Looking for a Few Good Guides

Comments

1. Nancy D. Brown

   September 27, 2010, 5:24 pm

   On a recent sport fishing trip to Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada with the West Coast Fishing Club, guide Christopher Dunn did a superb job of explaining WHY it is not always in the best interest of the fishing industry to keep some of the fish we land.
   He was an excellent ambassador for sustainable fishing in Canada – explaining why we use barbless hooks to catch the salmon and why we should let the Tyee or Kings – as they are called in the States – go back into the ocean for breeding purposes – as long as they are healthy and unharmed upon release.
   I learned more from Chris in several days fishing, than I have from my years of fishing in Alaska.
   He had some great fising quotes, too: Tip up, let it run, and stick and stay, make it pay!

2. Andy Lebo

   September 29, 2010, 1:31 pm

   I just got back from my 2nd trip with Dan Oberlatz of Alaska Alpine Adventures; this time we floated the Chilikadrotna River and part of the Mulchatna River, which flow out of Lake Clark Nat’l Park toward Bristol Bay. Once again Dan proved himself to be the consummate professional guide — always vigilant for client safety issues, well prepared to deal with the challenges of the Alaska wilderness, always on top of his gear and logistics, and most importantly very good natured and oriented toward fun and adventure for the clients! We had a great time and will go on trips with Dan and AAA whenever we can in the future. Oh yeah, almost forgot to mention the incredibly delicious food — wilderness gourmet dining out of a bowl — amazing!!

3. Daniel Duane

   September 29, 2010, 1:32 pm

   Dan Oberlatz, the guy credited with the above photo, really does rock. I ran an Alaskan river with him a couple years ago, and the guy was just a ridiculously good guide. He’s fun, he’s playful, he’s personable, he’s smart as hell, and he’s just ridiculously competent.
   Another name absolutely worth of consideration: Steve Hayward, of Seatrek, the west-coast kayak-guiding company. I did a Sea of Cortez expedition with him. He’s the best of the best, in the warm-water kayaking world.

4. Lance Holter

   September 29, 2010, 3:32 pm

   Dan Oberlatz of Alaska Alpine Adventures was my guide in 2007 AND 2008. He is a very organized leader and I learned a lot of camping tips. I have had a lifetime in the outdoors and am always ready to learn new tricks but Dan was the premiere adventure leader and teacher. Great equipment, excellent food and he had a wonderful close relationship with the pilots who took us all over South West Alaska and the Bristol Bay River systems. Dan is also very well respected by Native Alaskan tribal leaders which helps when your group hauls up in a remote village, during the wettest fall in memory, soaking wet and cold. To be greeted with warmth and friendship in this situation is the greatest welcome one can receive.

5. Paul Muscat

   September 29, 2010, 8:12 pm

   Dan Oberlatz of Alaska Alpine Adventures. I had proposed a somewhat ambitious trip combining an ascent of the highest peak in Alaska’s Brooks Range followed by a float north to the Arctic Ocean to several tour guides, all of whom declined. Not only did Dan say “yes’; he was obviously enthused by the prospect and planned to the last detail a true “trip of a lifetime.” Tellingly, he guided us through territory to which he had not previously traveled, and adapted to the challenging conditions (including sea ice) as we went along. Oh, and no grubby camp rations – quisine to meet the standards of the highest end foodie. Not to mention that he’s smart, personable, funny & etc. Highest recommendation.

6. Michael Gilson

   September 29, 2010, 9:59 pm

   I was on the trip in with Paul Muscat (see above) in the summer of 2009. We were accompanied by my two sons ages 17 and 20 and my nephew, 23. Dan Oberlatz had arranged for Joe Stock, an experienced alpine skier and mountain climber to join us. For five guys from the Northeast this was an ambitious Arctic National Wildlife Refuge adventure which included climbing a snow choked Mount Chamberlain and kayaking down a swollen Hula Hula River all the way to Barter Island in the Beaufort Sea. We had pristine days enjoying unnamed valleys, peaks and rivers of staggering beauty and days of wind, snow and unwelcome sea ice. Dan Oberlatz managed the expected and unexpected challenges with confidence and competence that comes only with years of experience. We could not have begun to do it without him. What an extraordinary time we had. I would do it again in a heart beat.

7. june Stark

   September 30, 2010, 12:28 pm

   Hiep Si Dang was an outstanding guide last year on my trip to Vietnam. He demonstrated all the qualities I think a good guide should have. I want to learn about the place I am visiting, the history, the culture, the geography, the people, and Hiep’s knowledge in all those areas was most impressive. He was very sensitive to what the group was interested in and was able to share immediately from his seemingly unending expertise in all areas. Then he was always open to any further questions we had. Three men on the group were Vietnam veterans, and it was enlightening to hear Hiep put those painful years into the broad historical perspective of his country. As is always true on any tour, especially in a developing country like Vietnam, there are endless details and small changes that have to be taken care of, all of which Hiep did efficiently and competently. Finally, Hiep demonstrated his ability to take charge of any situation that arose, which on my tour included an medical emergency with one participant. Hiep definitely meets the high standard the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC demands of its guides!

8. Mark Stevens

   September 30, 2010, 12:43 pm

   I have traveled Lake Clark National Park with Dan Oberlatz of Alaska Alpine Adventures for the past 10 consecutive years. Lake Clark is known to the place where Dick Prenneoke built his legendary cabin on Twin Lakes and lived for 30 years. Dan is the foremost expert living today on Lake Clark, and has traveled almost every square mile of it’s 4 million acres. It has been a honor and a privledge to travel some of those miles together. If the Park system is America’s National Treasures, than Lake Clark is it’s Crown Jewel.
   Dan’s stewardship of conservation, speaking out against The Pebble Mine Project, and his vision for the park make him the Stephen Mathiers of our time. Watching Dan in the wilderness is like watching Barrishnikov, an alpine ballet of style and grace. He is the definition of why one needs a guide in Alaska.

9. Camels & Chocolate

   September 30, 2010, 6:15 pm

   My mom and I went on safari in Africa in the spring. We stayed at &Beyond Ngala Lodge and had the most amazing safari guide, Dyke. He found us every last species one can hope to see in the bush, such as a pride of lions the very first drive, the elusive leopards, a family of cheetahs keeping shade under a tree and–on the very last morning–located a family of rhinos just before I was set to leave, as that’s the one thing I lacked on my list of wildlife. He was one of the funniest and most knowledgeable guides I’ve had in my travels through 80+ countries and knew more about the Kruger/Ngala area than I could have ever imagined learning. His family lives something like two hours away from the park, and he would drive there to see them in his afternoons off before driving back that very night for his shifts. Amazing, inspiring guy.

10. John and Ann Tennant

    October 1, 2010, 9:57 am

    Over recent years we have visited Halong Bay in Vietnam, the Solomon Islands, the Galapagos Islands and the Lafoten Islands in Norway with Dag Goering and Maria Coffey of Hidden Places, a small adventure travel company based in British Colombia.
    This husband and wife team run the most memorable of trips with great sensitivity for the local culture and environment. Dag is the wildlife expert, and travel writer Maria Coffey the perfect back up. Amazing and vivid memories will stay with us, whether it is kayaking through caves in the Halong Bay stacks into hidden lagoons, diving over World War 2 fighter planes in the pristine coral seas of the Solomons, snorkelling close to juvenile sea lions and turtles in the Galapagos or paddling up close to Sea Eagles in the Lafotens.
    Their ability to enthuse local people wherever they are about the beauty and treasures of their home environment and then to pass this on to us, their clients, have made these trips the most memorable holidays of our lives.

11. June Stark

    October 1, 2010, 9:58 am

    Hiep Si Dang was an outstanding guide last year on my trip to Vietnam. He demonstrated all the qualities I think a good guide should have. I want to learn about the place I am visiting, the history, the culture, the geography, the people, and Hiep’s knowledge in all those areas was most impressive. He was very sensitive to what the group was interested in and was able to share immediately from his seemingly unending expertise in all areas. Then he was always open to any further questions we had. Three men on the group were Vietnam veterans, and it was enlightening to hear Hiep put those painful years into the broad historical perspective of his country. As is always true on any tour, especially in a developing country like Vietnam, there are endless details and small changes that have to be taken care of all of, which Hiep did efficiently and competently. Finally, Hiep demonstrated his ability to take charge of any situation that arose, which on my tour included an medical emergency with one participant. Hiep definitely meets the high standard the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC demands of its guides!

12. Joan Strobel

    October 1, 2010, 12:56 pm

    Aaron Fetter of Alaska Alpine Adventures (AAA). I’ve had seven amazing adventures with AAA over the past five years, including “Level 3″ trips in Lake Clark, Denali, Katmai, and Wrangell St. Elias National Parks. Aaron is an outstanding guide. He’s well-organized, personable, knowledgeable, and provides extra attention to detail and safety. He’s also very passionate about what he does and a lot of fun to travel with. He instills confidence in his clients, such that I am always able to accomplish more of myself than I would normally think possible – whether the most difficult river crossing or glacial traverse. He’s not a bad cook either; the AAA food is awesome!

13. Nestor

    October 1, 2010, 2:15 pm

    I’ve had guide Ziv Cohen in Israel twice now. He knows the entire country like the back of his hand and is charming, engaging, and has a super sense of humor. My small group went dolphin diving, wine tasting and to the Western Wall all with Ziv – he’s amazing!

14. GJackson

    October 1, 2010, 2:29 pm

    Pavlina Jirkova is a private tour guide in Prague, Czech Republic and she is hands down the best tour guide I have ever met. She is smart, savvy, hilarious, knows the region, and (most importantly) knows the tourism culture (and how to work around it so you have the most authentic experience possible). By the end of a few days with Pavlina, you feel like a local. What is better than that?

15. Jeff Sallan

    October 1, 2010, 7:13 pm

    Dan Oberlatz and I have been traveling in the back country of AK since 1992. I do not give this statement away easily if ever but I trust Dan with my life. He is both knowledgeable and passionate. We have seen many adventures together and I have traveled with him in large and small group formats. I am confident that his skills are world class and would never hesitate to go with him to whatever corner of the planet he would choose to lead.

16. Liza Logounova

    October 1, 2010, 10:08 pm

    My husband and I have been exploring Alaska with Dan Oberlatz (founder and owner of Alaska Alpine Adventures company) for the past 8 years.
    Dan is definitely a Guide with a capital G. He took us on a journey to explore Alaska’s most hidden treasures with highest level of professionalism, knowledge and care.
    What is most unforgettable is, that through those amazing and at times very difficult travels, he made us explore our own hidden nature, overcoming barriers within ourselves that seemed insurmountable in the beginning of the trip.
    Without any hesitation we will follow his lead on any back-country trip he decides to guide in any part of the world.

17. David Laird

    October 2, 2010, 7:12 pm

    We had the best guided trip through the Parade Rest Ranch in West Yellowstone, Montana. Our guide, Travis, took me and my fiance through the Gallatin National Forest on horseback. He had superior knowledge of the plants, trees and wildlife in the area. He also had the most amazing stories from years of ranch experience. Travis told us about everything from building fences and homes native to the area, to comparing different types of saddles, to breaking in horses. On our four hour trip he spent the entire time facing us and telling us interesting, unique stories. We were undoubtedly with a real modern day cowboy.

18. Mark Strobel

    October 3, 2010, 6:00 pm

    Dan Oberlatz and Aaron Fetter, Alaska Alpine Adventures (AAA). I’ve been privledged to take two Alaskan trips that were guided by BOTH of AAA’s senior guides, Dan and Aaron. These were awesome experiences into the wildest, most scenic portions of Alaska. Both Dan and Aaron are amazingly skilled in wilderness travel, route finding, backcountry cookery, and camp conversation. They make any trip special and to travel with both of them…well nothing in my 30+ years of wilderness travel can top those experiences. We’ll be back for more AAA adventures in the future as long as we can be guided by the Dan or Aaron

19. Mike Grisham

    October 4, 2010, 2:42 pm

    I’ve spent a lot of time in the Alaska backcountry but have never taken any kind of guided trip before. A recent trip with Dan Oberlatz of Alaska Alpine Adventures changed my world view.
    Dan took us down the Chilikodrotna River out of Lake Clark Nat’l Park. It’s a nice Class II-III float through an amazing landscape, with some fun and challenging water, great fishing, and nice day hikes. I would have enjoyed this trip doing it myself, but going with AAA made it a world-class trip.
    AAA is a well-oiled machine – the logistics were amazingly smooth, all the gear was right, and the food was fantastic. Dan made the difficult elements of backcountry travel look effortless and feel low-key (I didn’t even know he was cooking before dinner was ready), and his camp practices were safe and environmentally sound by design.
    There was, in short, nothing for me to worry about, and so I could spend all of my energy focused on being where I was. And Dan exuded a sense of calm, competence, and joy in in his work that infused the entire trip.
    I could not recommend AAA more highly.

20. Cheryl Friday

    October 4, 2010, 4:40 pm

    A friend and I were fortunate enough to travel to the Galapagos Islands last year with Maria Coffey, who owns Hidden Places Travel(boutique adventure travel company based in Vancouver) with her husband, Dag Goering. The boat, the crew, the trails, the restaurants, the local guides, the hotel, the snorkeling, the knowledge shared, etc., could not have been better! The care of and sensitivity to the clients and to the environment and the locals was superb.
    Obviously, Maria and her husband do their homework to assure clients a safe, pleasurable, and very comfortable journey in places that provide memories for a lifetime. I can’t wait to do another!

21. Adam and Meg Wiskind

    October 5, 2010, 11:14 pm

    We had the great honor to travel with Dan Oberlatz from Telaquana to Twin Lakes in Lake Clark National Park this past summer. Despite a persistent storm cloud that followed us during a good portion of the trip Dan’s relentless spirit, contagious laughter, incredible culinary skills and unmatched backcountry intuition created the conditions for a truly fabulous adventure.
    Furthermore, Dan is one of those rare guides that does not simply offer lip service to the subject of land conservation but dedicates himself fully to the protection of the Alaskan wilderness.
    Dan undoubtedly deserves the respect and recognition that he has earned as a wilderness guide. We wouldn’t consider traveling the Alaskan backcountry with anyone else.

22. Marion Bowman

    October 8, 2010, 4:33 pm

    I’ve always been an independent traveller so have usually kept clear of guided trips. But on a visit to the Atacama Desert in Chile this year I found out what I’d been missing.
    I was travelling solo and staying at Tierra Atacama, a new adventure spa hotel in San Pedro. It all started with Paula, the excursions manager who talks to all newly arrived guests to tailor trips for them . It’s not just about what you want to do and see – she puts you together with other guests and the right guides. And she certainly has the right touch. I so enjoyed getting to know the other people I went on excursions with – from the UK and France – and the guides – Marcella, Gonzalo, Salvador and Cristobal – were so knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and great judges of what was going to work for us all. We even looked forward to getting up at 3 am to get to the El Tatio geyser field high up in the Andes at dawn! They were all multi-lingual and great communicators. It’s not easy when the hotel’s guests come from so many different countries as Tierra Atacama’s do but they seem to have the knack.
    I learnt a huge amount about the geology, wildlife, ancient cultures and history of this stunning landscape. They were like a cross between a coach and a carer. I felt so well looked after – it’s important to feel safe when you put yourself in someone else’s hands in a strange environment.
    Our guides were really skilled at easing the social side too and our group really bonded. We enjoyed relaxing together over dinner at the end of the day after tramping through canyons and over the lunar-like hills or bird-watching on the Salar. Paula’s team had quite a lot to do with making it so enjoyable. Very much recommended.

23. Anne and Antje Lotz

    October 11, 2010, 3:15 pm

    We went on a tour of the Galapagos Islands developed by Maria Coffey and Dag Goering of Hidden Places, and this time lead by Maria. The tour included people who had travelled with Maria and Dag on other adventures, and we could see why they kept coming back. Hidden Places pays meticulous attention to detail and takes pride in offering either truly unique travel destinations or unique aspects to more common destinations, if you can call the Galapagos a common destination. Perhaps it is their experience as a writer (Maria) and photographer, and previously research veterinarian, (Dag) that gives them such a good eye for a travel experience – and their commitment to the world environment and animals is palpable.

24. Max Waugh

    October 13, 2010, 12:40 pm

    Not having traveled with Dan Oberlatz of Alaska Alpine Adventures, I’ll unfortunately have to choose someone else.
    A couple of guides stand out from my travels.
    Habib with Roy Safaris was our guide in Tanzania, and was an incredible spotter. An experienced and knowledgeable guide can be great, but when it comes to wildlife it helps when they’re actually good at finding animals too. Habib was finding leopards hidden in trees with his bare eyes though only the tail was visible, while other guides were sitting nearby having trouble finding the same animal through binoculars. Sometimes just a good set of eyes can make all the difference.
    Felipe Arias was assigned to me by Costa Rica Expeditions when I traveled to Corcovado National Park in 2008. Felipe was raised on the land that is now part of the national park, so his knowledge of the area is unparalleled. He displays great instincts when it comes to wildlife, something that helped us come face to face with a family of pumas in the rainforest (twice!) back in ’08. Naturally, I hired him again when I returned in 2010.

25. Hans Pfister

    October 13, 2010, 2:21 pm

    Hi Norie,
    great article. Remember your guides from your stay at Lapa Rios in Costa Rica? The best thing we have seen here is that it is a profession that even people with limited access to formal education in their youth can really excel. We have some wonderful success stories at Lapa Rios. Hope you come back soon.
    Hans Pfister

26. Buenos Aires Tours

    January 24, 2011, 11:45 am

    Interesting!