My husband and I were privileged to have Jonathan Kohn as our guide through historical and biblical Israel, March 8-19, 2015.
A licensed tour guide, Jonathan has taken classes in Christianity and has an extensive grasp of the archaeological sites, including Masada, Herodium and Capernaum. His explanation of Israel’s politics was the best we’ve ever heard, and we feel he has an unbiased view of his country and the rest of the Middle East. He also has a great sense of humor.
An ad in ITN about a 10-day cultural tour to Dubai and Abu Dhabi prompted a friend and me to contact Scott Jercich at Vertical Horizons Travel (Folsom, CA; 888/995-1016 or 916/983-8651, www.verticalhorizonstravel.com).
My wife, Nenko, and I have taken 14 tours and traveled extensively independently, and we have never met a finer guide than Ron McGregor, our guide on the 14-day trip “South Africa — Highlights and Safari” with smarTours (New York, NY; 800/337-7773).
Our trip, Aug. 23-Sept. 8, 2011, cost $2,999 per person (land and internal air) plus $899 each for a three-day extension to Victoria Falls. The itinerary included Johannesburg, Cape Town, Kruger National Park, Swaziland, Zululand, Soweto and Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve.
We were going to be in Santiago, Chile, for three days before a trip to the Antarctic, so we read with great interest the letter titled “Chilean Guide Excellent” (Aug. ’07, pg. 70).
At the suggestion of Ellen Jacobson of Centennial, Colorado, we asked readers, “What makes a good guide and why and what makes a bad guide and why?” We threw in the questions “What are some constructive ways to communicate with a guide or help him or her better their performance, deal with a specific expectation of the group or improve the progress of the tour?” and “Have you come up with ways to salvage a tour led by a poor guide?”