点评:Let me start by this review by explaining why, of all the tour group companies, I chose Sahara Desert Kingdom (SDK)
…3 main reasons:
1. Their reviews seem very genuine. I saw other companies with tens of thousands of 5-star reviews here on TA but what struck me most about those reviews is that they seemed forced and ungenuine. I read the details and many reviewers felt somewhat forced to write a 5-star review during their tour. I asked ChatGPT to analyze those reviews and it found the same pattern. So I asked ChatGPT to find companies that had more genuine reviews, and SDK was one of those options given to me.
2. Communications from Idir was fast and easy via email from start to finish. Idir is very responsive to my inquiries and even send follow up emails when I’ve been too busy to remember my trip planning. He is not pushy and very accommodating. I asked him to secure a Mercedes Vito for my long rides from Casablanca to Fez then to Marrakech just to ensure we can stretch out and ride in comfort. He confirmed it quickly and delivered exactly what I requested. No games, no fuss, and no unpleasant surprises. He was also able to arrange a driver and tour guide for us on the fly after we arrived in Marrakech and decided we needed a private guided tour. Idir is very professional and responsive. I feel I can trust him with all travel arrangements around Morocco
3. Tours are very flexible and can be customized to meet my requirements. We were pressed for time but wanted to see as many of the must-visit places as we can but don’t want to be too worn down at the same time. Idir proposed a travel plan that met our requirements and was flexible enough so my wife can do some extended shopping at the local fossil shops. We felt we were not rushed through our tour and was able to truly enjoy our time there. Other companies were not as flexible and had some set routes. That does not work for us.
Now onto the actual review of the tour. As mentioned, the tour was very flexible so we started from Casablanca and made our way to Fez on the first day. It was a very long ride but we were able to sleep well along the way since we had a minivan all to ourselves. Here are the pros and cons on the tour for your consideration:
Let me start by this review by explaining why, of all the tour group companies, I chose Sahara Desert Kingdom (SDK)
…3 main reasons:
1. Their reviews seem very genuine. I saw other companies with tens of thousands of 5-star reviews here on TA but what struck me most about those reviews is that they seemed forced and ungenuine. I read the details and many reviewers felt somewhat forced to write a 5-star review during their tour. I asked ChatGPT to analyze those reviews and it found the same pattern. So I asked ChatGPT to find companies that had more genuine reviews, and SDK was one of those options given to me.
2. Communications from Idir was fast and easy via email from start to finish. Idir is very responsive to my inquiries and even send follow up emails when I’ve been too busy to remember my trip planning. He is not pushy and very accommodating. I asked him to secure a Mercedes Vito for my long rides from Casablanca to Fez then to Marrakech just to ensure we can stretch out and ride in comfort. He confirmed it quickly and delivered exactly what I requested. No games, no fuss, and no unpleasant surprises. He was also able to arrange a driver and tour guide for us on the fly after we arrived in Marrakech and decided we needed a private guided tour. Idir is very professional and responsive. I feel I can trust him with all travel arrangements around Morocco
3. Tours are very flexible and can be customized to meet my requirements. We were pressed for time but wanted to see as many of the must-visit places as we can but don’t want to be too worn down at the same time. Idir proposed a travel plan that met our requirements and was flexible enough so my wife can do some extended shopping at the local fossil shops. We felt we were not rushed through our tour and was able to truly enjoy our time there. Other companies were not as flexible and had some set routes. That does not work for us.
Now onto the actual review of the tour. As mentioned, the tour was very flexible so we started from Casablanca and made our way to Fez on the first day. It was a very long ride but we were able to sleep well along the way since we had a minivan all to ourselves. Here are the pros and cons on the tour for your consideration:
Cons: these are things that I felt could have been done better but they don’t affect the overall experience for me.
1. The vendor they used for the Sahara desert camp (Sahara Stars Camp) seemed very disorganized. Our driver couldn’t get ahold of the person who was supposed to drive us into the desert until some time after we arrived at the meeting point. And then I had to sit on the back of a pickup truck with two other people because they overloaded the pickup with tourists from other tour operators. And when we got to the camels, they had us running around because they couldn’t figure out where to send us. It was extremely chaotic to say the least
2. After getting to the desert camp, everyone had their AC turned on in the tent but ours won’t turn on. I asked the staff for assistance and they came back telling me that was not included in my plan. I was never told having an AC to run is optional so I told them I’m more than happy to pay whatever extras I need so I can sleep better. It’s disappointing that I was not told this was optional but they ended up turning it on without charging me
3. The desert camp was also hosting a large tour group of 30-40 people. They were loud and even conducted their own impromptu karaoke during dinner. I felt that was very disruptive for those of us who want to enjoy the culture and experience. I would happily pay more for a more genuine experience
4. Our driver arranged all the lunch stops for us. Some of those places have flies all over the food and very unappetizing. I think Idir and team should better gauge their customers’ preferences before deciding where to take them for their meals. Yes, I love the authenticity of the local experience but not so much the flies and what not.
Pros:
As mentioned, SDK is very accommodating and reliable. The driver and guides are very professional and gave us a good overview of the culture and history of the regions we visited. They manage to exceed most of our expectations. Yes, there were hiccups as those listed above (mostly due to the Sahara camp we stayed at) but they are truly minor compared to all the fun we had on this trip. I would strongly recommend SDK to anyone, especially those who are visiting Morocco for the first time.
Please note that they require a PayPal deposit during your booking and then the rest is paid in euro or local currency one day before your trip ends. I say this so you won’t be surprised when the driver asks you for the tour fees in cash before the tour ends and to make sure you carry enough cash with you to pay for it.
Do yourself a favor and book with SDK. But do ask for a better operator for your Sahara desert tour. The one we used was Sahara Stars Camp. The operator next door seems way better because they actually had some great shows. The other one is called Madu Luxury Camp. I’m sure Idir can gladly help arrange that.
翻译:首先,我想解释一下为什么在所有旅行社中,我最终选择了撒哈拉沙漠王国 (SDK)。
……主要有三点原因:
1. 他们的评价看起来非常真实。我看到其他一些旅行社在 TripAdvisor 上拥有数万条五星好评,但最让我惊讶的是,这些评价似乎很勉强,不够真诚。我仔细阅读了评价详情,发现很多评论者在旅行期间都感觉自己被迫写了五星好评。我请 ChatGPT 分析了这些评价,结果也发现了同样的模式。所以我请 ChatGPT 帮我寻找评价更真实的旅行社,SDK 就是其中之一。
2. 从始至终,我和 Idir 的沟通都非常顺畅,都是通过邮件进行的。Idir 对我的询问回复非常及时,甚至在我忙得忘记行程安排的时候,他还会主动发送后续邮件。他不会强迫我,而且非常体贴周到。我请他帮我安排一辆奔驰Vito,这样从卡萨布兰卡到菲斯再到马拉喀什的长途行程中,我们就可以舒舒服服地伸展身体,享受舒适的旅程。他很快就确认了,并且完全按照我的要求安排好了车。一切都很顺利,没有丝毫拖延,也没有任何意外。抵达马拉喀什后,我们决定需要私人导览,他也迅速帮我们安排了司机和导游。伊迪尔非常专业,反应也很迅速。我觉得我可以完全信任他,把在摩洛哥的所有旅行安排都交给他。
3. 行程非常灵活,可以根据我的需求进行定制。我们时间很紧,但又想尽可能多地游览必去景点,同时又不想太累。伊迪尔为我们制定了一个行程计划,既满足了我们的需求,又足够灵活,让我的妻子可以在当地的化石商店多逛逛。我们感觉整个行程安排都很轻松,让我们能够真正享受旅途时光。其他一些旅行社的行程就没那么灵活,而且路线都是固定的。这不适合我们。现在正式开始这次旅行的评价。正如之前提到的,这次旅行非常灵活,我们从卡萨布兰卡出发,第一天就前往菲斯。路途遥远,但由于我们包了一辆小巴,所以一路睡得很好。以下是这次旅行的优缺点,供您参考:
首先,我想解释一下为什么在众多旅行社中,我最终选择了撒哈拉沙漠王国(SDK)。
……主要有三个原因:
1. 他们的评价看起来非常真实。我在TripAdvisor上看到其他一些公司有成千上万条五星好评,但最让我惊讶的是,这些评价似乎很勉强,不够真诚。我仔细阅读了评价详情,发现很多评论者在旅行期间都感觉自己被迫写了五星好评。我请ChatGPT分析了这些评价,结果也发现了同样的模式。所以我请ChatGPT帮我寻找评价更真实的旅行社,SDK就是其中之一。
2. 从始至终,与Idir的沟通都非常快捷方便,全程都通过邮件进行。Idir对我的询问回复迅速,甚至在我忙得忘记行程安排时,他还会主动发送后续邮件。他不会强迫我做任何决定,而且非常体贴周到。我请他帮我预订一辆奔驰Vito,以便我们从卡萨布兰卡到菲斯再到马拉喀什的长途行程中可以舒展身体,享受舒适的旅程。他很快就确认了,并且完全按照我的要求安排好了。一切都很顺利,没有任何麻烦,也没有任何意外。抵达马拉喀什后,我们决定需要私人导览,他也迅速帮我们安排了司机和导游。Idir非常专业,响应迅速。我觉得我可以完全信任他,把在摩洛哥的所有旅行安排都交给他。
3. 行程安排非常灵活,可以根据我的需求进行定制。我们时间很紧,但又想尽可能多地游览必去景点,同时又不想太累。伊迪尔提出的旅行计划既符合我们的需求,又足够灵活,让我妻子可以在当地的化石商店多逛逛。我们感觉整个行程安排得很轻松,可以真正享受旅途时光。其他一些旅行社的行程就没那么灵活,而且路线都是固定的,这不适合我们。
现在来说说这次旅行的评价。正如前面提到的,这次旅行非常灵活,我们从卡萨布兰卡出发,第一天就前往菲斯。路途遥远,但由于我们包了一辆小巴,所以一路睡得很好。以下是这次旅行的优缺点,供您参考:
缺点:以下是我觉得可以做得更好的地方,但并不影响我的整体体验。
1. 他们合作的撒哈拉沙漠营地(撒哈拉之星营地)的供应商似乎非常混乱。我们的司机直到我们到达集合点一段时间后才联系上负责带我们进入沙漠的人。然后,因为其他旅行社的游客挤满了皮卡车,我不得不和另外两个人挤在车厢里。到了骆驼营地,他们却让我们到处乱跑,因为他们不知道该把我们送到哪里。总之,场面极其混乱。
2. 到达沙漠营地后,其他人的帐篷里都开着空调,但我们的却打不开。我向工作人员寻求帮助,他们却告诉我空调不在我的套餐里。之前没人告诉我空调是可选的,所以我告诉他们,我很乐意支付任何额外的费用,这样我才能睡得更好。虽然他们没有事先告诉我空调是可选的,但最终他们还是免费帮我打开了空调,这让我很失望。
3. 沙漠营地当时还接待了一个30-40人的大型旅行团。他们非常吵闹,甚至在晚餐时还即兴唱起了卡拉OK。我觉得这严重影响了我们这些想要体验当地文化的人。我愿意为更地道的体验支付更多费用。
4. 我们的司机帮我们安排了所有的午餐地点。有些地方食物上苍蝇乱飞,非常倒胃口。我觉得Idir和他的团队应该在决定带客人去哪里用餐之前,更好地了解他们的喜好。是的,我喜欢体验当地风情,但苍蝇之类的实在让人难以接受。
优点:
正如前面提到的,SDK非常热情周到,值得信赖。司机和导游都非常专业,为我们详细介绍了所到之处的文化和历史。他们的表现超出了我们的大部分预期。当然,旅途中也出现了一些小插曲,比如上面提到的那些(主要是因为我们入住的撒哈拉沙漠营地),但与我们这次旅行的乐趣相比,这些都微不足道。我强烈推荐SDK给所有人,尤其是第一次来摩洛哥的游客。
请注意,他们会在您预订时要求您支付PayPal定金,剩余款项需在行程结束前一天以欧元或当地货币支付。我这么说是为了避免您在行程结束前被司机要求现金支付旅游费用时感到意外,也为了确保您随身携带足够的现金。
建议您通过SDK预订行程。不过,在安排撒哈拉沙漠之旅时,请务必询问是否有更好的运营商。我们当时选择的是Sahara Stars Camp。隔壁的运营商似乎更好一些,因为他们安排了一些很棒的表演。另一家叫Madu Luxury Camp。我相信Idir很乐意帮您安排。