Janine Safer Whitney, Altour, New York City
Recommended Generalist
Calling all moguls who've never found a travel agent sophisticated or detail-oriented enough for them: This Harvard Business School grad has turned her perfectionist tendencies toward designing intellectually enlightening itineraries—particularly in England, France, and Italy, where her connections in high places extend beyond the five-star hotels to hidden-gem museums and even specialty jewelers, perfumers, and gallery owners (212-897-5000; janine.whitney@altour.com).

MIDDLE EAST

Egypt, Israel, and Jordan
James R. Berkeley, Destinations & Adventures International, Beverly Hills
Recommended Generalist
Berkeley, who lived in Cairo for four years while heading up Abercrombie & Kent's Egypt operation and who returns two or three times annually, has strategies for beating the crowds and the heat, and can get you into places that are off-limits to the public—Nefertari's Tomb, for instance, although it's closed for restoration. If you're looking to spend time in Israel or Jordan, too, Berkeley can combine them efficiently (800-659-4599; jim@daitravel.com).

Israel
Susan Weissberg, Wylly's Professional Travel, Coral Gables, Florida
Weissberg, who is fluent in Hebrew and spent ten years as a travel agent in Israel, has friends in high places—including at El Al Airlines and at Israel's top hotels. Her imaginative itineraries can include everything from wine tasting in the Golan Heights to zip-lining in the Hula Valley to visiting a bedouin camp in the Negev Desert (305-442-2008; susanw@wyllys.webmail.com).

Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria
Rita Zawaideh, Caravan-Serai, Seattle
A native of Jordan who spent ten years living in Syria, Zawaideh returns twice annually and has a plethora of contacts, including high-level politicians and UN workers, who can show you not only the Middle East's natural and man-made wonders but also a level of hospitality beyond anything you ever imagined (800-451-8097; rita@caravan-serai.com).

PACIFIC NATIONS

Australia and Fiji
Lynette Wilson, Destination World, Hermosa Beach, California
Wilson, who returns at least 2 weeks a year to her native Australia, will figure out how to squeeze into a tight time frame everything on your wish list—Sydney, Ayers Rock, the Great Barrier Reef, et al. As for Fiji, where she's spent more than 400 days in the past 10 years (she even has an office in Nadi), her connections can get you access to archaeological sites that are normally off-limits or a private tour of a non-commercial black pearl farm (800-224-0220; world@silcom.com; destinationworld .com).