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 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. | |  |
| Jul 06 | - | Jul 22,2009 | Mongolia |
| Oct 05 | - | Oct 28,2009 | Syria & Jordan |
| Nov 02 | - | Nov 22,2009 | Vietnam |
| Dec 18,2009 | - | Jan 07,2010 | Vietnam |
| Jan 07 | - | Feb 07,2010 | The Grand South-East Asia Adventure |
| Feb 06 | - | Feb 21,2010 | Laos |
| Feb 23 | - | Mar 15,2010 | Vietnam |
| Apr 28 | - | May 21,2010 | Silk Road |
| Jul 06 | - | Jul 22,2010 | Mongolia |
"Roger sets the bar pretty high for other guides. He just doesn’t overlook a thing."
Lue Paddack - Papua New Guinea
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. | |  |
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. | |  |
"Steve provided wonderful knowledge of the science, animals, plants and geology. He showed real concern for us as individuals."
Donna Farley - Madagascar
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. | |  |
"Amiable, imaginative, committed and 100% enthusiastic. A friend to all."
Gail Russell - Burma
Yvette Haakmeester
| Yvette has been helping travelers explore and experience different cultures all over the world for 10 years, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean. Her background includes a MA in Classical Archaeology; having a specialized knowledge of history and archaeology of ancient cultures and speaks 4 languages. She enjoys interacting and learning from local people and is very passionate about leading in-depth tours. | |  |
"Yvette is an amazing young woman. She is the consummate Tour Leader by always being well organized. She is extremely knowledgeable, possesses a great sense of humor as well as having patience and restraint. She is perhaps more beautiful on the inside than she is on the outside. She has a great deal of love, concern and caring for the people of Ethiopia, especially the children, she is perhaps generous to a fault sharing with others what she has. The countries in which Yvette leads tours are countries that are a “Man’s World. Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Ethiopia etc, however, everywhere we went, the people she dealt with respected her and were genuinely fond of her."
Ron Cowan - Ethiopia
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 did a great job. Things went smoothly due to his efforts. He was sensitive to our needs. Lajos and the driver added a great deal to the trip."
Carol Crowell - Slovenia & Croatia
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. | |  |
| Oct 04 | - | Oct 25,2009 | Peru
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| Mar 14 | - | Apr 04,2010 | Peru
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"Manuel was knowledgeable, helpful, friendly and courteous. He has a passion and enthusiasm for his job."
Marnie Bracht - Peru
John Nolan
| John began his guiding career in Ireland and Scotland over 35 years ago. Through-out the 70's, he worked extensively in Africa as a tour leader. The experiences inspired him - and helped pay the bills as he was trying to survive at the time as a professional stage manager in British theatre. Through the 80's and 90's, he was able to broaden his travel knowledge in the Arctic regions, the Antarctic, South America and Asia. Natural and human history are two of his interests but sharing and enhancing fellow travelers experiences is his favorite of all, where ever they are. | |  |
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. | |  |
"She is the best tour leader I’ve ever experienced. Even though she is Turkish, I think she knew more than the local guides we had. I’m definitely planning to travel to Turkey with her in 2009. She was extremely caring and devoted to making sure we got the most out of this trip."
Susan Margolis - Egypt
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. | |  |
"Eric was a class act. Well organized, always offered alternatives when possible. He was very generous with his time. He is an excellent guide and well informed."
Angela Alvisi - 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. | |  |
"I would travel with Nitin again – anywhere!"
Lia LaPiana - 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. | |  |
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. | |  |
"Good natured, helpful, accommodating, knowledgeable."
Jens Touborg - New Zealand
Victor Carmona
| Victor Carmona has been a guide for almost 10 years, showing people from all over the world the national parks, wildlife, volcanos and culture of Costa Rica. Born in Puntarenas, Victor studied English & French as well as business management at the University of Costa Rica before becoming a certified licenced guide. As a professional guide, Victor loves to meet with and interact with people from other countries. His vast knowledge combined with his caring attitude will ensure all who travel with him will have an extremely educational and memorable time. | |  |
Joseph Macdonald
Joseph has trekked, hitched and travelled through more than 50 countries while living and working on five continents. Joseph has a passion for exploring new horizons, traversing wilderness landscapes and learning more about people and their history. As Alistair Macleod the author of No Great Mischief, once said, "we all know how the story of life ends, it's whiat we do on the jorney that really matters".
If you have the pleasure of travelling with Joseph he loves to share his knowledge and passion of Western Canada, the place he calls home. | |  |
Abdel Sebak
| Abdel 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 24 | - | Nov 14,2009 | Egypt |
| Feb 27 | - | Mar 20,2010 | 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. | |  |
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. | |  |
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. | |  |
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. | |  |
Tomas Havlicek
| Bio coming soon | |  |
Our Other Departures
| Jul 26 | - | Aug 04,2009 | Cuba |
| Sep 14 | - | Sep 29,2009 | China |
| Sep 25 | - | Oct 10,2009 | Slovenia & Croatia |
| Sep 28 | - | Oct 18,2009 | Iran Highlights (21 days)
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| Sep 29 | - | Oct 13,2009 | Yunnan |
| Oct 19 | - | Nov 08,2009 | Iran Highlights (21 days)
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| Dec 05 | - | Dec 17,2009 | Cuba |
| Dec 19 | - | Dec 31,2009 | Cuba |
| Jan 09 | - | Jan 21,2010 | Cuba |
| Feb 06 | - | Feb 27,2010 | Cultural West Africa |
| Feb 09 | - | Feb 26,2010 | Libya |
| Feb 27 | - | Mar 11,2010 | Cuba |
| Mar 01 | - | Mar 16,2010 | Tanzania |
| Mar 22 | - | Apr 07,2010 | Morocco |
| Mar 28 | - | Apr 17,2010 | Iran Highlights (21 days)
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| Apr 12 | - | Apr 29,2010 | Madagascar |
| Jun 12 | - | Jun 22,2010 | Iceland |
| Jun 15 | - | Jun 25,2010 | Iceland |
