Tours de Force
Sep 17 2007
The Geisha Guide
When time is at a premium, privacy is paramount, or you’re looking for experiences simply not available to the average traveler, exclusive private guides are the way to go—and travelers are taking advantage of them.
“People are looking for more opulence and entrée, as well as access to remote zones previously visited only by serious expeditionists,” says Anthony Lassman, whose London-based Note Bene’s travel publications and global network of specialized guides cater to the likes of Mick Jagger, Gwyneth Paltrow, and designer Michael Kors.
Boar hunting in Corsica? Access to the most exclusive couture show in Paris? Having the most obscure antiquities explained and the rarest wildlife unveiled? If you can put your money where your travel dreams are, chances are there’s an expert guide who can help you realize them.
Africa: Paul Swart
This native South African participated in the first Western expedition down the inaccessible Mangdechhu River in Bhutan—now part of his tour packages. But his specialty is Southern Africa (particularly Botswana), where he spent a decade guiding safaris and managing Sabi Sabi and Mombo Camp, two top game reserves. He can teach his more intrepid clients how to track reclusive lions and see them on foot instead of by car. Now based in Oregon, he organizes private tours but still guides celebrities, filmmakers, and other V.I.P.’s. Fluent in English, Afrikaans, and Zulu.
Rate
Starts at $600 a day plus expenses.
Contact
info@naturalmigrations.com
541-388-7575 or 866-988-7575
Arctic and Antarctic: Geoff Green
The first person to water-ski in both polar regions, Green has led more than 100 expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica for such clients as the Discovery Channel, World Wildlife Fund, National Audubon Society, and Smithsonian Institution, as well as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Diana Krall, and Dan Ackroyd. (He also once retraced the route of Ernest Shackleton for the Antarctic explorer’s descendants.) A master in polar safety and at coordinating the necessary experts and components for unique expeditions, Green is on a mission to inspire the next generation to respect these remote regions and become stewards for the global ecosystem. Fluent in English and French.
Rate
Day rate included in total private expedition costs, which range from $25,000 to $500,000.
Contact
geoff@studentsonice.com
819-827-3300 or 866-336-6423
Cambodia: Dougald O’Reilly
This archaeologist splits his time between Cambodia, where he oversees excavations of prehistoric sites, including some at the famed Angkor Wat; and Australia, where he lectures at the University of Sydney. He is available only from November to February and June and July.
He was the first archaeologist to investigate the lost ancient cultures of northwestern Cambodia, where he discovered a new warrior society predating the Angkor rulers. He donates his guiding fees to Heritage Watch, a nonprofit he founded to preserve Cambodian antiquities. Fluent in English and Khmer.
Rate
From $600 a day, plus expenses.
Contact
director@heritagewatch.org
011-61-40-590-3062 (Australia); 011-85-51-283-2160 (Cambodia)
Israel: Ron Edelheit
Known for his animated lectures on local archaeology, history, and military strategy, this reservist Israeli army captain can also arrange a security detail and once rescued Ashleigh Banfield from a Ramallah battle. He can describe the events of a recent historic battle, then tell you how to operate one of the tanks abandoned on the hillside. He has guided Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Sylvester Stallone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, plus numerous heads of state, foreign delegations, and journalists. Fluent in Hebrew, English, Dutch, and German.
Rate
From $550 a day, plus expenses.
Contact
edelheit@netvision.net.il
011-972-54-526-0060
Italy: Enrico Bruschini
Dubbed the official guide of Rome, this art history professor at the University of Rome has spent three decades as the official art historian for the American embassies in Rome and the Vatican. He has authored numerous art history books, including In the Footsteps of Popes, and lectures worldwide. Fluent in Italian and English.
Rate
$540 a half-day.
Contact
enricobruschini@libero.it
011-39-338-640-3967
