Meet Our Expert Tour Leaders

Our experienced Tour Leaders will bring the history and culture of your destination to life, as well as ensure the smooth and safe operation of all aspects your trip. All of our Leaders possess an amazing breadth of knowledge and love of travel; their expert guidance is a critical element of all of our tours. Below are biographies of just a few of our Tour Leaders: simply the best in the business.

AILI RAUK

Education: English and Drama.
Languages: English, a little Thai, and smatterings of Spanish and French.
Tours Led: India, China, the Himalayan Kingdoms, Mongolia, Central Asia, the Trans-Siberian Railway, Australia, New Zealand, East Africa, Baltic States, Russia, Papua New Guinea, Greece, the Gulf States, Yemen, Egypt and Jordan.
Favourite Destination: Places that overwhelm all the senses: the ghats of Varanasi, the throngs of drumming tribesmen at the Goroka sing-sing, the Tiger's Nest monastery in Bhutan, the top of a sand dune in the Rub' al Khali. And the summit of any mountain, anywhere.

ALASTAIR SMITH

Education: Ongoing.
Languages: English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Arabic and Turkish.
Tours Led: To over 90 countries.
Favourite Destination: Madagascar—the wildlife; Greenland—white nights; Brazil—nothing taken too seriously when one is on Brazilian time; Easter Island—far-flung; and Italy—everything!

ANDRES FERNANDEZ

Education: Communication and Psychology.
Languages: English, Spanish and French.
Tours Led: Costa Rica and Panama.
Favourite Destination: I love travelling in Central America. The natural history is astounding, all the birds, mammals, flora and fauna! As a certified diver and avid sportsman, the area offers many opportunities for diving, kayaking and rafting.

BRAD CROCKETT

Education: Advertising and Marketing.
Languages: French and Arabic.
Tours Led: Over 50 countries including: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, (Kili) Madagascar, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Mali, Sengal, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, Gabon, Poland, Baltic States, Greece, Turkey, Northwest Argentina, Patagonia, Chile, Vietnam, Cambodia, India.
Info: Over 10 years of tour leading, specializing in Africa and the Mediterranean.

CHRISTINA HALLAL

Education: English and Ethnology.
Languages: Spanish and English.
Tours Led: Mexico's Copper Canyon.
Info: Christina has been working in tourism in the Copper Canyon area for over eight years and seems to know every plant, bird, and what lies around every bend on the Chihuahua al Pacifico railroad!
Favourite Destination: I love Vancouver's huge parks and seascapes--in the Copper Canyon, it has to be Batopilas AND the road to get there!

CLAUDE MORENCY

Education: Human Geography and Anthropology.
Languages: English, French and Spanish.
Tours Led: Mexico, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Morocco, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius, Ethiopia, Reunion, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Gabon
Favourite Destination: Indochina—the diversity of landscapes and cultures. From the mountain tribes of Laos to the Khmer civilization... with the great Vietnamese cuisine as a bonus!

DIEGO M. GUASCO

Education: Bachelor in Tourism – USAL, Hospitality and Gastronomy Diploma – LCB.
Languages: English, Spanish, conversational French and Portuguese.
Tours Led: South America, Eastern and Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and United States.
Info: Born and raised in Patagonia, Diego moved to the cosmopolitan Buenos Aires where he graduated and began his extensive career in the Tourist Industry. His pursuit of new experiences and challenges brought him to North America, living in Washington DC, Ottawa and finally settling in Vancouver, B.C.
Favourite Destination: Patagonia with its boundless horizons; the magnificent Canadian Rockies; Spain and Italy for their superb gastronomy.

ERIK MITBRODT

Education: B.A. in Anthropology and Hispanic Studies.
Languages: English, Spanish, Italian and conversational Japanese.
Tours Led: Jordan, Syria, Israel, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Korea, Japan, Italy, Greece and Malaysia.
Info: Erik has travelled extensively in Japan, South Korea, Europe and the Americas. He conducted a 47-day, self-supported bicycle tour from Victoria, Canada, to La Paz, Mexico. Erik has studied, lived and worked in Venezuela, Italy and Japan.
Favourite Destination: Venezuela for its hospitable people, beaches, mountains and savannahs. Japan for its amazing mix of nature, history and modernity.

FRANCES MORTON

Education: Institutional Management, Scottish architecture, plants of Scotland and travel and tourism.
Languages: English, French and Swahili.
Tours Led: Scotland and France
Favourite Destination: France—I go almost every year; the Canary Islands, and, of course, Scotland! I love hawking with birds of prey and walking those Scottish hills.

IAN TRANSUE

Education: English and Drama.
Languages: English, Polish and a bit of Czech and Russian.
Tours Led: Baltic States, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Russia, Trans-Siberia, Czech Republic, the Caucasus, Slovak Republic and Ethiopia.
Favourite Destination: When the world gets too much, I love to head to Olomouc, Czech Republic, the highlands of Scotland, or isolate myself on the islands of Lofoten in northern Norway.

INDER JEET SINGH

Education: Bachlor of Commerce,Mountaineering Course from IMF(Indian Mountaineering Foundation.
Languages: English, German, Hindi, Punjabi, Kashmiri, Nepali.
Tours Led: Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Darjeeling, Garhwal and Kumaon, Bombay, Goa and South India.
Favourite Destination: Spiti Valey in Himachal Pradesh and Sunrise in Tiger Hill in Darjeeling.

JAMES KAGGIA

Education: Tour Guiding and Tourism Management.
Languages: English, Swahili and Kikuyu.
Tours Led: Kenya, Tanzania including Zanzibar and Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Info: James has been working in tourism in East Africa region for over ten years both in the office and in the field.
Favourite Destination: Just like the name Serengeti means in the maa language of the Maasai, the plains are truly endless. Its quite a feat to get there, but worth all the trouble!

JONATHAN HODGSON

Education: Psychology and an MBA.
Languages: English, conversational French and smatterings of Spanish, German, Czech and Laotian. And a decent Scottish accent.
Tours Led: Eastern and Central Europe, Adriatic, West Africa, Australia and New Zealand, Iran and the Caucasus, Himalaya, India, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Belize, Morocco, Baltic States, Russia, Ukraine, Papua New Guinea, Guatemala, and the Middle East.
Favourite Destination: Tibet—The people, the landscape, the Yak butter incense. You just don't forget it, especially the incense. Guatemala—one of the most photogenic countries you could ask for. Australia—Melbourne, Barramundi and a really big red rock.

JULIE MOLYNEUX

Education: Bachelor of Arts from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Info: Born in England, raised in South Africa.Has worked as a tour leader for more than 15 years. Has led tours to China, Australia, South Pacific Islands, Seychelles, Kenya, and Southern Africa.
Favourite Destination: "For natural beauty my personal favourite destination must be Namibia; I love the solitude of the Namib desert. The most special destination I have ever visited must be Tibet. I love the rich tapestry of this country's ancient history."

LAURA RUDDERFORTH

Education: English Literature, Art History, Education and PADI Instructor.
Languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, some Tagalog, Thai, Turkish and Mandarin.
Tours Led: Gulf States, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Adriatic, Malta, Turkey, Scotland, Chile and everywhere in Italy.
Favourite Destination: The Philippines for the fascinating underwater landscapes and life, Sicily for the abundance of delicious cuisine and wealth of antiquity, everywhere on Rapa Nui.

LINDSAY MACKENZIE

Education: BA Geography and Political Science.
Languages: English and some Spanish, French and Italian.
Tours Led: Italy, Malta, Croatia, Montenegro, Romania, Bulgaria, Australia, New Zealand, Jordan, Iran, Brazil, Egypt, Slovenia, Greece and Cuba.
Info: Born and raised in Whistler, B.C., but has lived in Switzerland, South Africa and Costa Rica. Spent a summer in Kosovo helping to create a local NGO to promote environmental education and a year on a Watson Fellowship to examine transboundary conservation areas and community-based development projects.
Favourite Destination: Iran for the unbelievable warmth of the people; I love seeing the group's reactions to a place that is so different from their expectations. Italy and the Adriatic for an unsurpassed combination of sun, sea, art, history and great food and wine. Cape Town, Istanbul, Melbourne and Rio for their vitality. Namibia and Jordan for the stunning landscapes. Costa Rica for la pura vida.

ONDREJ STREJCEK

Education: Music and History.
Languages: English, Czech, Slovak, Russian; some German, Polish, Italian, and Spanish.
Tours Led: Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Russia and Baltic States.
Favourite Destination: Czech Republic-rapidly developing but still very cultural and historical.

PABLO GONZALEZ

Education: Tourism business at Technological University of Quito.
Languages: Spanish, English and German.
Favourite Destination: Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Strasbourg in France, but I have a special interest and attraction for Peru and Bolivia since I began travelling to these countries.

ROBERT KRUSE

Education: Business/Organizational Development.
Languages: English, some Italian, a bit of French, and a bit of Spanish.
Tours Led: East Africa, Southern Africa, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Syria, Slovenia, Spain, Croatia, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Favourite Destination: Isle de Ometepe in Nicaragua, San Blas Islands in Panama, or Cefalu in Sicily.

SERRA HUGHES

Education: Middle Eastern and Islamic History and English Literature.
Languages: English and Mandarin.
Tours Led: Greece, China, Silk Road, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Malaysia, Gulf States, Israel/Jordan and Egypt.
Favourite Destination: China: a constantly changing, exciting, complex and beautiful country. And anywhere in Southeast Asia.

STEPHEN SCROGINGS

Education: Visual Arts and Sociology.
Languages: English and Japanese
Tours Led: Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Favourite Destination: I am fascinated by the art and culture of Asia, and in particular Japan. The far north of Japan is one of the region's most intriguing areas.

SUBASH TAMANG

Education: Bachelor of Arts (Geography and Economics).
Languages: Nepali , Hindi and English.
Tours Led: Darjeeling, Sikkim, Bhutan, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Tibet, Nepal, Kumoan and Rajasthan.
Favourite Destination: Watching the sunrise over the Kanchenjunga from Tonglu in Darjeeling, especially the first rays touching the mountain.

THOMAS EGLI

Education: BSc Ecology and Environmental Biology, PADI Instructor
Languages: English, French, Spanish and (Swiss-) German.
Tours Led: Iran, Baltic States, Russia, Kenya/Tanzania (East Africa), Gulf States, Egypt/Jordan, Greece, Slovenia, Croatia, Bali, Poland, Spain and the Strait of Georgia (really!) and Central America
Info: An interest in conservation has brought me to work on research projects with whales and rockfish in B.C., sea turtles in Costa Rica, and dolphins in New Zealand. I try to bring my camera and tastebuds wherever I go.
Favourite Destination: Australia for its stunning wide-open spaces and colours; Thailand for its spiciness, Indonesia for its wicked diving; and Singapore because everything works.

VICTOR ROMAGNOLI

Education: History and English Literature.
Languages: English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Turkish, German, Arabic and Greek.
Tours Led: On all seven continents.
Favourite Destination: The next tour I lead, wherever that may be. Who knows what interesting people I might meet on the tour and what fascinating experiences we may have along the way.

VLN RAO

Education: Masters in Commerce and Indology
Languages: English, Italian and many Indian Languages
Tours Led: Has led tours throughout Asia, including India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and South Korea
Info: 0000
Favourite Destination: All destinations that present their unique cultural heritage... places of great cultural value, whether Ayutayya in Thailand, Hampi in India or Sigiriya in Sri Lanka.

YVETTE HAAKMEESTER

Education: MA Classical History and Archaeology
Tours Led: Turkey, Greece, Italy, Malta, Tunisia, Libya, Morocco, Egypt, Israel,Croatia, Slovenia, Ethiopia, Mali and Burkina Faso.
Info: She has been leading tours for 15 years. Her area of expertise is the countries of the Mediterranean basin. She has a particular fascination for the imprint of ancient cultures on modern ones (culture, religion, cuisine, music, architecgure, etc.) She has resided in Turkey, Greece and currently in Hammamet, Tunisia.

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