Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

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66 Reviews

4.4 out of 5

Reviewed November 2013

MARRAKECH & THE SAHARA

A great itinerary covering different parts of Morocco- desert, mountains and Marrakech- in a week. Really enjoyed the variety of each day and the beautiful secenery. Won’t be my last trip to Morocco!

Most Inspirational Moment

The camel trek into the desert and sitting around the fire at the campsite was fantastic, as was watching the sun rise over the sand dunes the next morning (well worth getting up early for!).Enjoyed visiting the towns and villages in the Sahara which meant we could get a sense of the 'real' Morocco.The walks in the Atlas Mountains were a personal highlight as the scenery was beautiful.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rachid was an excellent guide- very knowledgable and accomodating. A few people on the trip were ill and he did a great job of looking after them.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I think this is a great trip if you want to see different aspects of Morocco in a relatively short period of time.I travelled in the second week of November and the weather was great- warm and sunny in the day (but not too hot) and cool at night- take a jumper. The campsite in the desert is more luxurious than most of us expected - the tents are very roomy, with enough space to stand up in, and have matresses and blankets so you won't be cold. The camp even had proper toilets!The hotels were excellent quality- most of them had a pool and wi-fi.The food was good but not much variety- outside of Marrakech the menu is very limited and often just offered tagine, cous cous or omlette! And we drank a lot of mint tea!There was a bit more time spent on the bus than the trip notes suggest, but this is a necessary trade-off to cover such a large area in a week, and the scenery you see from the bus makes the trips enjoyable.Highly recommend visiting the Majorelle Gardens during the free time in Marrakech- they are beautiful and it's a relaxing way to spend ah hour or so.

Reviewed November 2013

MARRAKECH & THE SAHARA

The tour was fun, informative, and culturally relevant.

Most Inspirational Moment

The visit to the Sahara and our stay at the Berber camp was super! Sitting around the campfire at night while our hosts and the guests sang songs, all under a clear night sky with thousands of stars was delightful.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour leader was exceptional! His knowledge of the country, the people, and the culture is formidable. With his pleasant demeanour, tolerance for the quirks of the different nationalities comprising our group, and a good sense of humour, he made our visit comfortable, easy and fun.

Advice for Potential Travellers

How to avoid getting sick: It's really easy to get an upset stomach in Morocco. To avoid this, don’t eat any uncooked vegetables unless you washed them yourself with properly treated water (i.e. bottled water), drink bottled water or manufactured drinks from bottles (i.e. don’t drink tap water, or any drink that might be made with tap water or fruit that doesn’t have the peel removed), and wash your hands with soap as often as possible. I’d also recommend brushing your teeth with bottled water and even cleaning your toothbrush with bottled water. Indeed, almost everyone on the trip got sick at some point (some quite sick actually) likely because they didn’t follow these simple rules. How to avoid getting ripped off: Bargain! Almost everything is negotiable in Morocco. I start my bidding at a maximum of 20-25% of what a merchant is asking, and never pay more than 50%. If I'm bargained up to 50% and the merchant says he/she won't sell, I say "No thanks," and walk away. 99.9% of the time, the merchant will not let you walk away so easily, but will still drive you past 50%. Don't let remorse get the better of you! Absolutely insist that 50% is your final offer. Eventually the merchant will give. Even if she/he pretends to be upset, don't get fooled, they're still getting more than what they would get from a local.

Reviewed November 2013

MARRAKECH & THE SAHARA

Our trip around Morocco was lovely. We were able to see parts of Morocco that would have been more difficult to visit on your own. Diving through the mountains, camping out in the sahara, going on a camel caravan ride, staying in a small village, and ending in a big city with lost of people and markets made for a very nice and varied trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Of course watching the sunset over the dunes in the sahara after reaching our camp on camle back is an experience I will never forget.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Abdullah was great. He was very sweet, knowledgable, helpful and professional. He always took the time to asnswer our questions. He did a very good job explaining what we coudl expect and we alsways punctual and accomodating.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring some medication for nausea and upset stomach. Even though we were careful about the food, a bunch of us got some bad cramps. Also, the drive through the mountains is very windy and made a few people nauseous even though we had an excellent driver.

Reviewed September 2013

MARRAKECH & THE SAHARA

One of the best holidays i have had so far!!!!

Most Inspirational Moment

Quite a few inspirational moments. One that sticks out is singing and dancing around the camp fire in the Sahara desert. Truly amazing!! Get involved!!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent group leader. His extensive knowledge of the land made me feel safe and at all times i felt comfortable. His leadership skills and attitude towards the trip has definitely had a positive effect on me. I will be using Exodus' services in the future :-)

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you are unsure of what to pack get in contact with exodus! I followed the universal list... however, i did not need a jumper, waterproofs or a sleeping bag for my trip. It all depends on the season. This was extra weight i could of done without!!!

Reviewed June 2013

MARRAKECH & THE SAHARA

Morocco was my first Exodus experience, and if this trip was anything to go on, it won’t be my last. It is a truly beautiful country, and one that can be more fully exploited by this trip, taking in the variety of everything the desert, mountains and city has to offer…

Most Inspirational Moment

Sitting on top of a Saharan sand dune watching the sun set and the stars come out will be a moment difficult to top for any future trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Abdullah, our group leader, was simply sensational. Always watching out for the group, but never in an oppressive school-master way, his sense of humour and enormous passion for his country and his job really made the trip special.

Advice for Potential Travellers

With long waits at airports on both the outward and return journey, make sure you're prepared. Though I didn't myself, some fellow travellers managed to find a few Moroccan dirham available in the UK which came in enormously handy when getting to Casablanca and realising that the departure lounge has no way of obtaining money, and only one solitary café for entertainment. Similarly, the airport lounge in the outbound flight remains something of a mystery for me, with nowhere to change dirham back (and some shops not even accepting anything other than Euros) despite being a closed currency.

Reviewed May 2013

MARRAKECH & THE SAHARA

A whistle-stop tour of Southern Morocco, nicely topped off with a 2 nights in Marrakesh. Great trip for anyone looking for a variety of experiences – desert, mountains, city – packed into a week.

Most Inspirational Moment

The camel trip was a memorable experience, as was glamping* in the desert and star-gazing. Equally memorable is the trip into the ante-Atlas mountains, and stay in the peaceful village, with gorgeous views from the gite. [* some members of our group were disappointed that the campsite is far more luxury than they were expecting - has low-occupancy tents (2 or 3 sharing max), proper toilets (although flushed with a scoop of water from a bucket and not plumbed) and a 3 course dinner was served on ceramic plates with proper cutlery. Our hosts even managed to rustle up a birthday cake !]

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader was excellent. Clearly proud to show off his country and impart knowledge and tips. He looked after the group extremely well, always looking out to make sure everyone was ok, but without fuss or being obtrusive. 10/10

Advice for Potential Travellers

Generally the quality of the accommodation is much better than you might expect from the trip notes. Sheets and blankets are provided at the gite and the camp site, so a light sleeping bag or liner should be sufficient - certainly from May- Sep (despite the trip notes recommending 3 season sleeping bag). Group flights change at Casablanca airport for both outbound and return flights, to/from Heathrow. There are limited facilities particularly for the domestic transit lounge on the outgoing flight (you'll have a 3h wait). You can get small amounts of Dirham in the UK (at poor exchange rates) but Euros also seemed to be accepted at the one and only cafe/bar in the terminal and where the Exodus group congregated! On the return leg, there was nowhere in Casablanca airport to exchange Dirham and most (Duty Free) outlets would not accept them for purchases even. Recommend you try to spend them in Marrakech. As a guide, £180 per person was plenty for the week for most people to cover meals, drinks, tips and small souvenirs. If you are not particular about returning to Heathrow or being on the group flights, there is a direct EasyJet flight to Gatwick leaving at a similar time to the group flights, for the return journey. This avoids another wait in Casablanca and Air Maroc were not the most efficient of check- in staff, to say the least! Some members of our group flew out on the Saturday, because the group flights arrive in Ouarzazate quite late and you arrive at the hotel around 2am, leave to start the first day proper at 9am. This is something I wish I'd done!

Reviewed April 2013

MARRAKECH & THE SAHARA

Better than I imagined.The trip notes don’t do this trip enough justice!!!

Most Inspirational Moment

Two hour camel trekking into the Sahara and spending the night in a Bedouin camp under the stars. Running up the sand dunes to see the sunset and sunrise and another camel trek back again. Loved it!!!!Ait Benhaddou was awesome!!!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was an absolute star. He had a sense of humour, was friendly and was there for us all the way :)

Advice for Potential Travellers

Enjoy...Enjoy...Enjoy, that is all.

Reviewed April 2013

MARRAKECH & THE SAHARA

This was the first time I had gone on a holiday like this and the first time on my own. Although I was a little concerned to start with there was really no need to be. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it and will be travelling with Exodus again.

Most Inspirational Moment

Highlights of the trip were the trek on camels in to the desert and watching the sunrise and sunset, and the walk up in to the Atlas mountiains, it was beautiful.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader was great, he was very informative and would answer any questions you had. He even arranged a birthday cake at our last hotel as 2 members of our party celebrated birthdays during the week we were there.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If it's your first time don't worry about it, everybody joins in and the ones that have done this type of holiday before are very quick to help and give advice.

Reviewed March 2013

MARRAKECH & THE SAHARA

Loved it, a hassle free way of seeing Morocco. It would be difficult to visit all the places we went in such a short space of time independently.

Most Inspirational Moment

I think my best bit was the visit to the library and pottery. I think this was partly due to me not expecting much from the day which turned out to be really interesting. Then the bus broke down, which also turned into a highlight as we went for a walk and had mint tea in a family’s home.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was very knowledgeable and experienced which meant we could just sit back, relax and enjoy all the experiences.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you want to get to know Morocco and don't have much time- Book it

Reviewed March 2013

MARRAKECH & THE SAHARA

Lots of travelling, but worthwhile to cover the highlights this trip offers. Starts weren’t too early and the pace was relaxed. It’s not a gourmet experience (nor a particularly alcoholic one!) but food was enjoyable and more than plentiful.

Most Inspirational Moment

Arriving on our camels at the Bedouin camp in the Sahara then racing up the nearest high sand dune to watch the sun go down. Singing round the camp fire until late, then getting up early to race back up the sand dune and watch the sun rise again. The trek up into the High Atlas mountains was refreshing - a sensible pace meant it was less challenging than it might have been, and the views were amazing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lahcen was a great tour leader - friendly, calm, efficient, helpful and knowledgeable. His timing estimates were somewhat 'approximate', but it was all part of this charm! He definitely helped make the holiday.

Advice for Potential Travellers

My luggage failed to make the connection from Casablanca to Ouazarzata. This is apparantly quite common and the tour leader was very matter of fact that I would be without my luggage for the first three days and nights of the holiday (half the trip). This included the night in the dessert, meaning I was without my sleeping bag, and I had to borrow blankets from the hotel. On the first morning I had to buy emergency essential toiletries and clothing from the market in Ouazarzata, which was challenging. As predicted, I did get my luggage back at the end of day three. Make sure you carry any essentials in your hand luggage.The trip is run with a kitty for all water, lunches and dinners for the majority of the trip (Marrakech is the exception), with all meals taken as a group as there don't appear to be opportunities to go out independently. This is appropriate and works well, but it would have been nice to know in advance what to expect.I was able to buy Morrocan Dirhams in London without any problems prior to the trip - and was grateful for them. Toilet stops are few and far between - and often involve finding your own convenient bush! That said, most toilets we did find were 'Western' style and usually had toilet paper and hand washing facilities.The night in the gite was extremely cold and very basic. You do need your sleeping bag there, too, as well as an overnight bag. This is the second night you are without your main luggage (the other being the night at the Bedouin camp in the dessert). Take a good book/pack of cards/something to pass time in the gite between sundown and dinner.

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