Last Frontiers
the specialists in travel to Latin America
About us
Last Frontiers
the specialists in travel to Latin America
About us
Edward spent three years at Oxford playing his trumpet and learning to punt in a straight line (a useful skill for South American river travel). He then farmed for 10 years in South America (based in the Venezuelan Llanos, Orinoco Delta, Morrocoy and Valencia; in Brazil he ran a 50,000 acre farm in São Paulo state with lots of cattle, sugar cane, soya, maize and anacondas; and Argentina is full of his cousins).
He has visited virtually every country in Central and South America, and memorable travels include a ride across the Andes from Argentina to Chile, jungle lodges of Ecuador, Guyana, the Serra Geral and wine valleys of southern Brazil, and the Missions of Paraguay. Having taken his family to Venezuela several years ago they now insist on regular Latin American jaunts.. these have included Brazil, Guatemala and Honduras, and northern Argentina.
Edward was Chairman of the Latin American Travel Association for ten years, is now a roving Counsellor, and is also a trustee of the LATA Foundation.
After spending 18 months working and travelling around the world Sue decided a job in the travel industry sounded like a good idea. During her 6 years at Trailfinders she made the most of every opportunity to travel.
Since joining Last Frontiers in 2001, her recce trips throughout Central and South America have been numerous. Riding in Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador and Argentina have all been highlights. As a wildlife enthusiast an amazing 'Classic Antarctica' cruise was hard to beat. Two further cruises around the Galapagos, the most recent on board the luxury boat Eclipse, have not been too arduous! The Angel Falls river trip, Venezuela, Brazil's Pantanal, and Guyana have also been top trips.
Recent travels have taken her back to Peru - checking out the luxury Orient Express trains and properties and hiking in the Cordillera Blanca, the Colonial Heartland of Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama, Guatemala and Honduras, and the colonial towns in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Sue's constant companion, Tarka (pictured), is the office mascot.
Rebecca's love for South America started in her childhood when, inspired by her uncle who lived in Chile, she learnt all the capital cities of the continent! She studied History and Art History at Plymouth University and went on to work for a large tour operator specialising in Latin America and the Caribbean. She now lives in the Cotswolds with her own family.
In Mexico she particularly loves the overland scenery from San Cristóbal to the Yucatan peninsula and visiting Oaxaca with its special regional cuisine. In Argentina she drove around most of the scenic Lake District and visited the windswept but beautiful Estancia Cristina near the Upsala Glacier, she has also explored the wonderful roads around Salta, Cachi and tasted the amazing Torrontes in Cafayate. Rebecca undertook a mostly overland trip from Santiago through the Atacama Desert into the famous Bolivian salt flats at Uyuni and returning via Salta and Mendoza - wonderful! She has cruised down the Amazon in Peru, flown over the Nazca Lines, boated over Lake Titicaca, taken the train to Cusco and explored the tropical north of Peru. She has travelled the length of Ecuador including the wild beaches of the Pacific Coast and enjoyed the unique wildlife of the Galapagos. She has driven the breadth of Uruguay along the coastal road admiring Uruguayan architecture and the understated beaches along the north eastern coast. A real highlight was visiting Guyana and Suriname, intrepid, remote, basic but unique experiences especially meeting local tribes. She has travelled extensively in Brazil including the Brazilian nordeste - famous for its fabulous sand dunes and beaches, she loved city life in Rio, coastal life in São Luis (great bars and music) and visiting the Coste Verde region of Brazil with her young family. Rebecca loves island life in particular Fernando do Noronha off the coast of Brazil and Easter Island - so far from anywhere - and has also visited Costa Rica, Guatemala and Nicaragua.
Rebecca is currently on maternity leave.
After
a vaguely relevant degree in Spanish and Latin American studies at Portsmouth
University and a brief stint selling travel clothing, Lizzy set off to fulfil
her dream to travel around South America, starting in Ecuador and finishing
up in Brazil. It was an area that she had studied but not at that point yet
visited. Prior to her studies, Lizzy spent six months as a volunteer on a
project in Mexico, and returned to Mexico to study as part of her degree.
During these stays she explored a little of Mexico and also headed south
to visit Guatemala. Following her 6 months in South America, Lizzy headed
for London to seek her fame and fortune in the travel industry and spent
5 years there, still returning often to Latin America.
Tired of the big smoke Lizzy headed out into the countryside and found Last Frontiers. Travel highlights for Lizzy have been kayaking down the Tambopata River in the Peruvian Amazon, cruising the Galapagos on the deluxe vessel, Eclipse, a very short but enlightening visit to Cuba, a return to Mexico for a tour of its Colonial Heartland; and most recently the fantastic opportunity to take up a trip around the Falkland Islands, getting face-to-face with its various penguin species!
Since returning from maternity leave Lizzy works on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Oli has been travelling the world from a very young age as his father was a captain for British Airways and took him on numerous trips when he was a boy. One which stood out was a visit to Brazil, and from that point on the Latin itch had well and truly got under his skin. Whilst studying Music and Philosophy at Leeds University Oli spent his free time developing his interest in Brazilian culture; learning capoiera, running a samba band and trying to get to grips with Portuguese.
The logical step after university was to re-visit South America. An 8 month trip around the continent began in Venezuela and followed a clockwise loop finishing in Colombia visiting most countries in between. Highlights included: playing capoeira in the Pelourinho in Salvador, staying with local tribes in the Amazon, cycling down the 'death road' in Bolivia (and surviving), appearing on Peruvian local news and learning to dive off of the Caribbean coast in Colombia.
Oli's recent adventures in Latin America include a helicopter flight over the Iberá wetlands in Argentina, sampling the fine wines and beaches of Uruguay and floating down the engineering wonder that is the Panama Canal.
Claire’s passion for Latin America stems from a young age when, in her early teens her father was posted to the Dominican Republic. Despite being shipped off to boarding school at the first opportunity, frequent holidays in the Caribbean evoked a lifelong passion for the people, the culture, and the vibrant liveliness of this region.
Having spent six months of her gap year travelling through Mexico and Central America and volunteering in Ecuador, Claire embarked on a degree in Spanish and Linguistics at the University of Leeds. This gave her the opportunity of spending a year teaching English in Arica, Chile. She enjoyed her time there so much that upon graduating went back for another year, fully enjoying the main perk of a teacher's job; the long holidays, to travel extensively throughout Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Ecuador.
On returning to the UK in search of a 'real job', Claire was thrilled to discover that this did not have to mean giving up her passion for all things Latin American, but in fact could use her experience and expertise in the region to help others get all she has from this unique and marvellous region.
Since joining Last Frontiers Claire has reacquainted herself with the more northerly parts of the region with trips to Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Belize and in South America: Peru, Iguassu Falls and Easter Island.
Outside of work, Claire is a member of the LATA Foundation Projects Team.
After three years studying history at Liverpool University and ten months working for a local financial adviser Jonny decided to spread his wings and travel to Latin America. For five months he worked his way from north to south, beginning with Mexico and Central America, before flying to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, where he began his South American adventure. After a week lounging on pristine white beaches with sea lions, and snorkelling with Galapagos sharks, he continued south through Peru and Bolivia - learning to surf on the waves of Northern Peru, and searching for anacondas in the Bolivian Amazon on the way.
Jonny found himself discovering new passions, including star-gazing in the Atacama Desert, diving off the Bay Islands of Honduras, and the more recreational pastime of wine tasting at the bodegas of Mendoza in Argentina. His travels through Latin America ended in the vibrant city of Rio de Janeiro, where he spent the days drinking caipirinhas on iconic Ipanema beach, and the evenings partying with locals in the favelas surrounding the city. The latest addition to the team, Jonny has already been lucky enough to visit Argentine Patagonia and Cuba.
Since
joining Last Frontiers Tracy has travelled between the far north and far
south of Latin America, from Mexico to Cape Horn, and has been lucky enough to
see most of the bits in between too.
She has had some amazing experiences: driving a 4x4 across Costa Rica (and losing the car's bumper on the way!), white-water rafting the Apurimac in Peru, climbing Maya temples in Central America, kayaking in Torres del Paine, walking on a glacier in Argentina, visiting an Amerindian village in Guyana, going down a mine in Bolivia, escorting a BBC team around Belize, cruising the Galapagos and around Cape Horn, and sunbathing on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, to get a tan and prove it's not all hard work!
Tracy works on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.