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FEATURES | EXPERIENCE FIXERS

Get the mostout of a visit toJordan with a Bedouin-guidedtour of the WadiRum desert

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THE DESERT FOXAMMANWadi Rum is real Lawrence of Arabia country: a desert landscape a few hours south of Amman that is the equal of any in the world. Bald mountains spring from the ground

like islands in a golden sea and it can be bewildering in its multicoloured, wind-worn complexity, but Mohammed Hammad, born and bred in Wadi Rum, knows every contorted peak. “This is my country,” says the young climber.

A qualified mountain guide since 2003 (one of only two in Jordan), Hammad regularly rubs shoulders with the rock-climbing jet-set who flock to Rum’s hardest walls. But climbing here is no recent import: the Zalabieh Bedouin have always climbed, to hunt ibex or to find grazing for their goats. Hammad can barely remember learning to climb. To him, it’s as natural as walking. And he smiles with pride as he tells how his father – alone and without ropes – pioneered routes that most visiting aces will only tackle in modern “sticky” shoes.

He’s passionate about the place, its people and its traditions, and arranges tours on foot, on camelback or in a 4 x 4 – after which nothing beats a night in a traditional Bedouin tent, waking to the utter silence of the desert.

If you’re reasonably agile and have a good head for heights, he might take you on the long scramble up Jebel Khazali, his favourite peak. “Khazali is in my heart,” he says. It can be in yours, too.bedouinguides.com

THE TEAMTHEY’RE THE HOLIDAY SPECIALISTS WHO CAN TURN A

RUN-OF-THE-MILL TRIP INTO A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME EVENT. WHETHER YOU WANT A PERSONAL SHOPPER IN MILAN OR

SAFARI GUIDE IN JORDAN, YOU NEED AN EXPERIENCE FIXER

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THE MOUNTAIN MANALPINE DESTINATIONSNigel Shepherd has been introducing climbers and skiers to the world’s mountain ranges for over 30 years, and, in his view, “the more obscure the location, the better”. It makes his

choice of the French and Italian Alps as an operational base seem rather obtuse, since they’re hardly remote, but Shepherd knows the region’s mountains intimately and his knowledge of them is unparalleled. He can safely take you so far off the beaten track here, it would be easy to think you were in a remote corner of the Himalayas or Andes.

He has clients who have been skiing and climbing with him for over 20 years, and he says that being with folk in the mountains and sharing adventures creates bonds that can last a lifetime. “Clients become friends with whom you spend cherished and long-remembered mountain days. Last summer, for instance, I met a guy climbing in Pembrokeshire who told me that I had been his instructor on a beginners’ rock-climbing course in 1979. Since then, he said, his passion for the sport has grown and taken him all over the world, which was incredibly gratifying to hear.”nigelshepherdphotography.co.uk

“Clients become friends with whom you spend cherished and long-remembered mountain days”

THE PERSONAL HAGGLERISTANBULNavigating Istanbul’s mammoth Grand Bazaar is hard enough, but shopping there is even more difficult. Visitors looking for the perfect souvenir – whether it’s a carpet,

suzani (embroidered fabric) or leather handbag – can be frustrated by unscrupulous merchants and inflated prices. Enter Kathy Hamilton, an American expat in Istanbul, and her team of personal shoppers, who can help you find exactly what you’re looking for – and at the right price. Hamilton spent years learning from artists, designers and merchants, and her expertise in fashion, textiles, traditional handcrafts, home furnishings and food, along with a keen eye for great finds, goes well beyond Istanbul’s main streets. “We offer an insider’s view of the city and expat life here,” she says. “We avoid the stores that cater to tour groups, preferring to go where locals shop, which are often off the usual tourist track.”

After helping family and friends find good-quality carpets in Istanbul, Hamilton formed Istanbul Personal Shopper, which offers five-hour, customised shopping trips designed to fit your interests. The most popular shopping destination is, of course, the Grand Bazaar, though Hamilton’s team also scours other areas of the city, like Çukurcuma, a shopping haven for antique lovers. “After so many years as a regular in the bazaars, I have learned to judge the quality of the items and recognise the best deals,” she says.istanbulpersonalshopper.com


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THE HOMES INSIDERFEZIt was during his breaks from university in Rabat in his early twenties that Abdellatif Benhrima first travelled throughout Morocco. Now, 25 years of travelling later,

he’s one of the most knowledgeable guides in the country – particularly in Fez, where his Secret Homes and Gardens tours literally open doors to the hidden corners of the city. “There are many beautiful riads that have been converted into hotels, but the really historic ones are a totally different world,” he says – and it’s one you only get to see if you have Abdel at your side. It’s through his connections with diplomats, bankers, businessman and the understated über-rich that Abdel and his clients are allowed access to these secret, private homes.

If you’re looking for something sensuous to decorate either yourself or your home, Abdel can also escort you to the most select places to shop, and even to the artisans themselves, tucked far away from public gaze. Or if you want to escape the bustle of the city, simply ask and he will take you on a leisurely camel ride to spend the night under the desert stars in a sumptuously decorated tent.Email: [email protected]

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Nigel Shepherd can show you an

undiscovered sideof the Alps

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THE GOURMAND BUDAPESTGábor Bánfalvi has one mission – to revolutionize the world’s view of Hungarian cuisine.

“Many people think that our cuisine is all about grease, paprika

and goulash, but these are outdated stereotypes,” he says, and one of his aims is for his guests to leave the country with a new-found love of its cooking.

His Taste Hungary tours, which are unique in Budapest for their food-and-wine focus, take visitors on a memorable journey to markets and artisan foodmakers, and to the finest restaurants and wineries, all featuring Hungarian produce.

He handpicks his producers through “non-stop” research and aims to showcase the very best of local cuisine, which few visitors would get to taste without his help. Highlights include bi-monthly, small-group day trips to the Tokaj wine region, which is famous for its sweet dessert wines, visiting three of the area’s finest small wineries, with lunch served in the cellar of one of them. Gábor acts as a translator, so guests can enjoy the winemaker-led tastings for an authentic local experience. He will also tailor tours to regions according to your wine tastes.

“Everything has to be perfect,” says Gábor of his tours, which The Wall Street Journal last year named among the 10 best in the whole of Europe. “When I’m travelling, the worst thing that can happen is to have a bad meal or glass of wine. We guarantee that won’t happen to any of our guests.” tastehungary.com

THE URBAN RUNNERCOPENHAGENWith its flat terrain and pretty harbourside, Copenhagen is a great city to go for a run in and there’s no better companion than Lena Andersson. Earlier this year, the

former shipping executive combined her twin passions of running and her home city to set up tour company Running Copenhagen – now regarded as one of the Danish capital’s must dos.

The idea is simple: you sign up and are then taken on a running tour of the city. It’s a beautifully 21st-century take on a walking tour. Her weekly programme helps people stave off the holiday-food guilt; and it aims to embody real, local experience, taking in the edgy, bohemian centres of Christiania and Nørrebro, as well as the main sights.

“I try to show people ‘my’ Copenhagen,” says Lena, “away from the tourist paths.” Runs are crafted around the needs of the participants and “no tour is the same”. Anyone who can keep up the 6.30 minute per kilometre pace for 5km is welcome to join in. The only real question is: which tour to do? Many rave about the “beautifully illuminated” Night Tour, but Lena’s favourite is the 7am Business Tour. “Running along the water while the city is waking up is amazing – it keeps me energised for the entire day.” running-copenhagen.dk

Like a walking tour, but it burns more calories:you can run aroundCopenhagen’s main sights, and along the canals and harbourside

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THE STYLE COUNSELMILANTen years working as a fashion co-ordinator for some of Italy’s biggest brands has given personal shopper Annamaria Lamanna an enviable insight into one of the

world’s leading style hubs. “Milan is the best place in Europe for shopping,” she says. “All the styling departments of the most important brands are located here.” Quite simply, if you need to know where to find the season’s hottest looks, then Annamaria is your girl. She’s also keen to overturn the idea that personal shopping and Milanese style are the preserve of the mega-rich. “The fashion district can offer many different proposals for any kind of budget,” she says. “I help my clients find the right purchases while spending less than €100.” A three- or four-hour session with Annamaria isn’t just great for finding bargains – she also advises her clients on their image as a whole. “They consider the time they spend with me like a lesson,” she says. “I give them advice they can use in the future. I can read in their eyes their satisfaction after our time together, especially when they spend less than they would have imagined.”personalshoppermilano.com

THE DIVE MASTERSHARM EL SHEIKHAlmost everybody who comes to Egypt’s Red Sea resorts does some form of diving, but not everyone can take advantage of the skills of Mobarak Sobeih Mobarak, or simply

Umbarak, as he’s known, of Shark’s Bay Dive centre. Unlike global tour operators, who have come

to the area fairly recently, Umbarak – originally a fisherman – was born here. He set up Shark’s Bay, the first dive school in the area, with just a boat and six tanks back in 1982. His unparalleled knowledge of the local coastline, a fleet of dive boats skippered by experienced Bedouins and a well-protected “house” reef mean Umbarak – who the editor of Sport Diver magazine calls “a true legend” – can cater for divers of all abilities.

However, the crowning glory of a trip to Shark’s Bay comes after a great day’s diving, when guests are treated with traditional Bedouin hospitality under a wide expanse of stars, “being regaled with tales of the past, learning about our culture and simply enjoying the silence and beauty of the desert”.oonasdivers.com


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THE LUXURY FIXERMARRAKECHRosena Charmoy first went to Marrakech on a one-day jolly in 2003 – and was hooked. Starting with an occasional email sent to friends telling them all the best

places to visit and things to see, Rosena – described by The Guardian as “a strawberry blonde guardian angel to any first-time visitor to Marrakech” – has built Boutique Souk, the Red City’s most in-the-know concierge service.

Book your hotel through Boutique Souk and Rosena rolls out the red carpet to create a free personalised programme that shows you the city’s hidden gems, magic and mystery. Personal shopping, guided tours... Rosena plans everything with panache, but her imagination and style bursts out in the weddings and special celebrations she creates, so it’s no surprise that her company was the reason Vogue named Marrakech the Wedding Destination of Choice. At the request of a client who wanted to surprise her husband on Christmas Eve, Rosena and her team snuck into their hotel bedroom while the couple were having a romantic dinner and created an exotic scene fit for the Arabian Nights, complete with scattered rose petals and a pair of singing love birds in a gilded cage. boutiquesouk.com

easyJet flies to...

All nine destinations mentioned. See our insider guides on page 102. Book online at easyJet.com

THE ULTRA-FANMARSEILLEA drink with Catherine Brun at the Brasserie OM on Marseille’s Old Port is punctuated by autograph hunters. “Weren’t you on television last night?” a waiter asks. Brun is a

mother of three, the owner of a B&B for pets, and also a soap-opera and game-show star in France’s version of Survivor and The Weakest Link, among others. However, her biggest claim to fame is that she is the number-one fan of Olympique de Marseille (OM), the city’s legendary football team. “I was taken to the Vélodrome [Marseille’s football stadium] in my father’s arms before I could walk,” she says. “The whole city lives through OM – we have a very powerful sense of belonging.”

Catherine offers a unique way to experience the city: OM-themed tours of Marseille that culminate in a seat in one of the virages – the ends of the stadium where local fans sit and tickets are normally available by subscription only. Fortified by a pastis at her supporters’ club, you watch the match with her, learning about OM’s history and traditions.

Catherine is one of the Marseille-Provence Greeters, volunteers who escort visitors to their favourite spots. Remarkably, the tours are free, apart from incidentals. The motive? Simple. As Catherine says, “I’m a real Marseillaise. I love my city and I want to share it.”marseilleprovencegreeters.com

“I’m a real Marseillaise. I love my city and I want to share it”


Getting ready topop the question?Up the romancequotient in Marrakech

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