"That beam of light! Was there ever anything so beautiful! How it flashes
its color through shadow, how it gilds the tops of the mountains and gleams white on the dunes of the desert!
In any land what is there more glorious than sunlight! "
The Desert / John C. Van Dyke 1901
Special reviews:
* The New York Times is recommending Desert Eco Tours
operation to Jordan
* Detailed review of 7 days Jordan/ Israel tour- 10/2011
* Feedback from a Bar Mitzva group, including details of guides and
services. Well worth viewing!
"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)
Dear timer nevo, words cannot express the great time Kim and I had on our 2 1/2 day tour, from the help crossing the border to the fantastic guard we had with us going to Cairo and back from Cairo and that excellent driver and guide we had.every stop we made Mohammed explain everything perfectly and when we were done the driver was there on the spot with the air-conditioned van going to our next destination. I would highly advise any American coming to Israel to go on this tour thank you very much and God bless.
Darrell & Kim, 2.5 days Cairo. 05/2015
Dear Tomer,
First, let me express our heartfelt appreciation for your patience and assistance with our recent trip. Before we had booked the excursion we did a fair amount of research and from everything we uncovered, all indications pointed to DET as being the best in the business. Our experience was nothing short of fantastic and there is no question in our minds that you are the best.
The entire process was seamless and simply first rate from the transfers, to the tour buses, to the hotel, jeeps, etc. We could not have asked for anything more! Our tour guides in Jordan were simply amazing and we appreciated the energy and enthusiasm of "Ali". In particular, we were simply awestruck with Muhammad. Not only was he a guide par excellence but he really made us feel like part of his family. He is a rare desert gem!
Thank you again for your efforts and we will be sure to recommend your services and look forward to be employing them again in the future. Happy Pesach!
Patty, Sarah, and Adam Rubinstein 3 days Jordan, 03/2015
Friends,
THANK YOU!!!!! My wife and I greatly appreciated the opportunity to travel with your expert help. We cannot express how much we enjoyed traveling for three days in Jordan and the one day tour of Mt. Sinai. Everyone we met who was connected with Desert Eco Tours was most helpful. The accommodations in Wadi Musa was most delightful and the food there great. We will be recommending your services and if we are ever in need of a tour in Israel, Jordan or Egypt, you will be our first choice. Thank you
Clay Norman- 4 days Jordan Sinai tour, 11.2014
Dear Eco Tours,
Many thanks for the great tour to Petra you organized for us.
I want to especially thank our guide from Jordan who was one of the best guides I have ever encountered in traveling around the world - he was gentle, kind, knowledgeable, full with humor. He knew how much information he should provide and never stepped beyond it. He gave us time to ourselves yet explained very clearly everything that had to be explained. He was really fun to be with during that day.
I really think this is one of the best guides I have seen in a long while.
Many thanks
Michael- Private Petra Tour
Shalom, I would like to send this email to thank you for this amazing tour... It was very well organized... And planned... And I always received prompt responses to me questions. Please convey my thanks to Dorit for helping with the border crossing... Please thank Ali for the excellent tour and recommendations... And your team from the Jordan Experience in Petra for their assistance and help... And the Bedouin camp was exceptional and exceeded my expectations. Overall it was a very wonderful experience... Hopefully I will book some of your other tours when I am back in the area.
Can you please convey the following message to some of the members of my tour group who also stayed at the Bedouin camp... Since I left at 6AM and did not get a chance to say bye...
To: Nicolai, Rachael, Dale, Nancy & Kevin
Sorry I did not get a chance to say bye before I left but the taxi arrived promptly at 5:50AM and I did not think you would have been very happy to be woken up at that hour. Just wanted to say that it was a very wonderful experience touring with you and I enjoyed the evening gathering at the Bedouin camp. I did manage to get my pictures of Petra without any tourists... At 6AM... It was a very eerie as well as a breathtaking experience... To be there all by myself... Hope your tour at the Wadi Rum was just as wonderful...
Thank you again for the pleasant company... Sincerely,
Mamun- 1.5 day Jordan
Hi David, We are back in the states and just wanted to let you know we had a fabulous time in Jordan. Both guides in Petra and Wadi Rum were terrific and the folks guiding us through the border were very helpful too. We are very happy with our choice to book with Desert Eco Tours. I don't normally write online reviews but would like to recommend your company to others. Is there any specific website other than Tripadvisor that would be helpful to you? Thank you for a wonderful experience.
Best regards,
Sharon- 2 days Jordan
Desert Eco Tours went out of their way to make a complicated schedule happen. Thanks to Ellen for picking us up at the airport and getting us to the wonderful Hilton Aqaba. Our driver was on time but guide a little late but we had a great day in Petra. In the afternoon we hired donkeys to take us to the place of high sacrifice. More money than promised but a great experience.
The highlight was Mohammed giving us the tour of Wadi Rum. What a great experience! Go do this trip! My 23 year old kid was rock climbing with middle aged mom ( yes I survived) and the entire day was amazing! Thanks Eco Tours.
Boca Raton, FL, Jordan 2 days tour
Many thanks to Desert Eco Tour for a very well organized tour of Petra and the Wadi Rum.
From the moment we were picked up at our hotel to the border crossings, everything was very well organized and methodical. The guides were amazing, Ali through Petra and the drive to Petra, and Mohammad through the Wadi Rum;
need to bring to your attention the kindness and thoughtfulness of Mohammad our tour guide and driver through the Wadi Rum. The man was so caring and clever with the homemade grill lunch in the desert, with all fresh vegetables and chickens from his home. It was such an experience, like an oasis. His skills in climbing and driving were over the top. He made the trip much more important and enjoyable. He could not do enough for us!!!! He's a very special person.
The weather in August was so hot, but we had no choice with the timing. I would try before May, and after October.
Petra tour was great, needed a full day, 1/2 day tour does not work. Great cardio exercise with the walking through the city. Lunch was provided at Petra. Ali did a great job for the 1/2 day we were with him. The last half, we were on our own.
Bedouin tent experience was so cool. Again the facility and the people running the camp were great. Could not ask for more. We even had hot water and limited power and light, but worked out great....
Whoever wants to spend some time in the desert - Wadi Rum or in Petra will be in good hands. Highly recommended. Wonderful experience and good fun guaranteed.
Fhands, N.Y city, Jordan 2 days tour
Best regards,
Sharon- 2 days Jordan
Desert Eco Tours went out of their way to make a complicated schedule happen. Thanks to Ellen for picking us up at the airport and getting us to the wonderful Hilton Aqaba. Our driver was on time but guide a little late but we had a great day in Petra. In the afternoon we hired donkeys to take us to the place of high sacrifice. More money than promised but a great experience.
The highlight was Mohammed giving us the tour of Wadi Rum. What a great experience! Go do this trip! My 23 year old kid was rock climbing with middle aged mom ( yes I survived) and the entire day was amazing! Thanks Eco Tours.
Boca Raton, FL, Jordan 2 days tour
Many thanks to Desert Eco Tour for a very well organized tour of Petra and the Wadi Rum.
From the moment we were picked up at our hotel to the border crossings, everything was very well organized and methodical. The guides were amazing, Ali through Petra and the drive to Petra, and Mohammad through the Wadi Rum;
need to bring to your attention the kindness and thoughtfulness of Mohammad our tour guide and driver through the Wadi Rum. The man was so caring and clever with the homemade grill lunch in the desert, with all fresh vegetables and chickens from his home. It was such an experience, like an oasis. His skills in climbing and driving were over the top. He made the trip much more important and enjoyable. He could not do enough for us!!!! He's a very special person.
The weather in August was so hot, but we had no choice with the timing. I would try before May, and after October.
Petra tour was great, needed a full day, 1/2 day tour does not work. Great cardio exercise with the walking through the city. Lunch was provided at Petra. Ali did a great job for the 1/2 day we were with him. The last half, we were on our own.
Bedouin tent experience was so cool. Again the facility and the people running the camp were great. Could not ask for more. We even had hot water and limited power and light, but worked out great....
Whoever wants to spend some time in the desert - Wadi Rum or in Petra will be in good hands. Highly recommended. Wonderful experience and good fun guaranteed.
Fhands, N.Y city, Jordan 2 days tour
Your tour guides were great: knowledgeable, friendly, efficient. Petra was --no words can describe it-- Magnificent. Great... and ... very HOT. (We had catched a bad cold because of the air conditioning in Israel, prior to our arrival to Petra).
The Bedouin Camp was incredible: installations, people, site, food. The Petra Moon Hotel was very good: lodging and food. Lunch at the Petra Paradise restaurant was great.
Out highlight was the Wadi Rum Tour with your great guide. Sala was the best of the best. What a cook!!!!!! I did record him with my video camera preparing lunch in the desert. We keep seeing it again and again. What a Master!!!!!
Thank you. Chocran!!!!!!!!!
Ramiro Franco & Nohra & Yolanda
3 adult travelers from Bogota, Colombia, Jordan 3 days tour
Hi Tomer- The seder was just fantastic! The setting was magical and the food very good. It was an experience we will all remember for a lifetime. Thank you for all of your help with this!!
wishing you a hag sameach. Best
Laurence- Seder night in the Eilat Mts.
Wanted you to know that we had a great time--the hotel was perfect, the people were very welcoming and Petra was amazing. Thanks for all of your help and thank you for the gift--the book Barren Lands. I will certainly send people your way without hesitation.
Roberta- 2 days Jordan
Hello Ellen Elend,I wanted to let you know how excellent we found our experience through Desert Eco Tours. We appreciated the efficiency of the transfers at the border between your representative and the Jordanian contact. Our guide to and through Petra was Ruyadh. This was both informative and exciting. The highpoint was the jeep tour of the Wadi Rum with Mohammad Halilat. His gracious sharing and knowledge made it an incredible trip. The picnic Mohammad made for us was the best. We cannot say enough positive about both the Wadi Rum tour and Mohammad.
The one piece of information I would have liked beforehand was just how cold it was going to be. You did tell me to bring a sweater or a jacket, noting it was in the mountains. There was a dusting of snow on the ground as we drove from Taybet Zamen to the Wadi Rum!
For your information the room in Taybet Zaman and the hotel complex as a whole was wonderful with great views.
Thank you so much!
Patricia and David Shulman- 2 days Petra Rum
Erez
I just received by mail your 2 amazing books..and I couldn't wait to open them, for a first glimpse...right away...[before coming back for a more in depth lengthy visit....] what a beautiful labor of love and dedication, the compilation and variety of the beautiful landscapes, Scenarios, settings, Bedouin lifestyle and choice of quotes to go with the pictures is very creative and so appropriate. I recognize quiet few of the places [Western desert Egypt & Jordan] Thank you so much for your generosity not only for offering me your books but also shipping them all the way to Texas.I really hope that one day our path will cross in Texas or Israel , will love to buy you Drinks, dinner whatever.....
Thanks again , A Benito
Robert
First I would like to thank you, Tomer for your ongoing communication with me regarding planning the tours for our Eilat visit. You have been helpful in your suggestions and the information you provided. Your responses were always timely, clear and set the tone for our actual adventure experiences. I was hoping to meet you but Ellen, the tour guide that was arranged to lead our tours was equally professional and wonderful. There were four us on these private tours. We were all equally taken by Ellen's knowledge, experience. enthusiasm and ability to communicate her love of the country and the wonders of the desert. She made these tours a highlight of our experience in Israel. She explained the sites and showed us out of the way places and beautiful scenery. She explained things very carefully and went out of the way to be helpful. She was very patient when we wanted to stop to take pictures. She was very friendly, thoughtfu andl an excellent tour leader and educator. Thank you all for making our Israel experience even better.
Molly Keyes- Eilat Mts. Tour, 11.2011
Hello Erez, I wanted to let you know how much my wife and I enjoyed the Desert Eco Tours 2 day Petra trip.
Everything was first class from start to finish. Congratulations to you and your staff. Best regards, David Auerbach
PS We love the book!!!
Jordan- 2 days tour, 10/2011
Jordan- 2 days tour, 10/2011
Hello, Gil, Our impression about the tour is the best possible, and let me congratulate you for such a good package. I believe its strength are both the authenticity of the place and the guide, and Ali Hlalat is a great example as a true force of nature, and what we saw – no fake places, everything there was true life. By the way, the agency in Petra was also very helpful and nice. Different from other countries, tourism in Jordania is still a new industry, what makes people behave naturally, lovely and rude as they are, and discuss all subjects openly, with their souls and hearts. This is really a huge advantage for travelers that don‘t want treated like cattle and look for places and people that still keep their original nature and charm, giving foreigner the chance to experiment the “real thing”.
Regarding the tour itself, we had no problems at all, and everything went smooth. This is great news, if we consider the ambitious range of places and environments we covered in three days in a country without a long tradition in receiving tourists.
For us, the highlights were Petra, the Roman city and, of course, the day in the desert. To see the beautiful places were film Lawrence of Arabia was shot, spend some hours in the lone and hot sand and dunes, and have a delicious meal in the middle of nowhere prepared by Ali, the show man, will be remembered all my life as a magic moment.
Gil, let me thank, also in my behalf and of my wife Fatima (a Portuguese origin, but a magic name that opened all doors among the Muslims and created light embarrassments with any Security officer in Israel), for the magnificent tour you provide us that will enrich our memories for the rest of our times. Best wishes,
Fabio- 3 days Jordan, 10/2011
Dear Gil, Thank you very much for your e-mail. We just got home on Sunday night, the tour with you was just the best!!! And I mean it. Everything worked out just perfectly. It was the highlight of our trip to Israel and Jordan.
Regarding the tour itself, we had no problems at all, and everything went smooth. This is great news, if we consider the ambitious range of places and environments we covered in three days in a country without a long tradition in receiving tourists.
For us, the highlights were Petra, the Roman city and, of course, the day in the desert. To see the beautiful places were film Lawrence of Arabia was shot, spend some hours in the lone and hot sand and dunes, and have a delicious meal in the middle of nowhere prepared by Ali, the show man, will be remembered all my life as a magic moment.
Gil, let me thank, also in my behalf and of my wife Fatima (a Portuguese origin, but a magic name that opened all doors among the Muslims and created light embarrassments with any Security officer in Israel), for the magnificent tour you provide us that will enrich our memories for the rest of our times. Best wishes,
Fabio- 3 days Jordan, 10/2011
Hi Tomer. The tour was GREAT! I really had a great time...it was a highlight. Emir the Bedouin guide was great. I decided to stay an extra day in the desert, and Damoush was there to pick me up quite early, he was on time, which is really great and it didn't have to be that way. That was appreciated. I plan on doing a mini documentary...I will let you know when it is finished. I will leave positive remarks on trip advisor. ...it was exactly what I wanted and expected.
Justin Mansfield- 4 days camel tour Sinai, 10/2011
Justin Mansfield- 4 days camel tour Sinai, 10/2011
We wish to tell you that our 2 day tour to Petra & Wadi Rum was wonderful. Your staff was very friendly and extremely efficient. Our program guides were great. Ali served us on our Petra tour. Assi & Mohammad took care of us on the Wadi Rum excursion. We will recommend Eco Tours to others. Our Hotel in Wadi Moussa also was very nice with an accommodating, friendly staff.
Eva & Jerry Silverman- 2 days Jordan, 10/2011
Dear Gil, Thank you very much for your e-mail. We just got home on Sunday night, the tour with you was just the best!!! And I mean it. Everything worked out just perfectly. It was the highlight of our trip to Israel and Jordan.
The service crossing borders, Petra, the Bedouin Camp and specially the tour to Wadi Rum with Mohamed were awesome. Truly an unforgettable experience. Thank you, thank you very much for everything. Kind regards,
Márgara- Jordan 2 days tour, 09/2011
Hi, Gil, I arrived yesterday in Brasil and need a couple of days to settle down and answer you with more details. But let me advance that the tour was magnificent, certainly an highlight in my travel experience.
Thank you Shalom
Fabio - 3 days Jordan, 09/2011
Hi Tomer, We had a wonderful time and our guide at Wadi Rum was absolutely great. I would highly recommend your tour group to everyone. Your group was organized and reliable. We look forward to traveling with you in the future.
Barbara- Jordan 2 days tour, 09/2011
Gil, I want to thanks you A LOT for all your help and the services you all provided as an agency on the days in the middle east. You made a big difference and certainly did a difference and those days will be memorable! The organization, the tours, the preparation and kindness of the guides was simply amazing! thanks a lot for doing and working in such a great experience that represents for all, travelers...
Again thanks a lot to the team, and specially you for making a great difference in these vacations!
Hector- 6 days Israel, Jordan, Egypt, 09/2011
The tour was amazing. I have traveled all over the world and this was one of the best tours I have ever taken. Mohamad was amazing, the best tour guide I ever had. The Bedouin village was also a great highlight. If I could do the tour again, I would have either spent two days in Petra/Bedouin Camp or two days in Wadi Rum. If I had two days in Bedouin camp, I would have like to hike in with a guide on the back entrance. Not complaining at all, and since we were with my 72 year old mother, what we did was probably better.
I am recommending your tour company and Mohamed and Jordan to everyone I know. The Jordanians were soooo nice also. Lastly, the hotel we stayed at in Petra was amazing. Like I said, I loved the tour and everything about it. Mohamed our guide was a gold mine and he made the whole tour amazing. I also loved his lunch he prepared for us, all his effort to take pictures and explain things to us and just make sure we were happy. He is one in a million (you probably already know that.) Thanks for everything we loved it.
R/EDK Jordan 2 days tour, 09/2011
Hi Gil, we had a great trip and a wonderful time.
The organization was perfect concerning transport, visa, tour guide etc. Elias and Mohammed did a great job.
We enjoyed Petra and Wadi Rum a lot and it was really worth going!
We will definitely recommend the Tour. Thanks and best regards
Anna- Jordan 2 days tour, 09/2011
Tomer- I just wanted to let you know that we were incredibly impressed with the tour and will definitely recommend you. Everything worked extremely smoothly from booking the trip, to getting to and from the hotel, crossing the border, etc. In particular, the driver and tour guide in Jordan (both Mohammed's) were really great. In particular, the driver was so friendly and helpful with our kids that he helped them climb rocks in Wadi Rum and even went so far as to carry my youngest daughter down from one of the rocks when she was scared to get down. They went out of their way to make the trip really special and it exceeded our expectations in every way.
Gary- Jordan 2 days, 2011/08
Hi there
Thank you so much for a wonderful vacation. The 2 days we spent in Jordan were spectacular! From the moment we were picked up at our hotel until we were dropped off the following day we felt completely at ease and safe. The people who helped us make our journey were all very professional and very nice. Our guides were truly wonderful and really enhanced our experience. Petra was unbelievable (our guide Ali was great), we were in awe of that ancient city! The Wadi Rum tour was also wonderful and scenic, wow! The people we met on our journey was amazing, we just had someone we met in Jordan over for dinner a few weeks ago! The Bedouin camp was a highlight for us, what a wonderful experience! I'd like to single out Ahmed, the Egyptian worker who worked at the Bedouin camp. What a nice and gentle man! He was truly hospitable and made us all feel so welcome. The dinner he cooked was amazing (as well as the breakfast) and he really just catered to all of us and made us all feel like his guests. I'd highly recommend this tour and this tour company to everyone. I would not hesitate to rebook with Desert Eco Tours for another tour in the future. Thanks very much for all your help
Connie- Jordan 2 days tour, 08/2011
Shalom Ellen, Thank you for an excellent experience in Petra and Wadi Rum. Our crossing into Jordan and back into Israel went very smoothly, and we were thankful that your staff were so helpful. The Amarin camp was outstanding. The 3 of us were the only guests, so we felt like personal friends of Mohammed and Achmed. The food was delicious, the tent was comfortable and clean, and the bathrooms were also clean. Mohammed even played a hand-made string instrument and sang for us. It was a very special time.
Ali Hlalat, our Bedouin guide in Wadi Rum, was excellent. He taught us so much, showed us beauty that was beyond description, knows the desert extremely well, and is a fabulous cook as well. We were sad to say goodbye to him.
So again, thank you for all you and your co-workers did to make this a wonderful experience.
Debra and Steve Lamont- 2 days Petra Rum, 07/2011
Hi Ellen! So good to hear from you! We are at the airport ready to head home. We had a wonderful vacation full of much adventure. You were an amazing part of it and we will always be grateful. Your unbelievable knowledge and conscientious approach was so impressive.
It was a true gift to us to find you. We will recommend you to everyone!
Thanks again for awesome touring!!
Rosalie Harrison- 15 days tour Israel, Jordan & Egypt, 04/2011
Hi Tomer. We are back safe and sound and I am happily tackling mounds of sandy and dirty laundry. We cannot thank you enough for all of the work that you did to make our trip so wonderful..both before we traveled and while we were there. We were thrilled with the high quality of our accommodations, guides, and transportation services. Each country we visited provided unique experiences, food, culture, nature and many opportunities to connect with wonderful people. My kids are downstairs watching the Mummy movie right now, just to see everything that they have experienced again.
We loved the Hilton in Luxor. This was a very pleasant surprise. Le Riad was also an amazing hotel for anyone who wants a special experience. It is stunningly beautiful, with attention to every detail. Quiet and serene inside, but in the middle of old Cairo. I highly recommend it. Taybet Zaman was also great. Our Petra cooking experience was wonderful, as was our surprise water treatments in Eilat. Hiking with Mohammad in Jordan is also a highlight. OK. Getting hungry and laundry calls. Oh, also tell Ezra that I love the photographic book of the deserts. Very special. I will recommend your services to everyone.
Rosalie Harrison- 15 days tour Israel, Jordan & Egypt, 04/2011
Hi Tomer, I wanted to say that we enjoyed our tours immensely. it was all amazing and well organized and planned. The level of communication between the Eco representatives in Israel and those ones in Jordan was outstanding. there were no missing links. All was planned and working like a clock. All the people whether Israelis or Jordanians, were professional, responsible and very friendly and helpful. It is rare today to see how in one company that involved representatives in different locations, they ALL know the full details of each person's circumstances and arrangements. The tours in Eilat and Jordan are expensive BUT they are so well planned and so well executed to the highest level so they worth every penny.I will strongly recommend my friends in Israel and the UK to use Eco tour services.
You should all be proud of yourselves. As a manager myself in the UK I can say that I would have been proud to have you in my team and you can tell your employer that he has taken many right decisions to get such a high level team and give such a great implementation.
We are still on cloud 9 trying to take it all in. We will be back to Eilat and Jordan for sure!!
Please use my comment as a reference on your website. The only thing I would recommend is to put more details on the Amarin camp as other people on our tour said they would have loved to experience it and I think if you took more pictures of the camp, the sitting area, the toilets, showers, dinner etc that will help people to see that its not that bad and can actually be very exciting and comfortable. The staff of the camp were great. So friendly and helpful. I am glad I took this decision to stay there. All the best kisses from me to all of you
Naama – Jordan 2 day tour, 04/2011
Dear Ellen: It is with great pleasure that I write you this note. You have truly enriched our lives with your incredible knowledge of Israel and your wonderful attitude towards life and your adopted country. Your expertise in your guiding and your driving skills will not soon be forgotten. I have already referred you to someone on our Nile cruise who was heading to Israel after the cruise. (A couple from Australia) Thank you so much for sharing and enhancing our lives. You will not soon be forgotten! Should you decide to ever visit Canada............ All the best of everything to you from
Dear Ellen: It is with great pleasure that I write you this note. You have truly enriched our lives with your incredible knowledge of Israel and your wonderful attitude towards life and your adopted country. Your expertise in your guiding and your driving skills will not soon be forgotten. I have already referred you to someone on our Nile cruise who was heading to Israel after the cruise. (A couple from Australia) Thank you so much for sharing and enhancing our lives. You will not soon be forgotten! Should you decide to ever visit Canada............ All the best of everything to you from
Ries and Muriel, 5 days Israel, 04.2011
Hello Ellen! It was so nice to hear from you!! Thanks again for all your efforts in making our trip so memorable. It was a wonderful experience. As you are aware, we have always wanted to visit Israel . We thank you for sharing your knowledge of this complex country and for giving us an insight into the diversity of its many cultures.
Three countries...three experiences.
Israel was fascinating. Your planning and enthusiastic nature far exceeded our expectations. The places we explored and the accommodations were all great. We could not have asked for anything more.....plus your driving skills were superb!!!
In Jordan, everyone was very helpful. I especially appreciated Mohammad Khalil at Jordan Experience. We had great fun in Wadi Rum, climbing the sand dunes and rock "climbing" with our guide up to the stone bridges! The Bedouin Camp was good, too. Our time in Petra was another adventure and a memorable experience.
We talk about you all the time with our families and friends, saying how fortunate we were to have someone so capable and fun to be with as our guide.
Thanks for making our adventure so special. All the very best....
Cam & Sharon- 9 days tour- Israel & Jordan, 03/2011
Hi, Overdue to give you feedback. What a great tour and the highlight of our week in the middle east. The most impressive thing was how organized and professional things were , the way we were handed off from one person to another in a smooth confident way. Our desert guide was Ali and he was AWESOME!! would know where to start so lets just say perfect in every way. Bedouin experience was very good. Our guide in Petra was fine Eliot. We started a bit later from camp then I would have thought (830) and Elias was perfectly acceptable guide. Tks for a great trip!
Yale- Jordan 2 days, 04/2011
We just returned to Seattle following our tour of Petra and Wadi Rum. We could not have been more pleased. The two Ali's and Issa were fantastic. The jeep tour of Wadi Rum, the delicious lunch of grilled chicken and goat meat, the Siq, the Treasury, the Monastery and the view from the top of Petra were unforgettable. We hope to visit again and would recommend you to anyone!
Joe and Takako Koplin-Jordan 2 days tour, 04/2011
Hi ... Just to let you know that my wife and I have just returned home after a week in Eilat. While there, we both took your one day tour to Petra and your four hour jeep tour in the desert near Eilat. On my own (without my wife) I took your one day tour to St Catherines and climbed Mt Sinai.
We were both extremely pleased with the quality of the tours and with the guides. The guides were especially impressive with their knowledge of the history and geology of the area, and were very informative.
Thank you for helping make our visit to your part of the world so educational and enjoyable.
Roger and Sharon Shergold, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada- 04.2011
Tomer, Thank you!! Great excursion. You have an excellent operation. I will gladly recommend it to any body.
Yousof went the 'extra mile' we had a memorable day with him.
Stabinski Miron- 2 days Jordan, 03/2011
Hi Tomer, I want to thank you for the 2 day Petra/Wadi Rum tour we took with your company in March..My husband and I had a wonderful time..Both of your guides were great.
I have to send a special thanks to the guide we had for Wadi Rum, Ali. He was wonderful and really made the day very exciting. Thanks again for a great experience. We have not stopped talking about it since we returned and can't wait to go back.
Regards, Mary Buckley- 2 days Jordan, 03/2011
Hello Ellen, Just a note to tell you how much we enjoyed our tour into Jordan with Ecotours. We were promptly picked up at our hotel and taken to the border. Everything was arranged and went smoothly. Our guide to Petra was excellent. Then we stayed in the Bedouin camp and went to Wadi Rum the next day. Again the guide was excellent. Then we got back early and a taxi was waiting for us at the border to take us directly to the airport to catch our 6:30 flight. Your help in arranging our flight back and helping us with our rental car problem was much appreciated. Also, we wish to thank Dorit. She helped us find accommodations when our hotel moved us to another, much inferior, hotel. We had a great time, and we feel that you and your company were excellent. We will certainly recommend you to anyone that inquires. Thanks, again.
Sterling Larson- 2day Jordan, 03.2011
Ellen- we had the time of our lives. I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful and efficient your operation is. Even though it poured rain at the Bedouin camp and our belongings were soaked, they worked to accommodate us. I will post on Trip Advisor.
Diana Doughtie and party of 3
Diana Doughtie and party of 3- 2 days Jordan, 03.2011
Dear all, We just finished the St Catherine portion of our tours.We were extremely satisfied with both. The guide on the Petra potion I believe his name is Aly was excellent. Very professional and extremely informative.
Our guide to St Catherine was also very good. made the trip very interesting and took us off road to places quite interesting.
Your company was highly recommenced and with good reason.
Joel Weitzman- Jordan and Sinai tour- 03.2011
Dear Tomer
We are now back in the UK and just wanted to say how much we enjoyed the trip to Petra. Your staff and and efficiency were excellent and our special thanks for the upgrade to the Panorama which was much appreciated.
We will be very happy to recommend you to any of our friends who would like to do a similar trip. Best wishes
Helen Bloom and Jeff Myers- 2 days Jordan, 03.2011
Hi Ellen. Everything went very well. It was a great trip. We were particularly struck by the quality of the Jordanian guides; they were exceptionally good. Thanks for providing such a good a memorable experience.
Ian- Jordan 2 days tour, 02.2011
Good morning Tomer,
We are safely back home in Jerusalem with wonderful memories, and lots of photos, of our 3 days in Jordan. Your arrangements were excellent and all went smoothly. The hotels were comfortable and the food at the hotels and restaurants was delicious, and varied enough for us all to find plenty of what we liked. We found Khalid (Petra guide) friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. The driver (forget his name) was friendly and helpful.
Ali was good company and willing to answer our questions about all things Jordanian. He was solicitous for our welfare and comfort, and very patient with our photo taking. Our local guide at Jerash was excellent and it made a huge difference to our understanding of the site to have a knowledgeable guide lead us all the way through the site. Your arrangements were excellent and we appreciate you keeping in touch with us all through the trip. Ali helped us through the Jordanian customs as far as he could and that speeded up and smoothed the process, which we appreciated tremendously.
We will certainly recommend your tour company to all friends.
Thank you again for your help and patience in all the arrangements.
The tour was fantastic and we will remember it for a long time.
Best wishes from us all. Maureen and Philip and Sara Price, Sheila and Danny Deutsch
3 days Jordan, 01/2011
Ellen:
We are back now from a wonderful and wondrous time in Israel.
Thank you so much for making our day together a dream come true.
We will be recalling that day in the desert for many years to come.
Your knowledge deepened our appreciation of the experience and enabled us to absorb broader perspectives.
I will not wait another 25 years to return.
Marc Kaplan and Family- Eilat Mts. 01/2011
Hi Tomer - Sorry it has taken me so long to email you, but I wanted to thank you for all of your help with our Petra/Wadi Rum tour. We had a fantastic time, and everything worked out perfectly. The guides we had for Wadi Rum (Ali Hlalat) and Petra (Muhammed Abdesalam) were terrific. I will have no hesitation in sending our friends your way, and in fact I have one family that might be headed over to Israel later this year.
All the best for the new year, and thanks again for a truly memorable trip.
Marc Ehudin- 2 days Jordan, 01/2011
Hi Erez – I wanted to let you know that we loved our trip to Petra and Wadi Rum. Specifically I wanted to write on behalf of Mohammed, our tour guide to Wadi Rum on Saturday. He was amazing! He really knew the area and catered the trip to our needs/liking and made sure to show us all that Wadi Rum has to offer. I can't say enough good things about him. He was unbelievably welcoming, knowledgeable, courteous and just a great guy and tour guide! Send him our regards if you speak with him. He is the best tour guide ever!!!! Regards –
Amanda Weintraub and Andria May Corsini, Jordan 2 days tour, 12.2010
Ellen, I would just like to thank you for your support. My trip to Petra was wonderful and the guide was really friendly and supportive. The hotel in Petra was also very good.
Dear Tomer,
Hi, Ellen. Here are my comments about our trip--at the end of thesis message. If you want me to add or change anything, just let me know. Let me also say that Desert Eco Tours did a marvelous job of organizing what is a very complicated trip internationally and politically and culturally. I'm very impressed, by the vision and execution. Is there any way I can send a letter of thanks to Rashid and Amer?
It's impossible to adequately describe our amazing 5-day camel trip through the sandstone area of the Sinai. The trip far exceeded my expectations, which were quite high. I wanted a deep and authentic experience of this desert and I got that and so much more. We slept under the stars, ate delicious melons and stews and bread freshly baked in the coals of the fire, drank tea and talked around the fire, and rode and led and helped round up the three sweet camels, each of which had an amusing personality all its own. Truly, every moment of those 5 days was exhilarating. I was awestruck, on every level, by the silence, the vastness and variety and majestic beauty of the landscape, the clarity of the air, the intense blue of the sky, the long history it bears witness to, the astounding display of stars every night, and the warmth. gentleness, humor, graciousness,and expertise of our Bedouin guides. Rashid and Amer guided us to a different area every day, each one more beautiful than the last--and not once did we see a vehicle or even another human being after we left the Bedouin community at the ancient habitation of Ein Hudra. What made the trip as relaxing as it was stimulating was that we knew we were in the best of hands; we could not have had better guides for this area or better hosts anywhere. As we traveled and ate together, Rashid and Amer taught us about the Sinai's medicinal and other plants, its animals and birds, its history, and the ways of its people. They were gracefully attentive to every nuance of our needs and comfort and safety and enjoyment, while respecting our privacy. My only regret is that I could not stay longer than 5 days. I would happily have traveled with Rashid and Amer for 2 weeks or more. As soon as I can, I will return to the Sinai to explore more of its eternal beauty and freedom of the heart with Rashid, Amer, and their camels. (Mariam Lane Potter, November 2010)
Thanks, Mary- 5 days camels- East Sinai
Ellen, I would just like to thank you for your support. My trip to Petra was wonderful and the guide was really friendly and supportive. The hotel in Petra was also very good.
Furthermore, I would like to give you a special feedback on the Wadi Rum tour. The guide, Mohammed, was very professional, friendly, supportive and gave us all a very good day. I am really happy to have done the trip with him. So, thank you very much and I hope I can come again to Jordan at anytime soon. Kind regards,
Sergio Souza- 2 days Jordan, 09.2010
Hello Gil, I just want to thank you again for a WONDERFUL excursion to Petra on July 2, 2010. We had a really great time. Actually, of our month long vacation in the Middle East, the time we spent with your Tour company was the highlight.
We were impressed how each of your agents passed us on to the next agent - with no hic-ups. Everything was thought out. The hotel in Petra was very nice, good quality and very friendly staff. Our taxi driver was so friendly and we really got a better idea of what Jordan is like as we talked with him.
So I have been telling all my friends about your company and will definitely recommend anyone traveling from Israel to Jordan to book with your company. Thanks for making our time so enjoyable.
Debi and Gus Olsthoorn- Jordan 2 days tour, 08.2010
We were impressed how each of your agents passed us on to the next agent - with no hic-ups. Everything was thought out. The hotel in Petra was very nice, good quality and very friendly staff. Our taxi driver was so friendly and we really got a better idea of what Jordan is like as we talked with him.
So I have been telling all my friends about your company and will definitely recommend anyone traveling from Israel to Jordan to book with your company. Thanks for making our time so enjoyable.
Debi and Gus Olsthoorn- Jordan 2 days tour, 08.2010
Dear Tomer,
Please relay to all of your terrific and professional staff our sincere thanks for a worry-free,comfortable and accommodating 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
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!!
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
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
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.
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.
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 didn't 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 Rum 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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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. I'm very pleased with the service I've 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.
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
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
Cara, 2 days Jordan, 07/2008
For the Travelers log of 2008 and before