Guided Tour activities in Middle East
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Tour Guide, Arash Sadeghzadeh
Young, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and highly organised guide and fixer. Recommended.
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Mohsen Hajisaeed
Young, highly organised Mohsen speaks excellent English, leads tours in Yazd, Kerman, Fars and Esfahan provinces (including Bavanat), and can arrange hotel discounts.
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Driver, Hossein Soltani
Hossein works in the Shiraz Eram hotel and moonlights as a (safe) driver and fixer.
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Free City Tours
The municipality runs three tours in the city and it's worth joining at least one of them while you are in town. All three tours are free of charge and there is no need to make an advance booking. If you do have questions, contact the Tourist Information Centre.
The most interesting tour visits various buildings in Tel Aviv to study Bauhaus architecture. It runs at 11:00 Saturday (except Yom Kippur) and the meeting point is at 46 Rothschild Blvd (at the corner of Shadal St).
A second tour walks around Old Jaffa, its archaeological sites and the flea market. It meets at 09:30 Wednesday (except Yom Kippur) at Jaffa's clock tower.
The third tour studies the art and architectur…
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Jalal Mehdizadeh
Jalal, who also owns Jalal Guesthouse, has a car, speaks German and English and is better organised, but not as fun as, Hossein Vatani.
These two operators can arrange tours within Kerman and to the surrounding areas, including the Kaluts, Mahan and Rayen. Both charge similar prices and have had mainly positive feedback, though they're not perfect. For desert trips, specify whether you want to sleep in camp or in the desert.
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Desert Walks
Most hotels can arrange tours but using an independent guide can be more rewarding. Most can lead tours to almost anywhere in Yazd province, and further, and have been recommended. The most common tour is the Kharanaq-Chak Chak-Meybod loop, which is impossible on public transport. Other options include camel tours and desert walks. Old city tours are also popular. Silk Road Travel also run these tours.
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Camel Tours
Most hotels can arrange tours but using an independent guide can be more rewarding. Most can lead tours to almost anywhere in Yazd province, and further, and have been recommended. The most common tour is the Kharanaq-Chak Chak-Meybod loop, which is impossible on public transport. Other options include camel tours and desert walks. Old city tours are also popular. Silk Road Travel also run these tours.
reviewed
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Kharanaq-Chak Chak-Meybod loop
Most hotels can arrange tours but using an independent guide can be more rewarding. Most can lead tours to almost anywhere in Yazd province, and further, and have been recommended. The most common tour is the Kharanaq-Chak Chak-Meybod loop, which is impossible on public transport. Other options include camel tours and desert walks. Old city tours are also popular. Silk Road Travel also run these tours.
reviewed
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Sadd Al-Samallaghi Est Tour Company
With a solid reputation locally, this tour company can organise Saudi visas, tours, car rental (with or without drivers and guides), scuba diving, desert excursions (including falconry) and boat trips. Ahmed Mostafa, the Saudi owner (who lived formerly in Germany) runs the company with a killer combination of local know-how and Teutonic efficiency.
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Diamond Dealer Free Tour
This is a free city tour to Old Jaffa, the Habima Theatre, the Mann Auditorium, the Israeli Opera House the Tel Aviv Museum, and the Diamond Museum. The catch is that it's run by a private diamond dealer, so when the tour is over you're also brought to the diamond showroom for a 'look-see'. Call ahead for a pick up from your hotel.
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Nuzha Tourist Enterprises
Kuwait City's location on the seafront provides many opportunities for fun with water - in it (swimming), on it (water sports), alongside it (jogging along the corniche), through it (ferry rides) - even frozen (ice-skating rink). One tour operator that can help you with a wide range of activities is Nuzha Tourist Enterprises .
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A
General Directory for Culture & Tourism in Jeddah
The General Directory for Culture & Tourism in Jeddah organises an excellent 'lecture and walking tour' of Jeddah's history and architecture at 09:00 every Thursday, meeting at Naseef House. To book a place, email or call the charming Director, Sami Nowar. It's located south of Souq al-Alawi.
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Esfahan Tourist Guides Association
Based at the tourist information office; has 150 guides speaking English, Spanish, Arabic, French and German. Guides can lead a variety of trips; contact them a day ahead if you want anything more than a local day trip. Full day's guiding costs around IR210,000.
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Hassan Mohit
This delightfully personable English-speaking driver-guide has a refreshingly easy going manner. Hassan can provide scrumptious family meals and homestay beds at Titi ('blossom') Cottage in the semi-rural village of Ebrahim Sara (25km east of Rasht).
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Massoud Jaladat
Massoud is the energy behind Fravihar Ecotours, a fledgling group of Yazdis running mainly desert tours. There are all sorts of reasonably priced options, mainly involving desert trekking; email or call for options and ask about the desert guide.
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Ahmad Pourseyedi
Ahmad Pourseyedi 'Charming old rogue' Ahmad's septuagenarian legs have seen better days and his history is sometimes awry, but he's delightful company as he recalls anecdotes while driving sedately around the Kashani hinterlands.
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Sharif Sharif-Safadi
Nazareth expert with a strong interest in the preservation of historic monuments. He offers excellent tours of the 'hidden city' including inside old city mansions (around US$100 for up to 10 people).
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Kuwait Tourism Services Company
The Kuwait Tourism Services Company runs tours around the various city sights and out to the oilfields. It mainly caters for large tour groups, but can arrange similar tours for individuals.
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D
Al-Badr Travels
One of the best tour agencies is the friendly Al-Badr Travels. In addition to sightseeing trips around Manama and Bahrain Island, dhow and fishing trips can also be arranged.
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Hossain Bagharian
Hossain has been guiding for years and is a straight-shooter. He could talk under wet cement, so rest assured he'll tell you everything he knows…and a bit more.
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Mansur Khan Tours
Driving tours; around town, Kandovan, Maraqeh, Jolfa or nomad spotting around Kaleybar. Add around IR15,000per hour visiting time in situ.
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Driver/ Guides
Kashan is full of driver/guides looking to take you to Abyaneh and Natanz (around IR200,000), or those two and on to Esfahan (IR250,000).
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Driver, Morteza Mehrparvar
More driver than tour guide, Morteza has nonetheless been recommended by several readers who have used him across Iran.
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Tour Agent, Kazem Salehi
Kazem is not a guide as such, but he's a lovely guy and good fun. He works with Pars Tourist Agency or independently.
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Keykhosro Lorian
Mr Lorian is an English-speaking Zoroastrian driver who has excellent access to the Zoroastrian community.
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