When traveling somewhere completely unfamiliar, especially if it's somewhere that doesn't have a prevalence of English speaking people, it's often a good idea to use a tour guide.
However, finding a good tour guide can be difficult, or just come down to chance, as Ken Kessler, an experienced traveler and retired salesman from Illinois, told CNN.
He was in a bar in Santorini, when he began a conversation with a blonde woman, and was surprised to find out she lived in Nairobi, Kenya.
"I'm in the safari business," she told him.
From the chance encounter, Kessler took an unforgettable trip to Africa with his wife and daughter and had their entire trip coordinated by the blonde woman he ran into in Santorini, Lisa Rolls, a professional guide and co-owner of Virgin Bush Safaris.
"It was a chance encounter, so I took a chance," Kessler said. "You can plan all you want, but you can't get the same experience as a well-connected guide.
"They know everybody," he said.
Kessler suggests asking for two or three past traveler references and ask the previous passengers extensive questions about their experience.
Antwerp: Tanguy Ottomer
Antwerp is a less talked about fashion hub in Europe. It's home to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. A trip with Ottomer can get you access to the city's refined ateliers as well as funky concept stores.
"You've already seen London, Paris or Milan," Ottomer said. "Antwerp has a fresh feeling."
Rates start at $135 an hour.
Africa: Virgin Bush Safaris, Cindi Crain and Lisa Rolls
Former media executives, they founded Virgin Bush Safaris to fulfill their dream of living in the veldt of East Africa. They have since established working relationships with the United Nations and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to round out their safari credentials.
They pre-interview clients before creating a customized program, focusing on one of three countries: Kenya, Tanzania or Rwanda.
Rates start at $850 a day.
Beijing: Jia Yan (Rainbow)
Nicknamed Rainbow, Yan is as adept at translating the top sites of the 798 Art District as she is the menu at a restaurant tucked inside a hutong lean-to.
Rates start at $1,999 for a two day itinerary.
Istanbul: Nirvana Asaduryan
Istanbul's Grand Bazaar is one of the world's top shopping meccas, as well as one of the most intimidating. Asaduryan helps travelers navigate the approximately 60 streets and thousands of stands that comprise the Grand Bazaar, as well as help with hard haggling on prices.
"My souls clears there," Asaduryan said of the market. "My father owned two jewelry stores, so since I was 7 or 8 I've breathed the air of the bazaar."
London: Sarah Douglas
Douglas teaches at the Royal College of Art in addition to running the boutique firm that offers guided assistance to travelers. The firm runs more like a consultantcy than a traditional tour operator, creating custom itineraries around London.
Rome: Iris Carulli
Carulli was trained at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, and brings the city's different cultural paths together, drawing a common thread from ancient Rome to the present day.
A typical walk might include Janiculum Hill, Bramante's Tempietto, the Borghese Fountain and Anita Garibaldi's tomb.
Rates start at $107 for two hours.
Tokyo: Shinji Nohara
A former journalist, Nohara has an encyclopedic knowledge of the foodie culture of Tokyo. He can find the best seiro-soba, or cold noodle joint, as easily as the best place for old-style Japanese coffee.
Rates start at $440 a day.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
