Travelled to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan with Eilidh on a small bespoke / personal tour. From the white marble of Ashgabat, to camping in the Karakum Desert, from a fashion show in Samarkand to the meat market in Tashkent, from the ski resort above Almaty to mountain lakes, it was all absolutely fantastic. Travelling in the company of someone with local knowledge and contacts, and a genuine passion for all that is great in some of the less well known destinations in the world, makes for an unforgettable (and for us, probably a once in a lifetime) experience.
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Douglas R, 58, United Kingdom
Ben and wife Eilidh are the best guides I’ve ever had, and I travel for a living. They’re extremely knowledgeable about the areas they offer tours to, but more importantly they’re hilarious. That for me is what sets them apart from the other tour operators. Within a few days it felt like I was traveling more with close friends than mere guides.
Their itineraries are well planned and vetted. And because of their experience I always felt very safe in their hands. I will definitely be traveling again with them in the future.
Massive Thumbs Up
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Howe, 52, Canada
I went on a tour to Kazakhstan with Ben and Eilidh earlier in August, and we had a fantastic time. I've been on so many tours over the past few years, but nobody knows and loves the places where they guide as much as they do, and it's what makes them stand out from other operators. We saw so much and had more fun in 9 days than I ever expected to have. The coolest part for me was visiting the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, which was absolutely fascinating. The town we stayed in was the most Soviet place I'd ever been to, which was fascinating. I was really sad when the tour was over; hopefully I can fit a few more of their tours into my schedule soon.
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Mike, 37, United States of America
I had the pleasure of joining a Saiga Tour of Kyrgyzstan in July this year. I feel Saiga tours are tours for people that normally don't do tours. Ben and Eilidh the tour group guides were professional, understanding, helpful and most welcoming to everyone in the group, they made us feel special and inclusive. Their knowledge of Kyrgyzstan was unbelievable and it was nice not just to do the touristy stuff but also go to out of way destinations, off the beaten track that not many people venture to. Of an evening we would be given a list of recommendations of places to eat at if we wished to or alternatively, we could join them which was nice for a solo traveller. To sum up Saiga tours I found them to be professional, well organized but most importantly we had heaps of fun whilst learning about new places.
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Karen, 57, Australia
I've done several tours with Eilidh and Ben, always had an excellent and fun experience! Their tours will take you to the top attractions as well as places off the beaten track. Well-planned tours that leave place for spontanious stops along the way. They really know their destinations, and they'll happily provide you with tips - anything from cheap eats to finding that perfect souvenir.
Looking forward to my next tour with my favorite tourguides!
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Lara, 33, Finland
I like to say that traveling with Saiga tours is like traveling with friends you haven’t met yet, or have if you do it for a second time and you probably will. I’m talking here about the guides who are super friendly and also the like minded travelers who join these tours.
Also it’s amazing as in just some days you can explore all the highlights in the most optimized itinerary ever including some off the beaten track attractions.
I highly recommend, I’ve done it twice and certainly there will be a third one (and fourth, fifth, … well you got the point)
Thank you guys for the amazing moments!
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Norton, 35, Brazil
A truly brilliant visit to one of most interesting and friendliest regions in which I've travelled.
This was my third trip with Ben & Eilidh (the owners of Saiga) and it didn't disappoint. They're great company and have a real knack of creating a group that gets on really well. The itinerary was very well planned (a mix of the main sights and a few things you might not expect). Excellent knowledge too - knew the best local restaurants, bars etc. Hotels were of a good standard (the one in Damascus particularly so). Even the little things like getting a comfortable bus with lots of room was on point.
Local guide in Syria (Rami) was a star, such a knowledgeable and easy going guy.
If you're thinking of visiting this region, go - you will not regret it. It truly has everything - historic cities, Mediterranean beaches, ancient ruins and a population not jaded by over tourism. They genuinely seem pleased to see you.
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Fabienne, 38, Switzerland
I have travelled with Saiga Tours to multiple off-the-beaten-track countries and have always had excellent experiences! It has been a lot of fun travelling with Ben and Eilidh and they have always succeded bringing together nice like-minded fellow travellers.
Organising, planning, choice of destinations has always been very professional! They have always had a super good knowledge about the destinations and have always ensured a safe trip. I am looking very much forward to join Saiga Tours again on a future travel!
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Jacob, 34, Denmark
I have toured with Eilidh twice now in The Stans and it has been a great experience. The tours are well run with a mix of tourist type activities, eating the local cuisine and getting to know others in the group. Eilidh is flexible and accomodating to the needs of the group as well. She will strive to take you to some out-of-the-way locations which are pretty unique as well! 5 stars!
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Cilla, 26, Australia
I highly recommend Saiga to anyone looking to visit some of the world's harder to access destinations, in the company of passionate, expert and truly friendly guides. I travelled to Turkmenistan with Saiga's Ben and Eilidh (before covid closed the country down) and had one of the best trips of my life, gaining a real insight into a fascinating and surreal country. Their in-depth knowledge of the region and excellent local contacts (along with the like-minded fellow travellers that their tours attract) made for an unbeatable experience. Even if you don't think group tours are for you, a trip with Saiga will change your mind. The group dynamic was relaxed and friendly, but with space to do your own thing if you felt like it.
Some personal highlights: sitting among locals at the Turkmen Independence day festivities, camping by the legendary Darvaza crater (Gates of Hell) and attempting traditional dancing with dignitaries when we were some of the only tourists at a tourism fair in a holiday resort by the Caspian Sea.
I can't recommend them enough and am really looking forward to travelling with them again soon.
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Juliet, 44, United Kingdom
I went on a tour to Turkmenistan with Eilidh just before they started Saiga.
Both Eilidh and Ben have great in depth knowledge of all the destinations they go to and ensure you are taken to places which aren't just the Instagram & touristy places.
Ben's study's in central Asian history really raises the bar of the tour experience, and if they don't know, they have local joining guide or contacts who will know.
Above all they ensure you have a great time and personalise the tour as much as they can to ensure everyone gets amazing value out of their trip.
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Louis, 21, Australia
Booked the Syria tour on a recommendation from a friend. An excellent recommendation it turned out to be. The tour was well run, and went smoothly- not always an easy feat in countries like this. The tour is well structured as well- one never feels suffocated or exhausted at the end of the day, there is plenty of flexibility to do as you wish during the day. Great communication from the moment I registered my interest in booking, all the way until the end of the tour. Friendly, knowledgeable, and fun.
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Kellyn, 28, Canada
A truly brilliant visit to one of most interesting and friendliest regions in which I've travelled.
This was my third trip with Ben & Eilidh (the owners of Saiga) and it didn't disappoint. They're great company and have a real knack of creating a group that gets on really well. The itinerary was very well planned (a mix of the main sights and a few things you might not expect). Excellent knowledge too - knew the best local restaurants, bars etc. Hotels were of a good standard (the one in Damascus particularly so). Even the little things like getting a comfortable bus with lots of room was on point.
Local guide in Syria was a star, such a knowledgeable and easy going guy.
If you're thinking of visiting this region, go - you will not regret it. It truly has everything - historic cities, Mediterranean beaches, ancient ruins and a population not jaded by over tourism. They genuinely seem pleased to see you.
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Owen, 48, Ireland
I went to Turkmenistan with Ben and Eilidh and it was amazing. They are thorough, professional, fun, personable, and very, very knowledgeable. We went to the independence day concert - they were the only tour guides able to get access to this event. I probably asked a zillion questions, and neither of them ever tired of answering them, and there seemed no end to their knowledge about the region. They've since given me advice on traveling Central Asia and other locations as well.
I am not a "tour person", but not only did I have fun on this tour, I made friends! The balance of seriousness around safety and fun when the time comes really showed me how experienced Ben and Eilidh are as tour guides.
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Zoe, 46, United States of America
Joined this terrific tour company for a trip to Syria. I'd travelled with them to Turkmenistan and other Stans so knew it was going to be not only fun but well organised and safe.
Syria was completely the opposite of what I expected. Friendly and welcoming locals, great food, drinks, restaurants and bars. We experienced some of the most amazing sights including the old city of Damascus, the war museum, monestary of Maaloula, the ruined ruins of Palmyra, Crusader castles and even a Mediterranean seaside resort. You wouldn't think these places exist but Saiga can take you there!
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Chris, 46, Australia
Having been on a tour with Eilidh a few years prior, I had wanted to travel somewhere further afield, as I knew they'd lived in central asia for quite some time and knew the best places to visit. I was not disappointed.
Where most companies will just visit the 'top tens' you don't always want to be bussed from one Mosque to another and Saiga know of some quirky, out-of-the-way places to spice things up a bit. They know the language and customs, know how to deal with the local guides and will go out of their way to fit in any requests.
I agree with the other reviews; Ben and Eilidh have a fantastic sense of humour and that's what makes them and their trips stand out.
I will without doubt be taking a trip into Turkmenistan with them in the coming year or two and would strongly recommend that you do too.
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Tom, 27, United Kingdom
Saiga Tours bring together like-minded travellers, and through their expertise and wealth of knowledge in off-the-beaten-path destinations, friendliness and professionalism, create an experience that is exciting, safe and unforgettable. I have travelled with Ben and Eilidh to numerous destinations, and each time I have been deeply impressed by their organisation, communication, and local know-how that ensured a highly enjoyable trip. I thoroughly recommend Ben and Eilidh and Saiga Tours for your next journey!
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Ming, 41, New Zealand
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