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 Ken Fish
As the president and owner of Absolute Travel, it
is Ken Fish's personal and professional goal to
make clients' most fantastic travel dreams a reality.
He is a highly regarded spokesperson for the travel
industry and is regularly featured in trade and
consumer publications. A graduate of Johns Hopkins
University, Ken has dedicated a good portion of
his life to travel. From 1983 through 1987, he worked
for an Australian travel company and traveled throughout
Australia and Southeast Asia. He founded Absolute
Travel upon his return to New York City. In addition
to steering the direction of the company, he travels
extensively and has taken nearly 100 overseas
trips since 1983. When not traveling, Ken unpacks
his suitcase in New York, where he lives with his
wife and two children. kfish@absolutetravel.com |
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Most recent trip: |
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India and Dubai |
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Favorite travel experience: |
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Watching my kids make lifelong friends around the world. |
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Next on his itinerary: |
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Bangkok, Bali and Tokyo |
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 Leslie
Overton
 Leslie Overton is the general manager of Absolute
Travel. Her passion for travel began at the age
of six when her family moved to Amsterdam. From
that base, they spent weekends exploring European
countries. After graduating from college with a
degree in Art History, Leslie managed to parlay
her passion into a career with a job in Australian
tourism. Now Leslie travels almost exclusively with
her husband and two children, Ruby and Lola, because
she loves seeing the world through their eyes. Leslie
also enjoys incorporating her other interests, such
as yoga and cooking, into her travels. loverton@absolutetravel.com |
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Most recent trip: |
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Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Burma |
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Favorite travel experience: |
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Going to Savusavu in Fiji with my
husband and two daughters. At one point, I
took my girls out onto the water and we spun
around 360 degrees and could find no sign
of civilization other than what we had left
on our beach and a few sailboats. |
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Next on her
itinerary: |
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Turkey |
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 Lisa Sun
Lisa, Absolute Travel's senior China expert,
first went to China in 1986 to spend a year as an
exchange student. She fell so deeply in love with
the country that she stayed for 8 years to study
and work, and used Beijing as a home base for extensive
solo travels. Her trips took her to the farthest
reaches of China as well as most of Asia, and she
developed a strong destination knowledge that has
been a major asset in her work at Absolute Travel since 1997. Among her favorite destinations
are China, Mongolia, Tibet and the Silk Road. lsun@absolutetravel.com |
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Most recent trip: |
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Turkey |
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Favorite travel
experience: |
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Trekking in Ladakh in northern
India. |
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Next on her
itinerary: |
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Central Asia and the Silk Road |
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 Daniela
Bonanno
Born and raised in Italy, Daniela has been living
in New York since 1989. She was enjoying a successful
career in the fashion industry as a production manager
for the Italian clothing company Diesel when her
passion for travel led her to quit her job and embark
on a journey of self-discovery through Southeast
Asia. Absolute Travel was the perfect landing pad
when she decided to make luxury travel her new career.
She has a B.A. in Fine Arts and is most passionate
about the culinary arts, yoga, dance, and the art
of travel. She has traveled extensively though Southeast
Asia, Europe, Central America, and Africa. Daniela
is the Sales Manager of Absolute Travel and the
Africa specialist. dbonanno@absolutetravel.com |
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Most recent trip: |
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Chile |
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Favorite travel
experience: |
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Visiting the Kawaza village
in Zambia and spending my first night under
canvas in the middle of the Okavango Delta
with lions roaring outside my tent! |
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Next on her
itinerary: |
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South Africa and Tanzania |
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 Natalie Nevares
Before coming to Absolute Travel in April 1997, Natalie worked in documentary film and television production and did research abroad, gathering information about the Muslim women's movement in Indonesia and the sex industry in Thailand. Her academic background is in cultural anthropology and international politics, with a focus on women and religion in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. She has traveled extensively throughout Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and Africa. nnevares@absolutetravel.com |
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Most recent trip: |
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South Africa, Botswana and Victoria Falls |
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Favorite travel experience: |
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My honeymoon, a three-month journey
through the Middle East and East Africa, ending
with our first anniversary on safari at the
Maasai Mara Game Reserve. |
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Next on her
itinerary: |
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India |
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 Michael Rubinstein
After completing an International Affairs graduate
program in January 2005, Mike returned to Absolute
Travel and has continued to travel extensively throughout Asia, Africa, and the South Pacific. Mike's trip to Mali was an unforgettable experience that has ignited his interest in exploring more of West Africa. Given the recent birth of his daughter, though, Mike also hopes to explore more exciting off-the-beaten-path child-friendly destinations for Absolute Travel in the coming years! mrubinstein@absolutetravel.com
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Most recent trip: |
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Tanzania |
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Favorite travel experience: |
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Exploring the sandy back streets of Timbuktu and the colorful markets of Djenne and Mopti in Mali. |
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Next on his itinerary: |
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Papua New Guinea |
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 Christina Stubbs
Before joining Absolute Travel in 2002, Christina worked as a technology and business reporter in San Francisco (before the "tech bubble" burst!) and was a content producer at A&E Television Network. She has traveled throughout Southeast Asia, Europe, China, North Africa, and many other areas of the world. Christina has degrees in both English and History from Oberlin
College and now lives in Brooklyn. cstubbs@absolutetravel.com |
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Most recent trip: |
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Thailand and Laos |
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Favorite travel experience: |
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I went to Bali several years ago
and it was a perfect trip - a beautiful
island with amazing culture, history, and people. |
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Next
on her itinerary: |
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Argentina |
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 Sasha Lehman
Family vacations ranging from chateau touring
in France to rafting down the Zambezi sowed the
seeds of wanderlust in Sasha's life. In school,
she seized opportunities to learn outside of the
classroom, including a high school semester in Switzerland
and a deep-sea archeology trip to the Black Sea.
After receiving a degree in art history, Sasha worked
as the Manager of Guest Relations at a safari lodge
in Nepal's Chitwan National Park. For the first
time, she found herself on the service side of tourism,
where her extensive travel experience was a great
help in understanding the needs of her guests. Since
returning from Nepal, she has been the Operations
Manager at Absolute Travel. slehman@absolutetravel.com |
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Most recent trip: |
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Bhutan |
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Favorite travel experience: |
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Few experiences are ingrained in my mind with the clarity of a photograph, but watching the sun rise over the Himalayas at the foot of Mt. Everest is an image I will never forget. |
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Next on her
itinerary: |
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Mongolia |
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 Matt Flynt
Born and raised in Arkansas, Matt first developed
an interest in international travel while taking
a summer Spanish course in Puebla, Mexico. His experience
influenced him to pursue a B.A. in Spanish language
at the University of Arkansas. After living in Spain
for a year and studying at the University of Granada,
Matt decided to return to Latin America. While teaching
English in Santiago, Chile, Matt explored and "discovered"
this magnificent, remote land at the bottom of the
globe. His experiences inspired him to start a new
division of Absolute Travel -- Matt is the manager
of the South America division of the company. mflynt@absolutetravel.com |
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Most recent trip: |
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Iran |
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Favorite travel experience: |
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Sailing through the Strait
of Gibraltar on a beautiful day. |
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Next on his itinerary: |
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Vietnam |
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 Ranee Rhodes
A native Southern Californian, Ranee's love of travel
and adventure began in her teens with a trip to
Tahiti with her best friend. While studying marketing
and public relations at the University of Colorado,
she spent a semester on board a ship, venturing
to nine countries in six months. After college,
she moved to London and landed a job in the fashion
industry, eventually transferring to New York to
continue her fashion career. Now working in the
sales and marketing departments of Absolute Travel,
Ranee’s passion for travel has not waned;
as a snowboarder, she is especially enthusiastic
about cold-weather destinations. rrhodes@absolutetravel.com |
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Most recent trip: |
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India |
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Favorite travel experience: |
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I was a guest at a Sikh wedding on my recent trip to India, and it was a great experience. |
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Next on her
itinerary: |
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Brazil |
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 Derek K. Ong
Armed with a degree from Lehigh University,
Derek's first post-college work experience was with
an educational testing company as the marketing
and sales manager for Asia. He traveled to Asia
to attend a wedding in Jakarta, took a side trip
to Bali, and fell in love with the region. He has
since traveled to Hong Kong and Thailand numerous
times, and has also visited Japan, Malaysia, and
South Korea, among other countries in Asia. Derek
continues to use his travel experiences and academic
background to design outstanding trips to Asia.
His interest in the culinary arts makes him especially
valuable for his recommendations on the best local
dishes, from fresh udon in Japan to the curries
in Thailand! dkong@absolutetravel.com |
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Most recent trip: |
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Jordan |
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Favorite travel experience: |
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Having a bottle of wine
on the deck of my overwater bungalow under
a full moon in Manihi, French Polynesia. |
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Next on his itinerary: |
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Japan and South Korea |
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 Brooke
Garnett
Brooke's passion for travel began with a college
semester at the University of Melbourne in Australia.
After graduating from the University of Richmond
in 2003 with a B.A. in Marketing and Studio Art,
she decided to spend a year indulging her wanderlust
-- during that time, she worked at a scuba shop
in Thailand, volunteered at an elephant nature park,
backpacked through Southeast Asia and worked as
a dive-master in Honduras. In addition to traveling,
Brooke loves adventure sports, painting, photography,
and cooking. bgarnett@absolutetravel.com |
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Most recent trip: |
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Argentina |
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Favorite travel experience: |
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Looking out over rice paddies
while swinging from vines at the top of Khouangsi
Falls in Luang Prabang, Laos. |
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Next on her
itinerary: |
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South Africa |
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Destinations & Tours 