JOHN, SUSAN & PIERSON RACANELLI (SAN FRANCISCO , CALIFORNIA)

Many thanks to Elena at the Blue Men of Morocco, our small family had a dream come true trip to North Africa in June of 2005. Elena was very patient in waiting for us when we had a plane delay upon our arrival in Malaga, and kindly took us to Algeciras for our ferry the next morning.

Upon arrival in Tangiers, we met with our truly wonderful guide who drove us in air-conditioned comfort for 9 days throughout Morocco. We started at a beautiful riad in Fes and toured with a top notch guide through the streets of the old medina. We continued on to the Atlas Mountains, where we experienced the Barbary apes, through to Merzouga and to Haven La Chance. We had a stunning night under the stars, a visit to a Gnaoui tribe with some great spirited music and dancing the next morning, after which we had a delicious lunch with a lovely Berber family. Our camping trek into the Sahara Desert on camels with a seasoned Berber guide was one of life’s thrills.

We spent a few days in the spectacular Dades and Todra Gorges, the Valley of a Thousand Casbahs, Ouarzazate, through the High Atlas Mountains and then to Marrakech. Our riad in Marrakech was simply divine and air-conditioned. Our guide in Marrakech gave us an exciting tour of the Medina and Jma el F’na. The horse Fantasia evening on our last night there was magical.

We departed for Casablanca where we had a nice lunch at an ocean café before continuing on to Rabat. We celebrated our anniversary at a charming riad with glorious food that evening. In the morning we explored the Medina and toured the old walled city on the bluff, then drove to a small beach town, Asilah where we enjoyed the hotel’s pool. At long last, we headed to Tangiers the next morning, stopping to encounter the Hercules caves before our reluctant return to Spain.

Our family loves to travel, though this was our first trip to Europe and Africa. When I envisioned our family’s trip to Morocco, I had an idea in my head about traveling around the country. When I saw Elena’s website, I knew right away she understood the way Americans, who like some adventure, want to travel. She made the dream a reality for us, and is well-respected by all of her contacts in Morocco. Our driver was so wonderful he felt like family. We can’t wait to experience Morocco again with The Blue Men of Morocco!

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