Diana Dove Diana grew up in Stamford, Connecticut, and she has been traveling internationally for most of her life. She made trips to Europe and Asia before attending Boston College, but developed her sense of adventure and passion for travel during her semester studying Spanish art, literature and culture at Madrid's Universidad Complutense. She soon embarked on a round-the-world odyssey that took her through the greatest cities in Europe, into the mountains of New Zealand, to the hill tribe villages of Thailand and to the islands of Indonesia. After earning her B.A. in Sociology and Hispanic Studies, Diana taught English in the remote Chinese province of Inner Mongolia, and in Tokyo, Japan. During this time, she explored China and Tokyo in depth, and traveled throughout even more of Southeast Asia. She found the temples of Angkor particularly memorable, and she loved the cuisine of northern China. But she would rather forget sampling fried scorpions in Dalian. Diana has recently enjoyed extensive tours of India and Turkey; Germany is next on her list. Favorite tours: Highlights of Spain Essence of the South Island (NZ) Exclusive India Essence of Turkey Treasures of Yunnan Essence of Japan Favorite hotels: Amanbagh, India Four Seasons Istanbul The Peninsula, Beijing Anantara Resort, Golden Triangle Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Favorite sites: Huashan (Mt. Hua, from Xi'an) Sagrada Familia Cathedral, Barcelona Ephesus, Turkey Bhangarh, India Temples of Angkor Favorite restaurants: Lumiere, Hong Kong Roy's, Tokyo Il Mulino, Tokyo 360 Istanbul Home cooking of Madrid Best shopping: Roppongi Hills, Tokyo Callao/Plaza del Sol, Madrid Shaping Market, Dali Favorite cities: Tokyo, Barcelona, Singapore, Istanbul, Madrid, Shanghai

David Carson David has a passion for food and exploring cultures different from his own. He is also an avid photographer and loves capturing scenes of dailylife, architecture, and local flora and fauna. He has a graduate degree in theater and is a founding member of the Metropolitan Playhouse in New York City. David has traveled widely, from France to Lithuania to South Africa. Favorite tours: Normandy & Paris London in Depth Romantic Italy Essence of Japan Best of Angkor & Thailand Highlights of Australia & New Zealand Favorite hotels: Chateau la Cheneviere, Normandy The Sukhothai, Bangkok Cape Grace Hotel, Cape Town Favorite restaurants: La Petite Ferme, Franschhoek (South Africa) Agnes Sorel, Loire Valley (France) Favorite museums: Musee d’Orsay, Paris Victoria & Albert, London Gold of Africa Museum, Cape Town Favorite experiences: Walking on the city walls in Lucca (Italy) Strolling the waterfront of Honfleur (France) Visiting the American Cemetery in Normandy A three-day photo safari in South Africa Favorite shopping: Wine in the Loire Valley and Tuscany Paintings or prints of local scenes Local crafts markets in every destination Woolens in Ireland

Matthew Fries A renowned jazz pianist, Matthew developed his passion for travel, food and culture on his frequent trips abroad as a musician. Matthew most enjoys visiting out-of-the-way places in Europe, focusing on their regional cuisines and cultures.   Favorite tours: London & Paris France in Style Food & Wine of Austria China: Past & Present Favorite experiences: Hiking in the Alps (Switzerland and Italy) Touring the wine regions of Alsace, France and southwestern Germany Traditional music sessions near Galway, (Ireland) Browsing the Christmas Market in Berlin (Germany) Favorite cities: London, Copenhagen, Paris, Dublin, Cologne Favorite museums: Musee d’Orsay, Paris Tate Modern, London Favorite jazz clubs: JazzHouse, Copenhagen (Denmark) Unterfahrt, Munich (Germany) Ronnie Scotts, London (England) Bimhuis, Amsterdam (Netherlands) Bird's Eye, Basel (Switzerland)

Sonja Stoerr Sonja grew up living overseas in Thailand, New Zealand, Dominican Republic and Kenya. Throughout her life, she has traveled extensively to over 40 countries. She earned a BA in Cultural Anthropology from Skidmore College and also studied in Kenya and Tanzania. In addition to being one of our Asia, South Pacific and Latin America experts, Sonja also travels regularly to Africa, Mexico and European cities. Some of her most memorable travel experiences include flying over New Zealand's Franz Josef Glacier, learning to cook okonomiyaki in Japan, exploring ancient temples in Cambodia and Burma, witnessing morning prayers on the Ganges River in India, visiting a Mayan family's home in Mexico, slurping on xiao long bao (soup dumplings) in Shanghai, a sunrise walk around Australia’s Ayers Rock, hiking along Incan paths in Peru, speaking with monks at a monastery in Bhutan, meeting a pride of lions on a walking safari in South Africa, and riding longtail boats on the klongs of Thailand. In the past year, Sonja has taken extensive trips through Australia as well as South Africa and Botswana where she scouted out the top luxury safari lodges and had one of the best meals of her life in the Cape Winelands. She also recently returned from a family trip to China and Hong Kong. Favorite tours: Best of Angkor & Thailand Exclusive India Traditions of Japan Exclusive Australia Highlights of Burma Romantic Peru A Week in Bhutan Journey Through Mexico Classic South Africa & Botswana Favorite hotels: Southern Ocean Lodge (Australia) Amansara (Cambodia) Udaivilas (India) Uma Paro (Bhutan) Four Seasons Tented Camp (Thailand) Hacienda Xcanatun (Mexico) Amanbagh ( India) Governor’s Residence (Burma) Monasterio (Peru) Peninsula Shanghai (China) Amanpuri (Thailand) La Residence (South Africa) Park Hyatt Sydney (Australia) Favorite dining experiences: The Tasting Room (South Africa) Spicy chilies and cheese (Bhutan) Jules Vernes on the Eiffel Tower (Paris) Japanese tea ceremony cuisine (Kyoto) Seafood paella (Mallorca) Any flavor of gelato (Italy) Cheese and wine tasting in the Barossa Valley (Australia) Spice Route (New Delhi) Astrid & Gaston (Lima) Casa Oaxaca (Oaxaca) Soam (Mumbai) Favorite Artisans of Leisure experiences: Visiting private temples in Bagan (Burma) Landing on glaciers (New Zealand) Private tea ceremony (China) Meeting an orchid expert (Burma) Visiting a township (South Africa) Relaxing poolside at cocktail hour (Majorca) Exploring food and flower markets (Bangkok) Hearing Aboriginal stories in the Outback (Australia) Shopping at antique and textile markets Visiting primary schools (Asia) Helicopter and scuba touring in the Great Barrier Reef (Australia) Learning to cook curry in Kerala (India) Visiting the home of a renowned folk art collector (Lima, Peru) Soaking in a traditional hot stone bath (Bhutan) Flying over the Okavango Delta (Botswana) Favorite places: Bangkok, Cape Town, Udaipur, Angkor, Kangaroo Island, Varanasi, Punakha, Oaxaca, Paris, Barcelona, Shanghai, Sacred Valley, Inle Lake

Kara Fox Kara has lived and studied in France, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Nepal and India and has explored the world as a passionate cultural traveler. Kara’s love of travel complements her passion for photography. She has worked as a photo editor for National Geographic and has visited many countries as a documentary photographer — covering topics ranging from NGOs to the daily lives of gondoliers in Venice, bread makers in Prague, and street vendors in Yogyakarta. Some of her favorite travel moments include climbing remote areas of the Great Wall in China, enjoying a private viewing of the Sistine Chapel, sampling Buddhist vegetarian cuisine in Vietnam, and seeing a color-changing octopus while SCUBA diving in Thailand. Kara studied South Asian Studies and Photography at NYU. She is proficient in Hindi and Nepali, and has conversational skills in French, Spanish and Slovak. Favorite tours: Cairo to the Cape: Egypt & South Africa Highlights of Italy Journey Through New Zealand Cultural Highlights of Northern India Patagonia: Argentina & Chile Luxuries of Spain & Morocco Journey Through Egypt, Israel & Jordan Favorite sites: The temples at Angkor (Siem Riep, Cambodia) The Acropolis (Athens, Greece) The Terracotta Warriors (Xian, China) The Ghats in Varanasi (Varanasi, India) The Caves of Lascaux (France) Inle Lake (Myanmar) Favorite cities: Prague, Jodhpur, Vienna, Paris, Kathmandu, Venice, Yogyakarta Favorite museums: Tate Modern (London, England); Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur); National Museum of Singapore, Musee National Picasso (Paris, France) Favorite restaurants: Pure Lotus (Beijing, China); Sari Organic (Ubud, Bali); K’nhay (Phnom Penh, Cambodia); May Kaidees (Bangkok, Thailand) Favorite hotels: Amanbagh (India), Kasbah Tamadot (Morocco), Mizpe Hayamim (Israel)

Jane Newton One of Jane’s favorite pastimes is browsing food markets in search of authentic local cuisine. Luckily she has family throughout Europe, meaning she can indulge her culinary curiosity on regular visits to Greece, England, Italy and southern France. A Choate and Vassar alum, Jane has also studied French history and film at the Sorbonne in Paris. Her wide range of work experience includes editing a contemporary arts journal as well as a series of travel guidebooks. Jane and her husband and two daughters split their time between Manhattan and East Hampton. Favorite tours: Journey Through Morocco Highlights of Puglia Vietnam & Cambodia In Depth Best of Andalusia England for Families Favorite hotels: Hotel Splendido & Splendido Mare, Portofino Hacienda Benazuza, Seville Hotel Tresanton, Cornwall Hotel Hassler, Rome Favorite museums: Gipsoteca di Canova (near Treviso), Italy Musee Marmottan, Paris Bauhaus Site, Dessau Sir John Soane's Museum (London) Favorite site: The Alhambra, Granada (Spain) Favorite restaurants: Cantinetta Antinori, Florence Piazetta Cathedrale, Ostuni, Puglia Amorino in Paris for Gelato!