Marrakech Active and Outdoor Tours 2023/2024

“We started out with a great leader in the person of Reese who though only 25 we soon learned had literally biked around the world once. Service was great, two terrific van drivers, great snacks laid out at breaks and lunch everyone with a folding stool before a table spread with good food. Throughly enjoyed the group as the only American in a group of 14 from the UK, Denmark and Canada. Though we were delayed and rerouted on day one by flash floods and landslides our leader Reese adapted and soon had us back on course. Fantastic scenery, rural villages, friendly people even when we didn't speak the same language. I've tried several bike tour companies over the past few years but find this one beats them all.”

“I have hesitated about writing a review this time as I was one of the slower riders but as someone who reads them I think it can help sometimes. So here goes.This was a very tough cycling trip for me. Having said that.....I'm glad I did it.It was certainly a case of either cycling up a mountain or down one. Only a few miles was flat. The climbs went up and up and up and up and up. Hours at a time. In most cases the gradient wasn't too bad most of the time but it was a long slog to get to the top......with many false summits on the way which really take some doing to overcome and carry on. The descents of the other side were fantastic. I loved them. Down and down and down and down forever. Great speed. Great thrill.I am relatively fit and active for my age and do many sports but this cycling was hard. I am not a club cyclist. Obviously those who do ride more seriously climbed the hills better and got to the top a good 20/30 minutes before me.........but I did manage to cycle the whole trip and am very proud of my achievement. The mini bus was always available for those who did not always want to cycle.We were well looked after and I never felt at risk at all.I wasn't too keen on my bike !! Not as good as my last Cycling Holiday by this tour company. Trouble was none of them had any front suspension and we did go over some very rough terrain and some very long descents. Very surprising not to have this feature in this day and age.Personally I felt it appropriate to dress modestly but not necessary to the extreme. Shorts seemed fine with many of the ladies wearing their lycra shorts. T.shirts with sleeves (long or short) were the most common tops. In the evening I found a long dress very comfy but a very casual one, nothing fancy. Or leggings or loose trousers. I wore a jacket one morning when we started off with a long downhill otherwise I was never cold.The hotels varied quite a bit from concrete beds in one mountain auberge to a suite with huge comfy beds and loads of hot water in others.............with everything in between including some very nice traditional old rhiads. I loved it all being different and enjoyed all the experiences.Some of the hotels had swimming pools and we did manage some swims but often the long cycling days meant we didn't always have much time in the evenings........plus in my case I was very tired (ha ha).Alcohol was not always available. We were delighted on the few occasions it was and the guides did their best to find us some at other times. It's just nice at the end of a long hard day !!Food was good. There wasn't anything I didn't like. However, I have "suggested" to the tour company that at least eggs are needed for breakfast with such huge rides to cope with. We did have eggs every morning except for two when it was just bread and jams. Very nice but just not substantial enough.Being on the move means that washing clothes through is pretty much impossible although some people did manage. Getting them dry is the difficulty.Take toiletries as they are not always provided.Make sure you fill your water bottle again at the end of the day so you have drinking water for the night and for cleaning teeth etc. Most hotels do not provide water in your rooms and it cannot always be bought.Nobody got ill that I know of but it's only sensible to be careful. No ice, ice cream, salad washed in suspect water etc. Usual stuff.The mountains catch the sunlight beautifully. They ouse power. The landscape is rock and sand but it still has great appeal.We had a super group of people from various countries. It worked well.I recommend the trip if you want a challenge because it is certainly that.If you are prepared you will be fine. Enjoy !!”

“Overall, a great week of cycling. There were two big unknowns for me going into this adventure: 1) How difficult would the cycling be, and 2) How safe would I feel cycling through rural Morocco. The cycling was breathtakingly beautiful but not hard if you consider yourself a cyclist. Most of the people in our group weren't avid cyclists just relatively fit people looking for some adventure. If you do consider yourself a cyclist and rack up 100-200km or more per week, then look for something higher than "4" on the the tour company's challenge meeter. That said, the rides were amazing with some good climbs and even better 'white knuckle' descents. The part about safety in Morocco? Don't sweat it. I never felt any concern for safety and the whole trip was supported by an experienced tour company leader and two local chaps riding vans in front and in the back. All good on that front.”