Kari Hull

Paul Swart

Paul Swart began his travel career in the safari industry in 1987 as an apprentice guide in the remote Linyanti Region of Botswana. He steadily worked his way up through the ranks at some of the finest game reserves and lodges in Southern Africa. Paul has been recognized as a preferred African safari guide by the Condé Nast Portfolio. Before moving from South Africa to the USA in 1997, Paul served as General Manager for the award winning Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve in South Africa.     

When he is not in his office he enjoys whitewater kayaking, snowboarding, and horseback riding. A master of logistical planning, Paul has led 4 previous TravelQuest eclipse trips to Zambia, South Africa, Libya and most recently Western China.
 

Michel has been involved in the South African eco-tourism industry for the past 24 years. He spent 16 years as Operations Director of Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve and has owned and managed his own lodge in South Africa for the past 8 years.

His association with TravelQuest started back in 2002 when he coordinated their South African Total Solar eclipse tour, and was instantly hooked on the astronomical niche. Michel has subsequently worked for TravelQuest as a Tour Director in Turkey (2006) and China (2008).




 

Deborah Carter has been leading tours for Travel Quest since 2001 when she led her first total eclipse on safari in Zambia. Since then Deborah has led two other total solar eclipse tours with TravelQuest - one Egypt and most recently to Russia.

Born and raised in the United Kingdom, Deborah has visited numerous places around the globe including many countries within Africa, eastern Australia, Europe and Russia and enjoys travelling immensely.

Deborah has been leading tours since 1987, is very good with details, and just as importantly has a great sense of humor and is always on hand to help out in sticky situations.

Over the years Deborah has made lots of friends on TravelQuest adventures and looks forward to her next TravelQuest journey.

At the age of just 18 years Josu began his travel career working as a guide for one of Spain’s first expedition tour operators. During his free time he traveled the world gathering a global perspective that serves him to this day.

On 1996 Josu created his own Madrid-based tour company with his wife Kitty. His first project with TravelQuest was to organize a prehistoric cave art tour through Spain and France in 2000. Since then Josu has led TravelQuest tours through Europe and North Africa, including Morocco and Libya.

Josu loves music and good food, as these things, “keep his spirit awake!”


 

Caren Banks went to work for a top safari company in Southern Africa at the ripe old age of 17 and her life changed forever. After moving to the United States, Caren spent the 1980’s in a highly successful detour through the world of mergers, acquisitions and finance. Her holidays, however, were spent traveling in Africa, and it was not long before sustainable tourism worldwide became more important than financial portfolios.  In the early 1990’s Caren founded Nature Encounters, a small boutique travel company specializing in custom designed adventures. In 2002 Caren approached her favorite owner-operated properties and put together Caren’s Best, an exclusive collection of outstanding camps and lodges, inns and retreats, and remote private stations worldwide.

She was introduced to the world of eclipses by TravelQuest International in the Gobi Desert in China, and really enjoys being part of the on-site, organizational team who makes these trips as enjoyable, and smooth, as possible, anticipating every possible detail along the way.

Christopher's travels since the mid-60s have taken him to all seven continents including three total solar eclipses with TravelQuest to Africa, Egypt & Russia.

His creativity was reflected in trip development for such European tour operators as Kuoni and Thomas Cook, and in the US, Lindblad Travel and Ker & Downey Safaris. However he says, "Escorting tours is my greatest pleasure since one experiences the outcome of all the planning directly with an incredibly diverse and fascinating melange of travelers." In addition to being a great organizer, Christopher is also a great storyteller – which makes traveling with him even more enjoyable.



 

Jean was born and raised in the leafy southern suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa. After graduating from the University of Cape Town with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, she started work with the South African Tourism Board and also spent time in New York and Los Angeles promoting SA as a wonderful tourist destination.

She then returned to Johannesburg to get married and spent 10 years working for Sabi Sabi Private Safari Game Reserve. Her work then took her back to the USA where she and her husband, David, spent 8 years in Tucson, AZ promoting many travel destinations in Sub-Saharan Africa. Her travels have taken her to many African countries, as well as Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Europe and of course, the USA and Canada which she knows well.

She now resides in the UK and travels a lot in Europe and Southern Africa. She has observed 2 total eclipses and loves the challenge of leading travelers through new destinations.

Residing in Spain with his wife and daughter Daniela, Cesar is a student of history, art, language (he speaks Spanish, French, Italian and English), food and good wine. He has guided numerous TravelQuest groups through Europe as well as eclipse trips to North Africa and Asia.

Besides possessing great knowledge about the peoples and places he leads groups to, it is probably Cesar’s charming wit and humor that makes him so popular a TravelQuest trip leader.





 

Although born and raised in northern Germany, Martina fell in love with the Icelandic countryside at the age of 18. For several years thereafter, Martina lived in both Iceland and Germany. She attended the Iceland Tourist Guide School and graduated in 1992. That same year she started guiding visitors as a summer job. After receiving her bus-driving license and moving permanently to Iceland in 1996, she began working full time as a freelance driver-guide.

Martina specializes in leading hiking and camping tours through Iceland’s wilderness during the summer, but in the winter she takes groups all around the country on hotel/bus tours. Her favorite Icelandic sites are usually well off the beaten track, located primarily in the highlands of the interior. She also loves Icelandic folk tales and saga stories, and delights in sharing them with her touring companions. She has guided each of TravelQuest’s Iceland aurora tours since the first one in 2002.
 

Chuck has called Phoenix, Arizona his home since the age of six. He has worked in the transportation and tourism industry since 1974. In 1999 graduated from the International Tour Management Institute in San Francisco and began his career as an Independent Tour Director and Guide.

Since 1998 Chuck has worked with TravelQuest on trips both in the USA and abroad to Central America, North Africa and China. Chuck’s management experience relates to any country he travels to, and he loves to extend his care and knowledge to make our travelers’ experience with him as rewarding and special as possible.



 

Gary Seronik has always had stars in his eyes.  From childhood on, the night sky has excited his imagination and fueled his curiosity.  Gary has spent the past two decades sharing his passion for backyard astronomy with the public. From his early work as a show presenter and producer at Vancouver British Columbia’s famed MacMillan Space Centre, to his current positions as Contributing Editor at Sky & Telescope magazine and columnist for SkyNews in Canada, he has encouraged thousands of people to look up and enjoy the wonders of the universe. This past summer he was awarded the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s prestigious Simon Newcomb in recognition of his outstanding writing.

Gary is a seasoned traveler and was a leader on TravelQuest’s eclipse tour to Egypt in 2006. He has also served as the ‘resident’ astronomer for TravelQuest’s annual Costa Rica Southern Sky Fiesta since its inception in 2004.