Dar Kamal Chaoui

Our 4-room guesthouse is a nice homestay; we offer more than just a room; we share our life, culture, knowledge, and passion for Morocco with our guests. We offer exclusive excursions, such as the Bhalil and Sefrou discovery, as well as short and long treks in the Middle Atlas. We are authorized to pick you up from any airport and any city in Morocco, thanks to our VIP Brand new car designed for 4 people. My wife Jalila is an excellent cook & I am a mine of knowledge about our region. The space “Beautiful Bhalil. Beautiful People and truly unforgettable stay.. More than 5 stars and more like family!!” a published TripAdvisor review, My partner and I spent a few weeks traveling Morocco in October 2025. Although never written a TripAdvisor review before, this place and the people deserve to be noticed! After spending a week driving through the desert to Merzouga and up to Fes (with terrible food poisoning) we were absolutely exhausted, physically and mentally. Dar Kamal Chaoui was meant to be a quick stop off for a few days to catch our breath before heading up to Chefchaouen. But oh my, what an unexpected surprise!! It turned out to be the absolute highlight of our ENTIRE trip, we didn't want to leave!! Firstly, the people: the owners a couple Kamal, Jalila. Some of the nicest you will come across. Kamal, and his wealth of wisdom never ceased to entertain and amaze us. Politics, education, history, food, he's a well traveled and truly inspiring man and we never stopped laughing the whole time we were there. Jalila his wife, so so sweet and lovely. More of a friend than just an amazing cook and host, she works tirelessly to keep the place running and makes you feel right at home. Nothing is too much trouble! And, when she heard we got scammed by the Henna women in Marrakesh, she even did Henna for us and the other guests! Secondly: The Guest house. Lovely views and terrace. Beautiful carpentry and decor (all sourced from the local woodworker, Latif). Best sleep and shower we'd had in a while. The water is so fresh here you can drink from the tap... No problems! And the food, wow. We had breakfasts and dinners here. There was another French family staying there at the time, and we all sat and ate together with the owners. The food is so fresh, and Jalila cooks more than is needed and all the extras/leftovers are given to the Neighboring villagers! Bhalil: What a charming, authentic and happy village, (30mins outside Fes), known for it's cave dwellings and djellaba buttons. We did the village tour and visited a local cave family with Kamal & it's worth it. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to take the trek around the hills. With little tourism, you won't get hassled here. You won't get scammed. It's just happy people going about their day-to-day lives. Kamal and Jalila are definitely local heroes in their community. Since Kamal moved to Bhalil, he's been cleaning up the streets to create a better environment for the villagers. He's encouraged them to paint their houses, so it's to him that the delightfully colourful appearance of the streets is owed. In addition, he also takes the time to teach the locals English! As for the day trips, we were driven into Fes, where Kamal drove us around the outskirts, teaching us the history and the sites, before sending us in, then came and picked us up, after which we went and watched a lovely gig from the International School of music. He also helped us organize our hotel in Chefchaouen, came to the station to help us buy our tickets, and even called to see if we got there okay! - Thank you for the amazing experience and for taking such good care of us, Jalila & Kamal. We will be back to catch up and explore the area further. Guest access All the house is yours, we have 5 comfortable rooms, each room has its own bathroom or shower room, each room cost 70€, the terrasse has a wonderful view. During your stay “Amazing experience! A must visit In Fez region! ” Staying at Kamal's guesthouse is one of the best experiences I had in my time in Fez. He picked us up from Fez in the morning and drove to Bahlil. He was telling us the history of Fez and history of different buildings along the way. Very interesting. The guesthouse was tastefully decorated with handcrafted wooden furniture and artwork by their carpenter Latef. Kamal led us for a 13km trek in the mountain and we had a lovely BBQ with a local Berber family. It was so nice to spend time with them and get a better understanding of how local people live. But I have to say the highlight of the whole trip for me was the breakfast the next morning. Jalila, a young Riffain woman who's the chef for the house, served us freshly made pancakes with three different types of homemade jams. And also homemade yogurt!! The combo of the fig jam and yogurt is heavenly!!! It's worth going just for that. A wonderful experience and a must in the Fez region. Other things to note This is Kamal here, Manager of Dar Kamal Chaoui in Bhalil. I'll be very happy to tell you about Morocco. Naima, our Cook, and our carpenter, Latef & I will be glad to host you in our Guesthouse in Bhalil. 4 rooms, each costs around 70€ Who am I? I'm Moroccan, I lived and brought up in Fez during the first 18 years of my live, then I finished my University studies in France & worked as a chemical Analyst Engineer with Hewlett-Packard 9 years in France and 10 years in Germany. In total I spent 29 years living abroad Morocco. My success secret is simple, we host very small groups, Latef the carpenter, Naima our Cook & I do all by our own. We would take care of you from the Airport and show you the hidden Morocco far from touristic path! filled with History references & Rural landscapes. Jalila my Riffain wife and cook will prepare delicious self made marmelade Yoghourts and Tajines.etc etc etc ......... My European eyes, my spoken French English German Arabic languages, My deep Moroccan history & society knowledge, is your guarantee for nice memories to bring back with you. Bhalil is located 24 km south of Fez with no jam access to the Airport. Ask for Directions to our Guest house once you are in the village Bhalil: How to find us : If you come by your own, not with our pickup service car, you would need directions. The best is to wait for us at the petrol station, the only petrol station at the entrance of Bhalil called Petrofib! Call us from the petrol station there, and I will come and show you the way to our house. It is difficult to find our Guesthouse in Bhalil, and some nice people may ask for money to guide you for money. So to avoid that, the best is to call us from the Petrol Station and also to tell us when you are expecting to be in Bhalil. or to find this big sign on the Bhalil main street : (URL HIDDEN) What is your plan in Fez and region? Be aware that we do propose several services and would be delighted to make customized plan for you including pickup service, excursions to Meknes, Volubilis, Cedar forest, Boulemane & Tazzeka National Park. I'm able to customize & organize, tell me where you want to go...what are your interests, I can take care of all and make a cost estimation for you. One of my favorite excursions is the one that makes us feel alone, far from other tourists, sharing the normal life of the Berber people. Maybe you should consider a day trek with me in the Bhalil Mountains. Pick-up Service: We do have a pick-up service from the airport and from Rail way station for 440dh, I'll be driving my VIP authorized car to Pick you up . my added value compared to a unknown Taxi Driver is are all the stops you can make and all the on spot explanations I would give you in English French or German ! 4 people max at a time can fit in our Brand new authorized VIP car. Pickup can be organized from Rabat 2400Dh Casablanca 3300Dh Tanger 3300Dh Chefchaouen 3850Dh or Meknes 1320Dh or Elsewhere, please ask. Bhalil village tour Cost: 275 Dirhams (DH) per person The tour in the village is a 2 hours tour, I'm the one who is making the tour, I'm not giving this task to somebody else, I'm passionate about my culture and I want my guests to have the most of it ! I'll be happy to give all the explanations in French or English, I will give all the historical stories, explain the way my people in the village are making their living, entering a tailor shop and talking about the djellaba buttons, about the agriculture and Olive trees in my region, we will visit some caves and will have a nice cup of tea with the dwellings owners if the opportunity happens. We will also head to the main place of the village and see the water spring and the washing place where the women are washing their clothes, carpet wool and flour! Please read this one testimonial among others : We were fascinated by Kamal’s ingenuity in the heating system at his Guesthouse in Bhalil, and fascinated by his commitment to bring economy by his project of painting and plastic bag from the streets, he is using ‘all wood’ in the fixtures and fittings. He has a lovely carpenter who is a treasure himself and who made us some homemade Moroccan paint brushes with goat’s hair. I came home not only having discovered the amazingness of Morocco but also thankful to have met such charming and gracious hosts. Would you like to have dinner with us? 220 DH for a 3-course meal, I need your answer, please Our Chef Naïma is appreciated by our Guests, a 3-course meal would cost 265Dh per person, it contains a starter, a main dish (Tajine), and usually a French Dessert. Please read about Jalila, our chef, on TripAdvisor, section Guesthouse in Bhalil. for lunch and only for lunch, we can prepare a light lunch including only a 2-course meal, for 180Dh per person, “Charming Guesthouse close to Fez, Sefrou, and airport” Wonderful property, great views, amazing food AND we were made so welcome. Had a superb and relaxing dinner with the family. Our stay formed the most precious, authentic memory of our full tour of Morocco and we cannot recommend this guesthouse enough. 5/5 étoiles Would you like to have a cooking lesson with Jalila & I, 330 Dh per person? Our Chef Jalila is always very happy to share her secrets and Moroccan flavours. I will be assisting her to translate all that she is preparing in front of your eyes, ask for more details.... Room at our Guesthouse Dar Kamal Chaoui in Bhalil The room for one or 2 people is 770Dh per room per night, this includes breakfast but does not include 27 Dh City Tax per person, per night Our Charming house located inside the village is a great opportunity to learn a lot about our neighbours live and to enjoy the simple comfort we have prepared for our Guests. In winter the house is heated by firing wood. To learn more........... “A Gem in Bhalil” Dar Kamal Chaoui is a charming and beautifully decorated guesthouse in Bhalil. Each room is distinctly different and comfortable. Kamal is a fantastic host and the food is really delicious and abundant. I would strongly recommend stopping here on the way to Fez and spending a night or two discovering the beauty and uniqueness of Bhalil. You won't be disappointed. 5 5 étoiles More excursions with Kamal : Choose a lecturer before choosing an excursion ! 1/ Guigou Souk on Sundays, including my car & me as a lecturer, I'm taking Guests with me to Guigou, a Berber village located 80 km south of Fez, this excursion is only possible on Sundays, Guigou is 1500 meters high compared to Bhalil our village which is already 950 meter high. During the drive, we make two interesting stops, one is about Traditional ovens for Ancestral lime stone productions where you will get a good technical level of information, then a 2nd stop for the onion production & storage ! Once we will be at the Guigou place, we will walk inside the souk and spend one hour & half inside it, people from Guigou are Berbers, they speak their language and sell their own production, what an authentic place where more likely we will be the only tourists ! for lunch we will join Naima's family for a nice couscous including dessert and Tea that would cost 220Dh per person, where you will get the chance to know a Berber family, listen to their musicians ( 100Dh extra per person ) and learn how they are making their living ! 2/ Cedar forest & the lakes road every day especially on Tuesdays: the same story for the Tazzeka National Park including my car, me as a driver & as an English speaking lecturer. This Excursion is a nature mountains Cedar forest one, we will spend an nice day driving with several stops, see the monkeys ( do not feed them) we can also plan a short walk in the forest, we will cross Immouzzer and make a stop at the medicinal spices and Apples, we will see 2 beautiful lakes and talk to the people, meet them when It can happen, understand their way of living, make a stop each time, we will make a short stop by Ifrane the cleanest city in Morocco, as if we would have been in Switzerland. 3/ For adventurers, A trek of 28 km between Bhalil and Immouzzer via mountains, We would walk 7 to 8 hours in a very easy walking plateau, then in a nice forest, then climb from 950m to 1683m Jbel Abbad, The landscape is amazing ! and the discussions about my Moroccan culture are well appreciated. Including a sandwich and a taxi back from Immouzzer to Bhalil. There no comparable trek such as this one with Kamal Kamal provided an exceptional experience not only because of his hospitality and personal attention, but also because of the time he was willing to invest in planning all of the logistical details based on the sites we wanted to see. He is passionate about his country and its history and takes great pride in sharing its beauty. 4/ A day in Sefrou and the Unknown cascade in the afternoon Visiting Sefrou, including my car and me as a driver & as an English-speaking lecturer. Join me in Sefrou to understand the Jews-Berber Common past, we will look for the Jews traces in Sefrou, visit a Synagogue, a Caravanserail, a small and nice Medina, we will hardly meet tourists and will have lunch inside the Medina for 130 Dh per person, then during the afternoon and for 440 Dh more: we will visit and easy climb a small fertile Land, 12 km far from Sefrou, and easy walk to the Unknown Cascades which no Tourist knows. 5/ last but not least, the Fez Medina Introduction and self guiding tour: Take one hour to hear about the Medina history, learn about what are the must to visit, how and why to visit the best places depending on your visit's time. After my speech, you can surf by your self without any guide's help inside the most big & complex open sky Museum or Medieval city in the world. Imagine you can make the Medina tour without the help of anyone! 165Dh /person/2 hour for this creative & informative training of one hour or more. To maximize the benefit of this training, send me your questions ahead! Enjoy, Kamal Chaoui