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Hey, I'm Andrew
Member Since January 2019
Baden, United States of America
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My Reviews
Rock Valley tours Pvt Ltd Pakistan
I booked about a two week trek with Rock Valley Tours in October/November 2019, and Hameed and the driver Abdul were beyond amazing. Hameed seemed to know someone everywhere we went and that provided for some awesome experiences such as a wedding in Shimshal, a school visit in Buni, and actually being able to bond with local villagers in Kalash which otherwise would have not been possible because of the effects that other tourists have had on the villages. And Abdul was the very skilled driver that you need to visit some of these remote areas due to the terrain that may scare you ;) needless to say he handled it like an absolute boss! They were extremely accomodating even as I had come to them with a very fast paced itinerary and they made it all work. Highly recommend!
Jamal Panhwar
Seriously, listening to him talk it felt as if I was with a college professor during my journey in Sindh province. He is so knowledgeable with everything about the history of the area and was extremely accomodating to the filming that I did while at the various sites. Don't let the fact that this is the first review on this site fool you... that's just this particular site; he has decades of tour guide experience and it really shows! Highly recommend!
Ahmed al-Hijazi
Ahmed is an absolute asset to the tourism scene in Iraq that is making a comeback. He is extremely knowledgeable about anything I can think of, from Iraqi culture, to Mesopotamian history, and yes, even regional politics. huge emphasis though on the part about Mesopotamia, the fertile crescent, the ziggurats, and all 5500 years of history in the region. He also has tremendous connections that are unmatched by anyone else in Iraqs tourism scene, getting access to a lot of key sites because of who he knows personally. It is worth noting that as Iraq revives it tourism industry after half century of turmoil, there will be a lot of moving parts, such as things being closed for restoration, renovation, and events, so there will be some sites and landmarks that will be difficult to visit if not closed off to everybody, including your top guides, which changes by the day. But I can promise you that no one is better at obtaining the right permission and proper permits than Ahmed. For example he was able to obtain access to The house of Abraham in Ur, and getting me permission to hold a 5000-year-old clay tablet with cuneiform still on it in Uruk that I would not have been able to get as an independent traveler! Long story short, not only do I highly recommend Ahmed, but I will say that if you travel to Iraq without him as your guide, you’re doing it wrong. My visit to Iraq was as fulfilling as it can possibly be because I hired him.