In October '99 we returned from a 2-week private tour of Morocco with Imilchil Morocco Adventure Travel (1144 Cook St., Denver, CO 80206; phone 888/414-9070 or 303/3991953, e-mail jrobtakchi@aol.com or visit www. imilchil-travet.com); the owner-operators are Mohamed Takhchi and Joanne Roberts. Our cost' for the 14 days was $2,450, which included fuel charges and a camel trip in the Merzouga sand dunes.

We had a new, air-conditioned van with a guide, Mohamed (not the owner), and driver, Abdul. They were wonderful travel companions who quickly became our friends and took us wherever we wished. Mohamed spoke perfect English as well as French, Arabic and Berber.

Of course, we went to the traditionally visited cities of Rabat, Fes, Meknes and Marrakech, but it was the "special" stops that made the trip truly memorable.

There was the walk through the holy city of Moulay Idriss where an acquaintance of Mohamed, a teenage girl holding her baby sister, gave my wife a kiss on the cheek as if she had known us for years.

On a visit to a nomad tent near Timhdit, we were treated to freshly baked bread from a small hearth. with freshly churned butter and the proverbial glass of hot tea. There was not a single tourist in sight, nor anyone else, for that matter, but the women and children in their tents plus goats, burros and a dog.

There was also the stop for lunch in Zaida, where Abdul and my wife selected a portion of the recently killed lamb which would, be grilled and form the basis for our lunch. Mohamed and Abdul treated us!

Then there was the full moon low in the sky over the Tafilalet area as the sun set, giving the hilly, sandswept area an eerie, wonderful pink tint. Gorgeous!

The camel trip into the dunes at Erg Chebbi was a special treat not to be missed. We also visited the early dynastic area of Sijilmassa/Rissani, sand-swept, surrounded by palmeries and located at the northern end of the trans-Sahara crossing. And in Ait Benhaddou we were treated to a freshly brewed pot of tea in a local home.

We spent a few nights in Taroudant (a walled city with superb silversmiths) and visited the nearby Kasbah of Tioute where my wife convinced a local woman to let her ride her burro. It was quite a sight when the burro "took off" down the street with Mohamed, Abdul and myself in hot pursuit.

As noted before, the Imperial Cities were equally marvelous, but it was the different things we did because of Mohamed and Abdul that made the trip so memorable. I could write for hours.

The people of Morocco were genuinely friendly and especially so after they knew we were Americans. Wow!

Imilchil Travel is a small enterprise, but it has a sister office in Ouarzazate. They can put together individual travel trips and they also have standard group tours. They will work with you, and sometimes even Mohamed (from Denver) will lead a group.

One other thing and very important -- after our return home, we advised Imilchil that we had been charged twice for an item and within one week we received a check back without any questions being asked. We didn't have to pull teeth. It was very easy to work with these people.

What a great trip. If you go to Morocco, give, our warm regards to Mohamed and Abdul.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Martin Publications, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group