I just spent a week in a relatively obscure part of Russia called Karelia. It was a great trip for all sorts of reasons. One of the most interesting bits was meeting a guy called Alexi who worked in a local museum in a place called Petrozavosk. His passion for his subject - the culture, traditions of old Karelia - was only matched by his excellent English and good communication skills. The exhibits on show were actually pretty uninspiring - a few bits and pieces in cabinets and some pictures, but he brought them to life quite brilliantly. Contrast this with another guide I'd had to show me round the city... she had her standard commentary that she wouldn't deviate from. She didn't speak any English so I had to listen to her via a translator who was also really poor. The whole thing was dull and frustrating and not much use at all... I couldn't help tuning out after the first 10 minutes or so... It got me thinking about what makes a great guide great...

Obviously being able to communicate in your client's mother tongue is pretty crucial, but beyond that it's about being sensitive to a client's needs and interests. No two tourists are alike... some want in-depth historical background, others just want a few quick details and time to wander at will. The only way a guide can work this out is to listen... and ask questions. So often these are the two things that bad guides don't do at all, focussing instead on demonstrating how much knowledge they have... waffling on and on about stuff that their audience really couldn't care less about. Alexi doubtless knew much more about Karelia and its culture than what he told me, but he assessed my level of interest perfectly and explained concisely and in excllent English... such a contrast with the tedium of the previous couple of hours...