Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

This trip was amazing. We’ve been on about 40 international trips on 6 continents and the trip to Morocco was among our best ever. It was certainly our most exotic. The timing was good. The temperatures were good, although it was a bit windy. The trip planner was excellent.

The most unusual travel experience was probably constantly dodging motorcycles and other vehicles as they zoomed by us on alleyways about 8 feet wide through the medina in Marrakech.

Michael definitely added value. We could not have done it without him. There was one hiccup in the execution of the plan, but it was not fatal. Michael’s signature contribution was to assign to us a great guide and a great driver, both of whom were the nicest people one could hope for and were great matches for our personalities and our needs. That was priceless. The guide and the driver made the trip for us.

Michael also chose good sites for us to visit, and the guide made smart adjustments dynamically as he observed my wife’s physical limitations. There were lots of little touches that we appreciated as well: extra water and soft drinks that I requested when we arrived, roses and fruit in the room at our first hotel, etc.

We enjoyed the entire experience very much and Morocco has one of the nicest populations, at least among the people we encountered, with whom we’ve ever had the joy of interacting.

Our trip to Morocco was incredible! Michael and team exceeded expectations. Michael planned a special trip for us—a graduation gift for my daughter as she completed a master of architecture degree. My daughter (25 years old), son (23), and I (54) went on the trip together and all agree that the itinerary for our seven days in Marrakech, Essaouira, and the Ourika Valley (High Atlas Mountains) was fabulous. We are glad we chose Michael and highly recommend him!

We flew to Casablanca from NYC and were greeted at the airport by our guide, Rachid, and by our driver, Mehdi. They took amazing care of us the whole trip. Both were extremely professional, prepared, thoughtful, and always prompt. We felt safe the entire time, learned a great deal, and were impressed that not a single thing went wrong the whole trip. Every detail was seamless. Our only job was to take in the sites, learn about the history of this amazing country, appreciate the culture, and enjoy the delicious food.

Marrakech was a bucket list trip for my daughter, and she had many, many buildings and design-focused experiences on her list. In three days we saw everything she wanted to see, and Michael even matched us with a fantastic guide who worked in interior design and thus had interests that aligned with those of my daughter. We stayed in an awesome riad in the medina, enjoyed learning from Rachid as we toured sites such as the Koutoubia Minaret, the Saadien Tombs, Medersa ben Youssef, Yves-Saint Laurent Museum, and Jardin Majorelle, and ate at fantastic restaurants. We took a half day to do an excursion in the Agafay Desert, as we couldn’t miss the quintessential experience riding camels!

We were then driven to Essaouira (note that the van our driver drove us around in was extremely comfortable and clean, and also had wifi) where we enjoyed Rachid teaching us about the history of this little city on the Atlantic coast and showing us the major sites; we also spent time walking around the medina on our own (and found it an easier place to shop than some of the souks in Marrakech). Again, the hotel and restaurants Michael chose for us were right on the mark. And finally, we were transported out to the Ourika Valley in the High Atlas Mountains to a beautiful hotel. We enjoyed a slower pace for our final two days, doing short day-hikes, going to the spa, laying by the pool, and taking in the beautiful gardens and views.

It’s always hard to make decisions on who to trust to plan a special trip, but if Morocco is where you are headed, think no further than Michael!

We spent eight days touring several beautiful locations in Morocco including Marrakech, the Agafay Desert, Rabat, Fez and Tangier. The journey was the perfect blend of culture, adventure, history, and luxury, all expertly designed by Michael. Our local guide, Badr, was exceptional and brought each destination to life with his deep knowledge of Morocco’s history, culture, and hidden gems.

In Marrakech we loved the Jardin Majorelle, Yves-Saint Laurent Museum, the many Moorish architectural marvels, and exploring the medina by motorcycle side car before settling for the evenings at the beautiful Villa des Orangers.

Each day and each location was totally different than the next. Hiking in the Atlas Mountains, having lunch in a Berber tent, making tea with a local family, and exploring Fez’s labyrinth of alleys made the trip a fun and memorable adventure.

We highly recommend Morocco for couples or friends looking for variety, adventure, and new cultural experiences.

Michael planned the most wonderful 5-day Morocco adventure for me (age 54) and my son (age 21). Michael had the challenge of creating an itinerary that suited both of us. And he nailed it. Michael responded to my initial email within minutes, and then scheduled a preliminary call that same day. We discussed at length what we were seeking (history, culture, activity, food, some specific personal goals) and what was less important. We discussed geography (what we could and couldn’t possibly accomplish in our limited window) and “musts.” We discussed in detail food, lodging, and the rhythm of each day. Michael then circulated a detailed day by day plan. We went back and forth on some changes and over several days landed on a detailed itinerary.

What resulted was awesome. The “Riads” (hotels) were like nothing we’d ever experienced. Tucked into the windy small alleys of the medina and old city, they were hidden gems. Small but luxurious. Historic. Beautiful. With incredible staff. I will miss a Riad every time I now stay in a big city hotel for sure. The food choices were excellent. Importantly, mid-trip we made some on-the-spot changes for restaurants and Michael and his on-the-ground team helped us take care of that. Indeed, one evening, we were having trouble getting into a “hot” spot (per my 21-year-old) and they helped us secure a reservation at a perfect time.

Our tour guide and driver were both fantastic. Our guide had, candidly, more information than we could absorb, but that was perfect. The sights in Marrakech were fantastic—from the Secret Garden to the souk, from the Yves St. Lauren and Berber museums to the Palaces, from the developing “New” city to the giant central square to Jewish history, the sights selected were spot-on. And, knowing we’d have some time without guides at the end of the trip, our guide’s suggestions on what to do while we were solo were awesome.

The food recs on how to approach dinner at the central market were amazing. Outside of Marrakech, our glamping evening in the local desert (not the Sahara, but still fun with ATV and camel rides) was very cool. The particular tent site was fantastic, with great food and music. Then our day trip to the Atlas Mountains was gorgeous and like a different nation. Our local guide for our hike was perfect and his knowledge of history, flora and fauna rocked! Too bad we only had a day there.

We toured Essouira ourselves, but highly recommend a day in this gorgeous seaside port city. We were really happy that Michael encouraged it. Negatives? Negatives? I’m not sure we can identify even one. The information provided ahead of time about culture, weather, history, travel, safety all was super helpful. Michael and his local team were available 24/7 and fantastically responsive. The driver (Hatim) was incredible—a guide in and of himself. Sadly, 5 days was not enough and next time it will be much longer. Thank you!

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