1. Experience – We have over 50 years collective experience leading, planning and joining expeditions worldwide. We are former expedition leaders, naturalists, Peace Corp volunteers and travelers. Collectively we have traveled to and led numerous trips to all seven continents. For example:

•  We have visited Antarctica over 100 times
•  We have lived in and worked in Alaska, the Amazon, Africa, Costa Rica, Ecuador, New Zealand, Australia and Europe
•  We have led trips to the Arctic
•  We have led over 50 trips to Baja California
•  We visit the Galapagos Islands several times per year

2. Personalized Service – When you plan a trip with us you work with a dedicated Program Manager from start to finish. Your personal Program Manager has your best interests in mind and will help you find, research and book the perfect trip based on your preferences.


3. Protect Your Travel Investment – We are a top-producing agency for most of our partner companies and we have clout! We represent you not only when things go well, but when they don't. We take this responsibility seriously and work as your advocate if issues arise. This means your voice is heard and problems are solved. Book on your own and you are on your own. Why risk your trip investment?


4. Choice with Unbiased Opinion – We offer you a variety of trip choices and help you evaluate which trip is right for you. Book direct and you only have one choice. Furthermore, we are truly unbiased and give you all the information, positive and negative, to help you make an educated and informed decision.


5. Savings Plus No Additional Fees – We do not charge any fees for booking your land or cruise arrangements. You receive the added value of our expertise at no additional cost. We are sometimes able to offer substantial savings on last-minute promotions. Read more


6. Protect the Earth with Carbon-Neutral Trips – ExpeditionTrips has partnered with an organization called Native Energy. We pay to offset the fossil fuel carbon dioxide emissions from your cruise--on your behalf, at no additional cost to you! Read more


7. Peace of Mind – We are a US based travel agency established in 1999. Being based in the state of Washington we are subject to very strict travel regulations. Our seller of travel number is (601 994 100). We are bonded and insured. Any funds not directly passed to the travel vendor are held in a trust account until trip departure. We are also members of the Better Business Bureau and local Chamber of Commerce and have a consistent rating of excellence with both agencies.


8. Save Time – By working with our knowledgeable staff and using our award-winning Web site (voted 'Best of the Web' by Forbes since 2000).


9. Client Testimonials – Our clients book with us again and again. We are proud that we have a very high repeat and referral rating. View our testimonial section to see client comments and to help you decide which trip is right for you. Read more


10. Extras – We have extra travel perks for each of our departures. Be it special hats, wildlife cards, free onboard videos, special cocktail parties, a bottle of wine - our clients are always prepared and pampered.

Meet the crew:

Ashton Palmer
President
At age 18, Ashton left his native town of Sutton Coldfield, England, with a one-way ticket to Australia via Bangkok. He has never looked back. Since then, Ashton has pursued his childhood dreams of travel all over the world, along the way becoming an expedition leader, guide, naturalist, conservationist, Zodiac driver, bird-watcher, and photographer. Prior to starting ExpeditionTrips.com, he spent nearly a decade in the field, working on conservation and travel projects and leading expeditions from the Arctic to the Antarctic and most places in between. Ashton has traveled to Antarctica over 50 times, worked on Icebreakers in the Arctic, explored the Amazon, South Pacific and Galapagos Islands. In addition, Ashton worked for such organizations as the Wildlife Conservation Society and the National Geographic Society.

Kristy Royce
Vice President
Kristy brings more than a 15 years experience in the adventure travel arena to ExpeditionTrips, including extensive experience working on expedition ships, and in operations, planning, and logistics for expedition cruise companies. Kristy's love of remote places and indigenous cultures set her on a course for adventure, camping in the Australian Outback and leading groups in Irian Jaya, Indonesia. As a program manager for adventure tour operators, she organized programs for such groups as the World Wildlife Fund, the National Geographic Society, and the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology. Kristy has been to Antarctica over 50 times, worked on Icebreakers in the Arctic, traveled throughout the Galapagos, Baja, South Pacific, and has lived and worked with Amazonian Indians in the remote Peruvian Amazon.

Amelia Tockston
Web site & Marketing Manager
Throughout childhood, Amelia 'traveled' every 3-4 years, with occasional objections (military brat!). But, her real opportunity to travel began in university when she studied abroad at the Université of Bourgogne in Dijon, France, and then traveled throughout Western and Eastern Europe. Post-graduation, she returned to France as an English instructor for the French Ministry of Education in Nice, and later lived in Corsica. Since then, she has explored the Galapagos Islands, Ecuadorian Amazon, Baja Mexico, Costa Rica, Alaska, Antarctica, the Brazilian Amazon and, more recently, Southeast Asia! As Marketing Manager, Amelia merges her ever-growing passion for travel with creativity and project management to introduce more travelers to the world of expedition travel and the incredible far corners of the globe!

Lori Gifford
Special Projects
Lori's passion for travel began at an early age when she had the chance to travel throughout the United Kingdom on a theater exchange program. Then, as a student, and later as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of Congo, she developed a growing desire to explore the world. Lori set off on a 2-year adventure, traveling through Central Africa, Europe, India, Southeast Asia and Borneo, as well as residing for a time in London. Her travels have taken her from fishing boats in Southeast Alaska, to scuba diving in the Gulf of Thailand, to birding in Borneo. In the past 2 years she has traveled to Ireland and undertaken small ship expeditions to Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Alaska's Inside Passage, Svalbard in the Scandinavian Arctic, Antarctica, Falklands & South Georgia and Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands & Papua New Guinea, our Peru land program to Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, & Posada Amazonas, and finally an exciting safari in Kenya and Tanzania. Having formerly worked as a tour guide, administrative professional and a travel agent, she is happy to bring her expertise to expedition travel!

Joy Martinello
Program Manager
Joy entertained her desire to travel the day after she graduated from college, when she strapped a backpack on her back and wandered off to explore Europe. Since those days, Joy has put her organizational skills to work by helping others visit extraordinary destinations and having life-changing experiences. Santa Fe, New Mexico became home for Joy during the 90's, where she had the pleasure of sharing this culturally rich region as a special events coordinator for visiting corporations and groups. Joy has sailed to Antarctica and the Falkland Islands, where she saw five different penguin species as well as through the Galapagos Islands, where she swam with her friends, the playful sea lions! Her goal is to help as many people as possible experience the extraordinary wildness and otherworldly blue ice of Antarctica!

Shelley Ussery
Program Manager
Shelley believes that penguins can change lives! She first discovered ExpeditionTrips as a client planning to visit penguins in Antarctica. A few months after her amazing voyage to The Ice, Shelley packed up her business background to join the ExpeditionTrips crew. An independent-minded traveler, she thrives on researching destinations and seeking out unique experiences. Some of her favorite memories include witnessing the magical aurora borealis in Alaska, snorkeling with salmon on Vancouver Island, and discovering the biodiversity of Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. Most recently, she explored Alaska’s stunning Inside Passage and traveled to the magical Galapagos Islands with her daughter. Shelley has a passion for wildlife and pristine landscapes, and she's thrilled to be helping others experience these incredible places.

Chris Moxon
Program Manager
Chris traveled often with his family as a child and has always had a passion for travel and adventure as a result. He loves planning and seeking out new adventures every chance he gets! Most of Chris' travels have been exploring the many wonders of Latin America, including Macchu Picchu and the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Costa Rica's Manuel Antonio National Park, and Bolivia and Peru's Lake Titicaca. While living in Ecuador, he experienced the amazing Galapagos Islands and snorkeled with penguins! Chris hopes to help as many people as possible experience the joy that comes from witnessing new and exciting destinations.

Abby Suplizio
Program Manager
Growing up just outside of Atlanta, Georgia, Abby knew there had to be other, or more, exotic places and cultures on this amazing planet of ours. Working and living in Yellowstone National Park and at Colorado ski resorts right after University was the beginning of a life of adventure. Abby continued on traveling through Europe, Central and South America before deciding on a career job in the International private yachting industry. Sailing through and around North America, Hawaii, Central America, and the Panama Canal and into the Caribbean for three years, she was ready to settle down in Seattle and help other adventurers achieve their own dreams of travel. Favorite Quote: "The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." - St. Augustine.

Nadia Eckhardt
Program Manager, Africa Specialist
Nadia Eckhardt was born in South Africa, resides in Seattle today, but still calls beautiful Cape Town "home." She spent much of her youth enjoying the outdoors with her family: hiking, swimming, diving, and exploring the southern tip of Africa. After finishing her schooling in Cape Town, she embarked on her first cruise ship and sailed to the Seychelles, Madagascar. Since then Nadia has worked extensively at sea and on land as Cruise Director and Tour Leader and has traveled to over 140 countries worldwide. She is well-versed in many adventure destinations such as Antarctica, the North Pole and Greenland, Central and South America. With her extensive knowledge and travel experience on the African continent, Nadia is not only a veteran safari specialist/tour leader but one of the world's best Africa safari planners. Her passion for Africa, together with her expertise and firsthand experience, ensure you will have the African adventure of a lifetime.

Karen Gruber
Program Manager, Africa Specialist
Karen Gruber got bitten by the travel bug at an early age when she and her father would spend hours at the kitchen table in Tucson, Arizona planning family vacations throughout the U.S., Western Canada, and Europe. After graduating college in the early 1990's, she traveled to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands and her love for adventure travel was born. She moved to Seattle in 1993 and worked for Zegrahm Expeditions for eight years, traveling to many destinations such as Australia, Bali, the West Coast of South America, Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and the Antarctic Peninsula. Karen is passionate about Africa and has traveled there several times visiting destinations such as Kenya, South Africa and Madagascar. Her firsthand experience, together with her many years of planning wildlife-focused expeditions, Karen is well equipped to help you plan the perfect trip to Africa.

Amanda Gerardo
Travel Coordinator
After spending her childhood in a small town in Maine, Amanda was ready to break out and explore the world! That exploration started with a cross-country road trip the summer after graduating high school. The spirit and character she felt during her one-day stop in Seattle was the only inspiration she needed to pack up her life and move to the Emerald City. With her roots now established in Washington, Amanda has further entertained her passion for travel by exploring Europe during a solo backpacking trip. And, her first expedition-style travel experience was to the Galapagos Islands where she fell in love with the beauty, wildlife, and character of the islands. Eager to learn about and experience an ever-growing list of destinations, Amanda is thrilled to be involved in helping others meet their travel goals.

Emily Chase
Travel Coordinator
Emily began her travels at age of nine, when she and her family took off to explore the United States on a month-long camping trip. Then at age twelve, her family moved to Jakarta, Indonesia--and there was no turning back from there! Emily succumbed to her appetite for exploration in 2001 when she and a friend embarked on a 7-month around-the-world backpacking trip encompassing 6 continents and 23 countries, concluding in New Zealand. She fell in love with New Zealand's South Island to such a degree that she decided to return and complete a Bachelor's Degree in Outdoor Education and Adventure Recreation. Emily has a true passion for the outdoors and travel, and is both proud and excited to be able to assist others in experiencing many of the same venues and opportunities she has enjoyed.

Betsy Forbes
Accounts Manager
While earning a degree in Spanish, Betsy lived and studied in rural Mexico. She went on to work as an administrative assistant at a travel company out of Mexico City. Her journeying eventually led her to Seattle where she has lived for the past twenty years. Betsy brings eighteen years of experience as a self-employed bookkeeper to ExpeditionTrips. In the spirit of expedition travel, she's explored the pristine waterways of Alaska's Inside Passage, Mexico's Baja California, and has sailed the seas of Western Europe aboard the luxurious Sea Cloud II.