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Travellers Log
"Erez will not take you to a place; he will introduce you to the soul of the place and it will make your spirit soar.
Carl A. Hammerschlag, M.D. Arizona (4 days Jordan)
An article about the 2.5 days Jordan tour with the air balloon from the Hamilton Jewish News Wendy Schneider, 2.5 days Jordan
Well worth viewing!
Dear Tomer,
Please relay to all of your terrific and professional staff our sincere thanks for a worry-free,comfortable and accomodating vacation. Everyone, from the moment we were met at the airport until the moment we were returned, was helpful,warm and professional. We were amazed at how smoothly things went even when we changed our plans at the last minute. I have already recommended your company to three friends and will continue to do so.
Thanks for everything. Sincerely,
Marj & Haim Bitran, Lanny & Gil Rashbaum, 2 days Jordan 07.2010 Dear Tomer, I am sorry that we did not get to meet YOU. We got home last night from a FABULOUS trip. We are exhausted but it is a good exhausted. This is just a quick note to tell you how much we LOVED every minute of our Jordan experience. It was more than we ever expected. We had an absolute blast. Our Bedouin guides were fantastic. We are in total love with Ali. I will write more later but Israel and Jordan were just so memorable. We appreciate all the work you did on our behalf. It certainly isn't anything that we could have done by ourselves. Crossing the borders and having the transportation there, etc. was wonderful. Everything went smoothly!!!!!! I promise to write more later. Tom's picture of Wadi Rum and Petra are absolutely prize winning quality. Your friend,
Nancy Arnett- 2 days Jordan, 06/2010
Hello Ellen & Tomer!
My husband Jay and I took your WONDERFUL two-day tour of Petra and Wadi Rum on April 28 & 29, 2010. We are so happy that we followed your suggestion and spent the entire second day in Wadi Rum. As you said, words simply cannot describe the beauty of the desert!
Jay & Catherine Gronemeyer- 2 days Jordan, 05/2010
I just wanted to say thank you for an amazing experience. We had such a great time, and you have a great staff and guide team. Ali for the Petra tour was fabulous, Mohamed in Wadi Rum was absolutely amazing and oh my-he is an awesome cook too (best meal we had the whole time he cooked on an open flame in the middle of the dessert), and Mohamed in Cairo was so knowledgeable and fun. It was just better than I could have ever expected. I wish you could plan all of my vacations for me!!! Oh-and your team of folks in the Petra tour office...just fantastic and really helped my husband get his work email sent. I will recommend you guys to everyone I know traveling to your neck of the woods. Thanks so much!!
Molly Leck, 5 days Jordan Egypt tour 05/2010 Hello Tomer, We did have a wonderful trip to Cairo. Your staff was great. The tour guide, Mohamed Ali, thought to reverse the tour schedule because of the dust/fog all day in the air. So, we went to the Egyptian Museum on Thursday, and the pyramids in the morning the next day; I even got to go into the Great Pyramid; wow. We truly had a special and blessed trip! That you for making it all workout so well. Too bad we did not have time to visit Jordan... Great trip Roy- 2 days Cairo from Eilat 05/2010 Hi Ellen
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone, we had a wonderful day at Petra.. Ali was sensational, my son thought the entire experience was amazing; I am not sure he knew exactly what to expect but when a 16 year old says "amazing" it really is. We had the experience of a lifetime and wanted to take the time to thank all involved.
Elle- 1 day Petra tour, 12/2009 Dear Mr. Herrnstadt, My wife and I returned about 10 days ago from our extremely remarkable and most enjoyable trip to Israel, Egypt and Jordan.
We can't thank you and Desert Eco Tours enough for all you did to make the trip so easy and successful for us. All the arrangements you made, in helping us cross borders, our drivers and guides, our hotel reservations and meals...everything was great. Crossing borders was made easy by all the arrangements you made, having people meet us, etc. Your drivers and guides were all there when we were there and needed them. While each and every one of the guides and drivers was wonderful, we especially want to mention Mohammed Mousad. He made our visit to the Sinai very very special.
You have created quite a remarkable tour business, filled with unsurpassed adventures, ease of travel arrangements, and remarkable people and we are very grateful to you and all your staff, particularly Tomer and Chagil.
We certainly will be pleased to recommend Desert Eco Tours to friends who travel to Israel and the Mid East. And, of course, if we return, we will know whom to call.Thank you.
Don and Barbara Goldberg- 6 days tour Egypt & Jordan, 11/2009
Dear Tomer, Arrived home just a few minutes ago. Breathtaking sights which continue to astound and will require a return trip. Accommodation as anticipated and well located. Local crews very capable and hospitable. Schedule just right with our desired flexibility.
Irad was assuring, excellent and knowledgeable. Overall a superb experience. Thank you.
Regards, Laurence, 4 days Jordan tour, 11/2009
Greetings to everyone at Eco Tours,
Would like to thank everyone involved in our 4 day trip into Jordan and Egypt. Every day was fantastic and we were very impressed with the professionalism of all of your guides and the food. The Petra guide, the gentlemen we met in the Petra Bedouin camp, the Wadi Rum 4 x 4 driver Hamzah, Mahommad in Cairo all were just great, so personable and nothing was ever too much trouble. All the driver's were very good and the vehicles comfortable and air-conditioned. We were very impressed with Mahommad's knowledge at the Cairo Museum and the standard of accommodation in Cairo. We would definitely use Eco Tours again. Thanks for such a wonderful experience. kind regards,
Col, Margot & Emily O'Shea Australia. 4 days Jordan & Cairo 10/2009
Tomer: We are so thankful that we are on the three day tour and did not miss Wadi Rum. What an incredibly beautiful place and what a memorable experience. We are also grateful that you got Ali to be our guide. What a talent. Not only is he pleasant, funny, and warm he is brilliant. He has a breath of knowledge and experience that amazed us. There was not one question he could not answer and he was a real cook...lunch was delicious. We could not have asked for a better guide. if possible we would like to have him as our guide on the last day.
Len Frank, 3 days Jordan from Eilat, 10/2009
Hi Tomer. I wanted to send a quick note to Thank you and Desert Eco Tours for the excellent service I received from you and your organization. My connections were flawlessly managed, everything worked and was on time.
Ellen Eland was excellent. I appreciated her knowledge and professionalism. She is an outstanding representative for your organization. She could not do enough for me and was willing to spend as much time as needed at each site.
I am so glad you were recommended on Trip Advisor. You handled a very complex set of arrangements flawlessly.
Violet Chilcoat- 4 days Eilat and Jordan tour, 10/2009
Hi Tomer. I wanted to send a quick note to Thank you and Desert Eco Tours for the excellent service I received from you and your organization. My connections were flawlessly managed, everything worked and was on time.
Ellen Eland was excellent. I appreciated her knowledge and professionalism. She is an outstanding representative for your organization. She could not do enough for me and was willing to spend as much time as needed at each site.
I am so glad you were recommended on Trip Advisor. You handled a very complex set of arrangements flawlessly.
Violet Chilcoat- 4 days Eilat and Jordan tour, 10/2009
Hi Gil, we have just come back from our 4 days Jordan tour and we are still thrilled for the wonderful adventure. Some tears, came down when living Petra. Your agency did a wonderful job coordinating all our tours, from Israel with the Jordanian agencies. They also did an outstanding job.
I compliment with you for the perfect organization. We had a detailed itinerary and never left alone. Punctual pick up. We met experienced guides who were specialists in their area and most of all very friendly , polite and made us fill at home, fulfilling all our desires, for stops and whatsoever. Ahmed the first guide who picked us up in Amman we learned a lot about Jordan, people and history. The stop in the Dead Sea was something. The Amra Hotel, in Wadi Musa was perfect. Mahmud the guide at Petra, he was very punctual and wanted us to go there early in order to catch the best pictures as well as he gave good advices about visiting first the monastery and then eat at the restaurant. Doing this we did not meet the crowd. Salah our last guide, even if he didnt talk a lot, he was a very experienced Bedouin, was very nice and we spent with him two unforgettable days. He took us on top of the hill in the Wadi Rum where we could see the extension of the desert. He new were was the best stop to take a picture or just relax. Prepared the best lunch in a Bedouin tent with grill chicken and mixed salad. We had fun slipering on the dunes. He also taught us about Bedouin life. Salah who took us back in Amman, gave us some advices of where to eat grilled fish and falafel. The experience in the Amarin camp was something. (May be a little more to eat for the breakfast could be suggested). The Bedouin camp was very well organized.
We thank you again and we will advice friends to contact you in case they want to visit Jordan, or Israel. Regards:
Loredana: 4 days Jordan, 04/2009
Gil, Thanks for the tour. Everything was great. Specially I must say that Ellen was OUTSTANDING, PHENOMENAL. I have traveled all over the world and dealt with dozens of tours guides. She is by far the best ever. Could you send me her email address, we would like to send her an thank you email. Also, we felt that the Petra and Wadi Rum combination in one day is not optimal. Too much to see in only one day. We loved ever minute. However, i would have preferred staying overnight. The tour guides in Jordan (Mamoun Farajat) were excellent as well. We found everyone in Jordan very friendly and welcoming. Again, thanks for everything.
Regards: Ruben, 3 days tour- Israel and Petra, 04/2009
To Desert Eco Tours- We greatly enjoyed our tour of Petra. On a side note – our 11-year old son Max had a medical emergency while on the tour bus returning from Petra to Israel (he had a seizure). We ended up leaving the bus and going by ambulance to a hospital in Jordan. Desert Eco Tours and their partner tour agency in Jordan were very helpful to us during this ordeal, particularly in helping us get back across the border into Israel 2 hours after the borders had officially closed. It took several hours of negotiations with many people on both sides and we are grateful for the help we received from Gil and Ohad at Eco Tours. Max has since recovered. Please stay in touch. We will most certainly be traveling back to Israel again soon and I will be very happy to continue working with you in the future. Hope you had a wonderful Pesach .
Amy, 1 day Petra tour, 04/2009
Tomer - Thank you so much for setting up our Jordan Tour last week. You took care of every detail and we really enjoyed every part of it! The arrangements you made for our border crossings made everything so easy! My husbands opinion is that the 3 days in Jordan were more enjoyable than the 3 weeks we spent in Egypt (not with you…). I believe it is because we felt so welcomed and were not treated like tourists. We felt so at home in Jordan with Salah. He was an amazing guide. He showed us how to relax and enjoy the Bedouin lifestyle. The tour with him went above and beyond any expectations we had. Salah listened to what we enjoyed, then catered everything to our needs. He even stayed with us late on the last evening dropping us at the airport for our midnight flight after enjoying a fantastic dinner in Amman. This was unexpected but greatly appreciated! After spending 3 weeks in Egyptian hotels, the Amra Palace was a dream. The bed was so plush and comfortable, the towels were soft and fluffy, the water pressure was strong and the temperature was hot.
If you are ever in need of an American referral we are happy to oblige - feel free to pass along our e-mail address to future clients who may have questions. Thank you again for everything~
Wendi and Gordy Fields- 3 days Jordan 03/2009
Dear Gil,
Overall, our experience was exceptional!!!! We were comfortable, well taken care of and felt very safe the whole time. The Wadi Ruhm experience was amazing! Thanks. We will recommend this tour to all who ask. sincerely,
Marcey Wagner, 2 days Jordan 02/2009
Dear Gil, on 20.1. and 21.1.2009, as you may remember, I participated in your two day Petra/Wadi Rum tour. It was wonderful and I thank you very much for the professionalism of your organization and the exceptional experience.
I highly recommended your tour to other people and you already had more guests on my recommendation. With kind regards,
Stephan Borrmann, 2 days Jordan, 01/2009
Tomer and the folks at EcoTours, My friend and I had a wonderful experience on Eco tours 2.5 day Jordan excursion. Tomer and staff were very friendly and experienced and know how to show their customers a great time. I will not hesitate for a second for a to recommend Eco tours to everyone and anyone who plans to visit Jordan. If I am lucky enough to visit Egypt again, I will certainly contact you guys before anyone else to discuss different tours.
Sincerely, Jerem West, 3 days Jordan, 12/2008
Hi Tomer, We had a fantastic time on our tour. Everything was very well organized and our guides were fantastic! They were very knowledgeable about the area and passionate about sharing it with us. We will definitely contact you next time we are in Israel...maybe for a diving trip. Thanks!
Sandra- 3 days Jordan tour, 12/2008
Desert Eco Tours, Sorry for the delay. I recently went on a two day Cairo tour with your company. I wanted to give a review of the incredible time we had with one of the best tour guides I have had the pleasure to travel with. Mohamed was able to add insightful detail and bring to light countless specifics that enriched the entire trip. I am not sure of his last name, but he had one hand that was wood. He was able to provide us with every single request, and worked incredibly well with a group varying in age between 18 to 90. He was able to formulate a personal trip for us, and assist in any spontaneous requests. If at all possible could you forward this email to him in order to contact me to stay in touch for future tours of Egypt. Thanks for the memories
Aaron Goldish- 3 days Egypt tour from Eilat, 12.2008
Dear Gil, I have to report back to you that we loved our trip. The Wadi was amazing, Petra with the night time tour as well as the day time tour was wonderful! But for my daughter and I the highlight was definitely the trek through the canyons.... it was just a fabulous fabulous day....and our guide on this last day knew the place like the back of his hand.... he was a gentleman and took very good care of us. In fact we were very surprised at the service at the hotel - first class. Our one surprise was that everyone everywhere expected amounts of tipping above and beyond the cost of the trip. I guess were just not used to that.... I can highly recommend the 3 day trip... at no time did we feel unsafe or any danger. I will book another trip with you in 2010 when my next daughter spends her year in Israel. thanks again, Cheers
Anna- 3 days Jordan, 11.2008
Dear Desert Eco Tours Staff - I just wanted to take a few quick seconds to send you an email to thank you and your company for the absolutely amazing tour I participated in on Saturday, November 22 from Israel to Petra. The professionalism, friendliness and courtesy your staff extended to me and the rest of our group was truly first class. Your staffs assistance with transfers to and from the border and assistance throughout the entire border control process was flawless and impeccable! As someone who has staffed numerous teen tours in the past, I can truly appreciate a job well done in this area!
Also, I must make personal mention of Ali, our tour guide. He was absolutely AMAZING. His enthusiasm, knowledge and personality made the entire tour an absolute joy to be on.
I am strongly recommending and encouraging anyone I know who plans on traveling to and outside of Israel to your company. Thank you so much for such a job well done! Sincerely,
Justin B. Pollack- One VERY satisfied customer!- 1 day Petra tour, 11/2008
Gil, I want to thank you and everyone at Desert Eco Tours for your wonderful service on my recent (November 27) trip to Petra. Your persistence and professionalism in seeking me out and finding me (in Jerusalem) when you learned my flight from Tel Aviv to Eilat would be delayed was "beyond the call of duty". I know you deal with many people on a daily basis, but to spend time and effort making sure that one customer is happy deserves special mention. The trip to Petra went off perfectly, and I thank you many times over. Again, my thanks to you and the entire staff.
Regards, Kathryn Lass- Day tour to Petra, 11/2008
Dear Tomer: We are back in the U.S. but our hearts are still in Israel. The day of our trip to Petra was just one more reason we fell in love with Israel and Israelis. The way you helped us make our plane: holding our luggage all day, getting us back across the border so fast, having a taxi waiting to take us to the airport.....it was so kind, so reassuring, so darn professional. You are part of a terrific team at Desert Eco Tours but you, specifically, are a gem! Well be shouting your praises for a long time to come! Until we meet again, our sincere thanks, Lois and Jerry Parmet,
Beverly and Hersh Rozen, NY, USA, 1 day Petra tour 11/2008
Hi Tomer, I wanted to write and tell you how fantastic our time was with Shor. We did the joint sunset and night tour of the desert. He was completely amazing, it was a very memorable experience for us. We would certainly want to go out with him again on our next trip, and we would recommend him to anyone.
Sheryl Haut, M.D. 1 day Eilat Mts. Jeep tour, 10/2008
Dear Gil, I have the pleasure to answer your email on behalf of Domenica.
She certainly had an amazing time and came back from Petra with a new perception on life. She really enjoyed every bit of the tour and was pleased with the tour guides, accommodation and especially with the sightseeing points. I saw the pictures and could witness the happiness of her face enlighten by the desert sun... Thank you guys very much for everything, more than ever, for taking good care of her! All the best. Shalom!
Carina Eretzky- Peru: 2 days Rum Petra, 08/2008
Hello Gil, Our trip was fantastic! We were so pleased with all the tour guides and drivers. The sites were incredible, of course. Our favorite tour guide was Andre in Jerusalem.
We will recommend Desert Eco Tours to all our friends. While planning the trip, email correspondence with you, Gil, was superb!
Constructive criticism: For tours that last several days, buffet food gets very tiring. A chance to alternate buffets with a la carte lunches of local cuisine is better. We asked our tour guides in Luxor and Egypt to accommodate us this way and they did. We really appreciated that.
Diane Cordell- Canada: 12 days Jerusalem, Jordan, Sinai & Egypt
Ohad, I am sorry I did not have a chance to meet you in person.
My family and I are back in NY after a great vacation in Israel.
I want to thank you and your organization for a wonderful experience in Petra. The entire trip, organization, guided tour, food and transportation were perfect. If you have an opportunity, please make sure to thank again the Jordanian tour guide ALI, (I am sure he will remember us). He is great.
Ben Golombek- private tour to Petra 08/2008
Hi Ohad, I wanted to take a moment and thank you for the wonderful trip to Egypt that you put together for us. We had a wonderful time and your planning met all of our expectations. Every transition that we made was met by a guide or helper to get through the security process, luggage claims, train boarding, etc... We never had to wait for anyone, all contacts were there waiting for us. And the guides we had both in Luxor and Cairo were extremely knowledgeable and pleasant to be with. Mohamed was a lot of fun and went out of his way to accommodate our requests in Cairo. And Aml and Wael were also very accommodating and great sources of knowledge. We enjoyed the time that we spent with all of them.
So far, Desert Eco tours has planned two trips for me, one to Petra and another to Cairo, without any problems or delays. Im very pleased with the service Ive received from you and your company and will highly recommend you to co-workers, who also travel to Israel often.
Thanks again for an incredible experience and for really taking away the burden and stress of international travel, and I hope to work with you again soon.
Regards, Norm Lemay- 4 days Egypt + Petra 07/2008
Judy and I had a fabulous time in Egypt and want to thank you and especially our guide Mohamed for making our experience so wonderful. He was fantastic and we will be sure to let our friends know of your service. We also appreciate the help of the security guard who was very helpful and made us feel protected. Again thank you for the excellent service.
Michael and Judy- 3 days Egypt from Alexandria, 08.2008.
We had a great time. Everything went very smoothly. We were very impressed with Petra and had an interesting glimpse of Jordan. Mahmoun the guide was very good and his driver Hussein drove well and was quite courteous. Excellent trip.
PS. Our friends Fred and Cheri Warner are planning a trip to Petra in August. Take good care of them.
Neil Kogut, 1 day Petra, 07/2008
Hey Gil, My pal Yoni and I had a great time on the trip. Our guides (Ali for the Petra portion/Salah for the Wadi Rum portion) were well-informed and really took the time to explain everything to us and point out details we would never have discovered on our own. Although it took us almost 2 hours to get across the border into Jordan, once we were on our way everything was smooth sailing. We would definitely refer Eco to our friends who planned to travel to Jordan. Cheers
Justin Beere, 2 days Jordan, 07/2008
Hi Erez, Our tour was wonderful. The help at the border, the tours, transportation and hotel, all exceeded our expectations. We were able to have our own personalized tour at Wadi Rum, which was fantastic. The Petra tour was very large, but this was to be expected as it is such a popular site. I would recommend your services to others.
Thanks for arranging everything.
Cara, 2 days Jordan, 07/2008
Gil, great to hear from you! Let me amplify my comments: WE TRAVEL EXTENSIVELY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AND, WHERE APPLICABLE, WE OBTAIN GUIDES OFF THE SHIP. YOUR TOUR TO PETRA WAS EXCEPTIONAL IN EVERY AREA. YOUR FOLKS WERE ON TIME AT THE SHIP, THEY WERE MARVELOUS TO BE WITH DURING SEVEN PLUS HOURS, OUR GUIDE WAS EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE WITH JUST THE RIGHT TOUCH OF HISTORY AND CURRENT EVENTS. THE TRIP TO PETRA WAS ONE OF OUR TRAVEL HIGHLIGHTS IN OVER 40+ YEARS AND >110 COUNTRIES OF SIGHTSEEING! ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! YOU DID EVERYTHING YOU SAID YOU WOULD DO...AND MORE! Many thanks, David Eastis
1 day private Petra, 07/2008
Dear Sirs, Last month my husband, Brian and I did a three day side trip to Jordan from Israel, which was arranged by another company through you. I have to tell you that those three days were the absolute highlight of our whole trip.. I had this notion that whilst we were in Israel I would love to go to Petra... So we started to get in touch with travel agents, both local here in Australia and in Israel... We absolutely got no-where... Until, one of our friends got in touch with you, you came up with a sensible itinerary and a sensible cost base... We also specified that we would like to have an Israeli guide for this experience. Well, that most certainly was a most fortunate decision... Yosef Wilf absolutely made the whole trip much more worthwhile than we could ever have imagined. As soon as we met Yosef at the border in Eilat we knew we had made the right decision... He effused confidence and familiarity... He knew exactly what he was doing... We knew immediately that we were in the best of hands.... Josef was more than familiar with every aspect, whether it be getting over the borders, dealing with everyone and everybody... He knew his way around and he knew everybody intimately which absolutely smoothed every proceeding and everything along the way.. But, as well as all that, he knew his subject... Amongst other things, he knew the territory... He knew the history... He knew the archaeology... he knew the Jewish History and he knew what was written in the Torah about the subject matter... He knew about, explained and took us to places that Im sure were more than the call of his duty to us as our guide... He knew every stone along the way... He knew and quoted from the Torah, giving the whole trip a Jewish tone... He just seemed to know exactly what we wanted out of this journey... He was extremely caring and "hemish" and looked after our every welfare all along the way... He absolutely put himself out for us... Nothing was too much trouble... Without Josef I am absolutely sure that we would not have seen as much and had such an emotional experience on that trip. Thank you again for arranging such a memorable trip and giving us the added bonus of such a marvelous guide as Yosef Wilf. I would have no hesitation in recommending your Company to any of my family or acquaintances and would strongly recommend to them that they not even attempt to do this tour without Yosef as their guide.
Sincerely, Susie Gold, Australia, 3 days Jordan tour
Thank you for the warm feedback. Josef is indeed a wonderful guide but Im sure that our other guides are also great choices for this kind of tour…
Its been a hectic month and were just getting a little time to look at our pictures and reflect.
We had such a great time in both Sinai and Petra. Josef was a great guide and gave us a real "back stage" look at Bedouin life with the families that he knew personally. Linda especially loved the all day camel ride. She wanted to adopt the little camel and bring her home with us. As it was, the Bedouin camp we were booked into that first night in Jordan was wonderful. We opted to pay extra for a "chalet" as we had come from 2 nights on the ground in Sinai and were ready for real beds again. The food was great and the personnel very nice. The next morning our guide, Saud, was waiting for us and we had an exciting day in Wadi Rum. He took us to meet his little boys at the end of the tour and we were able to buy some items from his sisters womens cooperative (Burda).
The guide at Petra, Almed, was very knowledgeable and gave us just the right amount of info and then left us to plan the afternoon which was fine. In retrospective we should have taken a donkey to the monastery. We hiked the entire distance and were very grateful for the taxi ride back to the Golden Tulip and the delicious evening meal.
The driver to the Alenby crossing was on time and very pleasant as were all the Jordanians with whom we interacted. They have such a great sense of humor. I would recommend them very highly.
Carol and Linda Burckhardt- 6 days Sinai and Jordan 04/2008
Dear Gil,
Your tour to Egypt was wonderful. The tour-guides were knowledgeable and courteous. We felt safe at all times and we felt that we covered all the important tourist sites in a short but sweet fashion. Chag sameach, (Rabbi) Daniel
Friedman, Edmonton, Canada, 2 days Cairo from Eilat, 04/2008
Hello Erez and Yaara, My brother and I have arrived at home safe and well.
Just to let you know that we had a great time while traveling between Jordan, Israel and Egypt. The warmth and hospitality of all that took care of us were beyond our expectations. I really want to thank you all for organizing such an amazing trip. Everything went well according to the schedule and we will certainly recommend your services to all our friends. Thanks again and should we decide to make another tour we will definitely contact you. Kind regards,
Alexandre and Henrique, 10 days Egypt, Jordan and Jerusalem, 03/2008
Hello Eco Tours, Our names are Lois S. and Shai K., we went on a 4 days hike in Jordan last week, and we felt the erg to express our gratitude for a well planned and very well excuted trip full of joy and adventure, by your devoted guide Ali Halilat. Ali introduced Jordan to us with so much love and care, he welcomed us into Jordans natural treasures....
Alis passionate love for his country combined with his endless respect for nature and all beings, along with his remarkable skillfulness created a dreamy ideal atmosphere, which encourages one to join the timeless music of the precious landscapes of Jordan.
Through Ali we could feel the peace & harmony of this region...we were exposed to ancient secrets that are hidden in every majestic mountain, water creek and canyons, that we were fortunate enough to come across. and above all we had the great honor to be Alis friends-fellow travelers. Thank you for an unforgettable journey, which was much more than just a hike, it was a walk through natures soul... cant wait for the next trip... with Love,
Lois and Shai- 4 days hiking in the canyons of Jordan 03/2008
Dear Eco, I would like to thank you very much on be huff of me and my family. the experience we had thanks to your recommendation in our stay in Eilat will never be forgotten it was definitely our best trip vacation ever .
I was amazed by your complete knowledge of all the tours that your office has to offer and you made me so proud to feel a Jew.
as I tolled you my wife is not Jewish and it was very important to me and my family to get to know Israel inside out with all of its wanders.
you have lots of patients specially with all the questions that my kids have asked you over and over. we will definitely recommend you, and your company to all of our friends in there way to Israel. God Bless you and yeshar ko-oach.
Uri J.- Tours to Jordan and the Eilat area. 03/2008
Ohad, In the name of the five of us who took the tour to Jordan, as well as the desert tour in Eilat, we want to thank you for creating a very nice experience for us. The guides were great, the facilitators were efficient, and the facilities were also quite nice. Everyone was very accommodating. We enjoyed the whole thing.
Ron- 2 days Jordan + Eilat Mts. 02/2008
Dear Erez, We have returned to Australia but will always treasure our very short experience of Israel. We plan to return for a decent amount of time when next over in that direction. Thank you for organizing everything at such short notice. We all adored Joza - he was an experience in itself, just brilliant and so funny. Warmest Regards
The Ervin Family- Australia- 2 days Jerusalem from Amman, 01/2008
Hi Erez, Yes we are back home now, after a wonderful trip. Sorry about this delay but I wanted to send you a full report of the tour, so I think it might be useful. First of all let me thank and compliment you for the careful organization and interest you shown during our trip. You understand exactly what we wanted, and choose well the itinerary and your partners. Our thanks extends to all the people involved in the trip (and they were many). We will recommend Desert Eco Tours (in fact we already did) to anyone that wants to go there, and I think you can count with us for a trip in Israel (by the way you dont work in Syria?). It was a pleasure doing business with you. Best regards and a good year for you
Jose Fuente- Portugal, 12 days Egypt, Sinai and Jordan, 01/2008
Erez, I would love to and plan to write glowing comments on well our tour went and how great Josa was as a guide, he is now and forever part of our family. This Saturday Josh and his Bar Mitzvah party are having their local kids party celebrating their simchas. After that, I will turn my attention to complimenting Desert Eco Tours and Joza for such a wonderful experience. I have already talked to another person who is contemplating a trip to Israel in the future.
David Neisen- 8 days Bar Mitzva, Jordan and Israel, 12/2007
Best of Times
Wonderful personalized professional care
in depth knowledge of the the countries (Israel/Jordan), and the people, that makes the trip smooth, enjoyable, informative
Great experience, many thanks
the Shimony family- Bat Mitzva 9 days, 12/2007
We are not yet back home, but we certainly want to let you know how much fun we had on our camel trek with your company. We brought our three young children with us, and we were quite unsure what to expect. Your recommendation to bring an Israeli guide with us was SUCH a good idea, and it really made our trip. We really enjoyed getting to know our Bedouin guides, too. They were professional, courteous, helpful and kind. But it was Ohad from your office who really made everything go so smoothly, and who put the finishing touches on all aspects of our trip. From getting us across the border in a timely manner, to helping us communicate with our guides, Ohad was invaluable. Our favorite part was watching him interact with each of our children. When it came time to set up camp for our one-night stay in the desert, Ohad challenged the kids to a race up a sand dune ~ they couldnt have been happier. He played games with our littlest one Rex, and encouraged each of the children when they were having challenges along the way. We especially enjoyed just getting to know him, and we wish him every success. If all of your guides are that personable and helpful, your tour company will continue to flourish! Thank you again for such a wonderful trip. It stands out as the highlight of our three weeks in Israel. All the best,
Karin Heath, British Columbia, 2 days Camels Sinai, 12/2007
our trip was absolutely wonderful! you did a great job in planning our six full days in egypt and the itinerary was perfect - we saw the most important things, learned much, and, at the same time, did not feel rushed or overwelmed. i beleive the the experience of the nile cruise was just what i was looking for and i would highly recommend it to anyone. our guide was so knowledgable and personable that he made our time that much more special. i was impressed by how very safe i felt because the egyptian governmant takes such good care of its tourists by providing a guard and security everywhere. the service was outstanding. the hotel in cairo was beautiful. many very nice things to say!
jane coppa- 7 days Egypt, 12/2007
Dear Erez, My Daughter and former wife Alexa had the trip of our lives on this excellent vacation package you, & my sister Karin, arranged for us! Thank you!!!! In many ways it just couldnt have been any better---We were always comfortable with our safety/security. [one minor exception was when we were sent from your office in Petra with a young man who took us to a back street and handed us to a different driver.....he said it was his brother????....
Our Jordan guide, Selah, was great! Josah (Joza), our Israeli guide into the Sinai and with the Bedouins.....Simply was beyond words---He is Fantastic...an Awesome guy!!!! We learned allot about life from him!!!!! :))And Andre in Jerusalem was beyond our wildest hopes!!!! He is a man who I cannot give enough praise to you about!!!! We are Christians and he brought to life this wonderful historic city for all of us!!!! Tammer has stayed in touch with my daughter Bee and we all really felt he is an exceptional man....a gentleman and a friend!Thank you again for the fantastic trip! I have traveled quite allot, (to Africa 19 times alone)....and I considered this trip to be one of the best trips I or my family have ever taken!!! You may use me as a reference anytime!With Deep appreciation,
Dr. Cary Simonds- 12 days: Israel, Jordan, Sinai and Cairo 11/2007
Hi Erez,
It has been a while since we came back home to Canada, but finally theres some time to sit down and write some comments. The trip was amazing and I think both me and Marc agrees that Sinai with Joza was the absolute best part.
We got to come so close to the people in the oasis since we were almost alone with the hostess.
The food they made for us was one of the best meals I have ever had I think!! Our local guide at St. Catherine, Mosa was also very nice. It is a hard life for them! Please tell Joza to give our regards to them next time he sees them.
The trip to Cairo was good, but longer that we expected. In all Cairo
was a nice stop and it is kind of a love/hate memory due to the massive amount of people living in Cairo but the pyramids leaves of course
a nice touch.
PETRA in Jordan was amazing!!! It looks like all the pictures we have seen and it was not as crowded as I had expected since the Unesco put it on their list. The guide in Jordan was good and very friendly. The hotel (Taibet Zaman hotel) however was stunning!!! I have never seen such a nice and different hotel and the service at the restaurant was great. They really treated you as in a 5* hotel.
Jerusalem was of course a must that we did and we liked what we saw, could have spent another day though because there is so much to see.
So, thanks again for making this an amazing trip, all was greatly planned!!!Petra & Marc, 12 days Israel, Jordan, Egypt 11/2007
Dear Gil, The tour we did with you to Wadi Rum/ Petra overnight was just BRILLIANT!! We had the BEST GUIDES, the desert was spectacular with the food that was cooked on the open fire being unbelievably delicious. The accommodation was FANTASTIC, Petra was MAGNIFICENT and overall it was the most excellent, excellent tour ever!!!. I have passed on information about your company and about our trip to several people, and Im sure you will get many enquiries from people in Australia. If anyone wants a personal recommendation, you can always give my name!!!!!!!!! Thank you again for all your excellent correspondence leading up to the tours, and thanks too for all the hard work that must go into arranging all the details of each tour. We had a wonderful experience with Desert Ecotours and will certainly use you again and pass on your details to others.
Nicki Shandler- 2.5 days Jordan, 11/07
Hi Erez, I was very impressed. Drivers and Petra guide were all both interesting and polite. The Amna Palace Hotel in Petra was better than the 3* it is designated. Even had a turkish bath there before dinner.The fact that we were only 3 to a jeep was much better way to travel than the usual bus thing. Well worth paying the extra to do it that way.I am planning to bring a few friend back with me Jan 09 and will be booking a tour with you guys again then. Everything was obviously under control, it all worked out well. I met another Aussie who went (not with you) she had some interesting problems, and was a little disappointed. Would also liked to have gone into the Sinai, maybe another time. Thanks for a great time in Petra.
Marianne- 2.5 days Jordan 11/2007
Hello Gil, The tour was absolutly wonderful. This was actually my third time in Petra but the first time with a guide and it really did make a difference.
This was my parents first time there and they really enjoyed their trip.
Our tourguide was amazing and things couldnt have been planned any better. Thank you very much,
Eva Carla- 2 days Petra 11/2007
Hi. The tour was excellent, from pick up to drop off.
Our guide, Ali, was exceptionally bright, warm and protective. He was really something special and as majestic as Petra was, just spending time with Ali was also very special. The van was comfortable, air conditioned and the fruit and water were nice touches.
The border crossing went smoothly, and our time in Petra is difficult to put into words. We even took a mule ride out which was so much fun, and also beat walking. So, thanks so much. Say hello to Ali for us.
Steve and Nora Litz- 2 days Jordan, 11/2007
Dear Gil, I have to let you know how much i enjoyed your trip to Petra. Your organization from beginning to end was excellent, and the guides and accommodation were also very good. I will be recommending you to all my friends. I am sure you will appreciate getting praise when most people only contact organizations to have a moan. Best wishes
Carole Swithern- 2 days Jordan, 10/2007
The hotel was great, and the Wadi Rum jeep tour was probably the highlight of my entire 17-day trip to Israel and Jordan. Our jeep guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and funny--he gave us a wonderful tour of a beautiful place (and he included a stop at a Bedouin tent, which was also fun). I wouldnt have changed a thing (except maybe it would have been nice to have had a map of Wadi Rum so I would have known where we were driving...a very minor suggestion).
Adam- 2 days Petra Rum, 10/2007
Fantastic. Great trip. Great guides. More snacks than we thought. Perfectly done and recommend it to all my friends. thanks
Stephanie Ackerman- 1 day Petra 10/2007
Gil, The tour was amazing, but what made it really special was the guide that he
had. He was so very knowledgable, and he took care of us from the moment we crossed into Jordan up until the border going back to Israel. As we walked around with him, I could tell by the way people were talking to him that he was seen very much almost a respected elder statesman" within his
community. As soon as people saw that we were with him, we were treated graciously and with respect. As for the destination, Petra speaks for itself in terms of sheer beauty, and drinking tea near the place that Lawrence of Arabia used to drink tea was an awesome experience for me as a lover of history. It was a day that I will never forget. Thanks again!
Ellen Goldstein- 1 day Petra 10/2007
Gil: We had an absolutely wonderful time. The kids loved being picked up in the Land Rover--my son said it was like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland.
The people on our tour bus were great and the group included only a few Americans, which is always a nice change. The guide was great, the food in Jordan was remarkably edible, and Petra itself was spectacular. The photos we took dont do it justice. Ive attached one of our family to this email.
Your company was recommended to us by a law partner of mine, Joel Mullin, and Ive recommended you to others since then. In sort, Petra was a highlight of our entire summer trip, which included Israel, Italy, and France.
Jeremy- 1 day Petra 09/2007
The tour was terrific! Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable, the logistics were all taken care of, and the sights themselves were unbelievable. Thank you so much for arranging everything!
Jess- 1 day Petra from Eilat, 10/2007
Hello Gil, The Cairo trip was wonderful and thank you again for organizing it for us. It couldnt have been more perfect. Best regards, Eva.
2 days Cairo from Eilat, 10.2007
HI Gil, Just wanted to say we really enjoyed our tours with you, our external guides were all excellent and every place we stayed overnight was good quality and very interesting. We will recommend you to as many people as possible. We were really impressed.
The hotel in Cairo at 3 star was very nice and the Nile cruise was pretty, great fun and had good food. You should make more of it. The guide Mohammed Ali was excellent in Cairo!! The Hyatt Taba was also absolutely amazing and totally unexpected!! we were really upset we had only 8 hours there as we only got there at 10pm and had to leave at 6am. It would have been nice to see it all as we would have left Egypt earlier or stayed an extra night there had we known how tight the schedule was. Thanks again, it was an amazing trip.
hanna hellams- 6 days Egypt, Jordan, Negev, 10/2007
The tour to Jordan was fabulous! My sister, brother-in-law and I appreciated your individual attention in planning the trip according to our requests. All of the details were taken care of very professionally. Saleh, our guide for Wadi Rum, was excellent: he was knowledgeable, personable, accommodating, a good driver, and in addition prepared an excellent lunch for us! I have a request for you: my brother-in-law, who is a pediatrician, has some medication for Salehs son. If I get it to you, would it be possible for you to transfer it to him? Petra was amazing. I highly recommend that you advise people to take the Petra by Night tour if its available when they are there - it was a very special experience. Nonetheless, I recommend your company wholeheartedly to everyone and hope to use you again in the future. Best regards,
Michele Sumka- 2.5 days to Jordan 09/2007
Hi Gil, We are back in the US and wanted to let you know that we had a wonder time on the tours. The trip to Petra was amazing! Our guide Ahmed was the best. I would highly recommend your company. We are planning a trip to Egypt in the future and will certainly contact you.
Mary Eling, south of Israel and Jordan 3 days 09/2007
Hi Gil- The Petra trip was one of the highlights of our trip. It was very well organized, the tour guide was very knowledgeable and was very open for questions and discussion. The tour had a good balance between
following the tour guide around and having time to explore on our own. We will highly recommend the tour to our friends (as you should consider making sure you dont lose the tour guide to a competing company!) Best Regards
Prof. Dave Kieda, 1 day Petra tour, 09.2007
Gil, It is hard to describe the tour in a few words. I could say that it was excellent or amazing but that would hardly sum it up. Our guides were excellent and we greatly appreciate Chagi and Ami taking the time to explain what it was we were seeing and why it was significant. They made every effort to accommodate us and I can only assume that guides the likes of them are the sorts of people you employee to give your tours. Speaking on behalf of the eight other people who went we had an excellent time. I have enclosed a few pictures of us with the guides in the Golan. Thank You again and I will surely recommend your tours to friends and family in Israel. Chag Sameach
Josh Moses, 2 days Galilee and Golan, 09/2007
We thoroughly enjoyed the tour - truly one of the highlights of our vacation!
The pickup was on time, the driver was courteous and the vehicle (safari jeep) was fun! Our two teen kids liked the ride! The border crossing was a new experience for us, somewhat of an adventure, especially with the mishap of the border guard stamping the wrong date in several passports for our small group! Once on the road again, this time in Jordan, we found we had an excellent driver, a comfortable vehicle and a very friendly, knowledgeable guide. Petra itself, of course, was remarkable! Geologically, archeologically and historically astounding! Wow! We loved every part of the trip, except perhaps the horse-guides trying to get us to pay more than we were told we should pay. Thank you for hosting our wonderful experience.
Gary & Debbie Cohen, 1 day Petra + Wadi Rum 09/2007
Hi there I was going to write earlier to say thank you - it was a great experience and I have been telling so many people how brilliant it was. Both Petra and Wadi Rum were so much more amazing than I had imagined and the guides, Ali (Ali number 1, at Petra, and Ali number 2 for camping/Wadi Rum) were really knowledgeable and really added to the experience. Ali our camping host and Wadi Rum guide was excellent - our geographer, geologist, historian, theologian, politician, driver and cook! He made so much effort to make sure we enjoyed ourselves, but did it in a quiet and humble manner.
Id love to come back to Jordan another time and see more of the country. We found the people to be really friendly and welcoming too. Thank you! Sean
Sean Gillen- 2.5 days Jordan 09/2007
Erez, We just got back from our 3.5 day trip to Jordan an absolutely loved it. My brother and I are interested in doing something like the 8 day trip sometime in Late December. We were wondering what the options are and what the costs would be like for just two people going on the trip. Thank you,
Chris Ross- 09/2007
Dear Erez, I just spoke to the Bermans last week. They both felt this was one of the best trips they have ever taken. From the transportation, accommodations, sightseeing, guide etc etc....Outstanding.... Thank you for taking such good care of the Bermans.
Karen Rybak, CTC, Travel Counselor, American Express travel, 3 days Jordan 08/2008
Erez, Thank you for all your assistance in helping me arrange this tour of Petra for my family. The tour company and especially Ibrahim Smadi our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about Jordan, Little Petra and Petra. We were able to explore Petra in a way that we couldnt do on our own. The Taybet Zeman Hotel was nice and we were able to enjoy a beautiful sunset over Petra valley. Everyone had a great experience and was very happy we made the journey. I would definitely recommend Eco Desert Tours.
Andrew Spivack, 2 days Jordan, canyons/ Petra 08/2007
Hello Gil, We have arrived back in Ireland safe and sound. The tour was fantastic and we enjoyed both Petra and Wadi Rum. Thank you for all your assistance and, hopefully, we will need your services again on our next trip to the Middle East. Best regards,
Michael Fuchs, 2.5 days Jordan 08/2007
Hey Erez: I really enjoyed the time in Jordan. Your people in Petra really went an extra mile to solve the initial problems. Mohamed greeted us personally and took care of it all. Please thank him and his group for the support. No doubt I will refer Desert Eco Tours to other friends and business partners. Best, Marco.
Marco Simoes, Brazil, 3 days Jordan, 08/2007
Hi everyone, a short message just to tell you how much we appreciated the tour of the Arrava Valley with Josa (it was on the 22nd of July). Our daughter Louise learnt how to make pita with Josa and is currently making some; so that even though we are back in France we feel as if we still were enjoying the fresh breeze of the hills above Eilat!
Hélène, Laurent and Louise, 1 day Eilat Mts. 07/2007
It was amazing!!!!!! I cant thank you enough for finding the zimmer in the Galilee for us. It will be hard to stay in a hotel again after that! It was so beautiful and the owners so gracious! Our guide, Yoav, was fun, informative and reliable. The Zaki trail hike and the Kayaking was adventurous and the off-road jeep riding was great. Absolutely no complaints and only wish we could have stayed longer. Thank you for everything
Debbie Sokolov, 3 days Galilee, 07/2007
Erez, We had a exceptional time touring the Wadi Rum with Ali- a very nice and multi-talented person. Of course Petra was also beyond expectations and we were surprised to be there on the day of the celebration of its inclusion in one of the seven wonders of the world. The entire two day tour was well organized and everyone met us as planned and right on time. We would certainly recommend Eco Tours to our friends. Thanks very much for the great experience, Alma.
Alma Rodoni, 2 days Jordan, 07/2007
Erez, Welcome back. The trip to Jordan was wonderful! All of you did a super job. Just wanted you to know that our trip was fantastic, thanks to you. Everything worked out perfectly, much better than we could have imagined. Our guides Riyad and Ali were fabulous! Your attention to detail was extraordinary. We would definitely do it again and will certainly recommend your service to our friends.
Brent and Kay Burki, 2 days north of Jordan, 07/2007
Dear Erez (& Gil). My daughters and I just returned from an exceptional 2 and a half day journey into Wadi Rum by air balloon and Petra. I called Gil on my return and told him that I would like to write an article for my community Jewish newspaper (of which I am the editor) about the trip, as well as giving an insight into your company and its philosophy.
Wendy Schneider, 2.5 days Jordan 07/2007
Just wanted to follow up to say how much we enjoyed the desert tour. It was unlike anything wed ever done before, and really made an impression. Oded Hamm is quite a character/unusual guy! He brought the desert to life for us, and we throughly enjoyed the experience. Sorry for the many communications - - but we are so glad we stuck with the plan!
MERYL KAYNARD, 1 day tour Judean desert 07/2007
Hi Gil, I wanted to let you know how very much we enjoyed our tour to Petra on June 24. It was just fantastic. We were so impressed with all your staff from Anat to all the people who helped us with the border procedures. The entire trip was very professionally executed and we had a day we will always remember as one of the highlights of our travels. pecial thanks goes to our wonderful, wonderful guide, Mohammed. We were so impressed with him. He is a warm and knowledgeable person whose love of Jordan and Petra added so much to our day. Hes one of the best guides we have ever had.Thanks you again, and I hope that when we come to Eilat again we can take another trip with Desert Eco Tours
Susan Gross, 1 day Petra 06/2007
Hello Everybody, I have returned from the most interesting tour I have ever taken from Bedouin living, to sleeping under the stars by the Red sea, to seeing St Catherines Monastery. MT Sinai, Aarons burial site, MT Nebo, Petra, wadis, cliffs of limestone and some of sandstone,etc Plus a magnificent tour of Israel and its heritage sites such as Caesaria, Bania springs, the Golan Heights, Bet Shean, Akko, Jerusalem(a little), etc and rummaging around Tel Aviv on my own. And there was much more like the silk route in the Negev and sleeping at a Moshav. Just to let you know I returned with a bit of Pharaohs revenge. It was indeed a trip of a life time. The guides themselves were a work of art. Fasch (Arabic for wow).
Sy Weiner- 10 days tour 06/2007
Erez, The tour was overwhelming. The guides were characters in their own right and very knowledgeable about the areas. The highlight , I thought, was the plant life that exists in the desert as well as the geological formations. I came away with a different understanding of desert life in the middle east. From a political point of view, I saw that Bedouins are very different from the official folks- I did not know this before. I highly recommend extended tours and a one on one tour since you cover a lot of ground and get individual attention and knowledge. Now to develop the 500 photos I took. Kol Tov.
Sy Weiner- 10 days private tour 06/2007
To Jaza Wilf. Thank you so much for taking us on the most amazing trip we have ever experienced! Your night time desert trip in the jeep was fantastic ! So interesting and fun at the same time! Thank you, thank you, thank you. We will be back!
John, Tina, Robyn and Jodi, night tour around Eilat, 06/2007
Dear Erez, I am now back in Toronto, and have spoken to so many people about the wonderful desert tour of the Negev that I did with Shore and Shimon. It was a breathtakingly wonderful experience. I have written about my trip and thought you may like to read it since the Eco tour was the highlight. I will send you some photos when I have them electronically, if you would like. best wishes:
Devorah Kramer- Full day jeep camels Eilat Mts, 06/2007
Back in Canada after an amazing trip through Israel and Jordan. The Petra trip was certainly one of the highlights. Well organized, guided and running smoothly.
Karel and Yoka Terbrugge 05/2007
Dear Erez, We enjoyed our tour day with Michal very much. She is a fabulous guide and a truly enjoyable person to know. Our day at Masada and the Dead Sea was the highlight of our trip. We are telling all our friends about it. I hope we will be back in Israel in 2010, and if we need a tour I will be writing to you then. Thank you so much.
Mark and Margaret Adelson New York City. Jerusalem & Massada 05/2007
Erez, The tour was fantastic! Thanks for arranging a special tour for us that well remember the rest of our lives. Hadi and Etewi were great guides and kept us entertained and informed where ever we went. They made sure we were comfortable and I will heartily recommend your service to anyone that asks. Thanks again,
Steve Schoeneman, 3 days Sinai- Sarabit El Hadem, 05/2007
Erez..the jolliffes had a FANTASTIC time!!! i just spoke with tom jolliffe.they loved their Bedouin experience..!! they wanted to thank mohammed their guide and atue their driver for being excellent hosts and their care and attention, and highly recommends your company.. ..thank you so much erez..the jolliffe just wished that they had spent more time in the Sinai! best regards maureen
maureen sokolovsky/atco travel, 3 days Sinai- jeeps & camels, 05/2007
Hello. We spent 2 fantastic days in Jordan. Everything was very well organized. the first day in Wadi Rum was amazing. We will remember for a long time the lunch in the desert. Our Jordanian guides were great. The second day in Petra, after a night at the beautiful Taibet Zaman, was more difficult for the children. But, thanks to Joza, we succeeded to visit a good part of the site. He was very patient and provided us with a lot of stories about the area. He is a wonderful guide! Thanks again to Joza who we hope to meet for another trip,Best Regards,
Joëlle Jérome- France- 2 days Jordan 04.2007
Hi Erez, Only got back to the States this weekend.
The Sinai tour was flawless and a lifetime experience for us who are far removed from that part of the world. I got to appreciate having Manachem as our guide very quickly. Thank you for giving him this tour.
It was also great to have Shir with us. He spent a lot of time talking to the kids, my son in particular. A very cool guy.
So everything worked out just great. Hard to predict of course but who knows, we may do something else with you in the future.
The only disappointment was missing a chance to try Menachems promised tehina, as we crossed back into Israel too late in the day.
All the best!
Vadim Konstantinovsky, 5 days high range Sinai hiking/ camels, 04/2007
Just wanted to say all went very well with both trips. The Cairo trip was great the way it all was put together and the guides first class. Thank you for an unforgettable trip.
Brian Morris, 4 days Jordan- Cairo, 04/2007
Erez, as I told you, the tour was excellent: better I tell my friends and send them to you, instead of repeating to you… you know it is a very good tour!..
Dirk Vyncke- 7 days trekking camels, Sinai high range, 04.2007
Both tours were excellent. We really enjoyed ourselves, and have highly recommended your agency to our friends and colleagues at the US Consulate. I am actually about to send our Jordan trip information to a colleague who is interested in taking his sons on the same trip we booked. Thank you for a job well done!
Melanie Finnegan- 2 days Cairo and 2.5 days Jordan 04/2007
The hiking trip in the canyons Jordan was a great way to see a very different part of the world. From hiking through Bedouin camps to the incredible sandstone formations, this is a very unique trip. Our tour guide, Dan, did a great job explaining both the history and the ecology of the land. I would like to say that this is a very adventurous trip. If you have never been hiking, I dont recommend it. You will be climbing up and down waterfalls (with the use of a rope) as well as hiking over large boulders. You need to be in good shape, and to have a spirit of adventure. Trea Schocken, 5 days canyons- Jordan 04/2007
Hi Erez, The tour was EXACTLY what we wanted and requested. The guide Itai chose very well the wadi, treated us and guided us with respect and patience, and made very clear that he enjoys his work. His explanations and opinions about both nature and human presence in the Negev, also his analysis about Israeli relationship with the Bedouins were very accurate and provoked debates between our group for many days. Please send him Shalom from all our group.
Dash,Moti- Brazil, hiking in the Ramon crater, Negev 04.2007
Gil, we were on a Wadi Rum and Petra tour organized by your company. We were delighted by accommodations at Wadi Rum, and Ali the guide was a treasure (and a great cook). Ahmad our guide at Petra was very knowledgeable and made for a really special experience.
Geoff and Christine Thomas- 2 days Jordan 04/2007
Hi Erez & Gil, Our trip to Jordan was fabulous. The best part of it was spending time in the desert, camping overnight, and traveling about with Ali. He did a fantastic job. We will certainly recommend your company to our friends who travel to the Middle East. Thanks again for a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Bob Blevins- 2.5 days Jordan, 04.2007
Hi Erez, I just returned last night and would like to thank you for the fantastically organized holiday. The itinerary you suggested worked out very well, and all your staff were friendly and knowledgeable. Special thanks to Salah, our climbing guide, who was great with the kids and gave shoulder rides to Mille (4) when wading through the deep water. Also Ahmed our guide in Petra and our Wadi Rum drivers/cooks/guides Ahmed and Abdullah The whole family thoroughly enjoyed this holiday and again thank you very much for all the organisation done at short notice. I will have no hesitation to recommend your company to my friends. Best Regards,
Stuart Rossi, 6 days Jordan, 04/2007
The tour was fabulous and josef (Joza) was a great guide, enjoyed it thoroughly, i would recommend your tour to anyone
Nesse Janet, 2.5 days Jordan, 04.2007
Dear Ilan, We had a wonderful stay at the Aquaba resort and a terrific trip to Petra. Mohamed was an excellent and most gracious and pleasant guide. We can recommend your companys services highly. Thank you very much. GERHARD STOLL- Diving in Aqaba and Petra 04/2007
Hi Erez, we made the 2day trip to Egypt, Sinai-desert, visited the Bedouins and St. Catherines monastery. We enjoyed the trip into the sand dunes, mt.Baraka, the Nawamis cemetery, lunch with Bedouins in the desert. Specially the night in the Ein Hudra Oasis with the Bedouins was marvelous! Our guide Tamer A.A.Ibrahim and his driver were at our opinion the best we could have, very friendly, good feeling for humor and well educated, a feast to travel with! The whole was good organized, including pick-up and return to Eilot kibbutz and the border crossing. I am sure that when we are in the opportunity to visit Israel again, we will use your organization for a visit to Jordan or Egypt and we will recommend you to our friends, yours sincerely
Eddy Rooda and family- Holland, 2 days Sinai Safari, 03.2007
Hi Erez, We want to thank you for the 2.5 days tour of Petra and Wadi Rum you organized for us. Your help and patience in the organization of the trip, and its impeccable execution made it a wonderfully memorable experience. The local guides, the hotel (Taibet Zaman), and transportation from the minute we crossed the border to Jordan until we came back to Israel was so well done that all we had left to do was to enjoy without worry. And, we did!!! When its time to plan our next excursion, wherever it would be, we will contact Eco Tours first. My sister in law had already recommended Eco Tours to someone who asked about our trip. Thanks again, from all of us, It could not have been any better, the Carpenter/Karni families.
2.5 days Jordan incl climbing in Rum, 03/2007
Hi Erez, We were very happy with our tours in Jordan and Egypt. Our guides in Wadi Rum and Cairo were excellent. Sammi and Mohammed always made us feel it was "our" tour and that they were there to make it the the very best it could be...even if that meant an unplanned stop at a particular sight or staying longer to enjoy the beauty. The high light of our tour was Wadi Rum. It is the most spectacular desert I have ever seen and our guide Sammi knew absolutely every part of it.. It was a blend of adventure, landscapes history and culture and fun!. I had seen pictures of Wadi Rum but nothing prepared me for being in the midst of the awesome shaped and colored mountains and rocks.Sammi was the best guide my husband and I had ever had. He is a man who has a vast knowledge and deep love of the desert and it made our trip that more enjoyable. I knew from checking around that you were not the least expensive company out there but I know from experience that the difference is in the quality of the tour you get. I loved that we were in a small group instead of stuck on a bus with a hundred other people. I loved the flexibility of the itinerary and the off the beaten track itineraries. We did not see any other people (other than Bedouin) in Wadi Rum or Wadi Iben Hammad. I liked that your company is very flexible and taylors to the needs of the client. We would not have been able to see what we saw with any other company because my husbands work schedule in Israel was so erratic. And of course your customer service is top notch! I received your comments email before I even left Israel ! And I especially like the fact that you care to ask my opinions. All in all our trips only had one small glitch (the original Wadi we were to visit was closed) but even that you handled quickly and made sure to substitute with something even more spectacular. My only problem was that it was so far away and took many hours to get to and away from. But in retrospect I am glad we went and we have some beautiful pictures to show for it.
Cairo trip was good. Mohammed was great. Very funny and knowledgeable guy. Totally catered to our whims so we were very happy there. Everything was great. When we return to Israel and Jordan again we will definitely use your services and recommend them to our friends and family who visit there.
Kristen Slanina- 5 day Jordan, Cairo, 03/2007
Erez, My clients were so pleased with their tour that they called me while they were there. They said that this tour was the highlight of the trip and that they would highly recommend it to others. If I ever have clients traveling in the region again I will definitely send them your way. Thank you so much for making their time wonderful, they were so pleased with your service! Thank you again, I really appreciate it!
Sonja A. Morgan, 2 days Jordan north, 03/2007
The four day Mt. Sinai-Cairo trip exceeded our expectations. Every day seemed more exhilarating than the last. The off road desert sojourn followed by the Canyon walk to the Bedouin camp for lunch was a great way to start. We arrived at the camp just as a camel caravan was loading for a trip to market. The climb the next day up Mt. Sinai was breathtaking and the full moon added to the mystique of the early morning climb. The excitement, the challenge of the ascent, the hot chocolate in Hamids hut on the trail, the thrill of the sunrise, the camaraderie amidst the climbers, the celebration of Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths at the summit, master guide Raghab, the camels, the descent, the tour of the monastery and the skull room combined to make one most exhilarating day. Our guide in Cairo was superb and as my wife said about her “she shattered every notion that we ever had of a middle eastern woman”. She could not have been more gracious, more knowledgeable, and her flexible but demanding attitude on behalf of her customers made us feel very welcomed. I would wholeheartedly recommend the trip to any person, seeking something other than the bus tour and willing to undertake a bit of exercise. Cindy and I are in our late 50s and enjoyed it immensely. My sons friend had a high end camera and I attach some of his pictures from the trip. Thanks for your hard work and efforts. The border crossings went smoothly and there were no glitches in the trip.
Ken & Cindy Treadwell, Wellington, Florida, 4 days Sinai & Cairo, 02/2007
I want to thank you and your colleagues in Israel and Jordan for making our time in Wadi Rum and Petra so wonderful - it was truly an incredible experience. All the best-- Laura Davis
2 days Jordan 02/2007
Hi Erez, We came back to Boston – yesterday night and now there is snow.
Thank you so much for great trips and arranging everything around them.
We had a great visit to Petra with your knowledgeable guide and we loved the Jeep tour with Shir – who was great, knowledgeable and fun. I am glad we were at his Jeep. The places were beautiful and the tea was great as well as the pita – right on time. I will tell my friends about your company and want to thank you for your professional help. I hope to travel with you again!Nava Eisenberg and family, Petra and Eilat Mts, 02/2007
Hi Erez, Once again my family and I had a great trip with your tour company. Cairo was fantastic- we cant wait to go back. My family also loved Petra. They raved about the tour guides. We would like to plan a liveaboard dive trip in May 2007, we might piggy back a couple days in Saini with you as well. But first I want to get the dive trip planned.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Allison Jackson, 2 days Cairo + Petra, 01/2007
hi Tomer: I went on your tour to Petra/wadi rum in July. Ill never forget it..I was alone in wadi rum and it was the best, most exciting trip i have ever taken. I have a friend going to jerusalem in April...do you have a trip to Petra from Jerusalem?
vicki toffler
With a cast of characters more colorful than any Arabian Nights tale looking out for our well being, Desert Eco Tours gave us the trip of a lifetime. Our family of 5 (three girls ages 14, 18 and 20) set out on a 5 day / 4 night camel trek encompassing the mystical Wadi Rum wilderness and the ancient Nabatean city of Petra. Our caretakers included Amir, our Israeli guide, and four Bedouin cameleers. Amir, with his effervescent personality, and knowledge of languages, kept us spellbound as he educated us “hands on” in the fields of geology, archeology, Judaism, Islam, Bedouin culture, the history of the Nabateans and other ancient Arabian peoples, horse and camel care, biblical stories and theories, and explained the meanings of ancient petroglyphs. Our family was lavished with quintessential Bedouin hospitality by our cameleers, Faisal, Eyed, Salam and Absalom. In addition to preparing and breaking down camp, they created unbelievable culinary delights, including “libbe”, a special bread made in the coals of the ever present fire, which also served as the social center for the ubiquitous “tea time”. Everything in Bedouin culture seems to be discussed over tea. Once the tea was hot – the language barrier was gone! Additionally, we were incredibly fortunate to experience the physical beauty of the desert landscape during a rare snowfall. Although, the snow prohibited us from going as far into Wadi Rum as we had hoped (camels dont like snow), it was thrilling to see our guides mesmerized by the sight.
Desert Eco Tours, attended to every detail in the spirit of true quest. We had the trip of a lifetime – and cant wait to return for a longer expedition deeper into the desert.
Phillis Leftin, USA, 5 days camel tour Jordan, 12/2006
We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves on our two days. Alons calm temperament and flexibility matched our group perfectly. In addition to being a wealth of information, we appreciated his sharing his commitment to the environment with us and his respect for the life of the desert. The scenery was amazing and we will be back again. Todah raba.
Lyle Kanee, Canada- 2 days Negev tour, 1/2007
Hi Erez, The trip to Jordan was simply "fabulous." I cant thank you enough. It was perfect all the way!! My husband and brother enjoyed Wadi Rum. We met them the next day for the trip to Petra. Abdel and his driver Yusef were just so wonderful. I have attached pictures we took with them and the kids. Everything went so smoothly every step of the way from the border crossing, to the driving, pick-up, lunch, touring...My 11 year old was sick on the car ride and they were so caring for her. Thankfully, she was fine by the time we arrived in Petra. All the little things Abdel and Yusef did were so thoughtful. We are used to the cold weather, being from Chicago so it was fine. So, again, thanks so much. I even posted a note about you on www.TripAdvisor.com . Look for the forum on Petra. All the very best, Susan, 2 days Jordan, 1/1/2007 (USA)
Dear Erez. Many thanks for your follow up re our Negev tour. We did enjoy the tour immensely and got a lot out of it despite some very bad weather. Nadav is very knowledgeable about the desert and he was easy to relate to. What I did also appreciate was the flexibility of the arrangements once the snow arrived. While the accommodation at the Field school was not 5 star it fitted the bill as it was warm and dry, and that was our main priority. So we all had a memorable trip and will remember you next time we do something different.
Morris Segel, Aaustralia- 2 days tour Negev 12/2006
Dear Erez, We just got back, having spent a week in Rome to balance the earlier stays in Egypt and in Israel; must be religiously correct! Anyway, we had a great time on the Negev tour, and enjoyed Gils company. He knows his stuff, and proved himself a skillful driver on rugged roads. We will certainly recommend this tour to our friends, as a fine change from the usual Israel rounds.
Frank and Ruth Harold, 2 days Newgev tour 12/2006
Hi Erez, Just got back to Australia – I think Mohammad who was our guide was fantastic. He made you feel that you were the only people he had ever taken on tour and that you were special. All in all the 4 of us would say thanks we enjoyed it immensely.
Ruth Levinsohn, 2 days Jordan 12/2006 (Australia)
Our trip to Jordan was fantastic. We were able to connect with Tomer when we knew our flight from Eilat was delayed and he assured us that Gil would meet us and figure out the best plan. It seems like the snow in Petra sent everything into a tail spin. In case we were unable to follow our original course of going directly to Petra, Gil called ahead to the camp in Wadi Rum. Our guide Ali was such a pro and through his experience he navigated the roads and our trip with utmost expertise. While others were stuck on the roads we changed our plans around to go to Wadi Rum once we agreed that would be best. And even though we unexpectedly stayed in the camp on a freezing cold overnight under many many blankets, the setting was a highlight. To wake up to the beautiful crisp sunrise over the tents in that landscape was quite memorable. And the tour through the vast Wadi Rum was great including the extensive meal that Ali so artfully prepared for our family in the serene setting of the desert. Alis timing continued to be impeccable. He was alerted to closed roads and we arrived at the expansive view of the valley at sunset seeing all the way to Israel. With the ice and snow he moved carefully till we arrived in the Petra. We bid Ali farewell after becoming quite attached to him. Our only disappointment was not having more time in Petra the next morning. However, lots of people had been stranded the day before and we felt lucky that our schedule worked out as well as it did. We made the most of our time in Petra touring on our own since no guide was available because of the snow. By the time we went off to the airport, the roads were better and we arrived without a hitch. And of course Gil was on the other side to greet us and take us to our flight in Eilat. We wanted to get to Petra earlier in the morning but we understood that the snow definitely presented problems beyond everyones control. It was quite an adventure that our family will always remember fondly, and we got to see Petra in the snow! Thanks for a great time.
Jeany Wolf, 3 days Jordan, 12/2006
Hi Erez, We had a really great time. Ohad was a fabulous tour guide/driver - knowledgeable, fun, and interactive. Even my son, who had done the crater thing several times in the last few years (and did not want to go with us on this trip) enjoyed himself and admitted that he learned and did a few things he had not known or done before. So many thanks. We will certainly recommend you to our friends who have never experienced this part of Israel.
Gerry Feldman, Ramon Crater- Negev, 12/2006
Dear Ilan,
Thank you so much for organising our really wonderful trip to Israel. We had the very best time of our lives and will definitely be coming back. Our guides were great. We had Ali in Petra and he was very good and knew all about the history and the Bedouin people. In Wadi Rum we were driven and guided by Salla who was good company and also knew about the Wadi.
The best of all had to be Josef (Joza) who took us around the Negev. He was so knowledgeable about the geology, the archeology, the plant life, the people and best of all the Torah and the stories of Biblical times in Israel. At first, we thought Petra was the experience of a lifetime and then we went to Wadi Rum and thought that was so beautiful. We thought nothing could beat that but then when we went to the Negev, we really lost our hearts to that wild and wonderful place. One day, we will come and build our own house at Shacharut and never leave again! Our stay in Ein Gedi was great - thank you for that too. My daughter and her friend were so tired from their experiences on their kfar trip and Judy and I were so full with our experiences that we all had a good rest and covered ourselves in mud and soaked in the sulphur waters and mineral springs. You were right, it was lovely there. We met Tomer when we came to the office to collect our bags and it was such a pleasure to speak to him. I am so sorry we did not get a chance to meet you and thank you in person but next time we will see you. We have told everyone about our trip and hope that some of them will use Desert Eco tours when they come to Israel. Next time we would love to go to the Sinai but really we could do the whole trip we have just done again and again. Thank you, thank you, thank you for a feast of visual, emotional and spiritual delights. Best wishes, Jane
Jane Klein, 2 days Jordan + 2 days Eilat Mts. 11/2006
Dear Erez,
I just want to let you know that the trip to Petra was really excellent. Everything went very smoothly. Tomer did a great job at the border both coming and going. We appreciate that very much. Sami was really a lovely guide and he was most accommodating, stopping everywhere we wanted to and showing us the wonderful Wadi Rum. His choice of the Bedouin family for lunch was terrific. They were warm, welcoming, and very interesting to be with. Very nice, simple people who were willing to open up to us about their way of life. I especially loved the way the wife cooked the bread for lunch, and Sami did very well too. It was an exceptionally rewarding experience. I will try to send some photos back to you for the family. We like the Taybet Zaman very much. The room had a gorgeous view, thanks to you, Im sure. The driver came exactly on time the next morning, very early, at our request, to take us to Petra, and we picked up Ahmed along the way. Ahmed was truly a superior guide who gave us a lot of time, energy and great explanations of Petra. He was wonderful to take us up and over the temple hills and through the sites. We very much appreciated his professionalism and his willingness to cover so much territory with us. He, like Sami, was a very giving person. They just couldnt do enough for us. It made the experience very memorable. We are very grateful for your close communication during the planning process, always responding to questions promptly. Without a question, we highly recommend Desert Eco-Tours to other people.
Barbara Paul, 2 days Jordan, 10/2006
Erez, the tour was great. Sami was terrific and Ali very good too--very thorough. Gil was really great and very helpful, on time,etc. very caring. Sami took very good care of me in the desert and loved Wadi Rum. Bottom-line a great trip. Thanks so much!!!
Barbara Goldberg, 2 days Jordan, 10/2006
Dear Erez,
I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed both of my tours this past weekend. I am still thinking about joining the October tour to St. Catherines and climbing Mt. Sinai. Also, I was wondering what other tours you have up and coming for this fall
Maria Van Almen Petra & Eilat Mts. 09/2006
We want to thank you for the wonderful experience! We enjoyed our tour of the desert in Israel immensely. Shimon was very informative and we were very impressed with his driving. We will absolutely recommend you to anyone and look forward to our next tour with you.
Mary Harmon & Dejan Vukic, 2 days jeeps camels tour Eilat Mts. Israel 08/2006
All in all, it was a great experience in Cairo, and I would recommend your tour to others. You have to really rely on people youve never seen before and put your trust in them. We saw much more than we ever thought we would in that short of time. The drivers were very good and we felt safe with them at all times. The Petra tour was great. The entire day was well run and led by an excellent guide. Again, the Cairo trip was excellent and we look forward to another adventure with your tour organization. Thank you!Laverne Schmidt, 3 days Cairo + Petra 07/2006
Erez -- Our tour of the Negev with Ohad was wonderful. The machtesh is so very impressive and beautiful and the day we spent on the zin..with swimming in the En Aqev was fabulous. Avedat is an amateur archaeologists paradise...we loved that too. Thanks for arranging things so well.
Jackie Haynes- 2 days tour Ramon Crater area, Israel, 06/2006
Desert Eco Tours- While researching the Host Review, I came across this company and went Wow. What a fantastic way to explore the deserts that so fascinate me. The lands that spawned western civilization and the millenniums of history that have shaped our world...
... For anyone contemplating a journey to this fantastic land, a day in the desert with Desert Eco Tours is a must. Review their web site, even if only for the outstanding photographs by company founder, Erez Herrnstadt.
Sheri Leigh- The cultured traveler
We had a great adventure exploring Jordans Petra and the Wadi Rum. The rock carvings and caves through Petra are amazing and the landscape of the desert is never-ending. The bedoium people are so fasinating. Our guide who took us through the Wadi Rum was particularly very informative and I enjoyed hearing about the Jordanian history and lifestyle (I would recomend him to anyone). The Jordanian people were very friendly and courteous. My highlight would be drinking Turkish tea in the Jordan desert under the shade of a rock watching the wandering camels and having a bbq.
Selena- 2 days Jordan tour 06/2006 (New Zeland)
Erez, It was great - Thanks for the organization. Everything worked like a charm. From the pickup, through the border formalities and to our driver for the 2 days. Ali Henahat was faultless. Apart from being a mine of information about Wadi Rum, he had to put up with two days of questions from us about life in Jordan in general. Ali helped make this 2 day tour even more special for us - he was brilliant! Finally, the Bedouin camp exceeded our expectations (I must admit to worrying a little about what constituted a "Bedouin breakfast") - it was yet another facet of an excellent experience. I suppose the acid test is "Would we recommend you services to our friends"?..... You bet we would. Well done to the whole team
Phil Grainger- 2 days tour in Jordan 06/2006 (U.S.A)
Dear Gil, We enjoyed our day with Alon immensely---he is a terrific guide and a very nice person---and I fell in love with the Negev. I hope we can return soon.
Judy- 2 days Negev tour Israel 06/2006 (U.S.A)
We had a fantastic time with Benayah. We got to see everything and more! Benayah was superb, a real asset to your company. He was very knowledgeable. He had a thorough understanding of Jerusalem, the Dead Sea and the history of Israel. He made us all feel very welcome and he ensured that we understood everything that he told us. He spoke brilliant English and he made the trip fun and entertaining. Both of our children said that they also had a great time, Benayah made a concerted effort to make sure that the children were engaged too. When we come back to Israel, as we certainly will we would like to hire your services again. Without him our knowledge and understanding of Israels history would be far less that it deserves. We feel very privileged and honored to have come to your country and learnt so much about its heritage. We are the envy of our friends!
The Weaver family, 2 day tour Jerusalem and the Dead Sea, Israel 06/2006.
Thank you Erez for your consideration. You are kind and certainly have gained my appreciation. Like the farmer planting the seed, you will reap the reward. We will be back in Israel and look forward to working with you.
Richard, 06/2006
Hi Erez, We had a wonderful time and truly appreciated being "heard". Shereen our able Cairo guide was excellent. We LOVED the added tour of the mountains surrounding Eilat. I want to say that Tamer, our guide for parts of Egypt and the trip up Mt. Sinai, was truly a sweet, most caring person whose dialogue added immeasurably to our knowledge and understanding. Thank you so much for your delightful book of pictures which includes your beautiful children. We are now editing my videos and we have some beautiful pictures. We are making stills of some of this. The video has to be edited somewhat for many reasons and one is that I am annoyingly, constantly, exclaiming: how gorgeous, how exquisite, how beautiful! The places do speak for themselves. With best wishes and continued success,
Ruth Housman, 5 days tour Eilat Mts. Sinai and Egypt 05/2006
Erez, our trip to Jordan was super. We enjoyed everything. Petra and Wadi Rom were spectacular and beyond our imagination. Glad we were able to stay at Taybet Zaman for 2 nights and see the sunset at the camp our first night. Our guides took great care of us and were very knowledgeable.
Nancy Romanoff, 3 days Jordan tour 05/2006.
Eco Tours, Do you ever sleep? You guys are terrific!!! This is my favorite family. You will love them please get them the best guides and I will love you forever. Thank you so much. I hope to be able to send you more clients. You are a dream to work with. Sincerely,
Marlene espritrainbow travel.
Dear Erez, I told Gil that I would be writing to you to let you know what a fantastic 4 day tour we had with your company! The pick-ups and transfer between borders were excellent - we crossed 3 countries in 1 hour 15 minutes!!!!!! How much better could that be???? Ibraheem in Jordan was wonderful - very thoughtful and obliging. We enjoyed his company and he provided us with a brilliant insight into Wadi Rum. Benayah was truly amazing!!!! We really appreciated him finding out what type of people we were so he could tailor the 2 days around our interests. He too was very accommodating and went beyond the call of duty to show us all the things we wanted to see. He was so interesting and he taught us a great deal about your country. I was particularly impressed with his sensitivity at Yad Vashem when I was very moved at the Childrens memorial. We also enjoyed eating at the local Jewish family home in Ein Karen. I told Gil that I work in tourism and I will have no hesitation using you again or recommending you to my family and friends that will visit Israel or Jordan. Best wishes and thank you, Amanda Suart.
4 days Jordan and Jerusalem tour, 04/2006
Erez,
We enjoyed the tours you arranged for us. The high points were Petra, St. Catherines Monetary and Mt Sinai. I am very glad we chose the 2-day tours. I dont think that One-day tours to these places would have been sufficient or satisfactory.
Accommodations: We really liked the Taybet Zaman Hotel. The girls say that was the high point of the tour. Guides: We thought the Jordanian and Egyptian guides were great. We were surprised about the Egyptian guard, but glad he was there and he was a delight to have along as well. Every day we were met on-time and things went well. All in all, we had a great experience.
Edd Ettle- 4 days Jordan and Sinai tour 04/2006
Hi Erez. We really enjoyed the tour (and came to your office to tell you so!) It came up to our expectations, and was just as your website described it. Riding over the sand dunes was pretty exciting, and Petra was breathtaking! Many thanks to all, Stephanie Singer.
2.5 days Jordan tour- 03/2006
Hello, The trip was great, the two days in Jordan, exceptional, the rest were perfect, you have an outstanding team. Im curious about different trips into the Sinai or elsewhere (perhaps way out and away from anyone), it is really beautiful country. Regards, Tim.
Israel, Jordan, Sinai tour - 10 days private tour 03/2006
HI!!! I used your services last year when i stayed in eilat for 5 days. I was very happy not only with the tours themselves but with the individuals that i dealt with. I am blessed to be able to return to Israel again this summer and was interested in getting more information reagarding some specific tours.
Lynn Harris, 1/4/2006
Dear Erez, I am back in the US after my time in Jordan. I wanted to say how great everything was. I especially appreciated Elias, the tour guide I lucked out on in Jordan. He is totally excellent. I especially liked his personality, his relaxed manner, his way of taking care of everyone, his competence, and manners.
Lois Steinberg, 2 days Jordan 03/2006
Dear Erez:Just a few words to thank you for a wonderful tour in Jordan. Everything was perfect. Staff were fantastic , specially the wonderful guide Ali that walked us through Petra. The hotel was beautiful and so were the staff. Memorable experience that I would highly recommend. Looking forward to touring with you in the future, yours sincerely
Maria Bodalo and Christian Hill- 2 days Jordan 03/2006
Dear Erez, everything on the tour was fantastic. The guides were all wonderful and we always felt safe and cared for. Say hello to Eitai for us, hes a great person. We will tell everyone about your company. Thank you, Joy Depietro, 4 days Jordan + Negev 16/3/2006
"This was my third tour with Desert Eco Tours. The first two were into different parts of Jordan and this one was for a weekend in the Sinai Peninsula. Our guide this time was Josef Wilf (Joza). Josef has lived and worked in the desert for most of his life and it shows. If you travel this region on your own or by a big bus tour you will never realize how diverse and wonderful the desert really can be. Josef can show you things about the plants, animals, rocks and people that you would never have seen with another tour group. As an American who has traveled much of the region with his family I can tell you that if you are going to spend the time and money to tour the area you should do it with a knowledgeable guide like the team from Desert Eco Tours. I would use them again and recommend them to anyone."
Christopher Reich, USA, 18/2/06 2 day combined tour in Sinai
Id just like to say thanks for the organization on our recent trip to Eilat. The whole tour was superb and we really appreciate the extra effort you spent in ensuring we made it to Jordan and back. The guides we had were all excellent and knowledgeable. Tamer in Egypt was great and really helped by lending us warm jackets for the hike up Mt Sinai. Achmed gave us a great tour of Petra and the day in the Wadi Rum desert with Ibrahaim was breathtaking. We were glad that we spent the extra day in Jordan. Wed not hesitate in recommending you to any friends who are thinking of traveling to the area or using you again ourselves. Thanks again, Pirooz
02- 2006 6 days Egypt and Jordan tour
Angela, Just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed my 2 day trip to Jordon, and am appreciative on how helpful you and Tomer were - If I come back to Israel, I will be sure to use you tour co. again - Thanks, Doug Fencl.
Jenuary- 2006
Erez,
The Sinai tour was a highlight of our 3 week trip to Israel. Itzik was a superb guide. We were able to experience so much in a short time because of his skills and knowledge and his obvious love of the desert and the Bedouin.My children were very impressed with Itzik as well. As one of the boys said, "He acts like a big kid!" The food was great, the Egyptian guide Temer, and our driver Abdul were also friendly and very helpful. Playing on sand dunes, hiking in the mountains, camping with the Bedouin, riding camels and sleeping under the stars are memories we will never forget. The service that Desert Eco Tours provided was absolutely the best. You took very good care of our family. All the arrangements were flawless.... All in all, it was a wonderful experience and we will highly recommend Desert Eco Tours to anyone considering a trip in the area.
Murray Kesselman, 6 days Sinai tour, 01/2006
Shalom, Erez!
My daughter and I are still trying to come back to earth after our most
amazing trip. Yaniv -and Yael - provided more than being guides - we became friends. Our late arival that first day meant the trip had to be changed a bit, but I cannot imagine anything being any better than our new route. Every day was more wonderful than the last. Each meal was perfect! Who knew you could eat like a queen in the middle of the desert? Yanivs cooking and Yaels bread making were beyond our expectations, as were the information they had and the stories they shared. My 18 yr old daughter has been in Isrel since August, taking many tiyulim (tours) with her youth group, but she was as impressed and overwhelmed as my cousin and I. We will happily recommend your tours, and I will add our story to the website when we get home. Todah rabbah for giving us such a once in a lifetime experience! Lhitraot! Terri
Terri Stern, 4 day camel tour Eilat Mts. Israel 12/2005
We had a wonderful time with Dany. He was a good guide and we learned a lot and enjoyed the trip. We would have liked to do a little more hiking, also, I did not expect to stay in the Bedouin hospitality place and was, at first, a bit disappointed but the people there could not have been more anxious to please, the food was delicious and we learned from the speaker so we ended up enjoying ourselves anyway. All in all, we enjoyed our tour very much and would book again.
Lissa Rappoport, 2 day Negev tour Israel 12/2005
Erez. Three years ago I had you plan a trip for myself and two sons in the Negev Desert. I was very pleased and so were my sons ,we had a great time and it ranked as one of the most exciting trips weve ever done. It was during the intifada and tours were not readily available. We are coming back again, with the queen , princess and queen mother! And this time for the 2 day trip into Sinai. Regards Brian
Brian Hochman 2 day Negev tour Israel 12/2005
Well, first of all I have to say I fell in love with the Middle East and would love to go back sooner rather than later. Both Israel and Jordan was amazing and it is not so good to be back. England is cold.
The 3 day trip was great, everything went according to plan and we never had to wait for pick-ups etc. The desert trip was amazing with the two Bedouin boys.
If you want primitive, thats the way to go! We spent 2 days on the camels. They tought us how to ride and at nightfall we made camp in a deserted Bedouin camp somewhere in the middle of nowhere. They cooked for us and thought us Bedouin games in the sand. The stars were amazing. Bedouin tea and Arabic coffee - the best!
All in all, it was an experience of a life time!
Joan Simpson- 3 day tour Jordan 1/11/2005
Benayah,
This is Michael Torjman from fabulous Las Vegas. I want to thank you again for making our trip so memorable. Kathy and I really had a fantastic time with you. The whole trip was truly amazing. I hope you have met with Salomon again since we left and you two can work out arrangements to make his place a stop on your tours. It was really neat to see the way his family maintains in their environment. His hospitality seemed very sincere. Please give him my regards if you meet with him again.
3 days Negev and Judean Desert tour in Israel 10/2005
“Myself and my fiancéי had the privilege of spending 2 days in the Sinai with Joza Wilf of Desert Eco Tours – besides being knowledgeable, inspirational and more energetic than most people half his age – has so many fascinating stories to share – about the Bedouins, Biblical history and life! I recommend to anyone considering it, to make this trip – the Sinai is medicine for the mind and the soul and Eco Tours will show you the Sinai in a very non-touristic way!"
Steve Frankel- 2 days jeeps/ camels tour Sinai 09/2005
We had a fabulous tour. The best was Mahmoud Halalat, our Petra guide. He is quite a character, and he took us on his special "secret" high route to the view from the top. We are back in Israel now, and the wedding is tomorrow in Cesaria.
Mark Shnier- 2 day Jordan tour 09/2005
Hi Erez
We are still under the influence...It was the best trip
ever! Thank you for the organization, track and your special touch.
Hope to see you again: Nava Lotan (6 days hiking/ camels high range Sinai 08/2005)
Hi Erez,
My friend and I were both deeply satisfied with all aspects of your company. The Jordanian guides were both terrific and I left Jordan already with a huge appetite for seeing more and do hope to return one day.
Regards: Ranen (2 days Jordan tour- 10/8/05)
Erez,
The tour was excellent and Benaya did a great job. It certainly exceeded our expectations. The set of sites to visit was well thought out and Benaya was always attentive to our fatigue or special issues. The car breakdown was unfortunate but Benaya did a great job getting back on his feet and we were practically unaffected.
We will certainly recommend Desert Ecotours and Benaya to all our friends and we might come back for another tour ourselves.
Thanks: Jacques (5 days Israel tour 07/2005)
Hi Erez
We had an excellent adventure with Joza in the Sinai. Hes tremendously knowledgeable, and infused a sense of excitement into every aspect of the trip. I would recommend that anyone visiting the Sinai should go with Joza. The detour to the Egyptian port and the Bedouin camp were memorable. Both my son Sam and daughter Jessica had a terrific time.
Best regards, Robert (28/7/05 2 days Sinai tour)
Hello Eco Tours,
My brother booked the Sinai hiking tour for our group of 6 men.
It was 2 weeks ago when we came home.
It was a very nice trip.
We did enjoy it very much. Thanks for all!!
A special word of thanks must be said about mr Josef Wilf!!
A very good guide! He knows much and he can tell much about the Sinai and the history of this area.
And: IN A VERY PLAESANT WAY!!
He became a friend of us. Unfortgetable!! Please tell him.
Gerrit Jan Vrieling 04/2005 (6 days hiking tour in the high range of Sinai) |
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