Travelers log

Traveler's 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)

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

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 you've 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 archaeologist's 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 millennium's 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 Jordan's 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)

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 Israel's 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 Children's 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. Catherine's Monetary and Mt Sinai. I am very glad we chose the 2-day tours. I don't 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. I'm 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, he's 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

I'd 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. We'd 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

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? Yaniv's cooking and Yael's 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! L'hitraot! 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 we've 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

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 fiancé? 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. He's 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)