Atlas Panorama

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

Average Review Rating: from 74 reviews.

Sarah Samuel

ATLAS PANORAMA

Written April 2012
An enjoyable introduction to Morocco. Fantastic scenery, great group and good food. Beautiful trekking but not enough!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The last day's walk along the river and opening up into a wonderful view of the Atlas mountains.
Staying in the village - welcoming smiles, slow pace of life and beautiful setting. It was a privilege to visit such a remote part of Morocco.
What did you think of your group leader?
Hasan was very calm, experienced and caring. It was great to have a local guide who understands the Berber culture and language and was able to relay his knowledge to us. He had a good sense of humour.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Take warm clothes! The Gite was very cold in early April - it even snowed. Most of us were under-prepared and needed gloves, hats and thermals and a warm coat/jacket.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I would have given the trip a 4 or 5 star - the walking was beautiful and Hasan was a great guide. However, I was dissapointed by the following:
- 1st day tour of Marrakech. The itinerary said this was an orientation tour, but we spent the majority of time in two rather boring museums/palaces with a guide(Mohammed) that rambled on too much and then took us to a herb shop where we were subjected to quite a lot of hard selling techniques and then an over-priced restaurant. I am sure he got great commission but I ended up feeling taken for a ride - which I would never have fallen for had I travelled independendantly.
- We didn't actually start trekking till day 4 there was a one hour walk to Gite on day 3, but no afternoon option). My main aim was to do a trekking holiday and really enjoyed it once the trekking got underway, but felt that we could have started a day earlier. We also missed out on doing the last full day's walk due to weather concerns, but the last day turned out to have the best weather so I felt we could have done another shorter walk in the afternoon.
Exodus Response
It is unfortunate to hear that on this particular departure, the weather affected one of the included daywalks. It is surprising that an extra optional walk was not offered on the first day or the final day yet this does depend on the pace of the group. I will certainly pass this feedback onto our ground partner so we can consider if amending the itinerary for 2013 is a possible option. The local city guide for Marrakech will also be advised of your comments, as please be assured this is not standard practice for Exodus and is a rare occurrence.
Thanks Sarah for the valued feedback.

- Exodus Staff
Fung Joon Foo

ATLAS PANORAMA

Written January 2012
Wanted a trip to escape the winter gloom in Europe (UK) but at the same time did not want to spend too much or venture too far. The trip involved a 3 of days in Marakkech and about 5 days in the mountains. Initially was sceptical about travelling in January given it was winter in Morocco. However the trip was great and the weather perfect! Was sunny and pleasant in the day allowing us to do plenty without getting too hot or bothered
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Living in the village gite where things were basic and simple.
Exodus has a very responsible role within Tighza by providing for villagers. For us this created a nice enviroment where as tourist we were priviledged to live and visit this small village without the feeling of being too intrusive.
The views during the walks were probably the most inspirational !
What did you think of your group leader?
Yahya was a fantastic guide. Genuine person. Always helpful and friendly. Able to explain about morocco and enlighten on Berbor life.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Marrakech in the evenings is a little chilly but only to the extent of a jumper/ sweater.
The mountains- light jumper in the day. However on the walks which ascends up to 2700m, one needs a warm waterproof jacket and good comfortable waterproof walking boots (as though you were visiting a ski resort).
Morocco is a developing country. Tourist may sometimes dismay or feel shocked at things like the traffic, slightly mad taxi driving, hassle in souks, haggling down prices of hourse carriage rides, rubbish/ poverty in the old town streets etc. I felt a little like this on the first day. However once I realised that we are in North Africa, this is the way it is and the whole point to visiting an exotic place; the holiday proved to be a truly wonderful enlightening experience.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Haggle all the time. Taxi's from airport to Marrakech are about 100 Dirhams. Calleche rides (horse carriages) are also about 100. The asking price usually starts at 250.
Also if looking for a hammam, the is a significant difference between a spa type place in a luxury hotel and a public one frequented by locals. The later is much cheaper and the real way, but its definately not for the faint hearted!!
Esmond Kwan

ATLAS PANORAMA

Written January 2012
Marrakech is a vibrant city, full of culture and full of fun. Life in the mountains was alot more colder than I had expected but overall very enjoyable too
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Most inspirational moment of the trip has to be the last day of the hike, it was a nice short walk up to a summit located north east of the Atlas. The day was sunny and warm which meant the views were alot more stunning
What did you think of your group leader?
Our group leader Yahyia was the right person for the group. He obviously knew exactly where he was going in the middle of nowhere, always kept an eye on us and always willing to help. His overall knowledge about Morocco was very good too.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
No matter what season you decide to go, always make sure you bring proper hiking shoes and a warm jacket, even if you go in the summer time, you never know if it may come handy up in the mountains at 2500 metres!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The overall trip is highly recommended, especially if you have the knack of mountain hiking. And you won't have to worry if you're travelling alone because there is bound to be more than one person doing the same and you all end up getting along and staying in touch long after the trip had finished.
linda griffin

ATLAS PANORAMA

Written December 2011
lovely walking,lovely company and I feel i am more informed re Morrocan culture
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The final day's walk to the lake and the company
What did you think of your group leader?
Very good, but could have volunteered more information re culture and aspects of the trip
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
walks can be strenuous with some exposure. Bring alcohol with you it is expensive and hard to come by
Is there anything else you would like to add?
photo's of the exposure on the trip notes would have been useful
J Griffin

ATLAS PANORAMA

Written December 2011
A wonderful trip. Morocco is a good place to be. Our guide Abdullah was knowledgeable and informative. A nice person to meet. He explained the Berber culture. The walking tour of Marrakesch was a real bonus, helping us understanmd the development of the city and the history of Morocco. The main square in Marrakesch is indescribable in 500 words. As a vegetarian I good special treatment, and excellent food.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Visiting a Berber family for tea, bread, cheese and cakes. So welcoming, so friendly. So generous with their smiles and humour
What did you think of your group leader?
Excelent. Extremely good at his job. It was a pleasure to meet him. Very caring. A good organiser and team member. A fantastic snse of numour - understanding our jokes.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Go as sson as yopu can.
Take warm clothes for the Gite (this is in the trip notes).
Take some souvenirs/pictures from your part of the World for the Berber family - pencils etc for the children
Buy a carpet for lonmg time meories. Haggle, haggle, haggle in the souks.
.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Didn't rate BMI at all. Very poor communication when the plane failedto takje off. Then the next day we were bounced onto another airlines flight to Gatwick not Heathrow! All promises about incurred expenses, but no £ yet,
However the trip was so good we won't let BMI detract from our great memories.
Joan Maher

ATLAS PANORAMA

Written November 2011
A nice mix of city and country with minimal time on a bus. The walking is at a relaxed pace on uneven ground. There are a few hills and some small streams to cross using stepping stones.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Looking down on the rock coloured villages with their green fields and trees between barren looking hills. Seeing the goatherds sitting out alone in those hills watching their flocks.
In the city the Medersa is a must see if you have any liking for Islamic architecture. The souk is calm as souks go, the light streaming in strips through the roof onto the colours of the stalls was beautiful.
What did you think of your group leader?
Clearly an experienced group leader, organised but relaxed. He understands the English well and has a very English turn of phrase.
He judged the weather well and adjusted the order of the walks so that we went on the longer walk to the lake on a sunny day and then had a short morning walk and did the visit to the local kasbah owners for tea when it was wet and blustery.
He kept a very steady walking pace on all days. He provided information on the local plants and rocks if people were interested.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
This trip is the easiest walking trip in Morrocco. For a healthy active person it will be relaxing outdoor holiday. However parts would be challenging if you are not sure of your balance on uneven terrain as the ground can be slippy due to the makeup of the rocks and soil, there are stepping stones to cross streams and there is one fairly short but narrow ledge to walk along.
Weather wise we were lucky. The advice to bring clothes for all types of weather at the end of October is valid.  The torch is for the longest walk - just in case your group does not get back before dark. Their days get shorter too.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I loved all the tea, especially the absinthe tea in the afternoons! There was always an extra pot if requested - even at lunchtime. The lunches on walking days were very tasty. The food at the gite is fresh and healthy. The lunch stop in Telouet was good.  Juice and coffee at the stop (each way) in Taddart are lovely.
If you are veggie go for the berber omelette (tomato and onion filling) rather than couscous legume (4/4 people did not like it) at the lunch stop on the way back to Marrakesh. The people who ate meat said their lunch was good.
On one day another exodus group was staying in the gite and doing the same walk. This meant there were 27 tourists and 2 guides on the same track. This was too many for such a quiet place.
Exodus Response
Please be assured that it is very rare for two groups to take part in the same walk on the same day. Due to unpredicatable weather during this particular departure, a walk had to be changed for one of the groups and although they tried to do the walk in reverse, there were sections where both groups were walking together.
Exodus will make every effort in future to avoid a similar situation in the future.

- Exodus Staff
george ANDERSON

ATLAS PANORAMA

Written November 2011
Had some reservations about dormitory sharing as I had not done anything like that for quite a few years. but everything went well and thanks to a really first class guide it was a great success.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Getting to the end of a six hour hike and realising I had achieved it at my age (76).
What did you think of your group leader?
First class, knowledgeable, with a good sense of humour and looked after any individual problems
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Be prepared for difficult underfoot conditions. Found this a bigger problem than the altitude.

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Our Clients’ Reviews

ATLAS PANORAMA

Exodus Response

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Exodus Response

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