosque. You get used to it but it is very loud.

The driver (Said) was very good but the journeys took significantly longer than expected. It took us 12 hours to get to the desert rather than 10 and he did seem to take his time often when it was safe to pick up the pace. On the way to Kasbah Azul from the desert it took 7 hours rather than 5. This was partly due to there being a sand storm but it seemed to be a theme. We ended up mentally adding a few hours to the proposed times.

He also seemed to stop for lunch at the regular tourist haunts where all the other drivers congregated and there was an expensive set menu for substandard fare. It's tricky to avoid when you don't know the area but maybe it would be useful to offer info on the best places to stop for food en route.

The desert camp was brilliant and I can't praise it enough. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was wonderful and we felt very much at home. It is the perfect size. Nick was there when we visited and he says hello.

Kasbah Azul was so-so. I was not impressed with the service or the atmosphere to be honest, although it has a nice pool. I was glad it was only an overnight stop.

Riad Caravane was beautiful and the decor, service, views and location were all wonderful. There was a mosque next door but thankfully they were quiet at night!

Overall it was fantastic. Thanks for all your help in making this happen.

alex c reviewing Luxury Family Desert Adventure on 10 April 2014

he trek in the atlas mountains was amazing. We think this was our favourite part of the trip as you could really appreciate the beautiful natural and different landscapes that Morocco has to offer. Our accommodation was great. Douar Samra is just so nice. We never wanted to say goodbye to such a cozy and beautiful place. Mohamed, our guide and Rashid the cook where great companion during all the trek and we really felt comfortable with them. The accommodation during the trek was good as well as we got the feeling for a little more of adventure and less luxury, we where actually looking for that so we founded it great to get outside our comfort zone. The actual trek was very good and it went from easy to hard in the following days. We really had a sense of accomplishment after the last day which was demanding because of the snow.

The stay in Marrakech was very nice. We really liked our accommodation there (Dar Hannae). The perfect description for that place is a peaceful oasis in the middle of a beautiful and hectic city. The staff(Mohamed and Aziz) there are amazing and made us feel like home.

The Desert Camel trek was very beautiful as well. Even though we had a lot of time travelling in the car, Hassan, our guide again and Driver made the trip nice. The accommodation in the Dra Valle was very nice and we happened to notice that Mohamed changed it for us in the last minute so we could had a more pleasant stay. Dinner that day was spectacular. Even thought the desert is a must do it does feel like a more worn out and popular tourist trip.

In general we loved the trip and we are very happy with Tourdust. We always felt like you guys where taking care of us and always trying to get the best out of the trip.

Victor R reviewing Sahara, Souks and Mountains Explorer on 19 March 2014

Just wanted to send a note saying we had a wonderful time...the staff and hospitality were fantastic! Our kids had an amazing time. We enjoyed every riad, kasbah, tent and meal you reserved for us! I will recommend this tour to friends!

Christopher P reviewing Luxury Family Desert Adventure on 11 January 2014

We have had a brilliant time away, and our Morocco experience was fantastic.

The specifics:

Trek Guide: Rachid. Fantastic 5/5. Very nice young fellow who was very attentive to Sally who was fighting off a bug during the trek, and managed the pace to ensure that she and Lucy finished it. His English was also very reasonable and we were able to communicate fairly well during the two days. (Our command of the Berber language on the other hand is still surprisingly rusty but we managed to get a few expressions under our belt alhumdulillah!). We enjoyed the walk very much but really had no idea what to expect. Given the gradients and altitude, it would have been rated medium at least but probably hard in the Australian bushwalking guides - but I had a chuckle when Rachid said that it was easy! and we do some hard walks here at home. Whilst it's reasonably high at 2500m for people accustomed to living at sea level, the impact was only marginal, though our son Ben did have a headache for most of it. A little more information in your guide about expectations would assist (and I'm thinking here of people like us who weren't travelling to Morocco just to walk). The accommodation was very basic but fine given where we were and what we were up to. It was extremely cold of course but Rachid arranged for some blankets to augment the sleeping bags and we were fine. The sleeping bags were also perfectly fine by the way and looked hardly used - they were just extremely thin, without the blankets they would have been hopeless! The village was an awe inspring glimpse into the past - biblical housing with satellite dishes!

Driver: Yusef. Fine 3/5. Completely different character to Rachid though. It's a challenge for sure to keep the conversation up for six days when your Darija is as rough as ours and the English is not so good - but this is getting picky given where we were.

Accommodation:
Dar Hanane - fantastic - probably best of the lot - 5/5. Felt like home. Stuart and Mandy very welcoming and key staff were excellent.
Kasbah bab Ourika - 3/5. Why? Being rated at 5 star and given the tariff, our expectations were of course high. It was very nice, but for the money you might expect a bit more polish or something. It certainly had a feeling of subservience in relation to the staff - having come from Dar Hanane where the staff were all happy and relaxed, Bab Ourika had a comepletely different feel. The food was also very average. Sally says she could cook at the same standard at home!!
Dar Adrar - 4/5 Great. Very neat and tidy - great service - nice homely feel.
Kasbah Ellouze - 4/5. Again very nice. Sally did notice holes and stains on the sheets(!) but overall very nice and great service. It wasn't ask clean as other places.
Dar Sidi Buono (M'Hamid) - 3/5 - a bit tired but again OK for what it is. Nancy was lovely - very engaging and enchanting and service from the staff was OK.
Luxury Desert Camp (erg Chigaga)- 4.5/5. Brilliant concept, very novel accommodation, terrific service. BoBo was brilliant - very interesting and engaging individual who could just about write the text book on marketing and customer service. The food we ate here was about the best we had in Morocco. To produce that kind of fare in a tent kitchen was a miracle although both Ben and Sally ended up with food poisoning following the desert but not sure where it came from. Interesting for you to note this just in case anyone else reports it.
Dar Qamar (Agdz) - 4/5 - just a bit out of the way - so tricky to get back into town without a car. We would have walked if Sally and Ben were feeling better.

Service and Advice from Tourdust:
This was always going to be a challenge given that we couldn't walk into your office to discuss things, but overall I think everything was just fine. We didn't have a hitch and you or Anna were available for a chat when we needed it - we just needed to be organised with the specific questions needing answering.
Mohammed was also very professional and helpful on the ground and was available by phone when needed. He also went out of his way to organise for Ben's fleece top to be collected from Agdz when he had left it at Dar Qamar - very much appreciated.

That's it! We have had an amazing time. We enjoyed the contrasts that Morocco had to offer - it certainly is a collision of the ancient and modern. Apart from mudhouses with satellite dishes, the one thing that struck me was the nomadic Berber, who still pack up and travel with all of their worldly possessions on camels. We saw them when returning from Erg Chigaga - half a dozen camels being led by a gentleman in a jillaba talking on a mobile phone whilst his wife and daughters brought up the rear with the goats. Brilliant.

So, thanks for getting us around Morocco! We enjoyed it immensely and would recommend you to people in Australia trying to organise their trips to Morocco.

Timothy H reviewing Luxury Family Desert Adventure on 01 May 2013

It has been absolutely beautiful and very very special. Thank you much for your help.

Bobo was such a brilliant guide to the desert, the children loved him too, it made the whole trip in the desert extra special and brilliant. I would recommend that part to everyone, maybe even as a yearly retreat, it was so tranquil and so serene as well as extremely well organised and luxurious.

Ait Ben Haddou was also beautiful, we had a good walk round on our own and explored the whole village. We also visited someones house who had been part of many films in the making there and was clearly so proud to show us his pictures.

The hotel we stayed in there was ok, but not as great as others, it was a bit too posh and lacked something special, food wasn't so great, service not much either, nothing specific to complain about, just it didn't quite had what we preferred.

The kasbah near Agadir was perfect, really lovely services, a fantastic castle on the hill and a little drive from some fabulous beachy places. a real recommendation with lovely pool and food and rooms and all, the kids were happy too!

All in all, something to remember forever for us and the kids, thank you for your help and recommendations, its been more special, beautiful and interesting then we could have hoped for.

Marjolein H reviewing Luxury Family Desert Adventure on 24 April 2013

We really have to thank your company for putting us in such capable and welcoming hands, we had an absolutely amazing experience with the two guides that conducted us from Marrakech to Erg Chebbi and back, and recommend a tour with either as highly as is possible.

Our main guide, Ilyas, was a wonderful tour leader in every respect, displaying a comprehensive knowledge of local history and culture. His enthusiasm for these subjects was infectious -- there's really nothing to help a place come alive like somebody who really knows it, loves it, and loves sharing it, and this is certainly a description of Ilyas. Aside from his helpful asides about out-of-the-way places that we passed on our whirlwind few day trip, or lessons on Amazir language and culture, Ilyas really did everything he could to make sure that we felt at ease and comfortable. Spending a couple near uninterrupted days in a small car with new acquaintances really helps one appreciate this. No question that we had was foolish, no request to stop ignored or unheeded. When we asked to stop somewhere for some camel milk, for instance, both Ilyas and Mohammed (our driver) took this request very seriously indeed. Combined with the clinic that Mohammed put on when it came to cornering and basic highway citizenship (police would recognize him along the way, and ask him for reports on highway accidents), both Jason and I are sure that we couldn't have asked for any better pair of guides to conduct us on our journey.

Sara D reviewing 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour to Erg Chebbi on 12 December 2012

We really enjoyed both the Toubkal climb and the dessert trip! Very well organised.

We had the same guide for both, Elias, who treated us pretty well and was extremely flexible on changing routes or stopping where we wanted to. If I have to pick on something, and I may be a bit too fussy, is that he knew and explained broad historical/cultural issues but sometimes it felt that it was a bit limited. Probably give him a 4/5.

Accommodation was pretty basic, but I do realise that there is not a lot of choice when you are up there!Give you a 3/5

The meals in the toubkal trip were very good and very large amounts. We had the vegetarian option, and the only thing is that they were a bit the same throughout the trip. Another 4/5

Very good service arranging/organising the trip prior and during it- sorting out taxis, etc. Super reliable. Give you a 5/5.

Very good overall impressions. Very well selected routes and very enjoyable experience overall. Give you a 5/5 again and will definitely be looking for tourdust trips in the future!

Ignacio V reviewing 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour to Erg Chebbi on 11 December 2012

We had a wonderful time on our trip through Morocco. We would rate the experience a 4/5 overall and Tourdust a 5/5. We had a wonderful time seeing the Moroccan country side. The only negatives were the extensive driving time (couldn’t be avoided) and that we wish we’d had a little bit more time on our own. We loved both our guide and our driver, but four days straight together was a little much.

Tourdust did a completely perfect job coordinating the trip. I was sure SOMETHING was going to go wrong. But the only things that did were our own errors (such as arriving at the airport too late).

Thank you so much for your help! We hope to use you again on a future trip.

Betsy T reviewing Boutique Sahara Desert Tour to Erg Chebbi on 06 June 2012

It was obvious from the start of the trail that the guides know their job well I've been trekking and mountaineering for 30 years and I was confident that the group was in safe and experienced hands.

We had a great trip and will be back again in the future for more of the same.

Eugene M reviewing Sahara, Souks and Mountains Explorer on 24 May 2012

Overall tour was fantastic, our tour guide was really really friendly and made a big effort to ensure we got to see the key attractions on the road to the Sahara, very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The guides in the Sahara were equally good, overall a great experience and one of the best activities we did in Morocco.

warren g reviewing 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour to Erg Chebbi on 14 December 2011

My thoughts on the trip was that it was over all an amazing experience. The Erg Chebbi trip was the most enjoyable part of our stay in Morocco, Im glad we booked it through yourself as everything ran smoothly and we feel we got an excellent service. We heard some bad experiences of similar trips but were a lot cheaper so I think you get what you pay for.

Anon reviewing 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour to Erg Chebbi on 08 December 2010

Trip to Erg Chebbi

What a really wonderful trip – many thanks to everyone involved in making it happen. Riding over dunes in the desert at sunset has to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, watching the sun going down behind the orange glowing sand and crescent shaped shadows. I found, to my great relief, that camels are actually quite cooperative animals – or maybe that was down to our guide, Zaieed, who led them patiently for an hour, until we reached our tent. Then a delicious tagine, cooked on the spot, followed by sleeping under the brightest moon and stars imaginable. To top it all, we set off (again guided by Zaieed) in the morning while it was still dark so that we could park our camels on the side of a dune so we could clamber up and watch the sun rise. Pure magic.
It was a long drive down to the desert from Marrakech, but we stopped off at some fascinating places along the way, and enjoyed getting a feel for Moroccan villages after the bright lights of Marrakech. And the drive was worth every minute for such a wonderful experience.

Anon reviewing 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour to Erg Chebbi on 30 November 2010

Firstly, you guys at Tourdust- what can I say really?! perfect service, informative, timely, reasonably priced etc etc Can't fault you, thanks so much, i'm really glad we didn't leave it to our Riad to book or just risk someone selling tours on the side of the road when we got there! The few extra quid was very well spent.

We had 2 guides (just for Andy and I!) the whole time. Met us at our front door and dropped us off practically at the next front door. EXTREMELY sensitive to our wimpy British needs (always checking we were cool enough, had enough water, wanted to take pics, stop for lunch, loos etc) They couldn't have been more thoughtful, even moreso considering they were both without food and water all day because of Ramadan.

The tour was very comprehensive- mountains, gorges, the desert and other stops like fossil factories, film studios and various places of interest along the way. The dessert was an INCREDIBLE experience, the most bizarre silence I've ever experienced and I now know camels regurgitate their food and eat it as mine did this for the entire trip back (rather nice at 5am!)

Things that may be useful in terms of other clients doing the same tour and asking questions: we had no idea we would be travelling quite so far, so although the first and second day were fine and split up with visits and obviously a night in a hotel, the full journey back on the 3rd day was a marathon. I think we stopped twice for the loo and once for lunch in almost 12 hours because there was so far to go.

We also had no idea we'd be leaving our guides once we got on the camels, and trekking 4km to the camp. Our Berber 'host' there was amazing, the tagine the best we had the whole holiday and the 4 other guests a real nice bunch. But we then trekked back at 5am to see the sunrise. Again, a fab experience but we were in shock when we were told at camp we'd be getting up before 5am and going back on camels as 1- Camels are the most uncomfy beasts ever, and 2- We were absolutely knackered!

Also, the sleeping in the desert- we had packed a fleece and our toothbrushes along with wipes medication other items on the list etc. The torch was the most valuable item listed, we would have been lost without it! But anything other than maybe medication and wipes is pointless as there are NO facilities whatsoever, just a loo in a tent. We slept in our clothes and went back in them the next day, there's no point doing anything else really. It is a complete myth that it gets cold in the desert- it was a good 30 degrees all through the night with no wind whatsoever and the camp has thin mattresses and sheets to use if needed so no need for sleeping bag hire either, it was all just extra stuff to lug around. Our guide told us it very rarely gets cold in the desert and this is at the time of year when they move their camp out anyway so no-one would be staying there, doing tours etc

Anon reviewing 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour to Erg Chebbi on 18 October 2010