How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Very knowledgeable and friendly, constantly providing info on what we were passing and insights in to the country. Great sense of humour, very good level of English and interacted well with the group socially.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

The only thing most of us agreed on was that (although to be fair it did point this out in the write-up), there was a bit too much driving. So when booking this I'd see/ask if they've reduced the travelling components a little bit. Still a great tour overall though, just be prepared for lots of time in the car, literally 3 to 5+ hours each day.

Do you have anything else to add?

I would definitely use Explore again and recommend them, it's a great, stress-free way to travel and meet new like-minded people.

Very good holiday but ours was first trip and it was very cold at night. Most guest houses had no heating and some nights had dinner wearing coats. But it was warm in day and was a lovely way to get the feel of the culture, traditions and way of life of the people. We travelled approx 1600k in comfortable cruisers and the tour guide and 2 drivers looked after us admirably.  Really enjoyed the holiday but should have taken more layers of very warm clothes - ended up wearing a lot of the same but was warm.

I certainly echo the sentiments of the previous reviewers. This is a great, value for money tour. I really enjoyed the scenery we drove through and was amazed at the variety and contrast. A highlight for me was the walk up Jebel Lekst. I would certainly recommend taking a walking pole (and hat) if intending to do the climb. And don't forget to pack a sleeping bag for the night in the desert and in the mountain village. (KT - 22nd April 2011)

This tour certainly said exactly what it said on the notes & more! Ali, our tour leader was superb.  He was very knowledgeable, helpful, funny & pulled the whole group together.  The days were full of long drives (as per the trip notes) but the scenery certainly made up for this & we had frequent stops along the way stopping at local markets to buy lunch etc.  A highlight of the trip was sleeping out under the stars in the sahara which was amazing - DON'T wimp out & sleep in the tent!  The berber village was also a hit, set high in the mountains & the view from the top truly unforgettable.  Essouria was a pretty, laid back port & the shopping was a lot better than Marrakesh (not the hard sell) & the local pottery was beautiful.  Apart from myself nearly being sold for 3,000 camels !! the trip was fantastic & gave me a real insight to the Moroccan culture & all this amazing country has to offer. (KT - 31st December 2010)

This was my first trip with Explore!, but it certainly won't be my last. From arriving at Morocco airport and meeting our guide and the rest of the group everything went very smoothly. (The only complaint at this point was that there wasn't an opportunity to buy water until we'd got to the hotel, checked in and then went out later in the afternoon; and I wished that I'd had some with me from the airport). The hotels/accommodation were pretty much as described- very basic, not always with hot water. The highlights for me were sleeping under the stars in the Sahara- an amazing experience. The tour staff were incredible- cooking a 3 course meal in a basic tent in a desert, and it was delicious! (Take a torch - it may be dark by the time you come to eat.) I loved Essouaira, and wished that I'd bought more there- the quality and price were frequently better than in Marrakech. All in all, a wonderful adventure, and one that I would highly recommend if you don't mind basic accomodation and not always being able to have a hot shower or bath. There was a lot of driving- more than I'd thought, although the distances are set out the tour details; the mountain roads are hair-raising! I took some amazing photographs, made some new friends and found a love of travel that quite surprised me. My advice would be to learn a smattering of French- our driver spoke Arabic and French, and limited English, and to ensure that you have some small change from the bureau de change at the airport- bottles of water are cheap, and it's difficult to buy at a small store with large denomination notes (this may be really obvious, but I hadn't thought about it). (KT- 1st November 2009)