Tony Thorne

Tony Thorne first visited Guyana in 1988 as a Project Leader with Operation Raleigh and loved the adventure and rawness of the country. He returned in 1991 to watch the West Indians and Australians battle out a test match at Bourda Cricket Ground and decided to stay and accept a position to manage Timberhead Rainforest Resort. In 1994, when he started Wilderness Explorers, tourism was still mostly undeveloped, and the company took on the challenge of marketing Guyana internationally.


Tony was the first President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana in 1991 and served for numerous years on the board in various positions including Vice President. Over the years he has travelled extensively throughout Guyana and also the neighbouring countries to find suitable properties, locations and communities to work within developing tourism to the region. After all these years he still marvels at the majesty of Kaieteur Falls and its pristine environment. Tony enjoys great satisfaction in working with local communities developing their tourism products.

Shaun McGrath

Shaun graduated in 1982 from the Dublin College of Catering with a H. Dip in Hotel Management and from Trinity College Dublin with a B.Sc. He has worked in hotels in Ireland, the UK, Trinidad, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Guyana. He first arrived in Guyana in 1989 as Deputy General Manager of the Guyana Pegasus Hotel and started Cara Hotels in 1994 with business partner Paul Stephenson. He currently serves as CEO of the company which includes Cara Lodge Guyana and Cara Suites in Trinidad.

Shaun has been involved in tourism development in Guyana for over 30 years and served four terms as President of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana.

Carla Vantull

Georgetown, Guyana (September 2, 2022): The Board of Wilderness Explorers is pleased to announce the appointment of Carla Vantull as its new General Manager, effective October 2022. Ms. Vantull, a well-known local tourism expert / professional joins the Wilderness Explorers team with vast experience in organisational and financial management, business development support, destination planning, marketing and management.

In addition, with 20 years of experience in the tourism industry, she has a strong background in the public sector as the former Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority and hands-on knowledge of the tourism industry and sub-sectors, which were all key in developing frameworks and programmes to deliver tangible results for the industry.

As a proud native of an Akawaio Indigenous Community, Kamarang (Region 7), she has a deep understanding of the needs and challenges of the indigenous peoples and communities, and has been instrumental in providing guidance and support to indigenous communities entering the tourism industry.

Delice Rogers

Delice has been with Wilderness since April 2002 and has extensive travel experience across all Guyana’s best – and least-known – spots. She has also spent a fair amount of time in neighbouring Suriname and French Guiana and is especially fond of the Saramaccan Maroon villages along the Gran Rio of Suriname. Delice got her start at Wilderness as an administrative assistant but soon found she had a particular knack for the trip planning process. A good thing, too, since she was able to help the company manage a steadily growing demand for customised itineraries. These days, she designs VIP, FIT, and speciality programs for bird and nature groups. She is also our resident expert on organising film crew visits and has worked with many reputable names including the BBC, ICON Films, National Geographic, CNN and many others.

Amarylis Lewis

Amarylis Lewis has been instrumental in keeping the dynamic and creative trip planning and operations wheels of Wilderness Explorers turning since 2007. She has travelled extensively in Guyana and neighbouring Suriname where she acquired first-hand experiences which she uses to create exceptional itineraries.

Amarylis refers to herself as a 'utility player' which is evident in her ability to seamlessly switch between roles, from trip planner to tour coordinator, to logistics and operations. She enjoys her position very much as it gives her flexibility in her work. She enjoys the friendly, authentic hospitality of the Maroons in Suriname; this is her favourite place to visit.

Shonnette Braithwaite

Shonnette joined the Wilderness team in September as a Tour Coordinator. Her love for touring and adventure is a plus since she's also practicing to be a Tour Guide and has hope to lead her own tours someday. Willing to learn and help around the office she's very hands-on and ready to take on new roles and responsibilities. Her cheerful demeanor makes a difference when communicating directly with clients and she always shows a positive side.

John Rawlins

John Rawlins, a Guyanese national, currently a Tour Coordinator at Wilderness Explorers. He brings to this position seven years of work experience which provided him with the opportunity to travel throughout Guyana and to develop an appreciation for our diverse culture, cuisine and geography, which spurred his interest in tourism.

John loves to commune with nature and spends part of his spare time pruning plants. He is a cuisine connoisseur, and this is demonstrated by his passion for cooking blended foods and baking exquisite cakes and canapés. He also has a flair for creative arts and interior design. He is an avid listener to a wide variety of music genres.

John is currently pursuing a bachelor’s in Business Administration in Tourism and Hospitality Management.

Monica McGrath

Monica has worked in the hospitality and tourism business for many years and brings with her a vast amount of experience and knowledge. She heads up the day to day financial activities of the company, including; analysis of the books, reporting on the state of the company's finances, cash flow, producing accounts, setting and checking targets, auditing and overseeing all tax and regulatory/compliance issues. She enjoys the outdoors especally exploring Guyana's Rupununi Savannahs and all of its undisturbed wonders.

Devi Sikander

"Devi has always admired the many ways tourism can impact our lives, socially and economically. Growing up in Guyana, the beautiful flora and fauna have always captivated her. The fact there is so much to be explored gives her a feeling of amazement and wonder which is sure to only intensify over time.

The most exciting moment in her life was visiting the majestic Kaieteur Falls. It was utterly enthralling, and that feeling of raw adventure and excitement has since opened her eyes. Even though she works in the finance department, Devi is always willing to share her experience with guests who are deciding on booking a tour. "

Annie Sonaram

13Antoinette, fondly known as Annie, is a very patriotic and a long-time member of the Wilderness Explorers family. She is often referred to as 'the glue' of the company; she is the person who connects customers with trip planners and coordinators. Annie is delighted to be a part of Guyana's growing tourism industry and is ready to assist both clients or colleagues with their questions, concerns or requests. Her cheerful, friendly personality is infectious, and chances are if you send us an email or connect with us via the web chat system, you will most likely end up on the line with Annie.

Kenneth Shivdyal

Kenneth has always had a passion for exploring the outdoors, wildlife and the environment so when the opportunity to work with Wilderness Explorers presented itself, he was more than willing to trade the office-bound business career. Starting as a tour coordinator, he has worked his way through many roles including trip planning, tour guiding and now marketing and destination development.

Kenneth is an avid photographer who has travelled extensively throughout the Guianas and the Caribbean and has represented Guyana's tourism product internationally. He enjoys the feeling of satisfaction from contributing towards creating awareness and sustainable use of Guyana’s environment, culture and its wildlife through tourism. Kenneth continues on this path and now serves as vice-president of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana representing the private-sector tourism community, Guyana and Wilderness Explorers locally and internationally.

Leon Hardowar

Leon joined the Wilderness Explorers team in May of 2022 as the Digital Marketing Coordinator.  He has over 7 years of experience in graphic designing and print technician field.

His hobbies include Painting, Amateur Photography and fishing. He's an avid animal lover who enjoys nature and promotes the Guianas with his Artwork that focus mainly on local wildlife or sceneries.

 

Omadat Sugrim

16Omadat is from Ogle on the east coast of demerara. He’s our main Driver and has been working for wilderness explorers since October of 2020. He has a passion for his job and has been driving since 1996. His hobbies include fishing and traveling.

His 25+ years of experience as a driver includes driving for the foreign affairs ministry, public transportation, and tourist on fishing trips. Having all of those experiences  around Guyana, he has become one of the most  efficient drivers on the wilderness team always getting praised by our clients  for his safety and expertise

Taruna Mangar

Taruna is responsible for ensuring the smooth flow of operations at our Atta Lodge. She works with an amazing team to ensure deliver quality, unique experiences for our guests every time. She has always been passionate about helping others and cares deeply about providing excellent customer service. She also enjoys traveling to new places and learning about different cultures.

Ryan Roberts

Ryan is from the small village of Rupertee in the North Rupununi savannahs. He started as a Manager at Atta Rainforest Lodge before moving across to be the driver of the Wilderness Explorers bus, based at the lodge. Having lived all his life in this remote part of Guyana, he knows all the tracks and dirt roads like the back of his hand and moves his guests in comfort and safety.

Claire Thorne

Claire Thorne has been our UK representative since 2003, based in the English countryside but also travelling around the world to represent Wilderness Explorers at various travel and media events. In 2018 Claire totally updated the 3rd edition of the Bradt Guide to Guyana. Claire has travelled extensively in Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, the Caribbean and Latin America and was the Executive Secretary of the Latin American Travel Association in the UK for 17 years.

She particularly enjoys trekking, visiting local markets and village schools, shopping for local jewellery and art wherever she goes and of course sleeping in hammocks after a busy day on the river or in the rainforest. Highlights from her many trips to the region include dancing with Maroons in Suriname and the Makusi children of Surama, watching a giant anteater swim in a natural pool in the savannahs near Karanambu, sipping coffee at dawn gazing at the mist-shrouded gorge at Kaieteur Falls as the sun rises and eating delicious Asian noodles in the market at Cacao, a tiny Hmong outpost of French Guiana.

Michel L' Huillier

Michel L' Huillier is our Spanish Representative based in Barcelona, Spain. He is a trained industrial engineer, and worked as an investment banker in his native Chile. In 1994, he found his love for photography and changed his career to become a photojournalist, focusing on travel and cultural, ethnographic, religious and social subjects. He has travelled and researched assignments in more than fifty countries, mostly in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and has published more than a hundred of his articles in diverse Spanish and international media. He has also appeared in two major feature films, including the IMAX production “The Mystery of the Nile”, led overseas tours and, since 2010, directs a marketing and commercial agency specialized on representing tour operators and touristic products worldwide in European markets, with special emphasis in Spain, and Latin America.

Claudia Langer

Claudia Langer is our European representative based in Switzerland, covering Germany, Austria and Switzerland. She spent many years in the airline industry with the opportunity to work in many different countries. In 1999 Claudia had the opportunity to visit Suriname and fell in love with the country and its culture and created her own business selling tours to Suriname.

In 2007 she visited Guyana and was overwhelmed by the untouched, marvellous beauty of Guyana and friendliness of the local people and started representing Wilderness Explorers. Driven by this experience, she started promoting what she calls "this extraordinary country, called Guyana". Today she admits, it has been one of the best ideas of her life and looks forward to every opportunity to revisit Guyana.