While learning about Moroccan culture was an important aspect of this tour, the hotels/Riads were pretty rough. For example, the first place we stayed the bed was a hard as a board. Really, that's not an exaggeration. The spiral stairway to the floor where we stayed was tricky with multiple height steps causing challenges to go up and down the stairs. It was authentic but a bit more comfort would have been appreciated. The people of Morocco were very friendly and welcomed us warmly into their country. The contrast of North versus South was pronounced and our tour director did an excellent job of explaining the history of the country. Visiting a farm gave us first hand information of the challenge of irrigation in a desert-like environment. The other stops at the tannery, the pottery "factory," the scarf shop, the fossil shop, and the rug shop were all very interesting and no one pressured us to buy anything - a most pleasant surprise. The problem of unsafe water proved to be something that touched almost all travelers in our group, ie travelers' diarrhea. We also managed to spread cold symptoms among ourselves as well. While the food was authentic, it proved to be boring after a few meals. Toward the end of the tour, Rick's Cafe and the French Restaurant we visited were both excellent choices. Perhaps a few more "normal" for us restaurants at the beginning of the trip would prove more satisfying. The older gentleman aka the candyman who took us on a walking tour of Fes was initially entertaining, but after an hour or so, his 'jokes' grew tiresome. Our tour director did warn us about him so no one was offended. We appreciated the planned "pit stops" for the facilities and ice cream treats. Our bus driver was superb - polite, professional and an excellent representative for Collette. He distributed H2O twice per day and that, too, was much appreciated. Lastly, the camel ride, experiencing the massive sand dunes and meeting the nomad family were unique experiences that gave us a close view of Moroccan culture. The tents weren't that comfortable, but spending a couple of nights there was a great tradeoff for the wonderful experiences! Thank you for including those in this tour. We appreciate that Collette supports the rug cooperative and the AMAL Non-profit/IDRF cooking school both run for and benefitting women. Learning about the history of Morocco and its people was a very satisfying journey. Though I haven't mentioned all the variety of stops we made (Roman ruins, artesian wells, the Mosque, etc), the inclusion of so many varied experiences made this a very worthwhile vacation.
