We spent 5 of our 16 wonderful days in Morocco on a Travel Exploration custom trip through the Atlas Mountains, to the Erg Chebbi dunes and the Draa Valley. It was truly amazing and the single biggest highlight of our time in Morocco. Our driver and guide, Youssef, was fabulous–he had great connections and was generous with the locals, knowledgeable, personable, flexible, had great language skills and a warm style. He provided incredible insight into the local culture and history as we experienced the beautiful landscapes, valleys, architectural features and Berbers of the Atlas Mountains. Overnight camping in the dunes was amazing–in years of backpacking and camping in the U.S., we had never seen as many stars as the night we spent in Erg Chebbi. Not to mention the simple beauty and fascinating colors of the dunes at sunset and sunrise, and the chance to visit with our nomadic Berber hosts overnight. All our accommodations were charming and our hosts welcoming. Having one dinner include local music and an impromptu dance party with vacationing Moroccans was a real treat. And our desire for vegetarian food was extremely well accommodated in a country that for the most part doesn’t appreciate that dietary choice. Alecia was extremely responsive as we explored our options for this trip, went out of her way to provide recommendations even beyond the 5 days we booked with Travel Exploration, and was immediately accessible and very professional in addressing one change that needed to be made early in our trip. And even after our trip, she took the time to meet us in person and treat us to coffee during our brief time in Marrakesh. . Visited April 2011

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