AISHA BOUKARI

We traveled with Aicha for 11 days in December/January 14-15. You can tell she's been doing this for years -- everywhere you go, people smile and wave. She's one of the few female tour guides in the country. She can tell you as much (or as little) as you want to know about ruins but really knows her stuff when it comes to culture, politics, food, shopping, and getting around. One of my favorite times is when a local weaver was trying to add to the price of something and she scolded him about trying to take advantage of a tourist. She is uber patient too and takes you to places not in any guide book.