Our Team | The Dragon Trip

Our team

Meet our exceptional people, on-the-ground and behind-the-scenes!

From those who lead our tour groups (our Adventure Leaders) to those who research trips, plan the logistics, book everything and advise customers on how/when/where to travel (our Adventures Planners) we’re a diverse bunch – all united by a love of travel! Together, we speak over 14 languages, we come from over 7 different countries, and we have all lived or travelled extensively across Asia.

Adventure leaders

China

Adam

Born and raised in Fujian province, Adam has been working for years as a passionate cultural ambassador for the Hokkien and Hakka cultures. He is ready to bring travellers from around the world deep into the countryside to explore the Tulou villages, to meet the people, to learn the traditional cultures and customs in the peaceful countryside.

Nepal

Aasish

If you’re a keen climber, you’ll find a friend in Aasish! As one of our amazing Adventure Leaders in Nepal, Aasish has plenty of experience on the ground – and on the slopes! As well as being a professional, reliable guide in the area, he’s also an experienced and knowledgeable mountaineer in his own right.

Vietnam

Bao

Bao has been a tour guide for six years, and enjoys doing this job very much! He likes to meet new friends, with whom he can share his beautiful country. He loves travelling, cycling, and sharing the cultures, stories, and peoples of his country with friends from all over the world!

Korea

CheongAn

Ever since CheongAn first saw the globe his mother bought him when he was 6, he decided to see all the beauty that the blue marble has one day. So far, he has travelled and lived in more than 30 countries, and is still pursuing this dream. He likes to live as and be called a traveler.

Japan

Cryss

Cryss came to Japan for the first time 5 years ago – and he fell in love with the country! Now, he’s an Adventure Leader with The Dragon Trip and takes travellers all across Japan on tours. But when he’s not doing that, he makes tours for himself!

Korea

Damien

Damien is a traveler of the world! Born in Korea, he loves to show the places where he grew up to all those curious adventurers, as much as he loves to explore other countries! He has a strong interest in the history and culture of Korea, so please feel free to ask him more when on the trip! He looks forward to seeing you on the tour soon!

India

Deepak

Deepak grew up in India’s capital city and he knows every secret corner of Delhi. He has been working in the travel industry for many years and now guiding TDT groups throughout India. He loves to meet people from different cultures around the world and is very passionate to show them the beauty of his own country. His biggest dream is traveling all around the world one day!

Japan

Emma

Originally from Vietnam, Emma is now currently based in Tokyo. She’s spent her entire university career in Japan and as a result, has acquired lots of interesting cultural facts and insider knowledge of the area – which she can’t wait to share with you! In her own words: “Let’s get our feet tired and our hearts satisfied!”

Korea

Jin Lee

Jin is one of our Adventure Leaders in Korea, and has 20 years of guiding experience. He can also speak four languages (English, Chinese, Indonesian and Korean) so feel free to talk to say hi to him however you feel most comfortable! Not only does he have plenty of knowledge about Korean culture, history and geography, but he also has a strong interest in basic healing methods such as meditation. As a guide, Jin’s motto is one of rest and heal!

China

Kathy

Kathy is from the lovely town of Dengfeng – the capital of the first feudal dynasty of China, and the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu. In her role as Adventure Leader here at the Dragon Trip, she hopes that she can bring lots of happiness to your journey, and teach you all about different cultural backgrounds. Shaolin welcomes you!

Thailand

Keng

Hailing from the Karen tribe in Chiang Mai, Keng loves nature and is extremely knowledgeable about the area’s most famous residents – elephants. He loves hiking, riding motorbikes, meeting new people and exchanging cultures, and his personal motto is ‘Make each day happy’.

Cambodia

Ket

Starting out as a local tuk-tuk driver and guide in Kampot’s mountains and jungle areas, Ket has worked his way through Cambodia’s tourism and hospitality industries to become a tour guide that works all around the country. With a love for meeting new people and showing them his amazing country, Ket enjoys the freedom of leading tours around Cambodia and learning about other countries around the world.

Nepal

Kumar

A valuable member of the Dragon Trip team in Nepal is Kumar. He’s an incredibly well-travelled mountain tour guide, who along with his expertise as a guide brings with him over 25 years of knowledge from exploring the mountains. He knows almost every trail by heart!

Laos

Lao Thao

Lao was a young boy with a big dream – to fight for a bright future. Now, he’s been a tour guide for over seven years, where he gets to meet people from all over the world to share his life, people, culture and history with them, wherever he goes.  

China

Martin

Martin is our wonderful Adventure Leader in Beijing, China. He’s ready and waiting to greet you, and help you discover interesting and wonderful things with the Dragon Trip. He’s looking forward to seeing you soon!

Operations Officer

Khanh Phan (May)

May hails from Vietnam – a country with beautiful scenery, exceptional cuisine, and lovely people. She loves travelling to different countries, exploring new places and trying new food, and meeting the locals wherever she goes. May is on a mission to share the beauty of her homeland with the world!

Laos

Neng

Neng was born in a small, remote village, and didn’t find his interest in tourism until he moved to the city for higher education. But once he did, he didn’t look back, and now Neng has been a tour guide for 10 years, working as an Adventure Leader in Laos for two. He loves to meet people from all over the world.  

China

Ping

Ping was born in the centre of Hunan Province, China – and she’s been a guide in the Guilin area for almost 10 years. She loves to take on all manner of challenges, and enjoys exploring nature – while respecting it. She loves being a tour guide with TDT as it gives her endless opportunity to be outdoors, doing all kinds of fun activities and meeting lovely people from different countries.

Cambodia

Pitou

Pitou is a tour guide with 7 years of experience – along with a further 2 years as a translator at the First Gold Factory in Cambodia. He says: I am glad to be your tour leader and I am looking forward to seeing your smiles. I’m going to try my best to keep your smiles until the end of the tour, as that is the most important thing to me! 

Thailand

Prae

Prae is a Northerner by birth, and is deeply knowledgeable about Thai culture thanks to her 8 years of experience as a tour guide. During your trip, she will be your local friend in Thailand. She is excited about sharing with you everything she loves most about her country, including nature and, most importantly, the delicious Thai food.

Vietnam

Quang (James)

As a tour leader in Vietnam for many years, Quang loves meeting, sharing, and travelling with people from all around the world. He likes to discover new lands, local cultures, and beautiful landscapes. It’s easy to communicate with him, as he speaks both English and Korean! His slogan is “Move on. It is just a chapter in the past, but don’t close the book, just turn the page.”

Laos

Saeng

Born and raised in Laos, Saeng has been working as a guide since 2012 – which was his dream! In his spare time, Saeng likes playing soccer and singing. ​

India

Suraj

Born and raised in Delhi, Suraj studied social work before working as a tour guide. Now, he loves showing people India’s rich culture and hopes to use his English language skills to travel to Europe and America. In his free time, Suraj is interested in skydiving and swimming – and has an ambition to visit the coldest place on Earth!

China

Tao

Tao is from Hangzhou City, a picturesque city in southeast China that’s earned the nickname ‘Heaven on Earth’. She is a bilingual guide who speaks English and German. A Chinese saying goes: “It is better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books.” No matter what kind of traveller you are, you will have a great experience when travelling with her!

Vietnam

Thuong (Lily)

Thuong has been a tour guide for over six years – it’s her dream job! She loves to meet people from different countries so that she can learn new things. She’s originally from Buon Ma Thuot City, in the highlands of Vietnam – they’re famous for coffee and elephants! With a father from the centre of Vietnam, a mother from the north, and her current home in the south, Thuong is well-placed to tell you all about the differences in cultures and characters across Vietnam.

 

Vietnam

Viet

Viet loves travelling, and has worked as a tour leader for many years. Working in tourism means that Viet has friends from all over the world, which helps him to learn and understand the cultures, histories, and traditions of many places. He believes that if you love what you’re doing, you won’t work a day in your life!  

Japan

Yuumi

Adventure planners

Director

Alex Seigel

Alex Seigel has been a part of The Dragon Trip since its very first research trip back in 2011. He now oversees our London office and prior to joining the team rose quickly through the competitive Teach First Scheme to become an assistant head teacher of a British secondary school. He is a keen sportsman, an avid afternoon tea enthusiast and has travelled to over 50 countries across 5 continents.

Director

Ramsay Kerr

Ramsay has been trekking and travelling his way around Asia since he was little, growing up in Singapore, China and the UK. When not working in one of our office’s, he can usually be found on whatever adventure he can dream up around Asia, whether it be mountaineering in the breathtaking Himalayas or kicking back on tropical beaches.

Partnerships Executive

Anrijs Forsts

Anrijs was born and grew up in Latvia, before moving to the UK to study at the University of Aberdeen. When he’s not working, he loves travelling, going off the beaten track, exploring abandoned places and geocaching. If he’s not exploring, you’ll find him playing basketball, playing guitar, or reading.

Consultant

Corey Kirkham

Corey comes to us from Vancouver, Canada, but has lived and worked in the travel industry around the world, including Australia, the UK, Portugal and now Vietnam. Besides living and breathing travel, he enjoys trekking, craft beer, 80’s music, terrible reality TV and… politics??? Corey is our General Manager in Ho Chi Minh City. 

Head of Marketing

Elaine Westbury

With over a decade of travel marketing experience, Elaine is passionate about all things travel: exploring new places, meeting new people – and, of course, the food! When she’s not travelling or planning her next trip, you’ll find her seeking out the best cultural food experiences in London.

Operations Manager

Eusetine Guevarra

Mabuhay!  Eusetine was born and raised in a small archipelago, a string of 7,100 islands, The Philippines.
She is your Island girl – loves the culture, the tropical climate, and the sandy beaches of the Philippines. Never based herself outside of the country. Her love for Local made her prioritize traveling in the comforts of her homeland. She’s the back-end support of the Philippines Tour.
Regional Expert

Fly Yu

Fly by name – Fly by nature… In between running marathons around the world, founding her own charity for the elderly in China, and playing top class badminton, Fly has been an indispensable member of the team from our very first days!

Please contact Fly fly.yu@thelearningadventure.com for any questions about our China family and independent tours.

Partnerships Manager

Hattie Seal

Hattie is a London-based adventurer with a passion for travel – with 40 countries explored! She enjoys Vietnamese cuisine, has completed a 100km trek across the Sahara Desert (yes, really!), and finds joy in cooking and walks with Ruby, her Cavapoo.

Finance Manager

Jamie Tran Rico Pisa

Jamie comes from the land-down under (Australia) and is the Finance Manager for The Dragon Trip.

With a wealth of Financial and Accounting experience from a range of industries, he’ll be sure to help you with all your financial needs.

In a globalized world, travelling is the best investment you can have on yourself. Learning about new cultures, languages and stories, will help develop new skills and abilities to help you grow.

When not working, Jamie is usually keeping tabs on the latest sports or watching movies.

Marketing Manager

Jess Ennis

When she’s not working in marketing at The Dragon Trip, Jess loves to travel the world herself. She’s a self-confessed foodie, and roams around whenever she can in search of the elusive ‘best dinner ever’. But if she’s not on a plane, train, or automobile, you’ll find Jess with her head in a book or her eyes on a cinema screen.

Regional Expert

Jiyoon Eom

Jiyoon is from South Korea, where she was educated and spent most of her life. She is a licensed guide and event organizer, which meant that she was the perfect fit to join the team as a regional specialist for Korea! She is always thinking about the best ways of doing things that represent both herself and her country.

Regional Expert

Katsumi Hachiya

Pre-Covid, Katsumi was one of the top Adventure Leaders in Japan providing the best service for family and school trips. Now he is as a Japan Regional Expert and ensures high quality for trips. However, he still sometimes plays the Adventure Leader role on the field.  Why does he wear an outfit like this with a sword?  Search “IAIDO” – something he enjoys!

Korea Regional Specialist

Matthew Binns

Matthew began his Asia adventure at the age of 19, studying and working in China for several years before making the career switch to Korea, where he has lived since 2014. When not helping to oversee tours in Korea, you can often find him watching football around the country, following his beloved Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

Operations Officer

Khanh Phan (May)

May hails from Vietnam – a country with beautiful scenery, exceptional cuisine, and lovely people. She loves travelling to different countries, exploring new places and trying new food, and meeting the locals wherever she goes. May is on a mission to share the beauty of her homeland with the world!

Sales Officer

Nicole Stirling

Nicole is a part of our sales team in London and can’t wait to help you book your dream tour. Prior to working for The Dragon Trip, Nicole lived in both Vietnam & South Korea for 5 years teaching English, and has travelled to 30 countries and counting! While she’s not planning her next adventure around the world, her other favourite things include hiking, photography and fashion.

Operations Officer – The Coyote Trip

Nuong Nguyen

Nuong comes from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – the city that never sleeps. She loves drinking milk coffee, listening to music, and traveling. In her opinion, the experience you gain from traveling is something you will never forget. Happiness is planning a trip to somewhere new. She somewhat appreciates her work because, according to her, it requires her to grow and improve every day.

Regional Specialist

Paul Ronan

If you ever need someone to tie a strong knot for you, Paul’s your guy. After college, Paul found himself work a wide range of jobs from leading horseback trips in Colorado, leading month long canoe expeditions in northern Minnesota, to sea kayaking trips in Vietnam. He recently went for a two year walking expedition across the Silk Road covering 9,000 km by way of China to Turkey. Now Paul is based in Yangshuo China and is over seeing the operations of the East Asia trips at TLA.

Senior Operations Manager

Servet Selen

Servet was born and grew up in Turkey, in the mix of Middle Eastern and European cultures. As a fellow backpacker, he has always loved learning different cultures, as well as meeting other travellers to share stories along the way. 9 years ago, his passion for Asian culture brought him to China. After working as Adventure Leader and Adventure Manager in several regions, Servet is now overseeing all Dragon trips in Asia!

Marketing Executive

Steph Holmes

When the cogs aren’t spinning with all things marketing, you’ll find Steph outdoors. Whether hiking mountains, surfing, mountain biking, skiing, or, open water swimming, she’s happiest when she’s outside with her heart racing (usually in a different country too). If she’s not doing any of the above, you’ll find her singing in pubs or at weddings with her acoustic duo band!

Customer Experience Officer

Tam Vu

Tam was born in Saigon, one of the most active cities of Vietnam. She loves traveling and exploring the history and culture of her country. A walk in the park after working is also her favourite habit! “Humans can’t live without nature so we should protect it as much as we can.”

Operations Manager

Thanh Le

Thanh was born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. After studying Tourism & Hospitality Management, Thanh worked with several travel companies before joining The Dragon Trip. Apart from Thanh’s mother tongue Vietnamese, she can also speak English, Chinese, and some Korean! She loves to travel and enjoy new experiences along the way.

Southeast Asia Operations Officer

Thien Ho

Thien Ho (also known as Leo, like his zodiac sign) is from Da Nang City in Vietnam, famous for the Golden Hands Bridge in Ba Na Hills. In his free time, he likes watching movies, discovering new lands, and hanging out with friends. He also loves learning new things such as video design & playing the harmonica. His favourite saying is: “No matter how the world treats me, I will give it a rainbow in return.”

Customer Experience Manager

Thijs Van den Tillart

This Dutchman fell in love with Asia when he first studied there as an exchange student in Macau in 2005. Later, while studying Mandarin in China, Thijs started his career in tourism as an Adventure Leader for The Dragon Trip. After travelling to over 50 countries, he’s now in charge of the operations for the main part of our Asian Adventure Tours.

Southeast Asia Senior Operations Officer

Tuyen Pham

Hello, my name’s Tuyen. I have always been passionate about travel and new cultures. I love seeing beautiful scenery, listening to local stories and tasting the local food.  I would like to bring new cultures to our customers and our communities. That is the reason why I love my job. Besides, I am trying to work hard during the weekday and learn how to balance my life between work, exercise and travel

Southeast Asia Senior Operations Officer

Y Nguyen

My name is Y, I’m a Vietnamese traditional woman. I love eating local food, meeting new friends, exploring new lands. I love adventure journeys with biking, climbing and trekking. My favourite destinations are forests or mountains with natural sightseeing. My dreams are traveling over the world and sharing everything I love most about my country and other countries where I visited in my life.

Senior Sales Manager

Ying Au Yeung

Ying (or Ieng in Portuguese) was born in Macau, a former-Portuguese colony next to Hong Kong, and then went to London to study history at University of London. She loves travelling and sharing Chinese culture with her friends in the UK. She is also a massive AC Milan fan, so much so she’s currently learning Italian!

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