Local Operators | Approach Guides

AG Recommended Local Tour Guides, Agents and Drivers

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Review our listing of recommended Tour Operators and Guides & Drivers

Approach Guides has just launched a free and totally independent resource for local tour operator, guide, and driver recommendations.

Approach Guides advocates booking directly with in-country tour operators, tour guides, and drivers. Why?

It is often a better experience for you, the independent traveler. In-country providers know your destination like only locals can and will make recommendations for more authentic experiences; further, they can often provide services at attractive price levels.

Your travel dollars have full impact on the local economy. If you book directly with a local provider, all of your travel dollars go into the local economy.

For travelers by travelers. Approach Guides’ list of local providers contains carefully screened, authentic recommendations from real travelers (many of who whom will serve as contactable references).

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If you have had a guide, outfitter or driver that has performed well for you during your travels, help other travelers share the same experience! Submit his or her contact information and Approach Guides will post it here.

Recommend a local, in-country tour operator, guide or driver

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Find a Local Travel Resource

If you are looking for an local, in-country outfitter or guide, simply peruse the listings below and rest assured that you are being provided with an unbiased listing of providers, recommended by other travelers.

Tour Operators & Outfitters

These local, in-country providers will plan your entire trip or book specific travel events for you.

China. China Base. A great tour agency, based in Shanghai. Our agent, Bilin, was excellent and very accommodating with regard to our logistically challenging itinerary and last-minute changes.
Egypt, Sinai Peninsula. Embah Safari. Based in Dahab, Embah is a high-end professional outfitter that will organize a multi-day trip through the desert for you or transfers anywhere you want to go.
India. Designer Holidays. Based in Mumbai, Designer Holidays offers excellent, tailor-made travel services. The company will coordinate hotels (at discounted rates), transportation, internal flights and guides. Designer Holidays gets our highest rating.
Indonesia:

Pacto. Based in Bali, Pacto can secure incredible hotel deals. They were also very helpful in contacting hotels when we decided to change our schedule mid-trip. We used them for our airfare, but their rates are not good for transfers or Semeru tours (in fact, they use Edy at Global Adventure to book all of their Java tours).

Global Adventure. Owner: Edy Siswanto. Recommended for transfers and tours of Semeru and Bromo.

Southeast Asia (Thailand headquarters). Exotissimo. Excellent travel agent, with offices throughout SE Asia; even if you plan to book your hotels/transportation yourself, definitely employ their guides, all of which had an excellent command of the history of each city/site we visited. They can book custom tours throughout SE Asia.
Syria. Nahas Travel and Tourism. Based in Damascus. Ahmad Shoukair. Will book hotels (at rates below those at which you can book directly) and cars for all point-to-point travel within Syria. Very efficient and professional.
Uzbekistan. Salom Travel. Based in Bukhara. Very professional, well-arranged customized tours.
Yemen. Al Mamoon. Beatrice de Filippis. Will book hotels and cars for all point-to-point travel. Very efficient and professional. Based in Sana’a at the Sam City Hotel Building.

Tour Guides & Drivers

These tour guides and drivers will provide you with on-site guiding services and/or reliable transportation.

China, Tibet. Kedup. A very solid guide. We would recommend him highly. A thoughtful, intelligent, friendly and laid-back guide…a local Tibetan. He is definitely worth scheduling some time with.
Egypt, Cairo. High powered Egyptologist tours: www.arce.org. They will organize an Egyptologist guide and driver for you. We had Mohammed Anwar, a very personable, friendly guide well-versed in ancient Egyptian history and Islamic Cairo. Mobile: (+20) 10/1789 263.
Egypt, White Desert. Peter Wirth at International Hot Springs Hotel will organize a private tour (4×4 vehicle, food, and guide) from their hotel in Bahariya Oasis into the desert (1 or 2 nights).
Honduras, Copan. Tito Ever Serrano. A very good, dependable driver. Drove us round-trip from Copan to Quirigua, Guatemala. 504-651-3640.
India, Agra. Furqan Ahmad Ali. A very knowledgeable, personal guide to all the sites in Agra.
India, Chennai. G. Suryana “Surya” Narayanan. A knowledgeable and very friendly guide for touring Mamallapuram, Kanchipuram, and Tanjore.
Italy, Florence. Luca di Bari. Great, energetic, professor-like guide with an overwhelming amount of knowledge about the city. Tel +39 055/365 692, Mobile +39 335 242 917.
Italy, Ravenna. Il Papavero. Manuela Farneti is an excellent guide offering tours of the mosaics in Ravenna, Italy.
Italy, Venice. Venicescapes. The most detailed, thoughtful tours of the city. The best tours we encountered in Italy.
Jordan, Wadi Rum. The tourist office is the best place to arrange a guide.
Sri Lanka. We highly recommend a local driver/guide/travel agent named Jagath Wijesiri. He is very friendly, knowledgeable and a safe driver with very reasonable pricing. www.jagathtours.com.