Originally Posted by
13901
Do check out caravanistan.com
The target might not be exactly the same as this forum (more on the 'backpacker'/overlander kind of tourists) but it's a goldmine of info on borders, transportation and so on. Steven and Saule also have a great network of local guides and the forum is also very useful.
They also offer tours with some local operators - I’ve not used a tour operator via Caravanistan but they seem quite open about what they offer and selective in the operators they work with so I’d imagine they’d be of decent quality.
I’d also echo a comment further up the thread about Advantour. They seem to me to be a little more expensive than some of the other options but I found the whole experience to be professional and seamless from start to finish - I was very happy with my experience with them.