When you plan your trip to Morocco, one of the first things you should do is to contact the best guide in all of Morocco, Lahoucine Bougatta, or as he is affectionately known, “Hussein”. In 2018, our party of four spent an unforgettable two weeks traveling throughout Morocco, with Hussein, and I cannot say enough good things about him.

From the moment he greeted us at the airport in Casablanca to the moment he said good-bye in Marrakech, Hussein guided us through a constant stream of fun, exciting, informative and memorable adventures. Whether we were exploring the mystical streets of Tangier, climbing about the ancient city of Ait Ben Haddou, navigating the bustling Jemaa El Fina (the busiest square in all of Africa!), in Marrakech, driving through the Atlas Mountains or sitting down for a lunch of “Berber pizza” with a Berber clan leader, Hussein brought Moroccan culture to life in a vivid and colorful fashion.

Hussein is a warm, personable and charming man, with a wonderful sense of humor. He has a deep and broad knowledge of Moroccan culture, politics, religion and history, and he was able to discuss those topics in an entertaining and expert way. And his stories and anecdotes were fascinating. In addition, he appeared to know almost every person in Morocco, so through him we met countless interesting Moroccans during our trip.

Hussein was also a master of the logistics for our trip. He made sure that we were always picked-up and dropped-off at the scheduled time, checked into our hotel/riad quickly, provided with recommendations for restaurants and entertainment, and armed with shopping tips. He also quickly resolved any minor “glitches” that arose during our trip.

Hussein also made a sincere effort to get to know us, and to tailor the trip to our interests. At various times during our trip, he suggested that we alter our original itinerary because he thought we would enjoy a particular sight or activity that was not on the itinerary—and in every case, he was absolutely correct! Similarly, if we wanted to make a change in the itinerary, he was always open to our ideas and made the necessary adjustments.

In summary, the four people in our party have traveled extensively, and we all agree that Hussein is the best guide we’ve ever had.