31/08/2017
Sara had been our Guest for one night only, she is an absolute genuine humble young Lady, she likes traveling & meeting all sort of people and cultures,
Read how we lived together with the perfect needed match, I admired her curiosity and high interest in our Language, culture, & Religion....
Do you want to understand and feel what I'm talking about? Read her testimonial:
“Beautiful Bhalil guesthouse! Hospitable Kamal! The absolute highlight of my time in Morocco! A must see!”
313th review, published on TripAdvisor the 27March16
I cannot rave highly enough about my experience at Dar Kamal Chaoui! If it were possible to give a higher-than five-star rating, this beautiful guest house and its owner, Kamal Chaoui, would be most deserving. I would recommend that anyone stepping foot in the country of Morocco and seeking an off-the-beaten-path experience to interact with real Moroccans in a real, thriving Moroccan village, stay with Kamal and take his tour of Bhalil. I felt personally and intellectually rewarded by the experience in a way that I haven't felt in a LONG time!
Every moment of my 1-night excursion to Bhalil went smoothly. I was picked up personally by Kamal from my riad in Fes; Kamal's car was broken at the time, but he happily came to pick me up in a taxi (and was great about communicating updates and changes to me). On our 45-minute (24km south) ride to Bhalil, Kamal acted as a highly informed tour guide, who spoke knowledgeably about the area and its people, informed by his own experience living in the village. Upon arriving in Bhalil, we proceeded to the guesthouse, which is cozy, full of character, and WARM (unusual for Moroccan riads), thanks to an innovative heating system that Kamal designed.
Kamal is a perfect host for those with many questions like I had, and those who want an interdisciplinary perspective. An engineer by training, Kamal, has developed a truly memorable guesthouse (even for Morocco, which has so many beautiful riads and guesthouses). He knows almost every single person in this small village. We were able to engage in a great conversation about everything from economic sustainability in the village, historical preservation, and religious history. What I found most moving, and really defined my visit, is that Kamal is personally invested in the lives and livelihoods of each and every villager; he creates construction and tourism jobs and gives them the opportunity to interact with visitors in a meaningful way. I've been on past "village tours" in other developing countries that felt possibly exploitative, but I did not feel that for a moment with Kamal's Bhalil village tour. The tour concluded by sharing tea with a local family, whose home is located in a cave, one of Bhalil's claims to fame.
We had dinner at the guesthouse, prepared by Naima, the cook (and so much more!). She went out of the way to prepare food that met my dietary restrictions. This meal was one of the freshest, best, and healthiest I had in Morocco. I slept like a baby in the quiet warmth of my room. The next morning, Naima prepared an equally beautiful and delicious breakfast. When it was, sadly, time for me to leave, my taxi back to Fes was waiting for at the scheduled time.
I can't convince you strongly enough to come to Bhalil for an authentic experience, away from the chaos of Fes and other tourist destinations!
