I’m one of those travelers who turns his nose up at the thought of doing a tour, and would rather wander around lost and frustrated for hours rather than ask for help.
I’ve travelled independently all through the Middle East, Asia, North and Central America, and of course, Australia and never needed a guide.
But Iraq was somehow different.
While everyone is super friendly and helpful, that language barrier can be hard to overcome, and all the military checkpoints can be daunting.
The country is, in parts, still battle-scarred from the US invasion and more recently, its occupation by ISIS. It can be pretty confronting.
Or maybe it’s just because I’m just older now. Lazier. And prefer an easier route to the goal.
Either way, during the planning stage of my trip to Iraq I was fairly adamant I was going to go it alone. But when I arrived, I decided it would be easier to engage a guide. Or several, as it turned out.
I flew into Baghdad and the visa on arrival was a breeze. The guy at the Asiacell counter spoke English and was able to help me organise a transfer to the hotel that I managed to book via WhatsApp.
After a couple of days wandering around Baghdad I decided I wanted to visit Babylon and Saddam’s Palace. I figured Babylon would be easy enough, but breaking into the palace of the former president may not be as simple a task.
So I ended up sorting a guide.
I wanted to be collected in Baghdad, taken to Babylon and the palace, before being dropped off at Karbala.
Visiting using public transport – with my bags – seemed like it was going to be a ballache. I found a guide who offered to take me to the Al Ukhaidir Fortress too, before showing me around Karbala.
I arranged a second guide to take me from Nasiriyah to the Great Ziggurat of Ur and the marshes in Chibayish and leave me at Basra.
I also had a guide to take me to Hatra from Mosul and help me arrange ongoing transport to Erbil.
Finally, when I tried to rent a car in Erbil but discovered all the companies were closed because it was a Friday, I hired another guide to accompany me around Kurdistan.
The point is, apart from having someone to talk to, and eat with, while you’re travelling, the guides are invaluable when it comes to access and logistics.
In Iraq a guide is more like a fixer. They can get you in places when the gates are closed.
They can provide you with insider information, and offer really interesting cultural exchanges.
How else would you be able to learn about marriage in Iraq? Who are you going to ask about sex? Virginity? Masturbation? Porn. The LGBT community? Drugs? Drinking?
Who are you going to ask about salaries and spending in Iraq? House prices? Living conditions?
These are the things I find interesting: learning about the normal people who live in the country you’re visiting.
And what about the adventures?
Would I have (accidentally) visited a brothel in Basra if I was travelling alone? Maybe. But probably not.
A guide took me swimming in the Tigris.
I also had someone to join me on a canyoneering expedition, deep inside Gali Sherana.
Would I be able to pick through the rubble of old Mosul, all but destroyed when allied forces were trying to flush out ISIS?
I went kayaking on Shatt Al Arab and climbed to the rooftop of an abandoned theatre to watch sunset on the outskirts of Baghdad.
I probably would have found myself in hot water in Lalish without a guide explaining the rules, rites and rituals to me.
So history, facts and figures aside, you should consider hiring a guide in Iraq – if only for the fun, stories and adventures that you probably won’t be able to achieve travelling alone.
