Dar KamalChaoui, a Guesthouse in Bhalil Morocco, maison d'hôtes à Bhalil, extérieur de Fès, Proche de Sefrou

Am very glad we met Kamal my coincidence when parking the car. Kamal
Showed us around through the village where he achieved so much. Not only awareness of cleaning the street but also about painting the village. The village is now on a map. Go to visit this village before mass tourism is coming there. Walk around and you will love it. Thanks dear Kamal

A real gem easily accessible from Fez with true Moroccan hospitality. Kamal recommended a fabulous day trip, yes we did have our car but his advice was invaluable. The couscous Jalila made for Friday supper was superb, as was the company at the table with Kamal and two other guests. A truly memorable evening.

A charming guesthouse with warm hospitality! We are so glad our Moroccan travel advisor recommended a stay at Kamal’s guesthouse. Our day tour of Sefrou and Bhalil with Kamal was to share in his passion and extensive knowledge of this beautiful area. It was only further complimented by our overnight stay in his guesthouse where we were treated like a member of the family at Dar Kamal Chaoui. Sharing a wonderful home prepared meal by his excellent cook Naima and learning about Moroccan culture and history seated around the table is a memory we will hold fondly in our hearts. An experience all should enjoy!

My husband and I both agree- staying with Kamal & Jalila has been the highlight of our entire trip in Morocco so far. We wanted to see how locals live and thought Bhalil would be the perfect place- we were right. Kamal and Jalila couldn’t have been more accommodating, educational, and kind. Kamal is a true artist- with words, storytelling, carpentry, and interior design. Jalila beams happiness and reminded me how important it is to be excited about every single day. We also had the pleasure of eating amazing food cooked by Naima, who went above and beyond to meet our vegetarian needs. We will remember the night of stories told on that terrace forever!!

Charming, Relaxing, and lovingly place that has more to offer

Dar Kamal Chaoui in Bhalil village, 3km close to Sefrou and about 24km south of Fez, is a fantastic place to stay, relax, and enjoy the traditional life of Marokko. Naima, cook and house maid, serves the best breakfast we had during our 2,5 weeks Marokko trip, and in the evening traditional food, or even bbq on top of the guest house. The rooms are very lovingly furnished as well as very tidy and clean. The terrace gives a view throughout Bhalil as well as Fez.
Absolutely advisable are the tours that Kamal offers to tourists. For example a tour throughout Bhalil, immersing in its history as well as daily life and business of its residents. Kamal also offers a day trip to Guigou, the village Naima is from, to visit the market place and to have traditional lunch with Naima’s family in their house. A fantastic insider tip we absolutely recommend!

This is one of the best places to experience authentic Morocco. The village is very close to Fes but the welcoming guesthouse of Kamal makes it worthwhile for a visit. The guesthouse is located on a traditional derb/ alley. You can have breakfast in a cave-house in the morning and thus experience a traditional way of living. Kamal is a wise and respectful man, who runs many community projects in Bhalil. If you go to Morocco, stop in Bhalil.

I fell in love with that place! Kamal, the owner, speaks a perfect French and English, and likes to display Moroccan art which makes the room ultra cosy, his knowledge about Morocco are endless and he likes to share them with such a humble pride. The staff there are the loveliest people I met during my trip. Their talent in cuisine made me fall! Until next time

We stayed there only one night but wished we had stayed longer. Like most other travelers I guess we were just passing by on the way to Fez but the area of Bhalil and Sefrou is worth the visit, to experience the less crowded local village life. We also went for an amazing walk in nature by waterfalls.

Kamal is a very welcoming host and his house is really beautiful with lots of carved wood decorations. He does a lot of work to keep Bhalil pretty and clean, and attractive. He offers all kinds of tours in the region.

Thanks Kamal, and see you again!

Kamal‘s guesthouse is highly recommended for anyone wanting to get away from the touristy streets of Fez and longing for authenticity. The guesthouse is by no means cheap but is a true oasis in an otherwise rather rough and rugged, typical Moroccan town. Kamal himself is a storyteller like no other. He provides interesting insights into the cultural clash created by his rather liberal mindset and the conservative surrounding for his undertaking: opening up his beloved town to international tourism.

Friends told us we had to visit Bhalil and we are so thrilled that we did. From the moment we arrived in the village. Kamal welcomed and guided us warmly. Though we did not have a reservation, Kamal made us feel right at home in his authentic Moroccan home. Our room had all conveniences and best of all the guesthouse was warm, perfect after walking the hills above Bhalil on a rainy March day!

Meals were masterfully prepared by Naima, both traditional and more Western food. We were drawn in by Kamal's stories and insights into village history, architecture and characters.

A treasure of a guesthouse. We are looking forward to returning one day!

We arrived at Kamal's guesthouse in the middle of the night. Kamal took us with his car to the city, because we didn't have dinner at this time, which was really nice of him. The guesthouse itself is really really nice, there are a lot of small artsy things, most of them handmade by the friend from the village. This is a really authentic experience. The next day, after a very good breakfast Kamal gave us some amazing tips about where we should go on that day.

All in all it was a really great experience, and for us it was worth every dirham.

PS: when you arrive, you will get to some parking lots, there will probably be a man that brings you directly to the guesthouse (it was like that, in our case) because you can not reach it with your car. Keep that in mind, otherwise it's not that easy to find it.

I stayed at this guest house after a long trip to Morocco for rest and relaxation. I sure got exactly that! The guest house itself is so lovely! It has wonderful decorations, beautiful rooms with a comfy bed and warm shower, lastly a really nice terrace to sit on and enjoy the view. The city is small and slow moving, which was a great change from Fez and Marrakesh.
The staff at the guest house is wonderful! Kamal was a great host, always helpful and we had some wonderful conversations about many things I was curious about in Morocco. Naima makes great food and is so kind! Two nights I was there we had a guest, Rita and it was so interesting for me to get to know a young girl and learn what she does for fun and about her family. Latef is a great carpenter and makes some of the coolest wood carvings I saw in Morocco. As you can tell, I made some great friends and truly felt like family.
I would recommend this guest house to anyone and everyone who comes to Morocco! I would even suggest it if you are visiting Fes, as Bhalil is close and the guesthouse is exceptional. Thank you for the hospitality!

If you are looking to have a taste of authenticity on your trip to Morocco...this is the place. Bhalil is a sleepy, gentle village and a short walk will afford you real contact with local villagers, artisans and the daily rhythm of untouched simplicity and beauty. My stay at Dar Kamal Chaoui was friendly, welcoming and homelike. Kamal and Naima always there to assist, introduce me to the neighbours, button makers, local traders and the trail of sweet children who loved to accompany us on our walks around the village. Kamal is a great local force in his commitment and dedication to putting Bhalil on the eco map...always enthusiastic and working tirelessly to educate, gently building environmental awareness in the village. Naima, gentlewoman and amazing cook/house carer...tends an immaculate home and serves magnificent food too..delicious! And then there's Latif, artist/wood carver...naive relief carvings of everyday village life. His works grace my walls...some of the best souvenirs I've ever had the pleasure to buy. Make sure you take an informative walking tour of the village with Kamal...he is a hive of information...and Bhalil will become one of those special places you'll find hard to forget. Thanks so much Kamal, Naima and Latif for your kindness and welcome to me and my friends.

If you want to experience the real Morocco, Dar KamalChaoui is the place you have to visit..
This sleepy quaint village outside of Fès was meant to be a two day stop off on our two week trip around Morocco, but it ended up being one of the highlights of the trip.
Away from the hustle and bustle of Marrakech with all its scams and hagglers we found time to relax and actually enjoy the quiet, peaceful way the villagers live in Bhalil.
Kamal (owner) was ever so helpful and nothing was ever a problem. He helped us with everything, ranging from tours around Fès and arranging bus tickets to Chefchaouen, even going as far as dropping us off at the bus terminal.
The food here was always cooked to perfection which was a blessing after having food poisoning from somewhere else.
I would love to come back here again and would highly recommend it to anyone!! I'm sure Kamal will greet you with open arms as he had done so with us..
Thank you again, my friend.

This Riad is really worth to stop there. The rooms are comfortable and wonderful decorated . The owner and his staff are doing everything to make you feeling very well. Also their cooking is perfect...having breakfast on the terrace is wonderful with beautiful view .

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR!

We spent two nights at Dar Kamal Chaoui Dec 28&29. We wanted a change from the pressure and confined spaces in the Fes Medina and we're searching for open space and fresh air in the Middle Atlas Mtns. We contacted Kamal Chaoui (guide and owner) online and discussed logistics for two treks and lodging in Bhalil. He picked us up at our Medina in Fez and drove us the 30 minutes to Bhalil.

We spent the first afternoon with him hiking around a nearby small peak 3 hours) followed by an amazing dinner at the guest house cooked by the lovely, kind, Naima.

The next morning we were up early (amazing breakfast by Naima) and did a six hour hike over a pass to the town of Immazzour. Kamal was a terrific guide answering questions and providing context to explain much of what we were seeing. His English was fluent (as is his French and German). The Middle Atlas are quite different than the High Atlas and Anti- Atlas and worth exploring.

Another superb dinner followed our hike and we were up early the following morning (after another Naima breakfast!!) for a drive to the Fes train station.

Kamal's guest house was beautifully appointed, and warm, which was very much appreciated in December!!

For those who want something different than the Fes Medina experience, this is a breath of fresh air!!

The village of Bhalil is such a quaint place, still unspoiled by commercial tourism. You wander around the alleys watching women making buttons by hand, people still living in traditional dwellings made out of caves, you sit down in a cafe and sip mint tea.

The guesthouse has an amazing terrace, comfortable rooms renovated in a sophisticated yet understated fashion, efficient bathrooms. There's a lot of attention in the woodwork, the blankets, the plates and many other small details that entice the eye of the Western guest.

One of the most impressive things is the warmth that the hosts give while chatting, guiding, cooking and spending time with you. They made my stay truly memorable and wanting to come back. Dinner and breakfast were wonderful too!

This is surely a good base to stay in a quiet area and drive around on day trips to Fes, Meknes, Sefrou, Ifrane, Azrou. You can easily spend a week of total relax.

Kamal is a fantastic host. We loved our hike and getting to know the local villagers. Tea in the caves from 4th century was a highlight!

We decided to stop by Bhalil on our way from Fes to Merzouga because we read online that it might be worth a stop. What was initially intended to be a quick stop for a few minutes, turned into an unforgettable several hour experience.
As I searched online for what to see in this town, I came across Kamal's contact information and decided to give him a call - and that's where the adventure began!
Kamal is a very unique individual - unlike anyone I have ever met. He exudes kindness and intelligence. Although he denies this, I see him as the unofficial mayor of Bhalil. He spent several hours showing me around the town, explaining its history, and telling me stories about all the inhabitants we passed. He genuinely loves this town and is on a mission to restore it and put it on the map as a prime destination, as well as improve the lives of everyone living in it!
Although I didn't stay overnight at his guesthouse, he brought me in and introduced me to his family and served tea and snacks. Would love to stay there next time!
Meeting Kamal and walking around Bhalil was one of the highlights of my trip! I wish I could have brought Kamal to be my tour guide and friend for my entire Morocco trip.
Highly recommend visiting and meeting Kamal - you will not be disappointed!

Unforgettable experience. Beautiful homely guesthouse filled with unique art, crafts pieces and carpentry, delicious food and very friendly hospitality. Local tours are really insightful and interesting.