Tourdust's Morocco Collection

Trip was excellent - 5/5 on all accounts. Mohammed arranged an excellent guide. We will definitely use Tourdust again and recommend you.

Luke Mallett reviewing 3 Day Atlas Valleys Trek

The Atlas Valley Trek was an amazing experience. The scenery in the valleys is absolutely beautiful, and staying in the villages is a great cultural experience that gives you a feeling of the authentic and local way of living. The guide was very competent, and spoke very good english. And the cook prepared the best food. I have no hasitation to strongly recommend this trip to other travellers who like trekking and also want a local cultural experience.

Christine Toessebro reviewing 3 Day Atlas Valleys Trek

We did this trek during September 2011 and had a fantastic time. The transport to Imlil from Marrakesh was excellent and as described in the pre-trek info. We met with our guide Mohammed who was really helpful and knowledgeable. The camping out at night was a treat and the food was great... our muleteers really took care of us and nothing was too much trouble. The food was like eating in a good restaurant which is amazing considering that it is all cooked over one gas burner. We could really recommend this to anyone ~ the walking was hard at times but the scenery was fanstastic ~ well worth the stiff legs! Everything went to plan and the coordination of the trip was perfect. The whole tour was beyond our expectations. Will definitely be booking with Tourdust again.

Robert Bould reviewing 6 Day Toubkal Circuit

Overall tour was fantastic, our tour guide was really really friendly and made a big effort to ensure we got to see the key attractions on the road to the Sahara, very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The guides in the Sahara were equally good, overall a great experience and one of the best activities we did in Morocco.

warren gregson reviewing 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour to Erg Chebbi

Our Guide was first class on our trek, very knowledgeable and always open to questions and was especially open in terms of background to the villages, the people of Morocco as well as the history of where we were trekking. The food, and Chef who prepared our meals, were delightful as well. The food was always more than enough and in the circumstances (on the side of a mountain pass) was first class and fresh. It really made a difference to have the meals prepared fresh and they were always plentiful. We were worried about the Taxi due to Marrakesh being notoriously difficult to find any location due to the mazey streets but the Taxi picked us up from our hotel dropped us at our Trek, and vise versa, no problem at all, which was a relief and very welcome after 2 days trekking. As far as the the whole experience all we can say is that we both loved it and are planning to use Tourdust again in the near future. The service from the booking process, Taxi Driver, Guide, Cook and anyone else we encountered on our experience was second to none. I cannot recommend Tourdust highly enough.

I would just like to add though it might be nice if you add some info on the website about the villages. What I mean in that is we visited a family in a village that had very little but were kind enough to invite us into our home. We also encountered children in the village. Rather than handing out money like confetti we would of liked to have brought some simple items from home which may have been well received by the children, colouring books, pens or something as simple as balloons, playing cards or something of that nature. Something that is practical rather than tipping being the only currency. I realise that this might not be for all your consumers but as a side note I think it would of made a world of difference to us, we did feel slightly uneasy when visiting the village and the warm reception we recieved that we couldn't offer something back that would of been better than trying to tip someone.

Leighton Harvey-Smith reviewing Overnight Berber Valley Trek & Boutique Marrakech

A fantastic experience in a beautiful landscape; I loved staying in the
villages and mountain retreats. It was my first multi day trek.
However I'll defiantly be back for more. My only wish was that my trek
was longer!

Mustapha was my guide. I was delighted
with the service provided throughout the trek by Mustapha and the two
muleteers. Mustapha was great company, friendly and professional and
really enhanced my experience. The food was excellent and all transfers went like clockwork.

Andrew Hale reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

Guide (Mohammad) was great, set a good pace, knew how much time to spend engaging with us and how much to leave us alone, friendly. Great guy - a mountain marathon runner with a slightly surprising array of card tricks.
Food was amazing and the chef really friendly. The trek overall was brilliant - I've recommended it to friends and family. Thanks for an amazing trip, and pass on our thanks to Mohamed and crew. He was there to welcome us at the end and was very friendly.

Jake Lomax reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

My partner Luke and I enjoyed the trek immensely. Both Mohammed the guide and Mohammed the muleteer/cook were warm, hospitable, knowledgable and helpful.
Both were very well equipped to guide us through the 3 days. The food was nourishing and delicious! I looked forward ti every meal!
During the summit climb, there was still ice on the mountain and unfortunately I had forgotten my gloves….Mohammed was so kind as to lend me his gloves for as long as I required them.
The taxi transfers were fluid and we experienced no problems at all with the timings.
I would highly recommend this trek to anyone looking for a bit of challenge at a good pace.

Angela Santos reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

Guide: Mustafa was an excellent guide
He was attentive and perceptive of the groups needs and abilities. He was interesting and knowledgeable in relation to the information he gave on the local area. His company was enjoyable without being intrusive.

Food: This was one of the highlights of the trip.
I was constantly amazed and delighted by what was served up in the most difficult locations. The cook was imaginative and his food was varied and plentiful.

Grand taxi: Efficient and punctual

Overall impression: Very satisfied with the trip and the way it was organised.
My weather could have been better as a 4 hour trek in relentless rain was not fun.

anne sherriff reviewing 6 Day Toubkal Circuit

We completed the 4 day version of the Classic Berber Villages and Toubkal Ascent at the end of October/start of November 2011. We booked as a couple and were joined by another solo male traveller who luckily we got on really well with, we all appreciated having someone else on the trip but also that it was a very small group.

Our driver picked us up at 9am from the door of our riad as promised, and we drove to meet our guide, muleteers and mules at the start of the route. They had already sorted some equipment we needed to borrow like sleeping bags (to avoid extra luggage on the plane) and drove the other guy to their shop in Imlil so he could borrow some other things.

It's an easyish hike on the first day, we had an amazing lunch on a grassy plateau with the first of many stunning views. The muleteers do an amazing job preparing a range of fresh foods for lunch and dinner and manage to present it beautifully. And let's not forget the constant supply of lovely tea!

We then hiked to the first village where we stayed in a local run gite which was comfortable enough.

We found the 2nd day's hiking hard. The first few hours hiking through villages was really interesting and colourful, followed by a harder uphill hike with the sun beating down on us to where we stopped for lunch. The hiking after lunch was thankfully much shorter to our refuge for the night. The refuge was a great little building with a waterfall right behind. The size and personalities of our group made for a really good atmosphere in places like this, it didn't matter that we were freezing cold and didn't speak the same language, some tea, food, music and card games made for fun evenings together! You tend to reach the place you're sleeping quite early in the day. I'd suggest cleaning up, sorting yourself out for the evening and wrapping up warm as soon as you arrive, and pack some stuff to do! Books, music and card games supplemented chatting to keep us entertained.

Day 3 has a fairly difficult uphill nicknamed '90 zigzags' but when you pause for breath and water the views behind are increasingly amazing. The walk to the 'base camp' refuge after is an easier gradient and we got there by lunch (like I said, lots of down time). This is a large refuge with many groups going to or returning from the summit and their guides. It may be different if there are groups you can get to know but with a language barrier we didn't really chat to the others and preferred the smaller refuge from the day before. Still, comfortable sleeping arrangements, and a nice lounge area.

On our summit day we set off after an early breakfast before 6 (in the dark) and got to see the sun rise over the mountains ahead as we climbed. People talked about 'the first bit being the hardest' before we left but there's not much change in gradient until the last 10 minutes! It took us 3 hours to reach the summit and we had to use crampons for about half because of quite deep snow that was frozen quite solid. The views from the top are stunning and totally worth it. We were up there for about half an hour and were lucky enough to meet only one other climber at the top. As soon as we started descending it seemed less real that we'd been there. Glad we've got pictures and videos to remind me!

After lunch at the refuge we walked all the way down to Imlil (on a different route to the way up) which was straightforward but looong, and we were weary by the time we reached the Imlil shop to settle up for the things we'd borrowed.

A car met us outside the shop and drove us to Marrakech without a problem, however when we got there it was clear that the driver did not know how to get us back to our riads, and actually became quite confrontational about it when we said we didn't want to be dropped on the wrong side of the medina. He was not a taxi like the car on our way out, we got the impression that he had been asked to take us because he was heading that way. Luckily we could use internet mobile to look up the number of our riad and one of the boys from there came out to meet us and direct him. It was a shame to sour the end of our experience with a bit of a shortcut gone wrong.

Overall, a brilliant experience. Our guide, Mohammed spoke excellent English, was very informative and was a great pacemaker. The muleteers Ibrahim and Mohammed did a great job, spoke little English but their personalities shone through. We took everything on Tourdust's suggested list but did not need water tablets as bottled water was readily available to but at least once per day. We would recommend plenty of light and warm layers and both had sports 'skin' long sleeved tops which proved invaluable. We struck very lucky with the weather (no rain) but had both hot and cold climates to dress for.

Overall, a 5 star unforgettable experience and good value for money.

Alex Nicholson reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

We had a great time thanks, the guide was excellent as was the lunch in the mountains, really good.

The only downside was that unfortunately my wife, who'd been so keen and excited to go, got a stomach bug the Sunday night so wasn't able to come on the trip on Monday. A real shame but otherwise a big success.

mark naylon reviewing Boutique Marrakech Break, with one day in the Mountains

I would definitely recommend this to other travellers.


This trek was the highlight of our trip to Marrakech and couldn't have run smoother.
The pick up from our hotel was on time and the driver was fantastic, making up feel very confident and safe in his driving, along with giving great information about what we were seeing along the way into the Mountains.
Once we arrived our guide was waiting for us and after a chat about how long we wanted to trek for we set off. Again very informative explaining things along the way.
On descent we stopped at the Berber village Imlil and had lunch at the family-run guesthouse Dar Adrar, which was the most delicious food we had eaten during our stay in Marrakech and the greeting and hospitality fantastic.
Afterwards feeling well fed and tired we were driven back to our hotel again by our very competent driver.

I couldn't recommend this trek enough as a little taster and will definitely be going back to take on the longer trek through the Atlas Mountains and Sahara.
Thanks Tourdust!

Emma Reed reviewing Boutique Marrakech Break, with one day in the Mountains

The 5day Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent was the highlight of our 2wk trip in Morocco. The guide and cook were both very friendly, respectful, and informative. The food was amazing - we wanted to take Rashid home with us! It was very pleasant walking through the villages, with the days getting progressively harder - a perfect build-up to the final 2days of great ascents. Climbing Toubkal was extremely rewarding, meeting various lovely people on that final day. We highly recommend this trek to others, and for those who have already booked it, additional advice would be to take a pack of cards and interesting books because there's so much relaxing time at the end of each day of trekking! Thank-you Tourdust & Thank-You Abdulla & Rashid!!!

Alanna reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

The trip was better than we could have hoped for. Dan & I are UK Mountain Leaders, so we weren't sure how necessary a guide was. The answer was very. Abdul was knowledgable about geology, plants and animals, but the discussions we had about middle eastern politics and religion were the most revealing. We could have done this trip on our own and spent a little less money, but the company and the food (amazing - not a ration pack or supernoodle in sight) made us glad that we had chosen to book through Tourdust.

Chris Billington reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

We had a wonderful trip - highlight of 2011! Everything ran like clockwork, the care and attention from the team was first class. The trekking was fantastic - challenging but just enough so. I don't think we would have changed a thing. Thank you

RachaelErskine reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

we had a great time, all of the people we worked with were great, everything went pretty smooth.

A couple of bits which may help you when booking this for others:-

- Day one of the trekking we arrived with not enough water, believing that they would already have it for us to buy, luckily one of the guys had his car and drove off and got us some.
- Food was traditional and excellent!
- At the surf place due to Ramadan we couldn't stay at the centre but was placed in a hotel 200 yards away which had no electricity!! however living including showering by candle light was fab, we played cards, chess and read a lot of books which was great for the kids and i would sell this!!
- There was some confusion over the use of the surf boards outside of the lessons, they were very good about it but insisted that one of them was present at all times. This felt like we added a lot of pressure on them and as such rarely did it, partly because it was Ramadan and in the afternoons when we wanted to go out they were sleeping. To be honest we went to go out on 3 occasions and weren't able to. The team were great so i don't want you to go back and criticise but recognise that during Ramadan its far more complicated and if the equipment is to be used outside of the lessons that it has to fit in with them as well.

Ian Harbour reviewing Morocco Family Holiday: Trek & Surf

a great trip. Organisation was very simple and smooth, and the walk itself - through villages, along valleys and up to the summit of Toubkal was wonderful - altogether a great experience.

tom howes reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

A tough but rewarding challenge with spectacular views of the Atlas Mountains with its many waterfalls and lush green valleys. Make sure you wear good walking boots for this hike, and carry poles for the descent from the peak.

Laura Page reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

Overall, I was really impressed with the trek and it was definitely the highlight of our trip to Morocco. We stayed in relatively isolated villages, saw few other travelers, interacted with Berbers, saw amazing challenging hiking around the valleys and up Mount Toubkhal. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who wanted to do something that was definitely off the beaten track in Morocco.

Jenna Jadin reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

We really enjoyed our trip. The driver arrived at the hotel on time. The
car was very clean and in good condition and most importantly he turned
out to be a very safe driver which is a must in the Atlas Mountains!

The guide once we arrived at the Atlas Mountain was also good and the
food that was prepared for our lunch was really tasty and fresh, a real
treat.

EsmeAllen reviewing Boutique Marrakech Break, with one day in the Mountains

Last week we returned from our trip to Morocco. Here's my story....

Originally we had booked the 6 day circuit of Mt Toubkal. On arrival, we met our guide and were informed that we were unable to do the circuit as the snow was too deep in places over the high passes and posed a problem for the mules. Luckily this didn’t come as a surprise as Tourdust had already informed us, during the booking process, that this could be a possibility (good services guys). So with an alternative route selected we set off..... Now I have to mention that my wife and I have done many trekking holidays, including Nepal a few times, Peru and Argentina. We have never booked through a tour agent, nor had a guide...However when we decided to go to the Atlas Mountains it was apparent that trying to trek alone would be "challenging" to say the least. Searching the internet for a possible tour company to book through we both agreed that large trekking groups were out of the question. Naturally, all the big names came up...prices were ridiculous and numbers were 12-16 per group...until we came across Tourdust. It seemed too good to be true..our own private guide and muleteer for a fraction of the cost ?
...back to the trip......
Our guide mentioned that another group of 4 would also be doing the same route as us, all with their own guide and muleteer. - we would meet them later on that day.
After a few hours walking we stopped for lunch and we had our first taste of the infamous Berber tea AKA Berber whiskey!..Tetleys eat your heart out!! The tea was amazing...but what was equally amazing was the food that was prepared by our muleteer, Mohammed. The guy is incredible. After a short nap under a walnut grove we set off for the afternoon leg of our first day. Our lodging in a Gite that night was basic but more than adequate, hot showers and comfortable mattresses made for a good night’s rest. I have to mention at this point, we met the group of 4 later that afternoon. *Sigh* Now I’m not sure if they had read anything regarding Morocco and suitable dress code, but the 2 woman had mini trekking skirts and crop tops on…along with a good portion of oversized muffin tops to go!...even I felt awkward and found myself staring at my feet alot!
As the trip progressed the group of 4 were a constant source of entertainment for the two of us and 3 basic rules should be adhered to at all times:
1) Always listen to the guide
2) Always keep up with the mule carrying the food
3) Never try outsmart your guide
Every village we stayed in, Lashon took us on a tour and it became clear that he was well known throughout the valleys. As a result we were lucky enough to be invited in to a locals house for tea with freshly made bread and local olive oil…mmmm….(not something you are likely to experience in a group of 16) Unfortunately my wife and I were unable to converse with the home owner other than some rudimentary hand gestures, so instead he turned on the TV and switched to an English Muslim channel and beamed from ear to ear. Very bizarre
On day 3 our lodging was at the base of a pass which crossed over to the Mt Toubkal refuge. We got word earlier that day that the lodge was experiencing a few roofing problems i.e. If it rained during the night we were in trouble. Luckily it did’nt rain and we had a wonderful evening with an open fire, scarlet sunset and a golden glow from the surrounding peaks..best of all we were the only ones there. (our group of 4 complained to the lodge owner about the plumbing at this point!!!) It has to said that the accommodation is basic throughout the trip, some better than others, but unlike other trekking holidays we’ve been on, you do get a hot shower at the end of each day.
Day 4 we said good-bye to Mohammed and his mule as the pass was too dangerous for the mule. We would meet up with them later that day as they took much longer alternative route around. The pass proved to be an interesting day…icy bare foot river crossings, hail, snow, rain and sunshine all in 6 hours. (our guide found it highly amusing that we paid money to do this)
The climb of Mt Toubkal on day 5 was perfect. Lashon insisted that we wear crampons for the ascent as practically the entire mountain was still covered in snow and ice. We saw many people trying to do the ascent without suitable footwear and all I can say is THANK YOU Lashon! We summited without incident and were greeted with the most incredible panoramic views of the High Atlas…a superb ending to an awesome trekking holiday.
If you are reading this review and are doing the same Google searches we did trying to find a Tour company. Look no further!..Even though Tourdust’s prices are well below the likes of Exodus for example…the personal experience we got from the local company (Mohammed Aztat Trekking Company) they use is first class. Our guide was safety conscious, never made a rash decision…our muleteer made sure that we were always fed and did an outstanding job catering in some fairly challenging places and best of all they were both very friendly and informative.
Right from the outset Tourdust has been fantastic, recommendations by Anna and Ben were spot-on and any complications that arose were swiftly dealt with and sorted out. It was a memorable holiday…So a big thank you Tourdust.
One recommendation that we have, is that a bag weight limit should be recommended/ imposed. (15kg max)

Andrew M

Andrew Matthews reviewing 6 Day Toubkal Circuit

i had a great experience and would rate it 5/5. The whole trip went very smoothly and i really enjoyed the trek and my guide and muleteer Hassan and Rasheed. The conditions were still quite bad on the mountain because of the late winter but i always felt safe. It was also great to meet lots of people from different backgrounds and nationalities at the refuge.

DanDelaney reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

Very impressed with Tourdust right from enquiring about experiences to our departure. Always very helpful and efficient. We went on the cookery course in Marrakesh and recommend it to anyone of any skill level. The hotel was amazing with fantastic kitchen facilities and when we went to the spice market we were taken through all the herbs and spices and all there uses! A great experience all in all!

SallyStrudwick reviewing Cookery Course in Marrakech

My boyfriend and went to Morocco in March to enjoy the stunning scenery of the high atlas mountains. Ben helped us choose the most appropriate trek for our needs and the time of year (i.e. avoiding snowy paths). We starting in Imlill after an amazing night at the Dar Adrar hotel where we feasted on mint tea and biscuits on the roof top terrace before enjoying a open fire in our bedroom.

The next morning we left for our 3 day walk. Our guide Abdul was both knowledgeable and fun and paced the walk perfectly. The food was beyond our expectations as we were served fresh hot tagines on top of mountains and as much tea as we could take. The 3 day trip covered mountains, valleys, windy passes and picturesque villages and we were guided through each with expertise and patience (for our continual photo taking). We spent the evening playing football with the children in the village, demolishing yet more delicious tagines and taking in the spectacular scenery.

Throughout the trek we felt very well looked after and although the high Atlas mountains are a popular hiking destination, we still felt that we were walking through a land that time (and tourists) forgot. For this reason we would recommend low season - although bring a good sleeping bag and warm clothes, as what the mountains lack in tourists in the winter months, they make up for in sub zero temperatures at night!

Seamless logistics, professional guides, exceptional food and stunning scenery made this a trip to remember!

kirsty miller reviewing 3 Day Imlil and Ourika Valley Trek

We really can't speak highly enough of our holiday. You and Ben were a pleasure to deal with, knowledgeable, helpful with no pressure or hassle.

Our guide Mohamed and our muleateer Mohamed were a delight - solicitious but never intrusive. You seriously under sell the gourmet element of the trek - every meal was a feast, fabulously presented in wonderful settings. Mohamed Aktaz's house was great and chips a novel but welcome sight!

Some specific suggestions:

- add a water bottle to the kit list. We had tablets as a precaution but anticipated water being provided en-route.
- weather link from your site was helpful, we probably should have taken less "winter" kit on the back of this.
- the 1:50,000 map (Toubkal) from Stamford's was well worth having

Adrian really enjoyed the Toubkal summit - up and down in three hours despite a broken crampon!

AdrianBelton reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

An exhilarating two day trek soaking up beautiful scenery in the High Atlas. The guide was excellent, spoke good English and very knowledgable. We had many laughs with him. The picnic up the mountain was a very happy moment... a freshly cooked tagine tastes so good in the mountain air. Highly recommended

YoTakatsuki reviewing Overnight Berber Valley Trek & Boutique Marrakech

I'd give it a 5. Can't think of improvements. The experience itself was great and the guide/muleteer were both fantastic - friendly and generous guys who obviously knew what they were doing. It was the best experience of my holiday there - both the agency and the guides themselves were helpful, knowledgeable and friendly. So much of the trip exceeded my expectations and I wouldn't hesitate to book again.

Marcus Perry reviewing Overnight Berber Valley Trek & Boutique Marrakech

As you predicted, we didn't have one drop of rain and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and already recommended it to our friends.

So to rate your customer service, it must be 5, and our experience of this trip's rating is also 5.

Thanks again and keep up the good work.

William He reviewing Boutique Marrakech Break, with one day in the Mountains

Overall we had a fantastic time doing the Mt Toubkal trek. The climb is casual (no climbing gear/ropes required) however it is not for the light hearted. It was fairly heavy going, very long uphill walks for 4-5 hours on loose rocks and snow. If you aren't used to trekking then you may find this difficult. Altitude sickness is a definite possibility and sore legs are almost guaranteed. The accommodation is very basic and not very pleasant (cold water, dirty, too many people in each room so no sleep at all). The ascent to the summit is tough, very steep, and difficult in the snow. The reward is amazing views, the summit of Jebel Toubkal was excellent and we had an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction and achievement. Our guide was very experienced, helpful and we would recommend him to anyone.

Darren Isbell reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

We had a wonderful and rewarding time in the Atlas Mountains. We loved the flexibility of the route and pace, which was possible because we had the guide to ourselves. This is definitely something Tour Dust has above the rest. Ali the cook and his trusty mule were also a bonus!

CLARE MACDONALD reviewing Overnight Berber Valley Trek & Boutique Marrakech

Clare and I had a fantastic break in morocco. The trek was a real highlight.

Andrew Larter reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

I would definitely recommend this trip to other travellers.
Everything ran like clockwork. Mohammed met us at the airport and took us to our riad in Marrakech which was a lovely place right in the centre but quiet as a retreat. We loved sitting on the upstairs terrace chilling out and having cups of mint tea prepared by their lovely staff.

On the trek Mohammed picked us up at 9am and we were taken to the start were we met our guide Mohammed ,our cook Hammed and our Mule who we named Janet.
We spent a lovely 5 days trekking and were really looked after by Mohammed and Hammed. The food was amazing and nothing was too much trouble for them.
The climb up Toubkal was amazing. Lots of snow and beautiful views.

We met some lovely people in the villagers.
We will definitely like to return to climb some more peaks.

Kevin Dawes reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

The trip was a huge hit... A massive success

The trekking was good... We were a bit out of shape but our guide was amazing. He just got it and was super knowledgeable. I really think he was the gem. We were cold at night even though we had terrific sleeping bags but that is part of the fun.

The people from the surf school were awesome. The accomodation was a wee bit to funky for us and the man moved us into a super duper cute little studio bedroom with terrace near the village. He was terrific even had everyone to his house for dinner one night and that was one of the best meals I ever had. The surf instructor was perfect.

I found tourdust online and I am sure after our amazing trip that they are a gift from heaven. In two days they created a personal trip for me and my 10 year old son. We wanted adventure,surfing and hiking and it was feb half term we had 5 days to travel...ben and anna could not have been cooler or more organised. We knew every detail of our trip and had an itinerary that met our individual needs and interests. We even had a hand drawn map where no map had existed before. Both harry and I were sorry that the rest of our family couldn’t be with us but feel that we lucked out with our wonderful adventure.

ElizabethWalker reviewing Morocco Family Holiday: Trek & Surf

we have just returned tonight from Morocco and would like you to know how much we enjoyed our Atlas Valley Trek. The guides were fantastic and we were very impressed with Atlas - they responded extremely well to a situation which unexpectedly presented itself : Nanette's leg was causing her some pain so our schedule was slightly altered to give a shorter trip on the 2nd day (the anticipated 6 hours of walking was actually more like 8 hours which in the circumstances would have been too much so the 6 hour day which was then provided was preferable).

Just to give you some feedback - the change of plan was in fact a benefit in other ways as we did spend a very cold night in an unheated shelter on our first night and the change meant that we had a delightful night in a guest house in Imlil instead of a second freezing night in unheated lodgings. It might be useful in future in terms of info you give out to your guests at this time of year - winter sleeping bags are required even for an indoor mountain stay as the mountain gites aren't heated although the guest house in Imlil was. We both had adequate sleeping bags but hadn't expected to be quite as cold as we were when we got into them!

Overall this was a great tip and we would definitely use your company again for booking similar holidays in other areas.

June reviewing Overnight Berber Valley Trek & Boutique Marrakech

Tourdust made the booking of our 2-day trek in Morocco extremely easy. I called them up first to ask a bit more about the trek that I wanted to do and what kind of equipment we should take with us. These were all answered very quickly and I even got some advice for other parts of our trip in Morocco. The trek itself went exactly as it should have done, we were picked up promptly from our Riad, the guide was extremely knowledgeable and very friendly and the walk itself was off the beaten track and we saw only 2 other travellers during the full two days which was excellent and made for the true walking experience we were looking for, nothing touristy at all - Thank you!

Rebecca Hardy reviewing Overnight Berber Valley Trek & Boutique Marrakech

Thoroughly enjoyed my half-day cookery course at Maison Arabe. I'd signed up because I thought it would be fun to learn a bit about Moroccan cooking, but it was a real bonus that it was held at Maison Arabe, which is a really beautiful place. We were 10 in the group altogether, so plenty of attention for everyone from our instructor, Mohammed. He first took us to a local spice shop and we were shown which were the spices most used in local cooking. Then we came back to the kitchen, which had been beautifully laid out, with individual utensils, aprons and ingredients. Cooked a truly magnificent chicken tagine with accompanying salads and then had the pleasure of eating it, served by the staff at Maison Arabe - great. And after all that, we got to take our tagine pot and recipe sheets away with us! A really enjoyable half day in Marrakech and a fun way of learning a bit about local food into the bargain - so glad I did it!

lizsweetman reviewing Cookery Course in Marrakech

The experience was very enjoyable. The climb was tough, but worth it.
The guide was very competent, albeit a little quiet. Fantastic experience, great views, well worth the trek to the top.

matrekker reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

My thoughts on the trip was that it was over all an amazing experience. The Erg Chebbi trip was the most enjoyable part of our stay in Morocco, Im glad we booked it through yourself as everything ran smoothly and we feel we got an excellent service. We heard some bad experiences of similar trips but were a lot cheaper so I think you get what you pay for.

KateThorburn reviewing 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour to Erg Chebbi

We would highly recommend booking a trek with Tourdust. We had a tailor made 4 day trek with friendly, professional guides. It was fun and well organised with good accommodation and great food. Lots of great memories and stunning photos.

We had an amazing time, mohammed and loshum were both really helpful. took us into the village in the evenings to see the village celebrating eid, played football with the kids in the village. We felt safe. Food was excellent, had our own impromptu cookery course with mohammed. On the last day lucy went with loshum for a harder walk and I stayed with mohammed so catered to both levels of fitness

RuthCrook reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent

Trip to Erg Chebbi

What a really wonderful trip – many thanks to everyone involved in making it happen. Riding over dunes in the desert at sunset has to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, watching the sun going down behind the orange glowing sand and crescent shaped shadows. I found, to my great relief, that camels are actually quite cooperative animals – or maybe that was down to our guide, Zaieed, who led them patiently for an hour, until we reached our tent. Then a delicious tagine, cooked on the spot, followed by sleeping under the brightest moon and stars imaginable. To top it all, we set off (again guided by Zaieed) in the morning while it was still dark so that we could park our camels on the side of a dune so we could clamber up and watch the sun rise. Pure magic.
It was a long drive down to the desert from Marrakech, but we stopped off at some fascinating places along the way, and enjoyed getting a feel for Moroccan villages after the bright lights of Marrakech. And the drive was worth every minute for such a wonderful experience.

lizsweetman reviewing 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour to Erg Chebbi

Firstly, you guys at Tourdust- what can I say really?! perfect service, informative, timely, reasonably priced etc etc Can't fault you, thanks so much, i'm really glad we didn't leave it to our Riad to book or just risk someone selling tours on the side of the road when we got there! The few extra quid was very well spent.

Mohammed and Aztat Tours- we had 2 guides (just for Andy and I!) the whole time. Met us at our front door and dropped us off practically at the next front door. EXTREMELY sensitive to our wimpy British needs (always checking we were cool enough, had enough water, wanted to take pics, stop for lunch, loos etc) They couldn't have been more thoughtful, even moreso considering they were both without food and water all day because of Ramadan.

The tour was very comprehensive- mountains, gorges, the desert and other stops like fossil factories, film studios and various places of interest along the way. The dessert was an INCREDIBLE experience, the most bizarre silence i've ever experienced and I now know camels regurgitate their food and eat it as mine did this for the entire trip back (rather nice at 5am!)

Things that may be useful in terms of other clients doing the same tour and asking questions: we had no idea we would be travelling quite so far, so although the first and second day were fine and split up with visits and obviously a night in a hotel, the full journey back on the 3rd day was a marathon. I think we stopped twice for the loo and once for lunch in almost 12 hours because there was so far to go.

We also had no idea we'd be leaving our guides once we got on the camels, and trekking 4km to the camp. Our Berber 'host' there was amazing, the tagine the best we had the whole holiday and the 4 other guests a real nice bunch. But we then trekked back at 5am to see the sunrise. Again, a fab experience but we were in shock when we were told at camp we'd be getting up before 5am and going back on camels as 1- Camels are the most uncomfy beasts ever, and 2- We were absolutely knackered!

Also, the sleeping in the desert- we had packed a fleece and our toothbrushes along with wipes medication other items on the list etc. The torch was the most valuable item listed, we would have been lost without it! But anything other than maybe medication and wipes is pointless as there are NO facilities whatsoever, just a loo in a tent. We slept in our clothes and went back in them the next day, there's no point doing anything else really. It is a complete myth that it gets cold in the desert- it was a good 30 degrees all through the night with no wind whatsoever and the camp has thin mattresses and sheets to use if needed so no need for sleeping bag hire either, it was all just extra stuff to lug around. Our guide told us it very rarely gets cold in the desert and this is at the time of year when they move their camp out anyway so no-one would be staying there, doing tours etc

Elena reviewing 3 Day Sahara Desert Tour to Erg Chebbi

Yes I would highly recommend for those with a hardy sense of adventure - Toubkal climb itself is a little more challenging than maybe is made clear, and I am an experienced walker. Hostel was very basic, which is fine as long as travellers are aware from the outset. Need to remind travellers to take passport numbers for hostel registration - add to kit list. Also, tips are appreciated by guides/taxi drivers at end - it is part of African culture.

I have to say that our mountain guide was fantastic. He was friendly and very knowledgeable. The food prepared for us was excellent and substantial. We were really well looked after all of the time. The taxi service to/from Marrakech was very efficient. The arrangements went exactly as planned from start to finish, so we had nothing to worry about, other than ensuring we kept going on the climb. Watching the sun rise across the Atlas mountains was breathtaking, an experience that will last with us for some time.

Pierre reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

Mohamed is simply the best guide with whom I have walked in Morocco... (Conde Nast Traveller Magazine, Dec 2007)

CondeNastTraveller reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal

Mohamed Aztat, a fluent speaker of English, French, Berber and Spanish is equally at home taking a family group through the low level M'goun valleys or experienced trekkers and climbers up the steepest slopes.

LonelyPlanet reviewing Classic Berber Villages & Toubkal Ascent