Johnnie, a guide in Kyoto, Japan...

A fall trip in 2003 introduced us to the delightful Mr. Johnnie Hillwalker (aka Hajime Hirooka), a great guide in Kyoto. If you go to the train station¹s Sunken Garden (near the bus stop) at 10 am on a Monday, Wednesday, or a Friday, you can take a splendid informative walking tour of this interesting town with Johnnie until 3 pm. His English is very clear. The cost is only $20 which includes a sushi/tea/and sweet refreshment, a hand-drawn map, and even a chance to be dressed as a Shogun in a Shinto schrine.
Joyce, Van Nuys, USA

A student guide in Nara, Japan...

For our day in the ancient town of Nara, 45 minutes by fast (Shinkansen-Bullet train) from Kyoto, we made arrangments at the Kyoto Tourist Office (in the train station near the escalator) to meet a student guide. Yoshiko Okada was waiting for us at the Nara Toruist Office. As a serious student of English, she enjoyed practicing; the highlight was the Todai-ji, the Hall of the Great Buddha reputed to be the largest wooden building in the world! The huge Buddha statue, initially cast in 746, and recast later includes 437 tons of bronze and lots of gold. Marvelous! One's mouth just drops open at the sight. For the pleasure of her company all we had to do was treat Yoshiko, our guide to lunch. This is a rare occurance in very expensive Japan. I sent her a book from Tokyo.
Joyce, Van Nuys, USA

Sermin, a great guide in Istanbul, Turkey...

The guide I used in Istanbul was wonderful. Her English is great, she is smart and knowledgeable and was very creative and responsive to my interests. I highly recommend her. We did a lot of walking and took public transportation which I loved. Her full name is Sermin Utku-Bilgen. Her email address is bilgenfe17@yahoo.com.
Tarah, USA

Julia, a guide in St. Petersburg, Russia...

I recently visited St. Petersburg, Russia. Not knowing the language and wanting to make the most of my time while there, I went internet searching for an English speaking guide. This is how I met Julia. She was most responsive to all my inquiries and her rates were half of the other tour operators. She was knowledgeable and very well trained. Julia can be contacted at: http://stpetersburg-guide.com/. Please mention my referral if you contact her. This is another way to let her know how much her service was appreciated.
Nancy, Westlake Village, California, USA

Aziz, a guide in Kalaa M'Goun, Morocco...

Ali, a guide in Fez, Morocco...

We found a great guide in Morocco! I just returned from travelling through Morocco with two friends of mine. We had a wonderful time and I would highly recommend it to any and all. Specifically, I wanted to recommend a guide who's name is Ali Mouni. Ali is a wonderful guide who speaks several languages fluently. Unlike another guide we used in Fez, Ali never pressured us to buy anything, nor did we ever feel like he took advantage of us. Instead, Ali offered us a rare insight into the way of life of Berbers in Morocco, particularly nomadic Berbers who live in the mountains, either in tents or in caves. Through Ali, we were able to meet some of these fascinating people and get a glimpse of what their incredibly hard lives are like. We would never have had this special opportunity without him. I highly recommend his services to other women. He can be reached at: alimouni@hotmail.com, or you can read more about him on his website: http://www.adventureswithali.com.
Sue, Philadelphia, USA

Editor's note: For another important opinion about booking Ali, click here. 

Kersten & Romy, great guides in Tunisia...

I wanted to travel solo; through the internet I researched companies that could help with travel plans at my destination. I contacted several for details and pricing. One day the phone rang and it was Kersten (she's German) calling me from Tunis. She and her partner, Romy (he's Tunisian) are the owners of small family touring company in Tunisia. The interesting thing is they live half the year in Philadelphia (USA) and half in Sousse, Tunisia (Romy has American citizenship). I was so impressed with Kirsten I asked for her quote on my itinerary. She came in $1500 less than the other companies and her itinerary included the five star Soffit Hotel in Tozier. She covered everything I wanted to see, meals, entrance fees, a guide and driver. This lovely couple met me in Tunis and practically hand-held me throughout my trip. Thanks to them I had two perfect weeks in Tunisia. Kerstin and Romy can be reached at kerstinfbk@usa.com. I have made friends with them and expect to see them when they return to the States.
Carol June, Freeport, New York

Tui, a great guide in Thailand...

If a journeywoman needs a guide to Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand, she can call upon Tui (full name Kanlaya Muangmoon ). Tui recently showed me her city, with its Buddhist temples, including the famous mountain top temple, Wat Doi Suthep. We visited markets, handicraft villages and spent the day in the jungle at an elephant camp where we watched the mahouts bathe the animals in the river. Tui seemed more like a good friend and I learned more than history: I learned a bit about what life is like for a professional woman in Thailand. Intelligent, well spoken and pleasant to be with, Tui will help you to make the most of your holiday in Chiang Mai. You can email Tui at petploy_1999@hotmail.com. I hope you have as much fun with her as I had.
Sheila, Camarillo, California, USA