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Team

LF - Alaska_P

Leanne
Flanagan-Smith

Director

Director and 2019’s Adventure Consultant of the Year at the National Travel Industry Awards, Leanne has travelled to all seven continents.  A traveller at heart, she loves exploring new destinations, but South America continues to be her favourite and there’s always something new to discover.

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Sarah
MacKenzie

Office Coordinator

As Office Coordinator, Sarah keeps things running like a well-planned itinerary.  At the heart of it all is a genuine love for travel, and nothing beats being part of the magic that helps others get out there and experience their next adventure.

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Prue
Bush

Tour Operations Coordinator

Combining her operations background with a love of overlanding and trekking, Prue works behind the scenes with BTA Journeys. A lover of Africa – especially Namibia – and having explored six continents, she now favours closer-to-home adventures with her dog, Alfie, BTA’s unofficial Head of Security.

Emma Taj Mahal India

Emma
Smith

SENIOR ADVENTURE TRAVEL Specialist ​

2024’s Most Outstanding Leisure Travel Consultant at the National Travel Industry Awards, Emma’s favourite travel experience to date is trekking to see the mountain gorillas of Rwanda. A self-confessed foodie, she loves South-East Asia’s spices and flavours and enjoys travelling through the region with her family.

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Matteo
Carri

Adventure Travel Specialist & Italy Product Manager

Born in Tuscany, Matt developed a love for food and fresh produce early on and worked in restaurants before venturing into travel and tour operations.  He’s now able to combine his passion for both food and travel and designs our portfolio of Italian Food Odysseys.

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Stephanie Nugent

Tours Reservations Agent

As part of the tours team, Stephanie brings a deep love of travel paired with a sharp eye for detail. A natural adventurer, she’s passionate about crafting seamless experiences and believes that when it comes to travel, the answer should always be yes.

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Tracey Porteous

Client Reservations Agent

A proud Kiwi at heart, Tracey will be the first to tell you New Zealand is the best place in the world, but with a love for adventure and a passion for sharing new experiences with her family, she’s rarely sitting still. South-East Asia, Europe and the Pacific Islands are all her favourite!

Our Founders

Marianne
Acreman

Director

Our oracle for all things Africa, Marianne is now enjoying a well-deserved retirement.  Still a co-owner and Director, she maintains an interest in running the business but prefers to spend her time channelling her creativity into art.

Jim
Drapes

Director

Retired founding Director Jim epitomises the adventurous spirit and is the brains behind many of our innovative journeys. His enthusiasm is infectious, and Africa holds a special place in his heart.

Ray
Baker

Trek Leader

Although retired, former Director & Founder Ray can’t sit still. An expert at high altitude trekking, he’s still leading treks in Nepal. 2019 was his 40th anniversary of trekking and he’s still going strong!