Overall the trip was good. I am glad I went, however there was some highs and some lows.
First the highs. The trip is long so we got to see a lot, definitely went to places we wouldn't have otherwise gotten to if we did this on our own or outside of a tour group. Our trip leader Boubkar was great and handled any challenges that came up beautifully. You can tell he really loves his country and is very knowledgeable about everything. My favorite part of the trip was time we spent in Essaouira as it was a cute coastal town and just had a nice laid back feel to it. I also really enjoyed our time in Rabat (wish we spent more time there) and exploring the medina in Fes was truly an experience.
For the lows, the accommodations were inconsistent and at times, terrible. I truly understand that expectations in other countries can vary and you have to be willing to deal with some differences, however, some of the hotels are straight up terrible. Almost every hotel we stayed in didn't have shower curtains, so after you take a shower that may or may not have hot water or much water pressure, there is water all over your bathroom floor. The hotel we stayed at in Erfoud was a complete dive with dirty floors and a bed that was like sleeping on a slap of concrete. I also found what I believe to be bed bugs in the room I was put in, which of course I was then moved to another room. At this hotel, they had to switch the rooms for 3 of us due to the state of the rooms they put us in. Additionally, the hotel in Essaouira didn't have A/C at all in any of the rooms. This required you to seep with the sliding door wide open so you can get some air into the room, not exactly a safe feeling. Some of the hotels were nice, especially the one in Rabat and in Marrakesh, but it truly felt like a game of Russian roulette every time you pulled up to a new hotel. I honestly feel like Explore needs to be much more upfront about the quality of rooms on this trip. If the hotels were more consistent, and I knew every night I was going to sleep on a comfortable bed, have a decent shower, and A/C it would have made a completely different experience for the rest of the trip.
Again, overall the trip was good and you will get to see and experience a lot. However, just be ready for the length of the trip and the hotel challenges.
