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Our Travel Experts

FatPassport Travel Experts are experienced travelers and researchers who have traveled the world. Meet some of our Experts:
Sandra Critelli was born in the beautiful town of Como, Italy. Her passion has always been nature, wildlife and travel, as she explores and photographs the beauty that our world has to offer. Her travels have taken her to many of the world's more interesting destinations, and her favorites include places as diverse as her home town of Como, the Galapagos, and the amazing expanses of Antarctica. She uses photography as her way of documenting and showing the beauty of nature, and her remarkable photographs (see www.sandracritelli.com) have made it into publications such as National Geographic Magazine. Sandra currently lives in the New York City area.
Buffy Redsecker was born in New Jersey, USA, and raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland where six generations of her family are buried. This sense of place and history sent her exploring as soon as she got her driver's license. She just kept driving and found herself living on a houseboat in the Conch Republic (the Florida Keys) for three years, where she picked up a SCUBA diving habit that she still has. Buffy fell in love with a Hong Kong native and so far she's tallied 56 countries, plus the 50 United States, all 7 continents and 4 of the world's 5 oceans. A serious wildlife photographer, her favorite places include South Georgia and the Galapagos Islands, where she finds herself at least once a year working an integrated conservation project. She and her partner Alan divide their time between San Francisco, New York City and the Florida Keys, while she works on writing a book about the Galapagos. Check out www.buffyimages.com to share her visual experience of the world.
Debby M was born in Minnesota to parents who loved travel so much they packed their children into a converted school bus for a month every summer and camped their way around the US, Canada and Mexico. During college she spent a summer in Europe and this led to her keeping a suitcase packed at all times hoping for another opportunity to itinerate. After 90-some countries later she's still looking for more. Cities, mountain tops, remote villages, and the one not visited all rank among her favorite destinations. Debby, who currently resides in San Diego, California, is writing a book about her laughable globetrotting moments.
Brett Martin was born in Waterloo, Canada. He picked up the travel bug from his parents, who dragged him and his two brothers around Canada & the US each summer. After work stints in Montreal and Sydney, Brett settled into Toronto's easy lifestyle. However, after meeting his English bride they sold their assets and spent two years traveling, mostly in Asia, before relocating to London. Brett's now been to 83 countries, and highlights include a solo trek to Camp 1 on the North side of Everest, orangutan's in Borneo, some spectacular scuba diving and the ancient sites of Egypt & India. More about Brett's travels can be found at www.BrettLouise.com.
Serena Bowles was born in England, and after becoming disillusioned with the rat race, began travelling in 1997. On her first round the world trip she discovered not only a passion for travel, but also a love of photography and scuba diving. Since then Serena has spent a total of five years on the road, become a diving instructor and semi-professional photographer. She prefers to go it alone, enjoying the flexibility that comes with travelling solo. After visiting 48 countries, Serena continues to find herself drawn to Asia and the Middle East; she enjoyed the intensity of India so much during her first six months there, that she's been back twice since. She sells her photography as stock and prints through her website www.SerenityPhotography.co.uk, and keeps family and friends up to date with her adventures through www.underwater-girl.co.uk. In between trips Serena resides in Dover, England.
Marlene O was born in Seattle, Washington, and was inspired to travel by her eighth grade geography teacher. Apparently that geography teacher did quite a job: Marlene spent many years in the travel industry and has now been to 108 countries across all 7 continents. Her favorite countries are Italy and China, and one of her favorite memories was watching the polar bears return to the ice at the Arctic. When she's not on the road, Marlene now lives in Phoenix, Arizona.
Luke Raymond grew up in Melbourne and, like all good Aussie kids, was obsessed with cricket. This obsession led to his first international travel experience; a six month stint playing for a club in Oxfordshire, England. His passion for cricket dwindled somewhat, replaced by travel as his new passion. Over the past five years, Luke and his trusty travel companion (navigator, organizer and agent) Trina, have lived in London and travelled through 30 countries in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas. He has seen five of the Seven Wonders of the World, trekked the Inca Trail, swam with Paraná and Anacondas, had to deal with more than one dodgy immigration official and had plenty of other great adventures along the way. Favorite destinations so far are Rio, Porto, and Petra. Luke currently lives in Melbourne.
Denise Vouri was born in Berkeley, CA, USA, and it was her grandfather's passion for National Geographic magazine that moved her from being an armchair traveler to one that has explored all 7 continents. Living in Belgium for a couple of years opened the door to travel throughout Europe and a bit of the Middle East, and since then she's covered much of the world. Her travel interests include scuba, parasailing, trekking, photography, zip-lining, and just about anything else. Her favorite places include China, Vietnam, Tibet, France, Italy, and Argentina. In early 2008 she spent five weeks volunteering in Ethiopia. Currently she resides in New York City, and maintains a picture gallery of her latest travels at www.denisevouri.com/gallery.
Karl Persechino was born in Rossendale, UK, and after school he traveled widely in Great Britain and Europe. He left a safe and perfectly fine job in the UK to embark on a long-term solo journey which including bicycling coast to coast across the USA, and then swapping his bike for a backpack to explore Central and South America. Karl has also taken the Trans-Siberian train trip across Mongolia and Russia, and enjoyed successful, unsupported long distance cycling expeditions both in the UK and Europe. Overall he has visited some 35 countries, and he remains under the spell of a deep love affair with the Americas. His favorite country is the USA. During his travels he's enjoyed mountaineering, glacier hiking, ice climbing, jungle trekking, sea kayaking, volcano trekking and white water sports. Karl currently lives in Baños de Agua Santa, Ecuador.
Laurie Korn grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area with a strong predisposition for travel from a very young age. The day she turned sixteen (the legal driving age in the United States) she got her driving license, and would frequently get in her car and drive with no map and no destination in mind. Over time she explored further afield, living in the Turks and Caicos islands, and exploring just about anywhere where she could find a hill to climb or a sea to dive. She's a qualified dive instructor, and her next journey will be a dive trip to Antarctica.
Bob T was born in West Virginia in the USA, and his father's love of travel instilled wanderlust at a young age. Bob has done four around-the-world trips, lived in Hong Kong for a few years, and maintains a long love affair with Asia. Along with his wife and travel companion Michelle, Bob has visited some 40 countries, preferring places "where women carry buckets on their heads," and where the simple presence of a tall, blonde, fair-skinned man can stop traffic and make babies cry. He lists his favorite countries as India, Myanmar and Italy. In his travels he's enjoyed scuba, hiking, and golfing, but he most enjoys experiencing and photographing exotic people and exotic places. Bob currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.
Kara Temple was born in Connecticut, USA. She joined the Air Force at the age of 18 and spent four years traveling with the military. Kara has visited over 25 countries, including living a few years in Italy. Some of Kara's favorite things to do include snowboarding in the Alps, sailing the Caribbean islands, scuba diving, skydiving and everything that's adventurous! Her goal is to sail around the world to see and experience as many different cultures as she can. Kara currently resides on a sailboat in the Caribbean.
Nikki is a product of the new American South: she was born in Nashville, and grew up in Little Rock and Orlando. Her wanderlust comes naturally; her family is made up of travelers and sometimes-expatriates. After a safari to Kenya whetted her appetite in 2001, she's been to over 30 countries on 5 continents. She's lived in Italy, and spent two months on an archeological dig in Azerbaijan. Nikki currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia.
Cindy LaRaia was born in Detroit. Her first school project in 5th grade was on Oceanography, and was a sign of things to come. She learned to dive in the Great Lakes, then moved on to the Caribbean and other more exotic locales. An avid diver and underwater photographer, Cindi now runs her own travel company, specializing in trips to the world's best dive destinations (including the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia and the Red Sea), as well as African safaris. See more about Cindi and her company's tours at www.divediscovery.com.
Born and raised in Alaska, USA, Nichole Rupp visited France one summer in high school, and after that very first nutella crepe, travel has been her passion and number one priority, giving her hundreds of new experiences, dozens of interesting stories, and only one major illness. She has visited 30 U.S states and 20 countries, with her main goal being to visit 6 continents by the time she's 30. Her favorite places so far have been Istanbul, Paris, and India; her least favorite places being Bucharest, any train sleeper car... and India. She is particularly fond of photographing anything that catches her eye, sampling various street foods, blogging about her travels, flirting with Italian gondoliers, singing in beer halls, and planning the next trip. Nichole currently lives in Los Angeles, CA, but would love to hear from anyone who has a paying job available in Paris!
Born in Edinburgh, Scotland as 21-year old Graham hitchhiked & bussed his way through France and Spain, and then a stint as a roadie & stage manager gave him a way to see much of Europe. He and his wife spent five years living in Athens, and over the years they have wild-camped on southern Crete, hit naturist beaches in the Dodecanese islands, embraced British towns and cities, and survived the 2004 tsunami while in Sri Lanka. They recently returned from a ten and a half month backpacking trip round the world, spending the majority of their time in India and southeast Asia. His favorite countries are India and Vietnam, and favorite cities are Prague, Berlin and Edinburgh. Least favorite places are Diu in India, and home. Graham currently lives in the UK.
Diane S was born in California and grew up in Seattle. Each Christmas her parents would forego the usual Christmas festivities, and instead journeyed to a different city. Favorites among the 24 countries she's explored include Prague, Siem Reap, Beijing and Rome. Diane often travels solo, and finds that it's completely safe to travel as a single female if you do your research, stay aware of your surroundings, and exude confidence. Diane currently lives in Seattle.
Steve T was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. College exchange programs to Massachusetts and Paris started him on the road to a lifelong love of travel, and opened his eyes to the knowledge and friendships that can be attained on the road. Six months in Australia and the Pacific whetted his appetite, and now Steve and his wife Julia enjoy traveling the world for hiking, photography, golfing, and wine tasting. Steve hopes the bulk of his travels are still ahead of him, but so far his favorite spots among the 35 countries he's visited include Machu Pichu, the Pyramids of Giza, the Grand Canyon, and Kruger National Park.
Gale K was born and raised in southern California. Her grandparents traveled extensively, bringing back treasures from far away places, and after spending a couple weeks in Costa Rica as a teen, her love of travel was born. Gale has lived in London, and explored Europe, China, and Southeast Asia. While traveling Gale enjoys photography and loves to meet the locals. She has visited 20-some countries, and her favorites include Costa Rica, Vietnam and Thailand. Gale currently resides in New York City.
Lacey was born and raised in Texas. Her efforts at perfecting her Spanish have taken her to Mexico, where she lived for awhile, and she's also done some exploring in South America. Favorites so far include Guanajuato, Mexico; Machu Pichu; and the Amazon Rainforest; and she has very warm memories of simply listening to the sounds of howler monkeys on Lake Sandoval in Peru. Showing that she doesn't only travel south of the border, she's going north on her next trip ... to the Arctic. Lacey currently lives in Austin, Texas.
Nicoletta was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. A child of Italian immigrants, she grew up in a culturally diverse neighborhood. She has an inborn desire to travel and has held a passport since the age of two. Proud of her heritage, she considers herself knowledgeable on all things Italian, especially Venice. Her greatest fascination, however, is with Japan. She enjoys culturally rich destinations, as well as the occasional relaxing beach vacation. Nicoletta currently lives in New Jersey, USA.
Julia B has called California home most of her life. She traveled throughout the US from a young age; hit England, Scandinavia, and Russia by the time she was 15; and later studied abroad. Since then, she's knocked around western and southern Europe, and has also found fascination with the East in places like India and Japan. She counts among her favorite experiences the Venice Biennale, the Fete de la Musique in Lyon, and seeing the Taj Mahal for the first time. Julia currently lives in Los Angeles.
As a 16-year old, Carolyn V saved all her babysitting money so that she could buy a ticket to Spain. Two years later she was off on an 8-month trip around the world, and she's been traveling ever since. She's lived in England and Canada, got married in Greece, and explored five continents. Beaches, snorkeling, and history are all favorites, and she's enjoyed everything from teaching English to the children of one of Mexico's former presidents, to internalizing the history of the Hapsburg Palace, to careening around Morocco. Carolyn currently lives in the UK.
Sandy McDowell was born and raised in Michigan, but found a passion for France and European travel that has allowed her to develop a successful travel business. She is the owner of France Journeys and a Certified France Travel Agent. Her extensive knowledge and passion for France has been gleaned from years of first-hand travel experience and her dedication to specialization. Sandy 's favorite aspects of France include art, food and wine, and culture. She is an ardent advocate of specialty travel and shows her dedication by serving as the President of The Specialty Travel Agents Association. You can learn more about Sandy and her company at www.francejourneys.com.
Michelle Grabuski was born in North Dakota in the USA. Her parents both enjoyed photography, and she would go to the Colorado Rockies with her mom, and to the Oregon Coast with her dad. She loves hiking into spots where she can be totally immersed in nature, and her favorite is Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington. She also loves visiting just about anywhere tropical that offers palm trees, beaches, and scuba diving. Michelle's favorite places outside the US are France, Egypt, Honduras and Mexico. Michelle currently lives in Minnesota in the USA.
Yiming was born and raised in Beijing, China. He moved to India for 2 years after he turned 22 and travelled throughout the Indian subcontinent. He is now living in Germany and is leaving his footprints all over Europe. Yiming's favorite destinations are Spain and the Netherlands; he particularly enjoyed Semana Santa (Holy week) in Seville. See Yiming's travel photos on: http://www.flickr.com/photos/changyiming/sets/.
James Phelps was born in Michigan, USA, and still calls Michigan home. He's an outdoor enthusiast who loves hiking and capturing images of America's natural beauty. He's inspired by the dramatic power of Lake Superior, and loves the spectacular scenery of the US desert southwest. James' wonderful photos can be found at http://www.jmp-photography.net/
Lindsay Sydenham was raised in beautiful Portland, USA. Interest in her family history led her to an adventure to Germany at the age of 17, and at 20 she returned to Germany to study in Berlin. She's thoroughly explored Germany and other countries in Europe, and has mixed in humanitarian work in Central America. Among her favorite travel experiences are rock climbing in the Italian Alps, attending a social event with Angela Merkel at the German Reichstag building in Berlin, ziplining through the canopies of the rain forest in Costa Rica, and building homes for two families in El Salvador. Lindsay currently resides in Utah, USA.
Kimberly Keeton grew up in New Jersey, USA. Starting with a trip to Australia at age 12, her travels have since taken her to nearly 30 countries on 5 continents. Her most life-changing experience was embarking on a four-month Semester at Sea journey at age 19, during which she circumnavigated the world by ship, while studying aboard a "floating campus." In recent years, Kimberly has lived in India and the Kingdom of Lesotho, and she is currently living with her husband in Southern Africa where she is an aid worker.
Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Brandon Inada has lived, worked, and played in the Hawaiian Islands most of his life. He's extensively explored his home state, has traveled all over the United States and Canada, and has hit the highlights of Asia. When he's not writing or showing visitors around Hawaii, he helps run www.tasteofaloha.com, a Hawaii restaurant directory and guide. Brandon currently lives in Honolulu, where he tries to figure out where someone who lives in paradise should go for their next trip!
Debby Dean was born in Chicago, USA, and had her first taste of travel at age 18 to what was then West Berlin. Wanderlust took hold, and Debbie ventured on to more exotic locales. As a jewelry designer Debby would spend months traveling in India, from the most remote villages to the most beautiful palaces in that amazing country. Debby's favorite areas are China, India, and North Africa. She currently lives in the Sahara Desert of Morocco with her Berber nomad partner, and together they offer luxury camel treks in the Sahara - see www.saharaluxetrek.com.
Dalene Heck was raised in the vast, freezing north of Alberta, Canada, and since leaving home to attend school, has vowed to keep migrating to the warmer south. This overwhelming desire forced her out of her comfy corporate life in Calgary to explore South America with her husband in tow. Once Dalene got to the snowy terrain of Patagonia, she wondered if she had gone too far! Dalene's favorite countries are Italy and Argentina, and next on her to-see-wishlist is Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Dalene currently lives wherever her backpack rests.