Staff at Discover the World

Email heather@discover-the-world.co.uk 
Tel +44 (0)1737 214 274

Heather's previous travel industry experience includes working for a specialist European tour operator for five years during which time she had a chance to represent the company on a cruise around Italy, Sicily, Malta, Libya, Tunisia and Crete. Since joining Discover the World as an Iceland Travel Specialist she has had a crash course on the northern lights during one of the busiest seasons. She has been to Iceland, visiting the gorgeous town of Akureyri and travelling through the dramatic landscape of Lake Myvatn and the North Fjords, and this year visited the Icehotel in Sweden. She experienced snowmobiling, reindeer sledging, ice sculpting, cocktails at the Icebar and throwing sticks for a very keen husky pup whilst wearing impossibly tricky snow shoes!

Heather's Top Travel Experiences

• Skiing for the first time in France and riding the mountain venicular railway to Mont Blanc
• Having dinner with an authentic Greek village Chief on Samos Island
• Walking around some of the oldest and best preserved Roman architecture in Libya, Ephesus and Pompeii
• Ice cream in Italy - what can I say,  its perfetto, bellissimo!
• Visiting Akureyri in Iceland, bathing in the warm waters of the Nature Baths in Myvatn and seeing the awesome skeletons of huge whales in the Whale Museum in Husavik
• Bathing in the Blue Lagoon's milky waters and being massaged by the raging waterfall
• Reluctantly taking part in a reindeer sledging race in Sweden and realising I loved every moment of it - it was exhilarating, wild and the most fun you can have on a sledge!
• Snowmobiling through the Swedish countryside along steep, winding tracks amongst the trees and out onto the frozen river Torne
• Seeing the northern lights dance for over an hour at the top of the Abisko Mountain

Email thora.ingvarsdottir@discover-the-world.co.uk
Tel + 44 (0) 1737 214 272

Although born in the UK, Thora was raised in Iceland from an early age. With her international background and her father’s tour guiding in the Icelandic highlands, Thora has been a keen traveller all her life. After receiving a diploma in Travel and Tourism Studies and going to university in Iceland, she moved back to the UK, where she soon joined the Nordic team at Discover The World. Some of the places Thora has travelled to are Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Monaco, Bulgaria, Turkey, Slovenia, Hungary and Italy.

Thora’s Top Travel Experiences 

• Sitting at the edge of a cliff on Iceland’s northern coast at midnight on a sunny summer night, watching the sun sink towards the Arctic ocean before starting to rise again.
• Whizzing across the snowy Icelandic highlands on a snowmobile.
• Swimming in beautiful Lake Bled in Slovenia at the foot of the Alps – in a thunderstorm!

Email maria@discover-the-world.co.uk
Tel +44 (0)1737 214 284

Maria has recently joined the Icelandic team having worked in the travel industry for over 16 years. Her career started at the age of 17 as an airport representative at Heathrow and Gatwick. She loved the buzz of the airport and no two days were ever the same! This is where Maria’s strong passion for travel originates and she moved into Sales and Customer Service. She enjoys selling world wide destinations and has been fortunate enough to visit some amazing places including China, Namibia, Maritime Canada, Egypt and many European destinations. After recently visiting Swedish Lapland she can’t stop talking about her experience and is looking forward to selling Iceland in the future.

Maria's Top Travel Experiences

• China – the Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors in Xian, a Yangtze River cruise, Forbidden City in Bejing, so many highlights and a truly remarkable experience
• Sleeping out under the stars in Etosha National Park, Namibia, listening to elephants, giraffe and rhino in the nearby watering hole – surreal and a bit scary!
• Egypt, an all time favourite, the Pyramids in Giza Cairo, Karnack & Luxor Temples, a Nile River cruise, an amazing hot air balloon flight over the Valley of the Kings
• Being absolutely astounded by the magnificent Icehotel in Swedish Lapland - the snowmobiling excursion took my breath away, literally!
• Exploring the enchanting Maritimes along the East Coast of Canada, including Nova Scotia, Halifax and Prince Edward Island, a beautiful part of the world
• Bathing in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland
• River cruising - exploring many of the waterways in Europe - being able to see the beautiful castles, tulips and windmills along the Rhine, relaxing aboard magnificent river vessels
• Being involved in making a radio commercial promoting world wide touring, great fun!

Email katie@discover-the-world.co.uk
Tel +44 (0)1737 214 218

After dabbling in the world of retail and beauty therapy, Katie finally found her calling when she realised that her true passion was in travel. She became part of the Nordic team here at Discover the World in 2011 as a Scandinavia Specialist. She has loved travelling all her life and has visited France, Ibiza, Miami, Orlando, Dubai, Greece and her new favourite Nordic destinations, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. She is particularly fond of the Icehotel in Swedish Lapland - "it is like no other place I have been, no one can even imagine the magic and beauty until you go there yourself!" Hot countries are great, but there isn't anything quite like seeing the sunrise over the snowy peaks of Norway or gazing at the northern lights in Iceland whilst sipping wine in a hot tub - pure bliss!

Katie's Top Travel Experiences

• Riding on a husky sledge across the River Torne as the sun rises over the Icehotel in Sweden
• Sledge rides, building snow men, making snow angels and ice sculpting at the Icehotel
• Taking a scenic train ride from Oslo to Flam in Norway, stopping off and trekking through snow up to the knees to get a glimpse of a frozen waterfall along the way
• Climbing up a volcano in the Westman Islands in Iceland and feeling the heat rise out of the ground whilst gazing at the amazing landscape below
• Driving around the exciting sights of Miami and sunbathing on glorious South Beach

Email  alex@discover-the-world.co.uk
Tel +44 (0)1737 214 236 

Alex bravely started his career in travel as an airport-based Passenger Services Agent and caught the travel bug after waving everyone else off on holiday. Since joining Discover the World in the midst of the Eyjafjallajokull eruption in May 2010, Alex has emerged a serious convert to all things Nordic and has recently taken on the role as Manager of Activity Holidays. Being a former ski racer with the DHO (Downhill Only Club) in his younger years travelling around European ski resorts and visiting New Zealand on a rugby tour he has always enjoyed physical challenges. Wanderlust has also taken him to Malaysia, North America and Canada. He has visited Norway, Iceland and Sweden and fallen in love with all things Scandinavian (fjords, ice bars, kayaking and snowmobiling to name a few!) In Iceland he was wowed by the dramatic scenery and in Norway he loved the epic road driving. With eleven years of experience behind him in sales and customer services he is an asset to the Nordic team.

Alex’s Top Travel Experiences:

• Shedding a frosty tear as I was immersed by the entire sky being lit up with the aurora borealis at the Icehotel
• Learning how to throw Tomahawks and shoot a variety of pistols on a Ranch in Oklahoma - ye-haw!
• Kayaking in West Sweden taking in the gorgeous scenery and being stalked by a seal
• Whale watching in the crisp arctic air from Husavik (North Iceland) and spotting thousands of puffins learning to fly (read my blog)
• Navigating through the Norwegian Fjords and mountains – the most exhilarating driving I have ever done (read my travel story)
• Soaking in the Nature Baths in Myvatn in -9 conditions – certainly cold, certainly memorable!
• Visiting the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary in Kuala Lumpur; feeding the elephants and watching them bathe in the river
• Skiing in all the resorts Colorado has to offer - simply awesome!
• Experiencing a traditional haka when visiting Keri Keri in North Island, New Zealand

Email russell@discover-the-world.co.uk  

I have worked in the travel industry for many years now and can’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing. My background is working with the Mediterranean market, specifically dealing with Italy, villa holidays and luxury hotels. However, I joined Discover the World in April 2012 and in the short time I've been here my eyes have truly been opened to another world! Perhaps Scandinavia isn’t a destination at the top of everyone's wish list, but it should be. I have recently had a taste of Norwegian hospitality and can’t wait to go back.

Russell's Top Travel Experiences

• Scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef
• Travelling on the Orient Express
• Haggling in the markets of Marrakech
• Dune hopping in Dubai
• Running marathons in Dublin and Barcelona
• Lobster safari by rib off the Norwegian south coast

Email sarah@discover-the-world.co.uk   

Sarah joined the Discover The World operations team in September 2011. After completing an HND in Travel & Tourism Management in 2003 she worked in Maine, USA for 4 months as an Innkeeper's Assistant. Since then she has remained in travel working for different companies in Kent and Surrey. Sarah has travelled to various places throughout the USA, Canada, Europe and most recently Central America and hopes to add to this list in the near future.

Sarah's Top Travel Experiences

• Taking the gondola up Sulphur Mountain, Banff for a breathtaking 360° view of the Rocky Mountains
• White water rafting along Kicking Horse River, British Colombia - a terrifying yet thrilling experience!
• A highly recommended helicopter flight over Niagara Falls
• Climbing the Eldfell volcano in the Westmann Islands, Iceland. This was quite a challenging walk but well worth it to see the spectacular view over Heimaey
• Husky sledging in Swedish Lapland - the feeling of travelling through the forest as the snow glistened in the sun was exhilarating

Email terri.sturman@discover-the-world.co.uk 

Terri escaped from the UK after graduation in 2008 and worked in Thailand for three months, teaching English to kids who kept trying to wash her freckles off! When term ended she set off around the country and ventured down through Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur. Over the next 18 months she also worked as a writer/researcher for Footprint Travel Guides in Bolivia and as a housekeeper in Greece, finding time in between to visit Finland, Turkey, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Croatia and Cyprus. After a spell working in Operations for Mark Warner, she joined Discover the World in 2012 and is looking forward to seeing what this settled life is all about.

Terri's Top Travel Experiences

• Husky sledging across a frozen lake in Yllas, Finland
• Snowmobiling over the Finnish mountains
• Playing tug of war with a tiger cub on a bus in Kanchanaburi, Thailand
• Being questioned by the military in Batman. They’re not used to tourists!
• Walking on the expanse of the Bolivian salt flats
• Seeing a monkey kiss a cat in the Malaysian rainforest
• Watching the somewhat disturbing Vegetarian Festival in Hat Yai
• Visiting Tito’s private island of Brijuni
• Everything about the city of Cochabamba

Email emma.farley@discover-the-world.co.uk   

Having recently completed a degree in geography Emma joined DTW at the beginning of 2012. After finishing her A'Levels she briefly worked for Kuoni before spending 3 months living and working in Malawi. Whilst in Africa Emma also had the opportunity to travel throughout Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya. More recently she has been lucky enough to visit Swedish Lapland and has also been to several other countries in Europe, the USA and Canada. Emma currently works in the operations department and is very much enjoying the varied and interesting challenges this entails. She is looking forward to developing her experience in the travel industry and hopefully visiting many more exciting destinations in the future - Australasia is next on the list!      

Emma's Top Travel Experiences

• Hiking up to the centre peak of the Chief (a huge granite monolith) in Squamish, British Columbia and enjoying the breathtaking views over Howe Sound
• Witnessing the phenomenal northern lights at the summit of Mt Nuolja in Abisko National Park
• Doing a bungee jump over the Zambezi River and viewing Victoria Falls and the Batoka Gorge upside-down!

Email giota@discover-the-world.co.uk

Coming all the way from Athens in Greece, with 9 years experience in the travel industry, Giota joined the Operations team at Discover the World in January 2012. This job fills her with joy and excitement and she enjoys life in beautiful London. Places she has travelled to include France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Malta, Cyprus, Zanzibar and many Greek Islands. She recently travelled to Sweden and the Icehotel and looks forward to visiting many exciting destinations in the future!

Giota's Top Travel Experiences

• Crying at the sight of  the spectacular and breathtaking northern lights at Abisko Sky Station, Sweden
• Snowmobiling at the Icehotel
• Having her portrait painted by a French artist in Montmartre, Paris
• Horse riding on the North Sea coast in Belgium
• Sailing in the Greek Islands and having BBQs on the beach
• Watching the magnificent sunset at the top of the caldera in Santorini
• Snorkelling in Nungwi Beach, Zanzibar

Email maria.kondje@discover-the-world.co.uk

The most recent addition to the operations team, Maria has 14 years of experience working for all the major travel companies with a strong focus on customer service - nothing is too much trouble for the client. Before she travels to a new destination, Maria avidly reads guide books to ensure she doesn't miss out on anything interesting, she’d rather visit an old ruin than lie on a beach!

Maria's Top Travel Experiences

• The amazing  thrill of swimming  with dolphins in Cuba
• The west coast of the USA, in particular whale watching off Monterey, where she saw the amazing sight of a humpback mother and baby
• Lake Tahoe and Death Valley - two extremes of California, but both beautiful
• Cyprus is close to her heart, she visits a lot and loves the architecture and Roman ruins, and of course the food
• The Karpaz Peninsular is one of the last remote places left in Europe with totally unspolit beaches and wild donkeys
• France holds wonderful memories of family holidays and more good food!
• Loves Britain and everything about it

Email jo.fowler@discover-the-world.co.uk

Jo has worked in the travel industry for a number of years and began her career working in the Product department of a Canada Specialist Tour operator. Jo joined Discover the World in 2002 as part of the Iceland Operations team and is now responsible for the smooth running of the Nordic operations team. Destinations she has travelled to include New Zealand, Canada, Sweden, the Caribbean, Iceland, Greece and France, to name a few!

Jo’s Top Travel Experiences

• Enjoying the midnight sun on the beach near Hotel Budir in Iceland
• Watching minke whales within a couple of metres of our boat on a whale watching trip from Reykjavik harbour
• Hearing the roar of the the thundering water at Skogafoss with the waterfall framed by a rainbow
• Rafting the rapids on the Kicking Horse River in the Rockies
• Kayaking in Abel Tasman National park on a beautiful sunny day in December

Email drifa@discover-the-world.co.uk

Drifa was born in Husavik, Iceland and brought up by Lake Myvatn where her parents ran a hotel and welcomed clients from Discover the World for many years. After Drama training in London, Drifa joined the Iceland Sales Team and has worked for Discover the World on and off since 1998, both in sales and customer service and more recently in the operations team. Drifa’s travel experiences include USA, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Iceland.  

Drifa’s Top Travel Experiences

• Enjoying the midnight sun on top of Hverfjall by Lake Myvatn
• Feeling the pulling power of the largest waterfall in Europe, Dettifoss
• Experiencing the hospitality of the Icelandic people in Dalvik on Fish Day at the beginning of August
• Seeing the northern lights at Abisko and the Icehotel in Sweden

Email emma@discover-the-world.co.uk
Tel +44 (0)1737 214 287

Emma started her career in travel as a tour leader for an adventure travel company which took her to many fascinating countries in Africa, Scandinavia and Central America. Three years later she decided to return to the UK after a life on the road and joined Discover the World in order to pursue her love of working in travel. Emma has since developed a real passion for the Nordic regions, especially the scenery and opportunities they provide for outdoor pursuits.

Emma’s Top Travel Experiences

• Experiencing the midnight sun in Iceland and hiking in the magnificent highland regions with spectacular views.
• Snowmobiling across the wide open slopes at Bjorkliden.
• Sampling the world famous waffles at Laktatjakko mountain lodge.
• Drifting down the meandering Klaralven river on a timber raft enjoying the wilderness of Varmland in central Sweden.
• Boarding the scenic train ride from Flam to Myrdal and then cycling back down to Flam, watching the Flamsdalen valley open up at every turn and the bonus is, its all downhill!!

Email gary@discover-the-world.co.uk
Tel +44 (0)1737 214 208

After gaining a degree in Geography and briefly dabbling in the world of retail, Gary’s travels to South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji left him with no doubt that the travel industry was to be his final destination. He joined the Discover The World family in February 2009 as an operations and dispatch executive. However, his boundless enthusiasm for travel has now been put to good use by the Nordic team. Since changing roles he has travelled extensively throughout Iceland, Lapland and Norway and can not wait for his next adventure.

Gary's Top Travel Experiences

• Walking through the famous IceHotel Sweden for the first time. It surpassed all my expectations which was quite an achievement, considering the amazing stories my colleagues had told me. Quite possibly the greatest work of art I will ever see.
• Falling hopelessly into the icy water during an attempt at raft rodeo… a game our guide gleefully invented as we hurtled down the River Hvita’s rapids near The Golden Circle. (I was fine.)
• Feeding giant turtles on the Great Barrier Reef is another incredible experience and has the added bonus of being slightly more sedate.

Email laura@discover-the-world.co.uk
Tel +44 (0)1737 214 280

Laura joined Discover the World in summer 2010 and brings a wealth of travel experience with her. Lucky enough to have travelled from a young age, she has visited America, Canada, Africa, The Caribbean and most of Europe. Laura has worked in travel for over 10 years now dealing largely with winter activity holidays such as skiing and Lapland breaks. She has also worked in worldwide cruise holidays. With a passion for different travel experiences, this year, Laura has enjoyed seeing the wildlife and participating in water-based activities in Thailand as well as discovering the amazing scenery of Iceland (read her blog), comprising geysers, glaciers and waterfalls.

Laura's Top Travel Experiences

• Swimming in the Blue Lagoon and seeing the northern lights in Iceland
• Snowmobiling, reindeer sledging and husky sledging in Lapland
• Scuba diving in Barbados
• Gambling in Las Vegas
• Climbing Dunns River Falls in Jamaica
• Reaching the top of Table Mountain in South Africa

Email kim@discover-the-world.co.uk
Tel +44 (0)1737 214 272

After achieving a degree in fashion design with her final collection inspired by travels to the Ice Hotel in Swedish Lapland and numerous visits to Iceland, Kim joined Discover the World’s Nordic team before moving into our schools department for a period. She is now back in the Nordic fold and enjoys talking to people about the places which have provided the inspiration for her designs. A keen traveller, Kim has visited Paris, Rome, Miami, The Bahamas, Spain and Portugal to name but a few.

Kim's Top Travel Experiences:

• Husky sledging and ice sculpting in Swedish Lapland (not at the same time though!)
• Snowmobiling on Vatnajökull in Iceland
• Whale watching in Husavik
• Ice driving and go-karting on a frozen lake in Iceland

Email michael@discover-the-world.co.uk
Tel +44 (0)1737 214 262

Michael has worked in the travel industry for twelve years, spending five years at French Railways. He joined Discover the World in 2006 and has travelled throughout Europe and Scandinavia. One day he hopes to venture further afield to Australia and New Zealand.

Michael’s Top Travel Experiences

• Snowmobiling across the frozen sea in Finland and stopping for a lunch of freshly caught Arctic Char cooked on a camp fire - delicious!
• Visiting the frozen Seljalandsfoss waterfall in Iceland and watching it throw off many rainbows. Not another soul around, so peaceful.
• Husky sledging in Sweden: all you can hear are the dogs breathing and you really feel that you are away from it all.

Email kassie@discover-the-world.co.uk
Tel +44 (0)1737 214 232 

Kassie has worked in travel for eight years, five of those at Discover the World. She have travelled to many places, including America, Dubai, New Zealand, Lapland, Iceland and even lived in Sydney, Australia. She started at the company  as a sales executive in the Lapland department and moved across to the administrative side in April 2007. In December 2008 Kassie temporarily left us to have her son, Max before returning in January 2010 to join a newly formed Nordic team.

Kassie’s Top Travel Experiences

• Husky sledging across the frozen lakes and forest trails of snowy Lapland.

Email megan@discover-the-world.co.uk
Tel +44 (0)1737 214 235

Megan joined the Nordic team in September 2010. She started her career in travel four years ago for Kuoni. After her first two years working sales she moved into the weddings department where she spent a further two years. During her time at Kuoni Megan has visited many exciting holiday and wedding destinations including, Italy, America, Maldives, Seychelles & Sri Lanka. Since joining Discover the World, Megan has visited Iceland where she saw waterfalls, geysers, and of course the amazing Northern Lights as well as the Icehotel, southern Sweden and Norway.

Megan's Top Travel Experiences

• Seeing the Northern Lights
• Elephant riding in Sri Lanka 
• Flying into the Grand Canyon in USA 
• Meeting and spending time with orphaned children in a small rural community in Egypt 
• Relaxing in the Blue Lagoon 
• Chilling at the glacial lagoon

Email aggie@discover-the-world.co.uk
Tel +44 (0)1737 214 005

Aggie’s keen interest in travel brought her to Discover the World in 2009 having previously worked in various travel roles after finishing her Masters degree in Sociology and Tourism. She takes great care in developing travel itineraries as in her view, preparation is just as important as travelling itself in order to receive full enjoyment from your holiday.

Aggie's Top Travel Experiences

• watching the beautiful Arctic scenery while husky sledding in Kulusuk, East Greenland - one the most remote places in the world 
• floating in the Dead Sea in Jordan – the most surreal experience of my life – and no swimming skills required
• watching the Northern Lights appear over the Icehotel, Sweden for the first time in my life – no words can give this truly magical phenomenon justice – you have to see them for yourself!
• climbing the Great Wall of China – an unforgettable experience to last a lifetime
• snowmobiling over the glaciers in Iceland followed by a nice bowl of hot Icelandic meat soup
• experiencing a true sense of freedom quad biking through the wilderness and vast open fields of North Quebec province, Canada and finishing off the day with roasting marshmallows overa campfire while gazing at the stars above
• exploring the deep underground salt mines in Wieliczka, Poland (which includes an entire church carved out of the rock salt!) at night with the lights out and only a miners’ helmet light to guide the way.
• backpacking through mystical Morocco, a country of many contrasts, and connecting with the locals to understand their way of life. 

Read about Aggie's husky adventures in Greenland »

Email john@discover-the-world.co.uk  
Tel +44 (0)1737 214 253

Johnny joined Discover the World in September 2009. He started his career as a travel agent visiting some fantastic destinations such as Bermuda, Mexico, Egypt and most of the Caribbean to name a few. Johnny previously worked for the Nordic shipping company, Hurtigruten. He got a chance to experience one of Hurtigruten’s voyages journeying the spectacular far north of Norway in winter from Tromso to Kirkenes. Since joining Discover the World, Johnny has visited Sweden staying at the amazing ICEHOTEL, a snowy remote log cabin and visiting The Aurora Sky Station at Abisko. At the Sky Station Johnny was fortunate to see the breath-taking aurora borealis!  In May 2011 he visited Iceland to see what the country is like after the Grimsvotn eruption, and has just revealed a talent as an on-camera, roving reporter for Discover the World!

Johnny’s Top Travel Experiences

• An unexpected showcase of northern lights onboard Hurtigruten
• Snowmobiling from The ICEHOTEL
• Taming a reindeer in a Sami Camp in Sweden
• Holding a husky pup at the Kennels in remote Norway
• Visiting the Valley of the Kings in Egypt
• Relaxing by the fire in a cosy log cabin in rural Sweden

Email nikki@discover-the-world.co.uk 

Nikki began her career in travel in 1998, organising educational trips throughout Europe. She joined Discover the World two years later, and has been involved in various programmes with the company, ranging from the Bahamas to the Polar regions and most recently looking after our Iceland and Greenland programme. Nikki has travelled extensively throughout Iceland and Western Europe, North America, Sri Lanka and Latin America, and is particularly drawn to remote and dramatic mountain scenery, and snow! She has spent three austral summers in Antarctica; two of which were at historic British base Port Lockroy (for the charity UK Antarctic Heritage Trust), and was Base Leader there for the 2010-11 season. In December 2011 she joined the expedition team on board Orion, finally realising her dream to visit the Ross Sea. Now back on terra firma, Nikki assists with our successful study tours department, as well as coordinating between our busy product and marketing teams.

Nikki’s Top Travel Experiences

• Watching gentoo penguins 'fly' underwater in Antarctica, penguin chicks nibbling at her boots, rescuing paint tins from sneaky sheathbills!
• Taking a relaxing dip in North Iceland's Nature Baths, looking out over volcanic craters and towards shimmering Lake Myvatn.
• The rush of river rafting in Costa Rica; and the country's 'Pura Vida (pure life/this is living!)' culture.
• Kayaking in the rain towards the meringue-peaked Shoup glacier near Valdez, Alaska.  Seeing bald eagles in the wild!
• Practising zodiac driving in Milford Sound and at Macquarie Island.
• Watching seabirds soaring around the back of the boat en route to Antarctica.
• Standing in humbled silence at Captain Scott's Cape Evans Hut, and feeling the spirit of Shackleton at his Cape Royds Hut.
• Seeing the magical northern lights in Churchill, northern Manitoba after a wonderful day watching polar bears play on the tundra. 
• Kayaking around islands dotted with fur seals at Abel Tasman National Park.
• Kings, kings and more king penguins at South Georgia - an imense sight.
• Watching amazing aurora borealis displays from South Iceland in the crisp, pure evening air.
• Seeing a baby elephant guzzling its milk at Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, Sri Lanka.

Read Nikki's travel stories on South Georgia and the Falkland Islands »

Email amy@discover-the-world.co.uk
01737 214 265

Amy joined Discover the World in 2009 and has been in travel for nearly eight years. During this time she has spent summer seasons in Cyprus and Spain before moving back to England to spent two years working with an internet travel agent specialising in customer service and looking after clients in resort. With her passion for travel she has been lucky enough to travel to America, Austria, Portugal, Germany and recently achieved her lifelong dream to explore the expanses of Australia (read her blog). 

Since joining Discover the World Amy has especially loved visiting Iceland; travelling around this amazing volcanic island (her next mission is to witness an erupting volcano!). She has also visited the Faroes and enjoyed a fantastic trip to East Greenland in May 2011  (read her blog). One of her favourite trips to date was travelling to Swedish Lapland to look after Discover the World guests visiting the Icehotel, which included two sightings in three nights of the magical aurora borealis. She also braved a night 'on ice' in one of the incredible Art Suites, and even managed to oversleep (proving that they are incredibly comfortable!).

Along with travel, Amy is passionate about the customer service that she gives and the first-hand destination knowledge she is eager to share with her clients. Amy is currently co-ordinating Discover the World's Lapland and Iceland weddings programmes, arranging special days that adventurous brides and grooms will never forget!

Amy's Top Travel Experiences

• Relaxing in the natural waters of the Blue Lagoon.
• Watching the icebergs silently drifting on the Jokulsarlon lagoon while dipping a toe into the icy water.
• Swimming in clear blue waters of the Mediterranean surrounded by fish.
• Snowmobiling on the frozen lake near the Icehotel and catching some amazing sightings of the northern lights.
• Hiking into the mountains of Tasiilaq village to discover the amazing waterfall under fresh snow.
• Taking a first helicopter trip over the amazing icecaps and glaciers in Greenland.
• Being just metres away from a wild crocodile and her young on the Daintree River in Queensland.
• Admiring the breathtaking views and stunning beaches at Cape Tribulation. 

Email paolo@discover-the-world.co.uk

Paolo has been working in the travel industry for 10 years. Since joining Discover the World, he has had the opportunity to visit amazing places such as Iceland, Greenland and New Zealand, making him truly passionate about these destinations and loving nothing more than putting together the perfect trip!

Paolo’s Top Travel Experiences

• Admiring Gullfoss waterfall in Iceland - any time, any season
• Taking a boat trip to the fascinating glacier Apusiâjik from Kulusuk, Greenland
• Flying by helicopter amongst the Southern Alps in New Zealand and over Lake Wakatipu

Email sari@discover-the-world.co.uk

Sari has worked in the travel industry for more than 20 years and joined Discover the World in January 1994. Finnish by birth, she has in-depth knowledge of not only her native country, but also of Iceland and other Nordic countries. Together with her extensive experience of the Arctic, Sari has travelled to Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and North Africa.

Sari’s Top Travel Experiences

• Seeing blue whales, humpbacks, orcas, minke whales and dolphins off the coast of Iceland.
• Diving in Lake Thingvallavatn in Iceland in the rift where the tectonic plates are pulling apart.
• Driving her own husky team in Lapland and sleeping in the ICEHOTEL.

Email silvena@discover-the-world.co.uk

Silvena started her career in travel as a tour guide in Bulgaria before starting work at Discover the World in 2003 as part of the Iceland operations team. Now she organises the Nordic sales team thanks to her fantastic knowledge of all the destinations and activities. Be it examining glaciers in Greenland or speeding through the Finnish wilderness, Silvena’s been there, done that and got the t-shirt!

Silvena’s Top Travel Experiences

• Standing quietly in awe of the northern lights dancing across the sky in Swedish Lapland.
• The surreal experience of luxuriating in the warm waters of the Blue Lagoon in Iceland – despite having frozen eyelashes!