Paul Hole

Staff Member

Our Managing Director and the co-founder of the company, Paul, might be based in Sydney, but the lure of Asia brings him back time and time again. A varied professional career, including a management cadetship with Australian brewing giant Castlemaine Tooheys, a stint at Shell in London and plenty of marketing experience taught Paul a lot about the world, but his most prized education is the one he has gained while travelling. Paul has journeyed extensively in Europe, the Middle East and South America, but the magic of Asia captivated his heart and soul and inspired school friend Mark Bowyer and he to start their own travel company and share that magic with others. Paul has experienced the length and breadth of Indochina on multiple occasions, as well as China, Thailand and India, and he eagerly returns to Asia at the drop of a hat. Visits to our partners in the UK and North America mean he tends to keep a bag packed, but Paul is always pleased to return to Sydney and his beautiful wife and kids.

Eric Finley

Staff Member

A true Asia expert and former tour leader, Eric has worn many hats at Essence of Asia and continues to be our favourite photographer and food critic. His travels have taken him from the furthest reaches of the Silk Road to the beaches of Southern Thailand, and everywhere in between. “I got the travel bug at a young age. My parents took us on interesting holidays to places like Kenya and Tanzania, the Pacific Islands, the West Indies, and the USA – so I blame them whenever they complain about me being away from home!” Eric became Asia-obsessed after experiencing India as a backpacker. “I landed in Calcutta and the culture shock was unimaginable. I can remember sitting in the back seat of my taxi, a clunking old Ambassador, on the way into the city and seeing the chaos of street vendors, rickshaws, herds of goats and a sea of faces out the car window. This overwhelming sensory overload is what I love most about the countries we experience.”

Chris Orme

Staff Member

Chris Orme, General Manager of our UK office, brings with him extensive Asian travel experience, years working in the travel industry in various guises and, of course, passion for our destinations. After graduating from Birmingham University with a degree in Geography, Chris put his education to practise by beginning work as a tour leader. For four years Chris led tours in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Tibet, Africa and Egypt. In 2000 he returned to the UK, where he continued life in the travel industry, first selling holidays to Indochina, and later as a program manager for Southeast Asia. That was until we managed to lure him away with the promise of the challenge of setting up and managing Essence of Asia’s UK office. Chris admits to being a big fan of Vietnam. “As with many people, I think Hoi An is probably my favourite place and is somewhere I could happily spend lots of time.” Other favourites are Luang Prabang and Bangkok. When not travelling or promoting the joys of travelling to Asia, Chris enjoys playing hockey, ‘endures’ watching the English cricket team, and is an Everton supporter in the Premiership League football.

Dang Thi Thu Ha

Staff Member

Ha is one of our longest serving team members. She has worked her way up within the company, and today we all count on her for the successful operations of our trips throughout Asia. It’s a large responsibility, but Ha, our resident superstar, is up to the challenge. It comes as no surprise that travel is one of Ha’s passions. Her favourite place in Vietnam is Dalat, which she loves for its cool weather and beautiful landscapes. Ha also has enjoyed trips to the USA and Australia and though she finds them both to be “very beautiful” destinations, the experience of traveling in both can be “a bit overwhelming”. Even though Ha was born in Dak Lak, in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, she can still launch into the somewhat perplexing tones of her family’s ancestral home, Hue, if she needs to. But having lived in Saigon since she was ten, she now considers it home. And lucky for us – Ha is an institution in our office and we depend upon her skills, knowledge, effectiveness, but most of all upon her beautiful smile and charming nature.

Truong Ngoc Tuan Kiet

Local Guide

Perched atop two wheels is the only way to discover the real Vietnam according to Kiet, our fit and funny local guide! Our Cycling Vietnam Small Group Journey is one of Kiet's favourite to experience. “You get to meet the local people and see the local customs when you are on a bike,” says Kiet. “Stop and take a photo, learn how to plant rice with a farmer, get lost in the back alleys – all of this happens for me when I am bicycling around Vietnam.” But his experience isn't limited to two wheels; Kiet has been leading our travellers around Vietnam for years now. You'll benefit from his wealth of experience, hilarious stories and knowledge of the backstreets that really show the heart and soul of his country.

Tran Duc

Staff Member

Duc keeps things running in Central Vietnam as our Operations Supervisor in Danang. An avid swimmer, one of Duc’s favourite aspects of Danang is the water. “I swim at China Beach five times a week,” says Duc. “I just love the water. When I travel I am so happy when a hotel has a great pool. Or even a river view!” Aquarius Duc came to us after working for Vietnam Airlines, so travel is truly his passion. With frequent visits to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and further afield we keep Duc on his toes, but he meets the challenge with unbridled enthusiasm (and a bathing suit in his luggage!).

Todd Reid

Tour Leader

Todd, our culinary guru and man on a motorbike, fell in love with Asia on his first visit in 1999. And his knowledge isn’t relegated to just the recipes and the roads that make life in Asia so exciting. Thailand was his first port of call in our part of the world, and he spent six months getting to know the Land of Smiles, as well as Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam – he cites this as the most amazing time in his life. “Vietnam’s Central Highlands, trekking in Laos, Chiang Mai’s food and nightlife – I fell head over heels for Asia”, says Todd. With a background in graphic design, Todd worked on Australia’s Gold Coast and in the UK, but when he heard the call to tour lead there was no stopping him from coming our way. “My office is now Halong Bay, or Angkor Wat, and it changes every day; what can beat that?” We can’t think of a single thing…

Sonja van den Bosch

Staff Member

Sonja’s cross-border experiences began at a very early age, with bicycle trips from her home in the Netherlands to neighbouring Belgium and Germany. Sonja says it was great being exposed to different cultures and languages (she speaks both German and French fluently, as well as English and Spanish). Having travelled extensively throughout Europe and the US already, when Sonja packed up to leave Holland her first destination was Southeast Asia, where she fell in love with the region and her people. When not coming up with exciting new marketing campaigns, Sonja is most likely to be found at her local gym, cooking up a storm in her kitchen, or surfing.

Sililak Sourignavong

Staff Member

Sil’s story is a remarkable one; she was born in Laos, grew up in Thailand, and her grandparents are Vietnamese! Thus, there is no one better placed to organise our special group departures to these countries! She has also travelled to these three destinations on many occasions, and gone further afield to explore China. Sil’s favourite destinations in Asia to date are Hoi An, Vietnam, the Plain of Jars, Laos, and Krabi, Thailand. She has worked in the travel industry for more than a dozen years. Her combination of industry experience, first-hand knowledge of our region, and passion for travel and Southeast Asian cultures have all been put into constant use in her daily work with us.

Rebecca Gunn

Tour Leader

She began by booking your tickets in our Sydney office, but the lure of the road was too much for our fantastic tour leader Bec. In 2002 Bec worked behind the scenes for Essence of Asia in our documents department, but coming across all of those exciting itineraries and flight tickets to exotic destinations was enough to convince Bec that it was time for her to pack her own bags and come to Asia! A powerhouse of energy and enthusiasm, Bec is best known for learning the specific interests of each of her travellers and then sharing their local components; whether you are interested in arts and crafts or the best tasting homebrew, Bec knows the market or pub you're looking for! Our travellers are constantly impressed with Bec's excellent customer service skills and are touched by her attention to detail.

Phil Jordan

Tour Leader

This Sydney native is just as at home dodging motor bikes in Saigon and exploring deserted temples in Cambodia as he is on a surfboard. Meet Phil Jordan, one of our expert tour leaders! Phil’s ability to see the humour in almost any situation, his laid-back approach to life and his natural rapport with our local guides and hosts throughout Asia make him an easy-going travel companion – any journey with Phil is full of laughs. But don’t be fooled by the quick smile – when it comes to Asia, Phil’s real strength is his depth of knowledge – his special interests being politics and the modern history of the Indochina region. An opportunity to study some of the more tumultuous periods of Vietnam and Cambodia’s past while at university in Australia captured Phil’s imagination and inspired him to plan his own journey across Asia. And he’s been hooked ever since! After a number of years working in hospitality and tourism in Australia, Phil grabbed the chance to move to Asia and share his passion with our travellers, and we are very lucky to have him as a part of our team.

Pham Xuan Truong

Local Guide

A Hanoi boy through and through, Truong loves sharing the delights of his city with our travellers. Truong has been working for us for many years now and is one of our stellar local guides in the north of Vietnam. For Truong, it is the simple pleasures of Hanoi that he enjoys most – the perfumes, particularly hoa sua (milk flower) and cherry blossom, the quiet streets during Tet, and the French architecture. He also loves the seasonal variation in Hanoi. It’s a romantic view, but Hanoi is a romantic city. He's also a bit of a foodie – Northern Vietnamese food is fun to eat and not too spicy. Cha ca, the indigenous Hanoi dish of fried fish, rice vermicelli noodles, peanuts, spring onions, herbs and nuoc mam (fish sauce) is his favourite. In Truong’s opinion the best cha ca is to be found at Cha Ca La Vong, a famous Hanoi restaurant that only serves one dish – its namesake! But he loves his mother’s cooking the best – apparently her pork soup, sweet and sour ribs, and pickled eggplant are to die for. Guiding is the perfect profession for Truong, as he loves meeting people, loves to learn and experience different cultures, and believes the interaction has allowed him to better himself and has opened his mind to the world. “Those who travel are intelligent,” he says. “I get to hear their stories, learn about their society.” He also says he’s learnt a lot from working (and sharing a beer!) with our Western tour leaders.

Nguyen Minh Tuong

Local Guide

Miranda Morison

Staff Member

Miranda's enthusiasm and knowledge of Asia makes her a fantastic Wholesale Reservations Team Leader. This is a woman who loves to travel! Miranda finds Asia truly captivating and loves Cambodia and Thailand for the friendliness of the local people and the fascinating ancient temples. At the top of her long list of amazing memories from the road is watching the sun rise at Angkor Wat. “It was incredible,” she says, “watching the early morning light slowly spread across the sky as the five central towers of the temple went from black to a warm orange and then eventually a blazing red.” She gets back to Asia as often as she can, and enjoys sharing her passion for the region; a conversation with Miranda is enough to make anyone want to book a flight!

Marisa Costa

Staff Member

Marisa brings her background in business and tremendous smile to our retail team at Essence of Asia. One of her favourite aspects of Asia is the café culture that is such a part of life in Vietnam and Laos. “The coffee is delicious,” she says. “There’s nothing better than relaxing over a ca fe su da (Vietnamese iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk) after a day of exploring.” She also enjoys a bit of five-star pampering and the Westin Shanghai comes up as her favourite deluxe hotel. 

Marie-Anne Palces

Staff Member

Marie-Anne was born in the Philippines, and she has Chinese and Spanish heritage, so her desire to travel is probably also innate! She did her first extensive travel in Asia at the age of seven, and fell in love with exploring the region. She finds that wherever she is in Asia, people assume she is a local (which is flattering, but not helpful once someone starts to speak to her in rapid-fire Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc.!). Her favourite destination is Isan in Northeast Thailand, one of most traditional areas in the country. Not many people travel here, so it is an untouched, unique place to explore.

Linh Le

Staff Member

Linh arrived in Australia with his family from Vietnam when he was four years old, and became an Australian citizen after only one year. Like many Vietnamese he has travelled back to Vietnam several times, and has had amazing experiences on each of his journeys back. He studied Art History and Sociology at Sydney University, as well as media marketing, and did a bit of modeling work and media sales before being lured to the travel industry. He is now one of our amazing business development managers in New South Wales. Life on the road is always an adventure, and Linh loves the variety of his role, the tasks and challenges that come with each new day, and seeing the countryside. Not limited to New South Wales, Linh occasionally journeys back to Vietnam to lead our Small Group Journeys and keep his destination knowledge fresh.

Le Thi Mong Huyen

Staff Member

Its no small task single-handedly overseeing the Human Resources Department for our Saigon office, but Huyen’s dedication (and delightful laugh) makes her perfect for the role. Huyen joined our team in early 2003, and now sorts the finer details for both our Vietnamese and international Western employees based in Ho Chi Minh City. Working with an international staff is exciting for Huyen, but the part of her job she enjoys the most is travelling. Staff trips to domestic destinations like Phu Quoc and Dalat have been highlights, and she looks forward to experiencing more of Asia any chance she gets.

Lesley Wright

Staff Member

After a whirlwind tour of Asian cities in the late 80s, Lesley knew she had to get back to this part of the world to explore the region in more detail. So after studying Geography at Hull University she rustled up funds on night shifts at the local food factories in Lincolnshire and headed off on the field trip of her life, backpacking through Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. This trip ignited a passion for travel and the desire to spread the word to folks back home. So after a short stint handling foreign exchange – the low point – she worked for a student travel agency over a seven-year period handling the design and marketing activity for their network of over 50 branches nationwide – the high point. Time out of the travel industry after this did not stop her passion for exploring, Asia in particular – from temples of exorcism in India, to the ‘tigers’ of Trinco in Northern Sri Lanka, to elephant mahouting in Northern Thailand, and last but not least to cruising the Mekong in Laos. All of these experiences combined have led her back to the industry and to Essence of Asia.

Laura Gordon Duff

Staff Member

It was her grandmother’s stories of colonial Shanghai that first ignited Laura’s interest in China. After leaving school, Laura lived in a small town in the east of China teaching English and travelling widely in her free time, an experience which further inflamed her passion for the Middle Kingdom. A highlight of her adventures was seeing the spectacular scenery of Yunnan, while a lowlight was the 48-hour overland journey to get there! Laura returned to the UK to study Mandarin and East Asian Politics, which included a year at university in Beijing where she honed her linguistic skills and knowledge of the country. She began the homeward journey along the Silk Road travelling from Beijing to Pakistan – an incredible journey. The journey continues: Laura’s passion for experiencing different cultures and her fascination with Asia in particular make her a perfect fit at Essence of Asia.

Kym Hughes

Staff Member

Kym loves the fact that she can sell something that she is passionate about – travel to Asia. At the age of 15, Kym participated in a student exchange in Japan, and she has been exploring Asia and her distinct regions ever since. Food is one of Kym’s passions, and she is always keen to try an area’s local delicacy … even if it is deep friend tarantula (Cambodia) and scorpion-on-a-stick (China)! One of her favourite destinations is Siem Reap. “I love exploring the ancient temples, eating delicious Khmer cuisine and spending time with the local people – Cambodians are so lovely, and the kids are the world’s cutest!” she says. Hoi An also rates high on her list – the shopping there is fantastic and Vietnamese food is absolutely mouth watering. In addition to exploring Asia’s restaurants, Kym enjoys tennis, cycling, and preparing her own local delicacies at home.

Kip Wheeler

Tour Leader

From ski patrol officer to fire-fighter, from leading heli-hiking trips in Alaska to experiencing Asia overland in a train, Kip brings a depth of knowledge and boundless enthusiasm to his journeys. Kip has devoted his working and personal life to feeding both his insatiable appetite for travel and adventure, and sharing those experiences with others working as a guide around the world. Over ten years of experience in adventure travel in Alaska has given Kip the opportunity to lead glacier treks, rainforest hikes, and more. He's cycled across the USA twice, train-travelled from Saigon to Portugal, and nearly mastered the all-too-difficult tonal language of the Vietnamese! Travel with Kip and be assured you are in good hands.

Katrina Barnett

Staff Member

Originally from New Zealand, Katrina now lives in Sydney and loves travelling any chance she can! She started working with us in 2001, and since then Katrina has worked in almost every department we have in Sydney, including documentation, ticketing, reservations, groups and retail. Katrina can now be found promoting Asia as one of our business development managers in New South Wales. Some of the highlights of being out on the road for Katrina are conducting training events with travel agents, brochure launches and attending travel shows. Katrina’s first trip to Asia was in 2001. She went to Vietnam for the Hue Festival – a celebration of art and culture boasting a myriad of performances and shows. This left an indelible impression on her, and Katrina was soon to return … her favourite destination to date is Phnom Penh; the beautiful people, great shopping and fantastic restaurants and bars along the riverbank bring her back time and again.

Karen Dowling

Staff Member

Karen has travelled widely in Asia and appreciates the diversity of landscape – very different from her native Ireland! She has extensive experience working in travel, and has been in the industry in Australia since 1988. She is now one of our enthusiastic Business Development Managers for Queensland.

Jo Howell

Tour Leader

Friendly, adaptable, and a top-notch talent behind the lens of a camera, Jo will make sure you go away from a journey with her around Asia with more than just perfect photos! It was her search for the perfect shot that led her away from her home town of Melbourne, and we're very thankful that she discovered Asia whilst pursuing her art! Jo's attention to detail and quick smile has endeared her to colleagues from the USA to Canada, and from Tokyo across Asia in our own destinations. The people, the food and the sights keep Jo happily at home in Asia. And in addition to having a keen eye for composition, Jo is a master at many a long-journey car/bus game! Travel with Jo and explore the real Asia.

Josh Owen

Tour Leader

Josh is your experienced travel companion on journeys as diverse and challenging as the Silk Road, a Family Journey through the Delta, and just about anywhere else we go! His sense of humour and ability to make long overland journeys into laugh-fit filled memorable experiences endears Josh to all of our travellers. With a background in camp counseling, Josh is a natural at leading our Family Journeys, but his charms aren't lost on ‘big kids’ as well. This easy-going guy who calls both the USA and Australia his ‘home countries’ feels RIGHT at home in Asia, and his ability to communicate some of the complexities of history and culture in the countries we explore in a tangible and engaging way will make sure that you don't just go home with a new friend, but with a much better understanding of the country (or countries) you came to explore. Josh is happiest when sharing truly local experiences with his travellers, be it biking through the countryside in the deep south of Vietnam or eating at a local night market in Jiayuguan. So join Josh on one of our unique Small Group Journeys! You won't be disappointed!

Joanne Dean

Staff Member

Since her first visit to Vietnam more than ten years ago, Jo knew that she would always be able to call Asia her second home. “I am in love with the diversity, the simplicity of life, the culture, religion, food and, most of all, the people of Asia,” says Jo. “I love to get into the countryside and off the beaten path to really find out what makes the country tick.” When not exploring the countries we visit (and others!), Jo manages the technical side of the business from her base in Australia.

Ho Huu Phiem

Local Guide

Graham Freeman

Staff Member

Graham has been in love with Asia since his first visit in 1993. Since then he has returned countless times, and still looks forward to any opportunity to book himself a ticket. Prior to joining us, Graham spent eight years developing and managing 50 travel agencies throughout Australia, and his wealth of knowledge and expertise is invaluable in our retail department. Graham has a diploma in Horticultural Science, so it is no surprise that he loves plants and the great outdoors. In his spare time Graham loves heading to the beach, diving, and travelling, of course!

Fiona Axford

Staff Member

Fiona had her first taste of Asia when she travelled to Thailand in 1989 on her way to Europe. Fiona loves going to the beach, whether while travelling in Asia, or when she’s back at home in Perth, Western Australia. Vietnam and Cambodia are her favourite places in Asia, and the fusion of French, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese influences in the cuisine of Hoi An, Vietnam, in particular keep her passport busy! A recent trip to India exposed an entirely new side of Asia to Fiona, and lifelong memories will be tiger spotting in Ranthambore National Park and staying in beautiful former Maharajah’s palaces – a truly unique and amazing way to experience a destination.

Darren Szwarcburg

Staff Member

Darren has travelled nearly every inch of Vietnam, and uses his knowledge of the place and the people to make sure things move smoothly from his base in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Originally a Melbourne boy who worked in manufacturing, he decided to leave the incessant rain and cold in exchange for Vietnam's warm “winters” and even warmer summers! He now regards Vietnam as his home, though he manages to get back to Australia at least once a year. Darren has been living in Asia since 1996, and following a four-year stay in Vietnam he spent a year in both Cambodia and East Timor, and found both countries extremely fascinating. What does Darren love most about his new home country? The answer is simple – dinner! He is pretty much a walking stomach, enjoying local Vietnamese food immensely – some favourites are lemongrass chicken, prawns cooked in beer, steamed pork in coconut juice, crispy fried squid, barbequed clams, sea snails, spicy sour fish soup, all to be enjoyed with extra fresh hot chili!

Claudia Wolf

Staff Member

Born into a family of newly-settled immigrants to Australia from Germany, Claudia’s destiny to travel was determined cradle-side. Her parents, wanting to discover their new home country, devoted their time continuously travelling and exploring all that Australia had to offer with their family, enticing a thirst for the open road that Claudia will (hopefully!) never be able to quench. Claudia has been to nearly every corner of the planet. Living, working and travelling her way through Europe, Canada, Africa, South America, Alaska, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Egypt, the South Pacific, Nepal, and all of the countries that Essence of Asia explores has kept Claudia extremely busy! For more than a dozen years now her focus has been on her true passion – Asia. She has had a love affair, particularly with India and Nepal, for all these years, and can’t visit Asia enough. When not exploring one of her favourite destinations, Claudia serves as one of our business development managers in New South Wales.

Anne Done

Tour Leader

On planes, trains, and automobiles – Anne is happiest when on the road (not to mention boats, sampans, cyclos, samlors, rickshaws … and the list goes on!). Anne joined us with a wealth of guiding experience already. She worked in outdoor education in the USA and Australia, and was also a part of the Sydney Bridge Climb Team before she came to Asia. Her background training may be heavy on safety, but smiley Anne is also focused on fun. And when you join Anne in China, Indochina or beyond, you can be sure to have a memorable journey.

Anne Bourke

Staff Member

Anne, our resident artist and architecture buff, puts Vietnam at the top of her list of favourite destinations in the world. Hanoi is the city that enchanted her most on a recent visit. “The French colonial architecture is just so beautiful,” she says. “If it weren’t for the buzzing of a million motorbikes it would be easy to think that you were in Europe!” In addition to checking out the buildings wherever she travels, Anne is also a fan of checking in to the spa – Thai massage is one of her favourite indulgences and reason enough for her to book a ticket to Thailand!

Anna Wachowiak

Staff Member

Anna was born in Poland. As far as she can remember, travel was always her passion. She extensively travelled through Europe and the Mediterranean and after finishing her Masters in Banking, decided that it is not a Bank but a Travel Agency that she will work for. This was more than a decade ago and since then she was involved in organising group travel for up to 350 passengers! Six years ago Anna decided that Europe is too small for her healthy travel appetite and moved out to Australia. She now admits that this has been the best decision as she is now so close to Asia! Until now Anna has visited most of our destination and developed a true passion for Asian culture, the people and the cuisine! She is fascinated by Asian smells, textures and flavours and you can rest assured that when invited over for dinner to Anna’s you will be treated with Pho, Beijing – style dumplings, Rogan Josh or Laksa.

Angela Ferres

Staff Member

Few people in the world have graced Bangkok International Airport with their presence more than our very own Angela Ferres! Ange has gone to the Land of Smiles for both business and pleasure literally dozens of times, but still finds each destination in Thailand exciting. “The diversity is just astounding; whether you want to trek to remote hilltribe villages in the north, or lay on one of the world’s best beaches in the south, I always find that Thailand has it all,” she says. From her base in Sydney, Ange puts together the itineraries and sorts the finer details for our journeys to several countries, but Thailand remains her favourite destination. So if you don’t see her in Australia, chances are you can bump into her at the baggage claim at Don Muang.

Amy Tylor

Staff Member

Amy is an institution in our Sydney office and brings a huge amount of talent (not to mention some laughs) to her role managing operations. She first visited Vietnam in 2000 and the country left a remarkable impression on her. “I was blown away by the diversity of the place,” she says. “From the bright lights and darting motorbikes of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to the peaceful French hill station of Dalat, Vietnam has a little bit of everything.” Over the past several years Amy has gotten a chance to visit some of the other destinations Essence of Asia specialises in, and the Yangtze’s Three Gorges and UNESCO World Heritage listed Luang Prabang in Laos are two of her favourite destinations. Back home in Sydney when not working hard, you’ll most likely see Amy at a spin class, cooking up a feast or planning her next visit to Asia.

Alexandra Harrison

Staff Member

Growing up with three brothers in Worcester, UK, meant that it was inevitable Alex would soon want to travel, if only to escape! She was lucky enough to travel widely as a child on family holidays, and it was this that led her to study tourism at college. After working for six months at an activity center for children in the south of France, Alex headed to Asia on a four-month backpacking trip through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. After spending time in places including Chiang Mai’s night market, a school in Luang Prabang and the Killing Fields, Alex returned to the UK smitten with Asia’s culture and people – so she fits in perfectly at Essence of Asia.

Alastair Scott

Staff Member

Alastair brings his wealth of experience from managing our office in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Sydney, and looks forward to any opportunity to visit Asia. He first visited Asia nearly 20 years ago and visited this part of the world regularly for both business and pleasure. Each visit left him wanting more, so when the opportunity to manage our office in Saigon came up Alastair jumped at the chance. “I had such an incredible experience working in Saigon,” he says. “It is an energetic city with beautiful architecture, amazing restaurants and lovely people.” When talk turns to cricket, this native Brit takes the cake – we are lucky to have him, as his career path was firmly focused on playing professionally! Now a part of our team in Sydney, Alastair looks forward to any chance to return to Asia (which, luckily for him, is quite often!).

Alana Bennett

Staff Member

Our social organiser (and accounts guru) Alana keeps the books and keeps us laughing in our Sydney office. She brings extensive experience crunching numbers in the travel industry to Essence of Asia, but we most appreciate Alana’s ability to remember every staff member’s birthday. Outside of the office Alana keeps busy playing netball and, of course, travelling to Asia any chance she can.