Holidays for Adventurous Families

We have had a brilliant time away, and our Morocco experience was fantastic.

The specifics:

Trek Guide: Rachid. Fantastic 5/5. Very nice young fellow who was very attentive to Sally who was fighting off a bug during the trek, and managed the pace to ensure that she and Lucy finished it. His English was also very reasonable and we were able to communicate fairly well during the two days. (Our command of the Berber language on the other hand is still surprisingly rusty but we managed to get a few expressions under our belt alhumdulillah!). We enjoyed the walk very much but really had no idea what to expect. Given the gradients and altitude, it would have been rated medium at least but probably hard in the Australian bushwalking guides - but I had a chuckle when Rachid said that it was easy! and we do some hard walks here at home. Whilst it's reasonably high at 2500m for people accustomed to living at sea level, the impact was only marginal, though our son Ben did have a headache for most of it. A little more information in your guide about expectations would assist (and I'm thinking here of people like us who weren't travelling to Morocco just to walk). The accommodation was very basic but fine given where we were and what we were up to. It was extremely cold of course but Rachid arranged for some blankets to augment the sleeping bags and we were fine. The sleeping bags were also perfectly fine by the way and looked hardly used - they were just extremely thin, without the blankets they would have been hopeless! The village was an awe inspring glimpse into the past - biblical housing with satellite dishes!

Driver: Yusef. Fine 3/5. Completely different character to Rachid though. It's a challenge for sure to keep the conversation up for six days when your Darija is as rough as ours and the English is not so good - but this is getting picky given where we were.

Accommodation:
Dar Hanane - fantastic - probably best of the lot - 5/5. Felt like home. Stuart and Mandy very welcoming and key staff were excellent.
Kasbah bab Ourika - 3/5. Why? Being rated at 5 star and given the tariff, our expectations were of course high. It was very nice, but for the money you might expect a bit more polish or something. It certainly had a feeling of subservience in relation to the staff - having come from Dar Hanane where the staff were all happy and relaxed, Bab Ourika had a comepletely different feel. The food was also very average. Sally says she could cook at the same standard at home!!
Dar Adrar - 4/5 Great. Very neat and tidy - great service - nice homely feel.
Kasbah Ellouze - 4/5. Again very nice. Sally did notice holes and stains on the sheets(!) but overall very nice and great service. It wasn't ask clean as other places.
Dar Sidi Buono (M'Hamid) - 3/5 - a bit tired but again OK for what it is. Nancy was lovely - very engaging and enchanting and service from the staff was OK.
Luxury Desert Camp (erg Chigaga)- 4.5/5. Brilliant concept, very novel accommodation, terrific service. BoBo was brilliant - very interesting and engaging individual who could just about write the text book on marketing and customer service. The food we ate here was about the best we had in Morocco. To produce that kind of fare in a tent kitchen was a miracle although both Ben and Sally ended up with food poisoning following the desert but not sure where it came from. Interesting for you to note this just in case anyone else reports it.
Dar Qamar (Agdz) - 4/5 - just a bit out of the way - so tricky to get back into town without a car. We would have walked if Sally and Ben were feeling better.

Service and Advice from Tourdust:
This was always going to be a challenge given that we couldn't walk into your office to discuss things, but overall I think everything was just fine. We didn't have a hitch and you or Anna were available for a chat when we needed it - we just needed to be organised with the specific questions needing answering.
Mohammed was also very professional and helpful on the ground and was available by phone when needed. He also went out of his way to organise for Ben's fleece top to be collected from Agdz when he had left it at Dar Qamar - very much appreciated.

That's it! We have had an amazing time. We enjoyed the contrasts that Morocco had to offer - it certainly is a collision of the ancient and modern. Apart from mudhouses with satellite dishes, the one thing that struck me was the nomadic Berber, who still pack up and travel with all of their worldly possessions on camels. We saw them when returning from Erg Chigaga - half a dozen camels being led by a gentleman in a jillaba talking on a mobile phone whilst his wife and daughters brought up the rear with the goats. Brilliant.

So, thanks for getting us around Morocco! We enjoyed it immensely and would recommend you to people in Australia trying to organise their trips to Morocco.

Timothy Head reviewing Morocco Family Holiday: Kasbahs, Mountains & Souks

It has been absolutely beautiful and very very special. Thank you much for your help.

Bobo was such a brilliant guide to the desert, the children loved him too, it made the whole trip in the desert extra special and brilliant. I would recommend that part to everyone, maybe even as a yearly retreat, it was so tranquil and so serene as well as extremely well organised and luxurious.

Ait Ben Haddou was also beautiful, we had a good walk round on our own and explored the whole village. We also visited someones house who had been part of many films in the making there and was clearly so proud to show us his pictures.

The hotel we stayed in there was ok, but not as great as others, it was a bit too posh and lacked something special, food wasn't so great, service not much either, nothing specific to complain about, just it didn't quite had what we preferred.

The kasbah near Agadir was perfect, really lovely services, a fantastic castle on the hill and a little drive from some fabulous beachy places. a real recommendation with lovely pool and food and rooms and all, the kids were happy too!

All in all, something to remember forever for us and the kids, thank you for your help and recommendations, its been more special, beautiful and interesting then we could have hoped for.

Marjolein Humphries reviewing Luxury Family Desert Holiday

The walking was just right for us. We were a little anxious about whether the boys would happily participate - they haven't been great walkers. But they were fantastic: bounding ahead of us slow oldies, often over quite challenging terrain. They took to our guide, who struck a good balance between helpfulness and letting us get on with things. Accommodation was fine - and the guest house was lovely. And the food was just right.

Marrakech was a bit of a shock to the system after the tranquility of the mountains, and boys were a little uncertain about it at first - the chaos and the noise. But the accommodation was a great base to retreat to, and by the end boys were happily guiding us through the souks. I loved the vibrancy of it all - quite a contast to Stockholm.

Nicholas Howe reviewing Morocco Family Holiday: Marrakech & Mountains

We absolutely loved our trip, thank you.

The organisation from your side was perfect - everything went very smoothly, just as planned, and we felt very well looked after from start to finish. We really appreciated you changing plans for us at the last minute, and we were pleased with the arrangements we had. Even the day treks from Dar Adrar were very spectacular, and our guide Rashid was able to vary the to and from journeys to make it even more interesting. Mohammed and his team looked after us very well, and drinking mint tea on the terrace each afternoon was a joy. The boys were able to do all the walking, but found it really fun to ride on the mule anyway. We were all blown away by the delicious lunches and dinners. All so healthy, tasty and beautifully presented. It was a holiday we will never forget, and I hope we will go back many times!

Marrakech was also fabulous, although it took a little getting used to after the peace and quiet of the mountains!

So basically, we had a great time and would not hesitate to recommend Tourdust to other holiday makers, especially families who might not have considered that such a fun and adventurous holiday could be open to them with children.

Sarah Sharrock reviewing Morocco Family Holiday: Marrakech & Mountains

We had a really good time and would thoroughly recommend anyone to go to Morrocco with Tourdust. The trekking was really good, although basic gite is exactly what they were!! We had a bit of an issue with a loo which caused a little concern but apart from that the guide was great as were the cooks. The food was generally good though i must admit i don't need to have a tagine again in a hurry!! Chez Momo was lovely, a real relaxation. I'm lead to believe that it is not quite as good as it was, the menu was a litte uninspiring, but for us it was perfectly timed as we needed a little R and R then onto Marrakech. The riad (Bel Haj) was amazing as were the staff there it was a little haven of tranquility in the hustle and bustle of Marrakech. Blue Morocco was so good the kids loved the surfing and the whole ethos of the place. They made us feel so welcome and I would send the kids back there no porblem!!

All in all a real success

Sophie Hopkisson reviewing Two Week Family Trek & Surf Holiday

We thought this was a very well planned out trip. It had a good balance of kayaking and fun time. All staff we came across from booking, to transfer to guides were always very helpful and friendly. The staff in Croatia were always welcoming and forthcoming with help and information. We loved the island, the car free environment was fantastic. The island and its neighbors were beautiful, the water is stunning, I cant remember seeing sea that clear before. The children were never bored, if they weren't kayaking they were snorkeling and loved it. We all loved the banana boat ride and the speed boat trip.

On the last day three families chartered the local glass bottom boat, 1300 Kuna for the day (approx £10 per person) and we had a fantastic trip around other islands, snorkeling and swimming in new areas and a lovely lunch on anther islands. I would recommend this to other travelers. I think this was arranged through Irvana.

We would recommend this holiday and Tourdust services to friends in the future.

Claire Hillman-Brown reviewing Family Sea Kayaking Holiday in Dubrovnik

Having returned home after my trip to Morocco from 8th-15th August with your company I wish to compliment you in what was a fabulous first vacation to Morocco and first taste of trekking with my two children.
Mohammed and Abdu my guide, Muleteer and cook were outstanding in providing such a quality experience for us all up in the mountains. My children were particularly well cared for and the genuine hospitality shown by the owners and families at the various accommodations along the way made their first trekking experience a memorable one from start to finish.
My accommodation at Chez Momo and the wonderful Dar Vedra Riad in Marrakech were excellent and made us feel immersed in the architecture of Morocco. In particular Sebastian at Dar Vedra was a wonderful host during our time in the city and all the staff at Chez Momo were friendly and very accommodating to our needs.
Eight days passed very quickly. It was our first taste of trekking amidst this type of terrain and we only saw just a small part of Morocco but certainly this country has more to see and it will not be our last visit. I will thoroughly recommend to my friends Tourdust as a company and reiterate how much we all enjoyed trekking amongst the Atlas mountains and watching the buzz of activity in the city of Marrakech. It was the perfect itinerary for myself and my two 9 year olds.

Carole Sankey reviewing Morocco Family Holiday: Marrakech & Mountains

I have nothing but praise for both your company and the people that you deal with. My initial contact with Ben and Anna was wonderful, they are both friendly, helpful and were always ready with a comforting or helpful reply when called upon. From the get go I knew that I had struck it lucky in my dealings with Tourdust.

Imlil:

Mustafa collected us from Marrakech train station, he was quiet but efficient and went out of his way to find a bank machine for us so that we would not be stuck for dirhams. As we drove further into the mountains his pride in his home village became apparent as he opened up a little and began to point out little things of interest. In Imlil we were met immediately by Hamid (of Dar Adrar) who escorted us to the gite. Upon arrival he showed us to our rooms and prepared the first of many mint teas that we were to sample in our time in Morocco. Realising that we may struggle to find somewhere to eat for lunch, seeing as it was Eid al Adha, he did not hesitate to offer us lunch, a tasty omelette and salad was promptly delivered to us in a cosy sitting room. Hamid was so hospitable and a pleasure to deal with. The rooms are exactly what we expected them to be - better in fact. They were comfortable and clean and typically rustic. The views from the terrace were breath-taking. Early on that first afternoon, a roaring fire was lit and we snuggled up and relaxed, reading our books in the tranquil atmosphere of the gite. Dinner was served and was a delight. We met with Mohamed as we were retiring to bed and he suggested we be ready to leave around 9.30 the next morning - perfect. After a good nights sleep, we hate a wonderful breakfast and set out. The guide (Lassan) was wonderful - a very experienced guide with years of training. He was talkative and absolutely marvellous with Katy (my nine year old daughter). The chef, Ibrahim was a bit of a wonder, we really couldn't figure out how he could consistently provide such wonderful meals on a portable stove. Mention must also be made of Hassan the other local that escorted the mule - he was constantly helpful and looked after Katy so well. The overnight in the village was wonderful, the Gite d'Etape, whilst expectedly basic, was a great night. The owner was present much of the time but stayed in the background making sure everything was running smoothly. There was only one slight glitch which was unavoidable I suppose, we had not realised that we would not be returning to Dar Adrar after the hike and had left many of our belongings there. We were met in the village by Mustafa for the return journey to Marrakech with all of our belongings but they had missed Katys two pairs of shoes that had been left in the communal shoe area, it was not a big deal and we were not put out at all.

Marrakech:

Monsieur Aztat had organised everything to perfection, we were met in Marrakech by Direse the man with a cart who steered us through the Marrakech back alleys like a pro. At breakneck speeds we careened through the frenetic streets until we finally arrived at Riad Boussa. Anyone who has never been to Marrakech before may have worried that they were being sucked into some little side alley for dodgy dealings but I knew the score. The door to Riad Boussa opened and we were led into this oasis. The first words my daughter gasped were 'it’s a sanctuary' and she was so right. The wonderful scent of essential oils drifted in the soft candle lit air. We were made comfortable by Madame Grillion and brought yet another round of the ubiquitous mint tea. Madame Grillion sat with us and went through a map of Marrakech with super suggestions for both sights to see and restaurants. We took all of her tips and were delighted with each one. Special mention needs to be made of Dejeuner de Marrakech for lunch. We had a wonderful time exploring Marrakech and enjoyed the many sights and sounds of this truly colorful city.

Sidi Kaouki:

The next morning, after another tasty breakfast in Riad Boussa, Madame Grillion confirmed our driver was on the way and Direse was called upon to guide us to Djem el Fnaa once more. Mohammed, our driver delivered us safely to Sidi Kaouki and all was fine. There had been quite a lot of inclement weather which had caused some problems for the taxi service and the surf school Blue Morocco but nothing that we were aware of in any negative way. The first afternoon the weather meant we were unable to have a surf lesson but I think we all welcomed the time for relaxation. There was a little confusion about meals with the Auberge owner (Auberge de la Plage), I believe her name was Francoise but I may be wrong, I am afraid it has slipped my mind. The surf instructors and owner of the school were all so friendly and really went out of their way to make the lessons an experience as opposed to just a lesson. The owner of Blue Morocco was friendly and a pleasure to deal with.

Sonja Owens reviewing Morocco Family Holiday: Marrakech, Trek & Surf

All three guides, one on each trip were excellent, coped with the variety of people on the trips well - especially so on the Canyoning - were knowledgable, competent and friedndly. Only slight disappointment was the snorkleing trip which was enjoyable but there wasn't a lot pointed out to look at; so kayaking and canyoning 5, snorkelling 4. The Riverside hotel - great, couldn't fault it for the price range. Staff really friendly and helpful, rooms basic but good, pool excellent. A really enjoyable trip, I would recommend it to others.

Dave Bradford reviewing Family Activity Holiday in Turkey

In the past I have always been a believer in independently organising my own holidays, as that has always been part of my holiday experience. However, I was wary about taking my wife and children (aged 15,14 and 10) on an adventure without some help to organise the trip. After some careful searching on-line I found 'Tourdust' who organise adventure travel 'everywhere'. All the reviews raved about their services, so I sent them an email...

Ben and Anna helped us plan a eleven day holiday to include trekking in the Atlas Mountains, exploring Marrakesh and surfing on the Atlantic coast. Using their wide knowledge they made some excellent suggestions and encouraged us to make choices that would not have occurred to me had I booked independently. This included an excellent last minute suggestion, based on up to date weather information, to stay in the mountains on our first night rather than in the heat of Marrakesh. They were also immediately on the case, by phone, when our taxi failed to turn up on the last day to take us back to the airport.

I could rave for a long time about the holiday; the amazing cooking on the trek, the beautiful Riad in Marrakesh and the friendly surf instructors... but you need to experience it yourself. I am complete convert to their style of adventure travel and knowledgeable advice and would think twice before attempting to organise my own holiday again, especially if travelling as a family.

PATRICK RICHARDSON reviewing Morocco Family Holiday: Marrakech, Trek & Surf

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: Marrakech, Trek & Surf

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: Marrakech, Trek & Surf

Getting to Refugio Amazonas from the airport at Puerto Maldonado involved a slow, bumpy hourlong bus ride to a sweltering jungle outpost aptly named Infierno, where we transferred into 55-foot-long motor boats that resembled hollowed-out bananas. The 2 1/2-hour ride upriver instantly oriented us to our new environment. Sixto pointed excitedly to a black caiman, an endangered reptile that resembles an alligator, sunning itself on the riverbank. We drew in for a closer look, which prompted the fierce reptile to eye us warily and slither into the water, its eyes still trained on us like periscopes. Moments later, we were distracted by the primordial shriek of a scarlet macaw. Perched on a clay outcropping were two of the storybook birds with their coats of crimson, gold, and green. Our normally skeptical teenager took in nature's technicolor with disbelief. "Can you believe where we are?" she said

Our boat finally pulled ashore at a set of wooden steps that rose up from the river. We had been hiking for 10 minutes when the lush green forest suddenly parted to reveal what looked like an enormous ship's prow cutting through the vegetation. This was Refugio Amazonas, a giant open-sided structure with a thatched roof and spacious two-story common area that included a bar, dining room, and hammock lounge. Our rooms had three bamboo-lined walls and beds draped with gauzy mosquito nets. The fourth wall was open to the rain forest. The bathrooms had running water and cold showers. Candles and kerosene lanterns provided our only light (the dining room has several hours of electricity each night where you can recharge camera batteries). We fell asleep that night to a thrilling cacophony made by howler monkeys, macaws, parrots, and crickets.

The next morning, while Jasper (7) was helping to save the forest, (along a special children's rain forest trail created with help from a Peruvian nonprofit organization, ANIA, which aims to teach children about natural and cultural resources of the rain forest) Ariel (15) was out with another group climbing a 75-foot tree with ropes and a harness. Another day featured kayaking and fishing on the Tambopata, hiking a remote clay lick to observe macaws and parrots, and following Sixto as he showed us how he used rain forest plants as medicines. "I don't go to a pharmacy," he said, motioning to the dense growth around us. "I have all the medicine I need right here." He won over Ariel by curing her nagging stomachache with a potent tea he brewed from a forest vine.

On our last morning, we climbed an 80-foot canopy tower to bird-watch with Sixto and take in the sunrise. Jasper and Ariel were glued to their binoculars as they took in the bird's-eye vantage point. Mist rose over the green carpet beneath us, and we peered into the tops of giant kapok trees. We spotted more birds in an hour than I had ever seen, including a toucan, tanager, parrots, macaws, and parakeets, to name a few. A full-throated symphony of birdsong rang out around us.
(David Goodman, writing for the Boston Globe, August 2007)

Boston-Globe reviewing Family Holiday in Peru: Incas & Amazon