ASIA

Bali
Diane Embree, Michael's Travel Centre, Westlake Village, California
Embree enjoys introducing travelers to the hidden Bali that so many visitors miss. Her clients can learn to play gamelan music with a village orchestra, undergo a purification ritual at a holy spring, create traditional Balinese masks in a workshop, or visit a village medicine man. She's also plugged in to the best hotels—both the well-known multinationals (the Oberoi, the Amanresorts) and the small local gems (818-717-0785; dianee@michaelstravel.com; michaelstravel.com; $300*).

Bhutan
Brent Olson, Geographic Expeditions, San Francisco Olson, who has been to Bhutan more than 40 times in the past 22 years and oversees trips there for 600 travelers annually, knows a broad cross section of Bhutanese, from villagers to high-ranking government officials and members of the royal family. He gets his clients access to places that remain unknown to most tourists—certain temples and monasteries and, in special cases, private festivals or prayer ceremonies (800-777-8183; brent@geoex.com; geoex.com; $1,400*).

Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand
Andrea Ross, Journeys Within Tour Company, Truckee, California
Ross lives in Cambodia six months of the year—when not in California, she runs the Journeys Within B&B in Siem Reap with her husband—and can pepper Southeast Asian itineraries with philanthropic elements, enabling travelers to give back to the local community. Her favorite secret destination? Battambang, Cambodia's little-visited second-largest city, which fell under Thai rule for more than a century but today has few crowds visiting its beautiful temples. Her affordable rates make her a great option for travelers on a budget (877-454-3672; andrea@journeys-within.com; journeys-within.com; $200*).

Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam
G. W. "Sandy" Ferguson, Asia Desk, Duluth, Georgia
A former resident of Thailand who returns for two months every year and who speaks Thai and even some Lao, Ferguson is known for his fabulous handpicked guides and savvy hotel choices. In Cambodia he can arrange for you to join the monks of a mountaintop temple for their pre-dawn prayers (followed by a gourmet picnic breakfast), and in Vietnam he can introduce you to one of the elders from Cu Chi, the village outside Saigon that infamously withstood repeated attacks from the U.S. Army during the war (800-667-4993; sandy@asiadesk.net; asiadesk.net; $400*; 12-night minimum).

The Caucasus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan
Jonny Bealby, Wild Frontiers, London
Bealby, who spent five months riding a horse across Central Asia and traveling through the Caucasus ten years ago (a voyage he recounted in his book Silk Dreams, Troubled Road), plans trips that incorporate trekking, horseback riding, and white-water rafting and usually include introductions to his friends—nomads, carpet sellers, and even royalty. From viewing dinosaur footprints and 22,000-foot peaks to sleeping in yurts and feasting on mutton stew cooked by shepherds, his itineraries are for the adventurous and inquisitive (44-20-7736-3968; jonny@wildfrontiers.co.uk; wildfrontiers.co.uk; $200*).

China
Gerald Hatherly, Abercrombie & Kent, Hong Kong There are many ways a traveler can get utterly lost in China. But with Hatherly—who is fluent in Mandarin and spends 150 days a year traveling throughout the country—you can rest easy. He knows the best ways to negotiate megalopolises like Beijing and Shanghai, and he's equally expert at leading guests off the beaten track and into lesser-known areas such as the rice terraces of Longsheng or the bamboo forests of Zhejiang, where the raw beauty of fast-vanishing rural China can still be found (852-2865-7818; hatherly@abercrombiekent.com.hk; abercrombiekent.com; $400*).

Guy Rubin, Imperial Tours, Beijing There's no danger of being taken advantage of by the more pernicious elements of China's tourism machine when you're traveling under Rubin's wing: no dining in government-run restaurants, no shopping in subpar state-run souvenir stores (most companies' guides get kickbacks for steering travelers to them). That's because all of Rubin's clients are accompanied by a local guide and a Western escort. Although any snags are ironed out immediately by your at-hand troubleshooter, this means that you're committed to traveling with an entourage—thus the steep price (888-888-1970; guy@imperialtours.net; imperialtours.net; $2,100*).

India
Victor Biswas, International Ventures and Travel, New York City
Looking for luxury and old-world charm? Biswas, a native of India who returns for at least three weeks a year, fills his itineraries with the sort of gracious touches—hard-to-book rooms in restored palace hotels or a meeting with Jaipur's top jeweler—that are available only through his vast countrywide network of connections (212-947-7075; victor@ivat.com; ivat.com; $650*).

Bertie and Victoria Dyer, India Beat, Jaipur, India
Flexible, energetic, and dead honest, the Dyers are Brits who are enjoying a long love affair with India and who have a particular knowledge of Rajasthan, the temple- and art-rich region in the country's north. They rarely outsource any of the trip-planning process to local agencies, allowing them to pass the savings along to their clients. The duo will appeal most to those who want to get outside the luxury hotel bubble and experience more of the real India. In Jaipur, Victoria leads clients on a shopaholic's dream tour, into the local gem markets and through the city's best jewelry and silk boutiques (91-141-651-9797; bertie@indiabeat.co.uk; indiabeat.co.uk; $350*).

India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Tibet
Sanjay Saxena, Destination Himalaya, Novato, California
An army brat who grew up crisscrossing the Subcontinent, Saxena speaks both Hindi and Nepali. He designs vibrant, adventure-packed itineraries that will appeal to wannabe Indiana Joneses, filled as they are with under-the-radar destinations and unusual experiences (white-water rafting in Tibet, touring an elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka), but he also excels at crafting more traditional luxury trips (800-694-6342; sanjay@destinationhimalaya.net; destinationhimalaya.net; India, $700*; Nepal and Sri Lanka, $450*; Tibet, $600*).

Japan
Nancy Craft, Esprit Travel & Tours, Telluride, Colorado
Her name couldn't be more fitting: Craft lived in Japan for seven years, where she studied weaving and dyeing, and her passion for these disciplines is evident in her art and culture tours. Clients get to meet master craftsmen such as silk weavers, textile artisans, and ceramists. She can also arrange private visits to Kyoto temples and is savvy about where to splurge. In Tokyo, for instance, she sometimes recommends that clients forgo splashier accommodations for a well-equipped business hotel (this can mean significant savings) and then stay at a special ryokan as a treat (800-377-7481; nancy@esprittravel.com; esprittravel.com; $650*).

Maldives
Lindsey Wallace, Linara Travel, Eagle, Idaho Recommended generalist
Booking a less-than-great hotel doesn't have to spoil your vacation—unless your vacation is in the Maldives, where a bad hotel equals a bad trip. Wallace (also see "United Arab Emirates and Oman"), who has visited virtually every property in the Maldives, will match you to the right one while making sure your stay is perfect: His behind-the-scenes string pulling with resort managers, concierges, maître d's, sommeliers, spa directors, room butlers, and dive masters translates into special perks for clients, from advantageous room locations to deserted-island excursions (800-335-6033; lindsey@linaratravel.com; linaratravel.com; $500*).

Mongolia
Jalsa Urubshurow, Nomadic Expeditions, Monroe Township, New Jersey
Urubshurow has an office in Ulaanbaatar, speaks two Mongolian dialects, and has an enthusiasm for his ancestral homeland that is infectious. He recommends traveling within the country by four-wheel drive and horse rather than by air—so as to better appreciate the vast, unspoiled landscapes—and stopping en route to meet with nomadic families and experience their natural warmth. Travelers stay in a combination of accommodations: hotels, gers (traditional Mongolian tents), and Nomadic Expeditions' eco-friendly lodge in the Gobi Desert (800-998-6634; jalsa@nomadicexpeditions.com; nomadicexpeditions.com; $655*).

Myanmar
William Myatwunna, Good News Travel, Yangon, Myanmar When Lonely Planet writers decide that it's time to update their guide to Myanmar, the first call they make is to Myatwunna. Born in Yangon and educated in Europe, he is your key to this famously reclusive country. Not only does Myatwunna arrange for drivers, translators, river cruises, mountain treks, bungalows at beachfront resorts, private tours of hill-tribe villages, and hot-air-balloon rides above the ancient ruins of Bagan but he also keeps clients apprised of the latest news and trouble spots (951-375-050; goodnewstravels@gmail.com; myanmargoodnewstravel.com; $600*).

Family Travel in Asia
Leslie Overton, Absolute Travel, New York City
Traveling to Asia can feel daunting enough, but doing it with kids? That's another story. Overton, however—who has traveled in nine Asian countries with her two daughters, ages five and nine—designs trips that will please parents and children alike. She can arrange water buffalo rides in Thailand, kite-flying adventures in China, and visits to local schools so the children can interact with kids their age. She also informs clients about different safety standards (car seats, etc.) so they can take necessary precautions (800-736-8187; loverton@absolutetravel.com; absolutetravel.com; $750*).