We had hired this lady to show us around the Roman ruins of Jerash in northern Jordan. Sure enough, a couple of hours later we had heard much about the history of the site and how it might have looked in its heyday (if you haven't been, I highly recommend a visit). That was two years ago and I still remember the charismatic lady who showed us around. But I have forgotten pretty much everything she told us about the Romans in Jerash. Instead it is the insights into her own life, living, working and bringing up a family in this dusty Jordanian city that I remember most; her family in America, her own struggles to get her children educated, her tales of Jordanian wedding culture. 

For me, this episode illustrated perfectly the value of having a local guide. A few days later we were at Petra and the young lad who took us through the Siq and around the main sites was equally charismatic, although he was less inclined to venture off script. He had come down to Petra specifically to seek work as a guide. I suspect it's a more cut throat market down there as well. In any case, it was the more mature lady who shared with us the stories that for me embodies the real value of a guide: the chance to speak to someone who can tell you at first hand about life in a country.

As tourists passing through the country for only a few days this was one of the few opportunities we had to do this. An outsider can come in to an important historic site and soon gain the knowledge required to tell a visitor all about the relevant stories. But ask tourists what they remember from a tour with a guide and they'll often cite the personal reflections rather than the recital of facts. 

For many of us it is an interaction with a local guide, even if only for an hour or so, that provides us with our only exposure to a local person. It is during our official tours that they can digress and begin to share a few personal stories that allow us to learn a little about local life. 

Local tours also provide a clear benefit to the person you hire. Usually working as freelancers, most if not all of the money you pay goes directly to that guide, and in many cases this is their sole income. In places such as Jordan choosing to pay a few dollars to a guide at the entrance to a site can do so much more than merely reading the relevant pages of your Lonely Planet book as you wander around. 

What's your view on using local guides at a site? Do you prefer the freedom of wandering around by yourself at your own pace? Or do you enjoy the interaction and local insights you can gain as a bonus to the official tour?