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 & 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, the Gulf States, Yemen, and more.
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 ...ongoing
Languages: some 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!

CHRISTINE CLARK

Education: Latin American Studies - Simon Fraser University, Event Management- BCIT.
Languages: English and Spanish.
Tours Led: Italy, Cuba, Peru and China.
Info: Lived in Scotland and studied in Spain and Mexico. A background in Hospitality and Marketing.
Favourite Destination: Edinburgh for its grey scale beauty; India for the chaos and colour; Cambodia for its resilient people and genuine smiles.

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, 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!

ERIK MIDBRODT

Education: B.A. in Anthropology and Hispanic Studies.
Languages: English, Spanish, Italian and conversational Japanese.
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.
Countries visited: Venezuela, Mexico, Bolivia, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Japan, Korea, Italy, Germany, Spain, Austria, Greece and Scandinavia. Favourite Destinations: 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, 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 HUNT

Education: BA from Western and Masters of Art History from the University of Florence, Italy.
Info: Ian is a world traveller from way back, having visited more than 80 countries spread over every continent on Earth (except from Antarctica). He lived overseas for 10 years, first in Europe--where he began his tour leading career--and then in Australia. He tries to live by the adage that life is too important to take too seriously, believing in making the most of each and every day in a spirit of fun and kindness to others.
Fav Destinations: SE Asia, especially the thoroughly enchanting Laos. Also love Tanzania and Zanzibar in particular.
Tours Led: Italy, Silk Road, Mongolia, North Africa (Lybia, Tunisia, Malta), Lake Baikal, China (all), SE Asia, West Africa, East Africa & Japan.

INDER JEET SINGH

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

JIHAD TABCHO

Education: Engineering.
Languages: English, French and Arabic.
Tours Led: Jordan, Syria, Iran and Egypt.
Favourite Destination: Vancouver smiles, oceanside gelato and mountain getaways are three aspects that sum up the beauty of British Columbia for me.

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, Australia and New Zealand, Himalaya, India, Italy, Egypt, Belize, Morocco, Baltic States, Russia, Ukraine, Papua New Guinea, Guatemala, Jordan and Syria.
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."

KATIE YANG

Education: English Literature.
Languages: English, Mandarin, French, Spanish and Japanese.
Info: Has lived in Japan, Australia, Italy, the UK, Guatemala and Malaysia; was originally Made in Taiwan and spent nine childhood years there.
Tours Led: Central Asia, China, Turkey, Cuba, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, India, Baltic States, Scandinavia, Canada, USA and Japan.
Favourite Destinations: Indonesia--beautiful landscape, people and the food! South Africa--modern history, landscape and wine country. And Guatemala for its colourful people.

LINDSAY MACKENZIE

Education: BA Geography/Political Science (Colgate University, NY, USA). Watson Fellowship for a year of independent travel to examine transboundary conservation areas and community-based development projects.
Languages: English and some Spanish, French and Italian.
Tours Led: Italy, Iran, Malta, Adriatic
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.
Favourite Destination: Cape Town and Istanbul for their vitality; Namibia and Jordan for the stunning landscapes; Italy for art and food; Costa Rica for la pura vida.

MARIE FRANCE GRATTON

Education: Tourism & Hotel Management.
Languages: English & French.
Countries visited: UK, France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Malta, Greece, Eastern & Western Caribbean, Brazil, French Guiana, Morocco, Senegal, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New-Zealand, Fiji, USA, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
Info: Born and raised in the small town of Hawkesbury in Eastern Ontario, Marie France has lived in Australia and France and has worked in the UK for four years, mainly on the beautiful Island of Jersey in the Channel Islands. She is now calling Vancouver home, where she is also involved with the film industry.
Favourite Destinations: Greece—history and amazing food; New Zealand—stunning geothermal activity; South East Asia—hospitality and culture.

MATEA KULIC

Education: International Relations and Latin American Studies.
Languages: English, Croatian, Spanish.
Countries visited: Sweden, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Czech, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, India and Central Europe.
Favourite Destination: Dalmatian Islands—fresh fish, olive oil and wine, brown-backed fisherman and the slow pace of life on the deep blue Adriatic. I also love Central America because it offers a traveller everything from natural wonders, immense history, beautiful people and culture, and even rice and beans!

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. .

ROB KRUSE

Education: Business/Organizational Development.
Languages: English, some Italian, a bit of French, and a bit of Spanish.
Countries visited: Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Czech, Italy, France, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama.
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, 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 Spoken: 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: Gulf States, Egypt/Jordan, Greece, Slovenia, Croatia, Bali, Poland, Spain & the Strait of Georgia (really!),
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.

PHOTO SOON

VLN Rao

Education: Masters in Commerce & Indology
Languages: English, Italian and many Indian Languages
Tours Led: Has led tours throughout Asia, including India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia & South Korea
Favourite Destinations: 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.