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Visiting the Lands of the Bible is not like touring anywhere else. It is a kind of homecoming, because we grew up hearing about these places, and the events that occurred here infused our lives with meaning. For three generations NET has been helping groups of pilgrims, tourists, and students accomplish this journey.
NET is a family business. Emil Abu Dayyeh, its founder, began guiding scholars and archaeologists during the period of the British Mandate. In 1964, together with his wife Wedad (Um Hani), he established the Near East Tourist Agency (NET) in Jerusalem. Since then NET has become one of the largest tour operators in the Middle East, maintaining its headquarters in the Holy Land, branches in Jordan, Italy, Greece, and Turkey, and representative offices in Egypt, Syria and Lebanon.
We attribute the growth of the company to the care we take in selecting guides, the personal attention we give each group, and our very competitive pricing.
Service. Our basic principle is this: The tour is yours, not ours! We shall help you design and implement an itinerary which suits your purpose, but you are in charge. You may choose to put the emphasis on prayer at the holy sites. You may take time to explore the landscape, using panoramic views and hikes, combining feeling and intellect in a search for the geographical logic behind Biblical events. Still others put the emphasis on archaeology. Some seek to get better acquainted with the Jewish roots of Christianity, while many wish to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. According to what you seek to accomplish, we'll help you plan, and then we'll see that the plan gets carried through.
Guides. The guide makes or breaks a tour. This person is the one you'll be listening to for seven or more very intensive days. The whole emphasis at NET, therefore, has been on selecting a top team and matching them with the groups for which they're best suited. The qualities we look for in a guide are knowledge, language skills, patience, and above all, heart. This land is special, so the person who leads you through it must be responsive, both to its deeper meanings and to your purpose in being here. Our guides can present the Biblical text in a living connection to the sites. They include Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Many are distinguished scholars with graduate degrees and publications. All have excellent language skills. You may specify the kind of guide you want or request a particular person.
Hotels and Buses. All hotels in the Holy Land are available to our groups. We own several as well, which helps insure that we can always get space. We also own our bus company, the fleet of modern air-conditioned NET coaches. The drivers are chosen for their skill, patience, and professionalism.
For decades, NET has had cordial business relations with tour agencies in the United States, Europe and Asia. After exploring our Web site, please contact us, and we shall be glad to refer you.
