FOLLOW YOUR LEADER
For those of you who have previously traveled with ElderTreks, you may know one or even several of our tour leaders listed below. Their expertise, commitment and sensitivity to our travelers as well as the people and environments we visit are the reasons we get such great feedback on our guides from our past travelers.
The following is a tentative schedule of our tour leaders upcoming adventures. Please bear in mind that this is only a provisional schedule and while these leaders are scheduled to be on these trips, circumstances beyond our control may change these schedules.
We are proud of all of our first rate tour leaders, but if you have traveled with one and really want to travel on another trip they are leading, we extend to you a formal invitation to "Follow your Leader".
Roger Burrows
Roger has led innumerable ElderTreks trips, and as a veteran tour leader, he brings a wealth of experience to his job as all-round trip facilitator. Roger's travels have taken him all over the world, including Europe, South America, Asia and Africa. His keen interest in local people and cultures often offers travelers the unique opportunity to visit local homes, orphanages and schools. An avid animal lover, Roger has even been known to bring treats for local cats and dogs.
A leader of more than just tours: Mr. Saji's dream. | |  |
| Sep 11 | - | Sep 28,2010 | Madagascar  - Roger's 50th Birthday Tour |
| Oct 02 | - | Oct 26,2010 | The Stans of Central Asia |
| Nov 02 | - | Nov 22,2010 | Vietnam |
| Dec 17,2010 | - | Jan 06,2011 | Vietnam |
| Jan 06 | - | Feb 06,2011 | The Grand South-East Asia Adventure |
| Feb 08 | - | Feb 23,2011 | Laos |
| Feb 23 | - | Mar 15,2011 | Vietnam |
| Mar 21 | - | Apr 05,2011 | Sri Lanka |
| Apr 27 | - | May 20,2011 | Silk Road |
| May 05 | - | May 29,2011 | The Stans of Central Asia |
| Jul 01 | - | Jul 17,2011 | Mongolia |
| Sep 07 | - | Sep 30,2011 | Silk Road |
"He is the best!! Roger gives his all to the tour and no-one can compare with his competence."
Gloria Mossburg - Madagascar
Guilherme (Gafa) Estamato
| Guilherme is a native Brazilian (nicknamed "Gafa") and graduated from Sao Paulo University with a degree in Physical Education along with a Black-belt in Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan. He currently lives in Sao Paulo with his wife and young son. Gafa is an excellent photographer and wildlife expert who will add great local knowledge to the explorations on your tour. | |  |
"Gafa made our travels flow smoothly and is just a pleasant person to be with."
Jade Lovell - Brazil
Steve Booth
| Steve has led happy ElderTrekkers through such exotic destinations as Borneo, South-East Asia and Peru. As the former co-owner of Eco-Summer Expeditions Steve brings many years of guiding experience to ElderTreks. Steve's travels have taken him all over the world. His skill in dealing with people coupled with his background in marine biology is certain to enhance every ElderTreks experience. | |  |
"He is a very intelligent and knowledgeable young man. It was a great group and well lead by Steve. "
Eve Phillipson - Borneo
Pontus Deri
| Pontus, a Swede by birth, is a veteran tour leader, having led many ElderTreks groups through Bhutan, Nepal, Thailand and Laos. Pontus has called Thailand home for the last 13 years. He is widely traveled, filled with wonderful stories and has an easy-going, relaxed manner. We have received accolades for his leadership; we think you'll agree. | |  |
"I have never had a tour leader that cares so much about his guests, and his timing of each day was almost perfect. Then there are the snacks!"
Susan Rosenzweig - Laos
Lajos Nemeth
| Lajos is a proud native Hungarian, with a formidable knowledge of the areas flora and fauna, having lead trips in these regions for years. Lajos brings a wealth of experience and character to his job and will be outstanding as all-round facilitator on your trip. | |  |
"Lajos is caring and flexible when plans have to be changed."
Jurgen Pitsch -
Manuel Velazco
| Manuel originally from the Andes of Peru (Cusco), began in the travel business at the tender age of 14. He has been leading trips in South America for five years and has a degree as a Professional Tour Guide, specializing in Inca Culture. Manuel has been sharing his wonderful sense of humor and love of the mountains with ElderTrekkers for many years and has hiked the Inca Trail over 250 times. He also speaks three different languages, English, Spanish and Qechua (the language of the Incas) and brings plenty of fun and learning to every adventure he guides. | |  |
"Manuel is a marvelous addition to your crew. He is so caring, so knowledgeable and looks after everyone like a mother hen. What an asset. I am dreaming about my next adventure."
Rita Breton - Argentina and Chile
Gulin Pazaroglu
Gulin has many years of guiding experience. Her knowledge, wonderful smile and great stories will enrich your trip. Gulin speaks English and Japanese and is currently studying Greek. She believes that local food is a very important part of local culture and tradition. Gulin will be available at all times during the trip to help ensure that everything proceeds smoothly and to make sure that your trip will be a memorable one.
One of the top tour leaders in the world: Wanderlust 2008 Guide of the Year awards. | |  |
"Gulin was very nice. She was very accommodating, cared that we were comfortable, and was very helpful."
Henny Bernards - Silk Road
Claudio Portal
| Claudio received his Tour Guide degree in 1985, specializing in Archeology. He enjoys all sorts of outdoor activities including fishing, hiking and horseback riding. With extensive worldwide travel experience, which includes living on a kibbutz in Israel and spending long periods of time in Europe, Claudio speaks English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Greek and Italian. His love of the outdoors and love of other cultures will be sure to add fun to your adventure. | |  |
"Claudio has been the best tour leader we have experienced. He was relaxed and appeared to enjoy himself along with the group."
Mary Wright - Hidden Treasures of South America
Eric Fengler
| Eric was born in the Netherlands where he studied Environmental Engineering at Wageningen University. During his studies he trained in Tucume, 1,300 km northwest of Buenos Aires moving there in 1992. He has traveled extensively throughout South America and has been guiding tours in Argentina and Chile since 1996 specializing in the Patagonia region. Eric speaks English, German, and Spanish as well as his native Dutch. Eric has worked with ElderTreks for many years and we welcome his local knowledge and international flair. You are in very capable hands with Eric. | |  |
"I just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know how much Mom and I enjoyed the trip!! Our two weeks were so well organized, we saw so many sights and had such wonderful hikes - geared both for Mom and for me. But most of all I wanted to let you know that Eric is just the greatest Tour Guide... from his sense of humour to his organizational skills, to his people skills - he was just fabulous! I can't imagine adventure travelling with anyone other than Elder Treks and have been telling everyone the same."
Janice and Ruth - Patagonia Trekking
Parveen Paul
| Parveen began her career in travel in 1971. She has extensively traveled both within the Indian Subcontinent and abroad. With over 30 years of experience in guiding, Parveen is one of the most sought after Tour Guides for Indian Subcontinent. Awarded 'Best Guide of the Year' several times, Parveen also acquired an expertise in managing Special Interest Tours such as TV Shoots, Broadcasting Groups, etc. | |  |
"I cannot say enough about Parveen. Anyone who is fortunate enough to have her as a leader is truly lucky. She is clearly the best guide we have ever had."
Sam Beller - Classic India
Nitin Dhami
| Nitin calls the world his classroom. Traveling extensively throughout India and the world, Nitin offers a unique perspective about the adventures you take with him. He has a wealth of knowledge about the history, the heritage, the cultures and customs of the people of India and a keen understanding of the geography of South Asia. Nitin has led a variety of adventures in India, Nepal, Ladakh and Sri Lanka. Nitin is happiest in the mountains of Northern India and the higher the better, as he is an advanced mountaineering expert having climbed to 19,685 feet twice. Nitin speaks English, Hindi, Punjabi and several local Indian dialects. He is a certified Wilderness First Responder (NOLS, California USA) and he is currently completing his Bachelor of Tourism degree. | |  |
"The short version this is that our PNG trip was a huge success and Nitin is a super leader - would definitely travel again with him. He is a definite "keeper" and all your clients will enjoy him. On a scale of 1 to 10, he is definitely a 10!"
Cheryl Chanter - Papua New Guinea
Harris Karagiannis
| Harris studied preservation and guiding of National Parks and recreational areas and obtained his degree in Greece, in 2000. Since 2001 he has worked as a guide and has lead zodiac and sea kayaking trips in the Ionian Sea, as well as hiking trips on Crete, Cyclades and Mt Olympos. He has been studying European Civilation since 2004, and continues to enhance his knowledge through university courses. As an ongoing quest for environmental education, he takes classes in forestry and national parks. He has travel extensively to other parts of the world including the Amazon and the Andes but mostly enjoys leading groups in his native Greece. | |  |
"Harris ranks very high on my list of guides - very flexible, creative, funny and warm."
Louise Hunt - Ancient Greece
Patrick Campbell
Patrick has spent most of his life in touch with the great outdoors, including many adventures climbing, kayaking and tramping (hiking) around New Zealand. As a volunteer Mountain Safety Council instructor, Patrick enjoys teaching people outdoor skills enabling them to experience the great outdoors in a safe and enjoyable way.
Tours with Patrick are a lot of fun with his "off the wall humour" and plenty of expert knowledge. He truly enjoys sharing special places with special people and fortunately New Zealand has plenty of them. Like most Kiwi's, Patrick is pretty laid back and likes to treat life as an adventure full of little surprises. He says he is young at heart but slightly older in other places. | |  |
"They were superlative! Very caring, sincere and committed to their work. They will become personal friends – I loved them both."
Paula Sandefur - New Zealand
Abdul Sebak
| Abdul Moez is a graduate of the Faculty of Archeology and is the Director of Egyptology at the Gaza Pyramids. He has worked on several important archelogical digs including Abu Rawash, Worker’s Village in Giza, (pre-dynastic period at Saqqara) and currently serves as an advisor for archelogical digs in and around the Giza area. He also holds a diploma in Tourism/Guiding from the Faculty of Tourism in Egypt and brings a wealth of knowledge to his role as Tour Leader for ElderTreks. | |  |
| Oct 02 | - | Oct 23,2010 | Egypt |
| Oct 30 | - | Nov 20,2010 | Egypt |
| Feb 26 | - | Mar 19,2011 | Egypt |
| Oct 29 | - | Nov 19,2011 | Egypt |
"Abdul was extremely patient - always willing to explain one more time whatever information we needed to know - very kind, thoughtful and always up beat. His passion for archeology, pyramids, pharaohs, and tombs was contagious and inspiring. Very knowledgeable - wonderful sense of humor."
M Twitchell - Egypt
Steffie Mustafah
Steffi has traveled and guided extensively in the national parks of Uganda. He has worked in several upcountry areas in Queen Elizabeth National Park where he was a mechanic, driver and guide for the Wildlife Education Centre and was also the camp co-ordinator for an elephant project in Queen Elizabeth National Park
He has an excellent ability to relate to people and has a great sense of humour. He has extensive knowledge of Uganda's wildlife including birding, it's people and culture and much more. His work experience includes being a logistic officer taking care of overseas volunteers for the British based
organization Frontiers. Steffi's professionalism, caring attitude and love of his country make Steffi a wonderful person to lead you through Uganda. | |  |
"Very personable and professional."
L Paddack - Uganda
Daniel Tesfaye
Daniel was born, raised and educated in Ethiopia's capital city of Addis Ababa, where he graduated from University in World History before earning his Diploma in Tour Guiding from the Tourism Training Institute. Daniel's desire to acquire knowledge inspired him to continue with intensive courses in Ethiopian history, Geography and Wildlife.
With over 10 years of guiding experience, Daniel enjoys leading intrepid travelers all over Ethiopia as well as tours in neighboring countries. In addition to the "classic" tours, he is qualified to lead archeological, anthropological and historical groups as well as bird watching, desert expedition, mountain climbing, and trekking tours. | |  |
"Daniel is one of the best guides I have ever had the pleasure to travel with. He does not ruffle easily and always has a smile. He is kind, patient and energetic. He is also extremely knowledgeable about the history of his country. "
F. Parks - Ethiopia
Samir
| Samir has been leading ElderTreks' Morocco tours since 2004 and has been guiding English speaking groups since 1987. He considers himself a student, and as such is always eager to learn more about his country, it's history, as well as Islam and the Arab world, yet his Moroccan collegues consider Samir as a true expert in all of these areas. Having been to every corner of Morocco, virtually every city, town and village as well as most places off road, his knowledge is vast. His formal education includes attending university in Casablanca and also studying tourism in Tangiers. He speaks English, Arabic, French and Japanese. With his tremendous knowledge and guiding experience, an engaging and caring personality and a desire to really show you the best of Morocco, Samir will surely be a big inspiration to an unforgetable and unique journey to Morocco. | |  |
"Samir showed us selected places that were interesting and educational. He gave us a good understanding of the country, the culture and the history of Morocco."
F. Gora - Morocco
Douglas Brisebois
Douglas Brisebois has worked as a tour leader for almost 20 years. His travels have taken him to all parts of the world from Asia to Africa to Antarctica and much more. His knowledge and experience help to make each and every tour he leads an unforgettable memory.
Douglas grew up in Northern Ontario surrounded by beautiful lakes, green forests and breathtaking scenery where he acquired a healthy respect and admiration for his natural surroundings. He spent time working for his parents at the family run resort which was his first introduction to tourism. Although home is in Ontario, Canada, Douglas enjoys escaping to his house in Costa Rica overlooking the Pacific, or visiting his small finca (ranch) in the mountains close to Arenal volcano.
If you have the pleasure of being on a trip lead by Douglas, his charm, energy, knowledge and caring attitude will ensure your trip is truly a unique experience. | |  |
"Wherever he goes, I plan to book a trip!"
I. Horvath and B. Peters - Morocco
Aida Eren
| Aida was born in Istanbul where she studied Civil Engineering at Bosphorus University and then studied Classical Archaeology in Istanbul University. She worked in the excavations of prehistoric settlements in Eastern and South Eastern Turkey for many years. With over 20 years of experience in guiding, Aida loves to talk about the long, fascinating history and culture of her country with people from other countries. In addition to her native tongue, Aida speaks English and Japanese, and is currently studying Spanish. She loves nature, animals and to interact with the people from other cultures. | |  |
"The trip wouldn't have been the same without her. Her depth of knowledge about her country (history, religion, ethnic variations, food) and the ability to describe it is exceptional. Also her good humor and kindness are exemplary. "
S. La Cabe - Eastern Turkey
Tomas Havlicek
| Tomas, a native Czech, received his University degree in English and American studies as well as philosophy. He has worked as a guide since 2000, specializing in Central Europe. Tomas has a keen interest in history, architecture, and post-communist development of the region. Since he has lived half of his life under the communist rule and the other under democracy, Tomas has a truly unique perspective which he loves to share with those he is travelling with. Tomas will do all that he can to make your travel experience with him most memorable! | |  |
"Excellent guide! Broad interests, intelligent, caring, fantastic language skills, great people person!"
J. Schmidlapp and J. Lancaster - Medieval Treasures of Eastern Europe
Alex Nodarse
| Alexander Nodarse Konnorov was raised in Havana and his love for learning brought him to the University of Havana where he received his degree in Biology. His passion for people, his country and learning lead him to guiding groups through his home land for ElderTreks since 2007. He has been a guide for the past 8 years and cannot wait to show you Cuba his way. His knowledge and love for people will bring your Cuba adventure alive with dance and culture as Alex invites you to be a part of his life on this tour. He is fluent in English, Russian, Italian and Spanish and loves to teach travelers his local language. Don't forget to ask him about his favourite ice cream flavour, he loves this cool treat that is the most popular dessert all over Cuba. | |  |
| Dec 04 | - | Dec 16,2010 | Cuba |
| Dec 18 | - | Dec 30,2010 | Cuba |
| Jan 08 | - | Jan 20,2011 | Cuba |
| Jan 22 | - | Feb 03,2011 | Cuba |
| Feb 12 | - | Feb 24,2011 | Cuba |
| Feb 26 | - | Mar 10,2011 | Cuba |
| Mar 12 | - | Mar 24,2011 | Cuba |
"Alex was a big part of making this a wonderful trip. He was extremely accommodating and knowledgeable."
Janet Story - Cuba
Turin Tunmaw
| Thuyein "Turin" Tunmaw Turin was born, raised and educated in Yangon (Rangoon), Burma (Myanmar) Despite earning a Physics Degree and a Computer diploma, his passion lead him towards history, geography, languages, traveling and meeting people. His Mom was working in Tourism and it seemed like a natural decision to follow in her footsteps. He recieved his guides license in 1994 and has been working as a guide and tour leader ever since. Turin speaks English, Spanish and of course his native Burmese. We know that Turin's knowledge, passion and caring attitude will make any trip to Burma a very special one. He loves to share his knowledge and experience with anyone he travels with. We are sure you will agree. | |  |
| Jan 19 | - | Feb 05,2011 | Burma |
"You are such an outstanding guide in every way. We know that every Elder-trekker who travels on one of your tours will have an exceptional experience. We certainly did. ElderTreks could not have chosen a more wonderful Tour Leader for Burma than Turin."
D & D Butler - Burma
Claire Prest
| Claire has lived and worked throughout the Indian Subcontinent and South East Asia for the past 10 years, originally from Down Under. Her philosophy of respect for the environment, culture and communities nurtures incredible travel experiences. Her passion for authentic cultural exchange shines through and helps cultivate hands-on experiences that help bridge boundaries and open up a world of possibilities. Through eco-tourism initiatives, Claire ensures positive benefits for local communities while enriching experiences for our travellers as much as local people. A Journey with Claire will surely be a memorable one! | |  |
| Oct 10 | - | Oct 26,2010 | Tibet |
| May 09 | - | May 25,2011 | Tibet |
Olman Quiros
Olman (Ollie) Quiros is a certified tour guide with more than 20 years experience leading diverse groups in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. General and natural history are two of his interests. He is an avid outdoorsman who loves to do white water rafting, surfing, horseback riding, and hiking among other activities. Ollie was a cultural exchange student in Finland and Sweden and has traveled extensively throughout Europe learning about different cultures.
His volunteer work includes working with the Costa Rican National Parks Foundation to preserve the Green Turtle and get more acquainted with the different ecosystems in the country. He speaks Spanish and English and understands Finnish and Swedish. | |  |
"He was indispensable to the enjoyment of the tour. He was very knowledgeable but also used a reference book if we asked unusual questions. We always felt that we were getting a correct answer and not just any response he happened to think of. He also made us laugh a lot."
F. Lokay - Costa Rica
Lucas Mhina
| Lucas was born and raised at Arusha Tanzania. His parents are from two different tribes (Bondei from coast of Tanzania and Chagga from Mt Kilimanjaro region) . He was educated in London (UK) at East London University (BAîHonsî Hospitality and Tourism), Nairobi Kenya at Strathmore College (Diploma in Tourism and Tour Guide) and received further training in Tour Leading and Guiding as well as First Aid while in South Africa. He has a keen interest in Ecology and truly enjoys being with people so that he can share his knowledge of the birds and wildlife of East Africa. He has been guiding and leading groups in East Africa since 1999. Lucas is married and has two children ( Sylvia and John) and while not leading trips, he enjoys spending time with his family. | |  |
"Lucas did everything he could possibly do for us. He was a wonderful fit for our group."
J. Boring - Tanzania
Glenda QiuQiong
| Glenda, has been guiding career in 1997 and has been leading for ElderTreks for several years and getting great reviews. As a well trained and experieinced tour leader, Glenda has extensive knowledge of history and culture as well as a great sense of humour. She is a tireless worker, often going beyond the requirements of her job to help her clients. | |  |
"Glenda is a wealth of knowledge. A walking encyclopedia of the history and culture of her home Yunnan province. From before breakfast until long after dinner, she worked tirelessly, often going out of her way, to make sure that everything was smooth and that the entire group was having a great time. Always happy and with a great personality, Glenda was a big asset to our trip, helping to make it a memorable one."
Gerry F - Yunnan
Duane Rankin
| Duane is a veteran tour leader with over 20 years of experience. Originally from South Africa, Duane has traveled extensively all over Southern Africa including Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and Lesotho. Duane and his family live in beautiful Cape, truly one of the world's most beautiful cities. You would be hard pressed to find a more competent, enthusiatic, dependable and knowledge tour leader than Duane. | |  |
"Duane was one of the most knowledgeable guides we've ever had. He gave us running commentary during our long bus rides. He knew the history, tribal cultures, topography, some geology, and the route. He was also very familiar with most of the lodges we were staying at. He never minded answering the blizzard of questions we all threw at him."
A & S Rosenzweig - Kingdoms of Southern Africa
Lalaina Ramaroson
Lalaina RAMAROSON was born in June 1972 in Madagascar and presently lives in Antananarivo, the capital, is married and has one son. His education includes getting his baccalauréat degree in 1989, followed by attending Ankatso state-University, studying English for 3 years. Lalaina developped a keen interst in tourism which prompted him to study it at the National Institute of Tourism and Hotel Business in Antananarivo for another two years.
In 1997, he embarked on a full-time career in tourism, which has been his passion and livelihood ever since. Lalaina's versatility allows him to run various tours throughout Madagascar ranging from educational, to cultural to wildlife trips or any combination for that matter. His reputation, knowledge and desire to excel has afforded Lalaina the oppotunity to work closely with world famous wildlife tour-leaders like Hilary Bradt and Nick Garbutt. Lalaina has been working with Eldertreks' since 2001. We hope that he will be sharing his passion and knowledge with Eldertrekkers for many years to come. | |  |
Our Other Departures
