Advice on a trip to Morocco?

Spindle

Hello, just looking at arranging a trip to Morocco in 2013.

I am looking at doing a tour with a company that arranges for you to spend some nights in the Sahara desert with a camel trek to and from the camp.

Just wondering if anybody has been to Morocco, and if so, did you go on a tour out to the desert. Are there any companies that could be recommended? Also what did you think of the tour/experience?

LiamMc

Yes I definitely recommend it.
Alot of Tour Operators are based in the market town of Marrakech.

We used Safari expeditions http://www.saharaexpe.ma/ who based themselves in a small Hotel Ali near the Jmaa el Fna. Recommended in Lonely Planet guide book.


Our itinerary went South in one small minibus with nine North hemisphere Tourists from different places (pairs and singles).
First day started early over the High Atlas Mts at the Tizi-n-Tichka (+2000m). Then down the other side with views of the Hammada (stony desert).
The very large fortified ksar (castle) Ait Benahaddou it has been used innumerable times in western made films, no matter the era or geographic location the film is supposed to be. the fort is a few miles north of the town of Ouarzazate, centre of the Moroccan film industry. Thistown has it's own fort and artisan market.
After lunch in Ouarzazate we went along the Vallée du Dades (ouled Dades), a bridge was being repaired and the route rerouted to cross at the riverbed,to Boulmamne Dades. All around here roses are grown to manufacture Rosewater.
The minibus took us the western side of Gorge du Dades and partly down the otherside to a small hotel in the Gorge which was sufferering a powercut. This wan't a difficulty for any of the party.
Second day after breakfast we exited Gorge du Dades and reached the main entrance and interetsting pointof the Todra Gorge.
We went to the oasis town of Tinehir. We were due to have a tour of the different farming activities on the outskirts of town,bu a Belgian tourist suggested that we continue on to Erg Chebbi (erg is sandune desert) 'cos he was fearful of missing the sunset. So we postponed the practical agrcultural for the imaginative sunset. he needed have worried as we were in plenty of time.
We continued south towards the hamlet of Merzouga and the terrain was getting flat and stony (Hammada). We stopped at a small hotel which was the collection point for our camels. And a guide was arranged to take the nine of us each by camel about an hour into the sand dunes. The silence is great, it's possible to view a huge amount of stars. The colour of the sand changes from white in the bright sunlight to a deep red at night.
Food was cooked out in the desert and music provided by everyone.
Numerous times, I have woken around 6 am after a very refreshing desert night's sleep.
The third day was a hour back by camel. Then on the minibus and back to Tinehir for an informative tour of the fields around the oasis town.
There was flash flooding down from the High Atlasso the riverbed we crossed previously was out. Our driver arranged for another taxi in the nearest town and we crossed the partial built bridge on foot and then continued on to Marrakech. Two nights (one hotelin Gorge du dades,one desert night),Three fulldays, meals,camel trek. €90 pp (2003).

Two of us did did trip by landing in Agadir, 2nd day Agadir then 3rd day 4 hours to Marrakech and booking that night to leave for the south the next day. Then we overnighted again in Marrakech and went back to Agadir airport the next day.
There are a number of very colourful websites offering tours out of Marrakech.
http://www.morocco-excursion.com/Marrakech-to-Merzouga-desert-tours.html

First three in a googlesearch (don't know anything about them just Sahara Expeditions linked at top of post).
http://www.authentic-tours-marrakech.com/

http://www.gomoco.net/

Individual trekking in Mountains.
Bureauof Guides at Imlil,near Mount Toukbal in High Atlas.
http://www.bureaudesguidesimlil.com/index.htm

Individual guide based near Imlil
http://www.tizitrekking.com/index.htm

Obviously many routes are snow covered in the higher ground at this time of year. In the south the Jbel Shahro range shouldbe accesible as it is usually stinky hot during the summer.

During Spring, Summer and Autumn walking in Morocco is from easy to extreme. And there are some very beautiful routes walking between villages just on unpaved earth roads. So a walker has the views without the strenous punishment on the feet.

Spindle

Thanks for the detailed reply LiamMc lots of useful information in there.