October 18, 2014 (Powerhomebiz.net) Discovering Morocco on a private 4×4 tour has become very popular in the last few years. When one thinks of Morocco, endless saffron dunes, hard- bargain colorful souks or Casablanca (the city and the movie) come to mind. Ultimately, everyone is aware they will go through a culture shock. Above all, it is overwhelming – in ways both uplifting and unsettling. And although the last decade has seen the opening of Starbucks, Zara or Pizza Hut, this remains a much more difficult culture to understand that the one on the other side of the Mediterranean. Naturally, you don’t have to book a private tour – you can simply join a group tour or rent a car – it is, after all, a less costly option. Is it worth the extra cost to get a knowledgeable driver and a spotless modern air conditioned 4×4 that can take on steep gorges and towering desert dunes ? And someone to introduce or rather initiate you in the ways of an exotic and impenetrable culture? We think it is. But we are biased – we’ve been organizing private tours of Morocco for quite a while now. So, we’ve decided to ask other people about it. Travel agents, travel bloggers, full time travelers and hotel managers have agreed to offer their view on the topic. These are 8 good reasons why we ( and them) think you need to explore Morocco with a private tour:
1. Off- the- beaten track experience
Lonely Planet or Trip Advisor may be good starting points when it comes to selecting the sites and activities while on a Morocco trip. After all, the dunes close to Zagora can be reached by bus or rent a car and there is where many a travel agency camp their guests. While the majestic dunes of Erg Chigaga, where the Sahara really starts, lie a two hour off- track drive away. But, before you get to the dunes, what about leaving the tarmac and fall under the palm trees in the nearby palm grove, this immense green serpent undulating between the beige barren ridges? Learn how the locals deviate water through century- old irrigation systems and khetaras ? Where on Friday afternoon, when the prayer is over, the caid spreads a carpet on the grass and the villagers present their queries ? In a country where tarmac covers more and more routes, the true immersion often commences where tarmac ends. How would you feel returning home having missed on all this ? As Patricia Homison, a veteran traveler and ‘Me and He Travel ‘ blogger puts it: ‘A private tour gives you the advantage of an insider’s perspective of the real Morocco and a exposure to people and places that would be difficult, if not impossible to find on your own. Our private tour totally accommodated our tastes, preferences and values and it was such a fabulous experience, we went back six months later to do even more.’
2. Tailor- made itinerary all the way
Your Morocco journey will be private and customized based on your schedule, budget, and interests. After due exchange of emails, a day- to- day itinerary is provided with daily sites and activities included. But here is where the difference between good and excellent lies. Careful day to day planning is good but spontaneous on- the- go changes are even better. Suppose that one morning you’re too lazy for the Atlas Mountains trek you had planned and just want to reach the Sahara early so you can mooch about in the dunes the whole afternoon. Or perhaps the eco lodge where you just spent the night has made such an impression on you with the previous evening’s dinner that you suddenly feel like booking an impromptu Moroccan cooking class. Deborah Thompson, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief at New Jetsetters agrees: ‘We love being able to change the itinerary at a moment’s notice – a spectacular temple needs more time for appreciation? No problem, because there is no group agenda written in stone to adhere to. Want to linger another hour at the incredible waterfall? That’s fine!’
3. Local authentic boutique accommodation..
What makes Morocco great with the intrepid traveler is the number of design- yet- organic family run, cozy accommodations. The riads of Marrakech, the refurbished kasbahs of the Draa valley and the eco lodges on the fringes of the Sahara are but a few examples. Most of them offer great cuisine with ingredients coming from their own organic back yard. The owners will often join you for coffee over breakfast and share insider tips on what there is to do and see in the area. Woke up too late to have breakfast? Arrived too late to have dinner? There’s no such thing here. We asked Paul Goetz, general manager of a chic retreat in the Atlas Mountains, why his guests prefer staying at Domaine de Malika rather than choose one of the chain hotels: ‘When my guests arrive for the first time, we already know them a bit from our previous correspondence and I love to see them display a wide smile when I call them by their first names. Very often our guests leave saying they found the perfect ambience because they felt a bit like home, while surrounded by a caring staff that cater to their each and every need, without ever being intrusive’. So then, why have a buffet dinner you could have anywhere else in the world ? Stay at a Sofitel or Marriot ? And then, what tour operator or all inclusive travel agency will offer this intimate, cozy kind of accommodation? Large volumes of guests cannot be accommodated in Riads, eco lodges or kasbahs with at best a dozen rooms and locally sourced home- made meals. That’s where a private Morocco tour agency with staff constantly travelling across Morocco anonymously testing new out- of- ordinary properties makes a difference.
…that you have time to enjoy.
But there is no point in carefully selecting the best hotels available in Morocco if you don’t have the time to enjoy them. A good agency will carefully plan and arrange for the right balance between the time spent inside the vehicle, visiting sites and enjoying the properties’ facilities. Why stay at the arresting Azalai Desert Lodge set on the edge of Zagora’s palm grove, if you arrive late at night just in time for dinner or leave next morning right after breakfast? It would be a pity not to spend some time around their exquisite library packed with livres des voyages. Or go on a bicycle ride in the surrounding palm grove. Plunge in the inviting pool whether it is February or June.
4. A driver and much more
Traffic is mad in the big cities of Morocco – everybody knows that. And that alone could be reason enough to have someone drive you. But a driver should be also an expert in the culture and traditions of the areas you will cover. He carefully selects the local guides, the best spots for stunning photos or the pace of the day. He will explain the defense of a ksar or the different kaftans worn by a Moroccan bride during her wedding. He will also know when to talk and when to keep quiet, creating a comfortable ambiance during the tour. Throughout your tour of Morocco, you may even be invited to have lunch with his family. Such is often the case in Morocco. Or elsewhere. Nellie Huang, a full-time traveler and writer specializing in adventure travel, says: ‘For instance, in my recent trip to Iran, we were invited to our guide’s house for a dinner with his family and it turned out to be the highlight of my trip. His family was extremely welcoming and genuine and they showed us the Iranian hospitality that we’d long heard about.’ Deborah agrees: ‘We consider it a privilege to get to know our guide and sometimes his or her family, creating a bond that can last forever. ‘
5. Interacting with the locals
Moroccans are Morocco’s greatest asset. Humble, joyful and hospitable, often needy, they will always share the little they have with their guests. Patricia comments: ‘The best of Morocco, the jewel in the crown of this country is it’s people’. Nellie agrees: ‘I’d say the biggest benefit to doing a private tour is gaining in-depth personal insights of a country through a local. If you’ve got a good guide, you can really get to know every aspect of a country’s culture and tradition and at the same time understand the mentality of locals’. This is also where a private tour makes a difference – it makes possible such encounters while keeping away overworked touristy receptions and convenience smiles. Sometimes these encounters happen spontaneously – as with the family lunch mentioned earlier. Other times, moving stories are to be heard – such as the palm grove’s guide whose passion for his homeland made him open a small scale museum to document the century old garments and traditions of the local Berber, Arab and Jewish communities.
6. Peace of mind
A reliable private Morocco tour agency will offer 24 hour assistance during your travel. Whether this means booking last minute the most exquisite French restaurant in Marrakech or a good dentist, it all comes down to your peace of mind. A luxury Morocco tour means not only staying in the best available hotels at each location and paying top dollar for it, but also have a backup 4×4 available to be delivered timely in the unlikely event that your designated 4×4 breaks down. Or a driver being there at the airport with your name on the board even if your flight is x hours late. You’re afraid to spend too much time at the passport control queues ? For a small fee, you will get a VIP airport arrival bypassing immigration queues and making sure you start on the right note your holidays in Morocco.
7. It saves you time
Imagine renting a car and driving down the Draa Valley looking for the most spectacular Kasbah or a good place to picnic. Getting lost and asking locals for direction in a language they don’t understand. Or joining a group tour and having to put up with pressure- sale speech while on a visit to the local argan oil cooperative before moving on to the next attraction. A site you were not interested in visiting in the first place. You get the picture. None of these ordeals happen when you book a customized private Morocco tour. Deborah says: ‘Perceptions and memories of a place can be impacted greatly by how and when you see them. Over-crowding, a hurried pace, and often the inability to see and touch the treasures you have come so far to see can result in such disappointment’.
8. The surprise
Many Morocco visitors book a private tour as a celebration of a special event. But it takes more than the occasional flower bouquet or birthday cake to impress nowadays. With a little bit of imagination, there is an endless list of ways to surprise your guests by offering them a small ‘present’ to match their taste. It may be a signature home perfume to remind them of the almond trees blossoming in February in the valleys of the Atlas Mountains. An exquisite album with photos of the dreamiest places in Morocco that will likely inspire one day the next generation to come and visit. Or perhaps a leather- bound notebook where they could keep the journal of a journey that would have transformed them.
Address:
Sun Trails
50 Operation Agdal Issil
40000
Marrakech
MOROCCO
+212 (0) 648 819 837
+212 (0) 666 915 384
Luxury Morocco Tours And Travels. Sun-Trails.com is the best tour operator in Morocco, offer tailor made private tours at affordable prices. Our itinerary includes camel ride, crossing the Atlas Mountains, trekking in Dades Gorges and much more.For more information about CUSTOM MOROCCO TOURS. Visit us at http://www.sun-trails.com/