# Morocco - very cool thing happened!



## Zac495 (Jun 14, 2008)

Rick Steve's Spain 2008 mentions a particular guide - with Rick and the guide pictured - and his email. I emailed him! aziztour@hotmail.com  He emailed back and he's taking us on his Gran tour.
Jim, Carol, Bev....... COME WITH US. 

Here's the email he sent:
Dear Ellen,
               I would like to inform you that I am available to be your tour guide of Tangier either on the 1st or the 3rd of the 5th of July2008.

I would like to inform you that I do run two types of tours, the Walking tour and the Gran tour :


1.  Walking Tour:

                          With visits to the Kasbah, Medina, snake charmers, Berber markets, the souks for shopping, gran socco, petit socco, the old American legation, Mendoubia Gardens, and more , for 5 hours and it costs 15 euros each.




 2.   Gran Tour:

                       Gran tour is with an airconditioning minibus, a beautiful drive through richest area of Tangiers zone of villas and palaces passing via the king's palace and celebrities homes. Visit Cape Spartel which is the northest western point of Africa , it is the exact point where the Mediterranean and the Atlantic ocean meet. Then visit the Caves of Hercules. Then a stop to take pictures of the camels and if you like to experience a ride on a camel.

Then we go to the old city to visit the kasbah, the medina,Old American Legation and Mendoubia building + gardens and the markets for shopping etc... 

This tour costs 35 euros per person.

Children between 3 and 12 years are half price.



In the meantime I will provide you with lots of information about Tangier's history, moroccan culture and berber traditions..etc






Regarding the crossing: 

The best way is to take the catamaran from Tarifa to Tangier, it takes only 35 minutes at 09:00 am or 11:00 am every 2 hours till 11:00 pm, the return is either at 08:00 am, 10:00 am , 12:00 pm , 02:00 pm or 04:00 pm or 06:00 pm local time.

Note that Morocco is 1 hour behind Spain.




I can book the tickets for you.

The catamaran ticket costs now 55 euros round trip for adult. Children between 3 and 12 years are half price. Under 3 is free of charge.




I will be with you from the moment you arrive untill I put you back on the catamaran. 



Would you please let's me know which tour you would like to take ? 

At what time would you like to take the catamaran ? 

And the telephone number of your hotel in Spain on the night before your visit or if you have a cell phone ?. 




I will be waiting for you at your arrival to Tangier with a sign with your name.



For any further information please don't hesitate to contact me.



Looking forward to getting your confirmation.



Regards 



Aziz Begdouri


----------



## Jestjoan (Jun 14, 2008)

That sounds great. ENJOY your trip.


----------



## Pat H (Jun 14, 2008)

Oh, Ellen, that's so exciting and his prices are reasonable. I wish I was going with you!


----------



## Cathyb (Jun 14, 2008)

Be sure to ride the camel, no matter how touristy it sounds.  We took a picture of me on him and pasted it on a Christmas ornament.  Every other year we decorate our tree with the Travel ornaments we have accumulated and relive our vacations vicariously


----------



## derb (Jun 14, 2008)

We just returned from Spain and took the combined ferry from Tarifa and bus tour/walking tour.  We purchased it from the ferry company and I believe it was about 60 euros total.  The tour included all mentioned in the OP's itinerary.  There were 5 of us so saving 150 or so euros was a big thing.


----------



## Zac495 (Jun 15, 2008)

derb said:


> We just returned from Spain and took the combined ferry from Tarifa and bus tour/walking tour.  We purchased it from the ferry company and I believe it was about 60 euros total.  The tour included all mentioned in the OP's itinerary.  There were 5 of us so saving 150 or so euros was a big thing.



5 of you paid 60 euro total or 60 each? If we just want the walking tour, that's about the same price as Aziz. I think the ferry is 35 euro or something..


----------



## derb (Jun 15, 2008)

About 60 dollars each.  Included ferry, bus tour, lunch, walking tour, snake charmers etc.


----------



## andrea t (Jun 15, 2008)

Ellen,
Please make sure you let us know when and where you will post a trip report.  I'd like to copy that vacation in a couple of years!  Have a fun and safe trip!
                                      Andrea


----------



## Zac495 (Jun 15, 2008)

derb said:


> About 60 dollars each.  Included ferry, bus tour, lunch, walking tour, snake charmers etc.



Rick Steves' tour book said not to go with a tour group. He really insisted in his book. He says the groups look like cattle. Many tuggers said buy his book and listen to him- so we're listening.

I promise to post a full review of everything when I return. Who knows for sure!!!!! I plan on riding a camel with a Santa Hat.


----------



## hibbeln (Jun 15, 2008)

Ellen, that is GREAT!   Looking back, I really wish we had contacted one of the Rick Steve's guides like you are.  Whether it is a little cheaper or a little more expensive, having "been there done that" with the big bus tour, I absolutely think you are doing it the right way!  

We had a good tour on the big tour bus, but spent a lot of time with the tour guide repeating everything first in English....then in German......then in French......because we had 3 different languages represented.  I won't even discuss how amazed I was at the linguistic ability of the tour operator.

One thing that comes across loud and clear is how proud of their country the Moroccans are!  Our guide was so proud to talk our ear off about his country, his religion (my young boys can still list the 5 pillars of Islam because of him!), his family, how they all live, the good and bad about Morocco.....he could go on and on and we could have listened to him all day.

You are going to come home exhausted but REALLY having learned and experienced a lot!  I'M SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Garry (Jun 20, 2008)

We jusrt booked the Gran Tour with Aziz for mid september.  I'm looking forward to your review of his tour.  I am assuming you'll be there before us.


----------



## Linda74 (Jun 20, 2008)

We used Rick's guide Sarka in Prague....She was fantastic and the highlight of our tour!!!!  I am a huge Rick fan and so far he has always been right on!!!


----------



## hibbeln (Jun 20, 2008)

We're actually using his suggested tour guide in Berchtesgaden, Germany this summer.  Heard lots of other great reviews for him!   I think he tends to be dead on with his recommendations.


----------



## Zac495 (Jun 21, 2008)

Garry said:


> We jusrt booked the Gran Tour with Aziz for mid september.  I'm looking forward to your review of his tour.  I am assuming you'll be there before us.



It's a promise!:whoopie:


----------

