Alex Maas – Tour Guide par excellance

For Alex Maas it all started in the Caribbean where he took people on scuba diving trips and did some chartering on a yacht. This, followed by 2 years of running a restaurant in Cape Town, sparked his interest in the service industry and when a friend introduced him to tour guiding, whilst chatting on Clifton Beach, he was sold.

Returning to his Engineering studies was now no longer an option. Alex, now a qualified national tour guide, has been employed by Thompsons Touring and Safaris, which operates affordable safaris in South Africa, for 11 years. When asked what makes for a good tour guide, he responds by saying that one needs to be reliable, committed and enthusiastic, as well as patient and flexible. The payoff is the opportunity to meet and interact with many interesting characters, to travel and spend time outdoors, and in South Africa, the pleasure of enjoying wide open spaces.

After 10 years he has many stories to tell, some funny and some not so funny. He remembers the time when some passengeres approached him complaining about a specific fellow who hadn’t bathed and had worn the same clothing for a week. He politely hinted that at the end of a warm day, a nice cool shower would be very refreshing before dinner and then pointed out where the laundramat was. It seemed to have the desired effect for a few days at least. Things don’t always go quite to plan and Alex had to put himself at risk to difuse a situation between a very aggressive baboon and a lady involved in a tug-of-war over her handbag.

Although he enjoys all of his tours, he does have one favourite, the Garden Route. “It’s a great way of getting away from the rush and traffice congestion in the City. It is relaxing and has some beautiful scenery”, he says. “What makes Tour Guiding so interesting is that every day is different. Even though you run the same tours over and over, each time is a unique experience and brings with it new faces, new places and sometimes some challenges but, for me, the most rewarding thing is seeing your passengers enjoy their experience”.

Arnaud de Grandpre, National Touring Manager of Thompsons Touring & Safaris, says that over the years Alex has consistently provided an exceptional standard of service. “He’s a cool, calm and responsible guy with a passion for people and a love for tourism in this country”.

11 September 2008

For more information please contact Angela Shackleford on angela.shackleford@thompsons.co.za or Melissa Williams on mellissa.williams@thompsons.co.za or visit www.affordablesafaris.co.za for more information’s on Tours in and around South Africa.

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