A smiling man with short, light brown hair and a beard standing outdoors with a blurry desert background.

Philip Eichkorn

CEO / Managing Director

I am Philip Eichkorn, managing director of Take Memories and also responsible for Orient Memories in this role. My journey has taken me through all the classic stages of the industry – from travel agency to a DMC to a tour operator – and especially to where the asphalt ends. For over 20 years, the Orient has been my core competency, focusing on Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Oman.

philip@takememories.com
Three men sitting in a blue wooden boat on a calm river with lush greenery and palm trees in the background under a clear sky. One man is rowing while another is taking a photo with a smartphone.
What touches me most about the Orient to this day is the unconditional warmth of the people – they outwardly express their joy of life and pride, even when everyday life often weighs heavily on them.
Two men sitting on a boat deck with a scenic background during daytime, engaged in a conversation.
Three people sitting in a helicopter, wearing headsets and enjoying the flight.
A man standing on sand with ancient ruins in the background during sunset.
A young boy in traditional Middle Eastern attire holding a tray, standing next to a smiling man in casual clothing at an airport.
A person sitting inside an artistic, circular structure made of stacked wooden cubes in a desert landscape.

On my bucket list

Syria

I have always wanted to visit Syria, but since the civil war in 2011, that has not really been possible for a long time. Since the fall of the dictatorship in 2024, I have regained hope that this will change. Damascus is the world's longest continuously inhabited capital, Aleppo one of the oldest settled places at all – but what I care most about is the people: the deeply rooted hospitality and warmth of a beleaguered people, for whom the hospitality of a guest is almost something sacred, the Syrian cuisine, and the inspiring solidarity of the people.

My next trip

Egypt

Next, I am heading to Egypt, a country that I have visited multiple times and in which we deliberately move off the beaten paths. I will finally visit the Siwa Oasis, which is only accessible by military aircraft and has been on my list for a long time. I am especially looking forward to the new hotels there and to further exploring this destination for our guests.

How the Orient conquered my heart

My fascination with the Arab world did not begin on a journey, but in the nursery: with the stories from 1001 Nights that were read to me. This magic has never left me. Originally, I wanted to study Islamic studies, but then I went through the travel industry – from travel agency to a DMC to a tour operator. Together with my business partner Stefan, I pitched the first tents by hand into the sand dunes in the blistering heat of the Wahiba Sands in 2014, at a time when there was no team, no fixed structures, and the word glamping had just been invented. This led to the creation of Take Memories Travel Design.

The Middle East has been my core competency to this day. I have traveled extensively through the region, including countries like Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, which have a hard time in tourism and are often underestimated, and I have sometimes waited for years for a visa for Saudi Arabia, in order to uncover untouched corners for our guests as one of the first. With TheOmanExpedition we were the first company ever to cross the Rub al Khali, the largest sand desert in the world, on a self-driving basis. My ambition is always the unspoiled experience, far away from the ordinary – products that I design myself and test thoroughly before offering them to our guests. What excites me the most to this day is the original Arab hospitality. I also talk about my topics in tourism podcasts and as a lecturer at the CBS International Business School in Cologne – when I am not standing on the sidelines as a soccer coach.

Places that particularly excite me in the Orient

Saudi Arabia

My first trip to Saudi Arabia was something truly extraordinary. I had waited many years for a visa and hoped for the opportunity to visit the country. In winter 2020, it was finally time. The city, shaped by its proximity to Mecca and its own port, was incredibly open, modern, and multicultural. Saudi Arabia captivated me from the very first moment. In Medina, I was one of the first Christians allowed to visit this city, and in AlUla I had the impressive rock tombs and natural wonders almost all to myself. This pioneering feeling and the numerous encounters, which for the locals were often the first with tourists, made this trip a unique experience for me as an Arabia lover that I will never forget.

Oman

I hardly know where to start with Oman. Here I started my business, moved into the outback with a tent and no mobile reception, and from there took care of our first guests. Oman was the first country I fell in love with at first sight, and this love has never left me. It is the people with their purity and warmth, and the diversity of the country between oases, mountains, and endless desert. There are still places in Oman where there is simply nothing but nature and a few locals – and that is what makes this country so special for me to this day. Anyone who has not been there yet should change that as quickly as possible.

Lebanon

Lebanon surprises me on so many levels that I never stop discovering it. What impresses me most about the people: They have endured so many crises and always get back up. Beirut is a modern, open city with great bars and clubs, and the people there were full of life, no matter what happened around them – even though the country is currently particularly struggling. Scenically, Lebanon is incredibly diverse, but I was most blown away by the temple of Baalbek – I hardly know a better preserved ancient site. And then the vineyards, which are simply unexpected in this region.

Jordan

Jordan is and remains one of my favorite countries in the Orient – you just have to know which regions to visit at which time of year. Petra, before the large groups of visitors arrive, continues to be magical for me. I love Amman for its authentic, rough, and loud way of life. And the variety is enormous: from Wadi Rum to Petra to the Red Sea, where on weekends many locals vacation themselves and a very own, relaxed vibe prevails.

Egypt

Egypt has completely captivated me, and the destination is currently the big trend in the Arab world. The new Egyptian Museum is for me the most spectacular museum I know. A ride on one of the new, old wooden dahabiyas on the Nile is for me the most beautiful way to travel – life on the Nile just passes by you. And there are still so many insider tips away from the well-known route, like Fayoum or the Siwa Oasis. What touches me most about Egypt is the warmth of the people, who often have a hard time but still show their joy of life on the streets at any time of day or night.

Mentions

I have published contributions in various renowned publications and have been mentioned, including in FAZ, Leadersnet, Kölner Wissenschaftsrunde, Spiegel, DUP Magazin, Touristik Aktuell, TIP Online, Travelnews, CBS, Golfregional, and Vogue:

See where I've traveled

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A young man with light skin and a middle eastern man with darker skin are shopping in a colorful souvenir market.

Oman

Majestic desert landscapes, a rich cultural heritage, and a hint of a thousand and one nights – in the country where I started with Canvas Club Glamping in the desert and which to this day is my second home.
A man stands next to a blue road sign showing directions and distances to Sarfeet and Yemen in both Arabic and English, set in a dry, rocky landscape under a clear sky.

Yemen

Rugged coasts, untouched fishing villages, and pure Arab hospitality – where I, with my team, as the first DMC in Oman, offer day trips from Salalah to freshly caught lobsters on the beach of Hawf and encounters that have never left me.
A group of children and an adult posing together on a dirt street in front of a partially constructed brick building under a clear sky.

Egypt

Ancient heritage, the Nile as the most beautiful way to travel, and insider tips like Fayoum or the Siwa Oasis that hardly anyone knows – Egypt has completely captivated me, with one of the most spectacular museums in the world and people whose joy of life cannot be brought down by anything.

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