Thank you for the trip to Armenia- we're glad you decided to go ahead with it even though there were only the two of us. We appreciated your practical approach to the tour and to rescheduling things so that Andree didn't miss too much.  Anna was a wonderful guide. Her knowledge of English was superb and she had a good sense of humor. She made a lot of suggestions that made the tour very personal. Her singing in three of the monasteries caught us by surprise. Other visitors were surprised to find out she was our tour guide. Her suggestion of the tour of the distillery was a riot - strangers talking together like they were long lost buddies.  Being blessed by the Katholicos was an experience I'm not likely to forget - I actually was panicked when I realized why Anna had pushed me to the front. And seeing the gold alphabet and Armenian Cross was very special.  And then there was Arthur the driver. He stopped in strange places for us to take photos, he laughed at us and with us, he bought us wine and coffee on several occasions, and he generally made us feel welcome.  Many thanks to you all for an extremely interesting trip. I know that I now have a much better understanding of Armenia and I have quite a few wild tales to tell my friends!
 Nina Hallett, Bainbridge Island, WA (Private tour - Armenia September 2007)

 Even though jet lagged, I wanted to take the time to tell you how much Tom and I (and our friends, the DeForests) enjoyed our Tunisia trip. We returned last night.   It has to be one of the best trips we have ever taken, if not the best.  Tom and  I feel it is all due to Mohamed.  He definitely made Tunisia come alive for us.  The guide is everything - this can make or break a trip.  We feel so fortunate.  Mohamed has to be Tunisia's National Treasure!   We were overwhelmingly impressed with his knowledge and his wonderful way of imparting it to us.  It was always interesting and often  lightened by his sense of humor.  We thought he was well organized and very professional.  Everything went without a hitch and we felt well cared for. We also enjoyed the chosen accomodations and the comfortable modes of travel.  In face we were not ready to come home after 2 weeks.  Seemed way to short. We will certainly recommend this trip (and Mohamed) to other people.  We also want to thank you for your pretrip information and assistance.
Peggy and Tom Robinson (Timless Tunisia Tour - October 2007)

 Our trip was excellent! Everything went according to plan and schedule without a hitch, thanks largely to the folks on the ground in Syria and Jordan.  Ghiath Abdallah is a national treasure---he made our Syrian adventure unforgettable, and is a very nice guy to boot.  I can see why you wanted us to work our schedule around his availability. The Jordan segment went very well also. Our driver there, "Mouafaq," was also very capable, courteous, considerate, and knowledgeable.  I would highly recommend him to your other clients. But the really important parts of the trip----site visits, historical briefings, consideration and compatibility of the guides----were uniformly superb. We came away very, very happy with the experience....and would be pleased to recommend your services---and those of the folks in Syria and Jordan---to anyone. Many thanks for arranging a great adventure!
Craig Overturf, Paris France (Private tour - Apr/May 2007)

I would like to thanks you very much for arranging  such a wonderful trip for us during our recent visit to Egypt I must say that without your help this trip would not have enjoyable. the staff member very profession and took are us in such a convenient way that with there help we would have been lost. Your guide were excellent and especially the lady  ( Amani) in Cario who made the history of Cario so wonderful that we are still talking our visit would have been enjoyable. We particularly enjoyed the history and the people of Egypt who were so wonderful and so good at heart . I particularly like to convey my thanks to Michele in Cario who had been talking to every step to the people who were to meet us at the next stops. I did not know how to thanks him  by giving some money but if you have any suggestion, please let me know.  By the way are you able to arrange similar trip to Turkey.
Thank you very much.
 Dr. & Mrs. Sultan Bhimani , Flint, MI (Private tour – March 2007)

The trip to Egypt was fantastic!  The students all had a great time, and several want to return next year.  Michel Francis and his associates in Luxor and Aswan were always available, and made sure everything ran perfectly.  Our guide, Amany, was by far the best guide I've ever encountered anywhere. She was very knowledgeable and patient, and allowed us to spend as much time as we wished at each site, showing us many new sights in the process. She also had the perfect personality for our group.  We would like to request Michel and Amany again for our trip next year.
Prof. John M. Russell
Critical Studies Department- Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, MA (Leads a students tour to Egypt every March)

I know that we spoke that last evening that I was in Algiers, 2 November, with the Journalist and you know some of my impressions about your wonderful country Algeria.  I have always wanted to travel to Algeria because it seemed so mysterious and intriguing.  Unfortunately, there are very few guidebooks written on Algeria so I was really unable to prepare myself before my journey this past October.  However, I was ready and prepared for an adventure, wherever that took me in your country.  I was not disappointed.  On the contrary, I was thrilled and also surprised at the sheer beauty of Algeria.  Some of my favorite experiences were the long drives with the spectacular, changing landscape and topography.   I enjoyed the beautiful archeological sights, especially Tipasa and Timagd at sunset with the ever-changing sky of pinks, blues and purple.   My favorite towns were Ain Sefra and all the surrounding sights with the rock art and oasis, and the spectacular drive to the Hot Springs and Ghardaia with the Pentapolis of Mozabite, desert towns.  I was very touched by people’s generosity and kindness, they demonstrated what I found to be true throughout the country is the warmth of the Algerian people.  Of course, none of these experiences would have been possible without our excellent, superb guide, Azedine Aitaba and our 2 drivers, Messoud and Yacine.  Azedine gave us so much information on Algeria and was always ready to do whatever needed to be done to smooth the path so that we could all have the maximum experience in Algeria.  He worked very hard and many long hours to insure that we would be well taken care of, well received and whenever there were obstacles, we was ready, willing and successful in overcoming them.  
Linda Quintana, CA. (Group tour – October 2006)

Having traveled with Spiekermann just once (Iran), I am convinced your arrangements on all trips must be among the best in every aspect:
originality, organization, pace of visits, group size (small is beautiful!) and comfort level.  The only place I would now consider visiting without Spiekermann is India - and only because you don't go there! I check your website regularly and know you will stay in touch with any updates. I just returned from my 15-day sojourn in Iran and can't say enough about how wonderful the experience was. Thank you so much for encouraging not to be nervous - I would be very sad if I'd missed this trip! Everywhere our small group traveled, the Iranian people were gracious and welcoming - and of course, the sites were marvelous.  I felt relaxed and safe, and knew I was in good hands.  Not only was Bahman Zenhari a knowledgeable guide, he anticipated our every need, made sure we were happy and comfortable - and was a very charming traveling companion. Denise's lectures covered all aspects of Iranian history, traditions and daily life. I am amazed at the enormous amount of time and effort it must taken her to prepare for this trip.  Denise too, is great fun to travel with.
Gloria De Luca, NY, NY (Group tour – Apr/May 2006)