Brandon Ross
President / Director, Cambodia
Brandon is an explorer through and through. After completing a BA in Political Science and working as an accountant, Brandon answered the call to travel. He has explored England, Italy, Germany, France, Central America, the Caribbean, Southern Africa, New Zealand, Australia, the South Pacific, China and Japan.
A real people person, Brandon judges most of his travel experiences by those he meets, warming to countries with open and friendly people. In Cambodia he found just that and loves working and living with the Cambodian people. They, in return, admire and enjoy the company of Pu Brandon (Uncle Brandon).
Andrea Ross
Director of Tours / Marketing
With British parents, Andrea grew up in England listening to stories of colonial Africa and the Far East. At the age of eight she took her first solo trip to Australia to visit her aunt and she hasn’t stopped traveling since.
Andrea has been to England, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Southern Africa – where she worked as an assistant canoe guide for a safari company, Kenya, Tanzania – where she summited Kilimanjaro, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Belize, the South Pacific, China and Japan.
Andrea continues to travel extensively through Southeast Asia to make sure the guides, drivers and hotels used by Journeys Within are up to standard. She loves to work with guests to plan their perfect trip.
Blok Sambin
Business Manager
Sambin grew up in Kompong Tayorng village, in Cambodia, the oldest in his family he attended university in Phnom Penh, where he earned a degree in Business Management. As a tour driver in Angkor Wat, he learned much about the ins and outs of visiting this world famous site and now coordinates operations between Journeys Within and local businesses.
Sambin brings local flavor to Journeys Within, by helping guests better understand the Cambodian culture, while treating them with style and the friendliest smile in Southeast Asia.
Philippa Nigg
Tour Consultant
After retiring and sailing around the world for five years Philippa has decided to return to work, helping our clients book the trips of their dreams. Philippa grew up in Southern Africa, raised children in England and the States and has traveled to over 30 countries. She brings a wealth of knowledge about travel and Southeast Asia and we’re thrilled to have her on the team.
April O'Connell-Cole
Tour Consultant, USA
Whether it is snowboarding, surfing or hiking, April is up for the challenge. She loves the outdoors and discovering new places. Born and raised in California, April has traveled up and down the Western United States, Hawaii and Mexico.
April started at Journeys Within as a booking coordinator working with guests and staff to ensure all trips went as perfectly as planned. After working with guests and our SE Asia staff daily, she has extensive knowledge of the tours and great services we offer.
This May, April and her family will travel to Southeast Asia, experiencing the countries and their cultures first hand. With this personal experience as well as her passion for travel and culture, April is excited to be planning your unique and memorable Journeys Within tour!
 Melissa Rosete-Wolfe
Volunteer Coordinator/Tour Consultant
Influenced by her Filipino parents and travels to the Philippines, Melissa discovered at a young age how to learn about, feel and experience another culture rather than just looking at it. As the new Volunteer Coordinator, she will help you give back to the unique places and people you encounter while on your Journeys Within Tour. Moving from Hawaii to Cambodia in November 2007, she works closely with Journeys Within and Journeys Within Our Community.
Lindsay Thompson
Director, USA
Lindsay is running our California office. She works on everything from accounting to advertising and she’ll be the one sending you all the necessary paperwork. Though she hasn’t been to Southeast Asia yet, she has been all over the States and to England and is planning a well deserved trip to Southeast Asia soon.
Nuchnapha “Waew” Manichot
Director, Thailand
Born in Northeastern Thailand, the middle child in a family of five, Nuchnapha first began her studies in Chonburi at the age of 15 before moving to Bangkok where she finished her degree in Business Administration. After working for a law firm for seven years, Waew decided to explore a new culture on the other side of the world with a visit to her sister in Canada, owner of a bed-and-breakfast and restaurant. She decided then and there that sharing her home country with travelers was just what she wanted to do and has been helping guests enjoy all that her country has to offer ever since.
From Salsa Dancer to Table Tennis and Volleyball Champion, Nuchnapha brings energy and excitement to all that she does.
 Kanokwan “Jeab” Meechai
Tour Operation Manager, Thailand
Jeab was born was born in Nondhaburi, Thailand but grew up with her grandparents in Yasothorn. Yasothorn is a city famous for its "Rocket Festival" as has always held a special place in her heart full of great memories.
After primary school, she graduated from the Tourism Industry program at Rajabhat Suansunandha University. Her first job was temporary-governor officer at the Ministry of Agriculture. But the call to follow her dreams to work in the hotel or travel industry was too strong, and she left to take a position at a 5-Star hotel. She loves working with people of different cultures and her goal is to show guests the true beauty of Thailand, a country in which she takes great pride. Jeab is bubbly and beautiful and the true representation of everything that makes Thailand great.
Her hobbies include photography and sports. She is good at basketball, quoting “I am short but fast - hehe.”
 Kristina Ensminger
Director, Laos
Growing up in California, Kristina put 200,000 miles on her first car, driving up and down the West Coast and throughout Mexico. She studied at the University of Bologna and lived in Italy for a year, traveling across Europe and immersing herself in the culture (and the pasta).
She recently completed her master's degree in Magazine Journalism at NYU and got a job with Travel + Leisure magazine in New York. After spending countless hours reading about other people's travels, she decided it was time for an adventure of her own.
This May, she'll be moving from the East Coast to the Far East, where she will work within the community to expand the tours in Laos. She is excited to be a part of the Journeys Within team and looks forward to making Laos the best part of your visit to Southeast Asia!
 Dar Le
Journeys Within Liaison Myanmar/Burma
Born in central Burma into a public servants family in a difficult political and economical environment, Dar Le has overcome great struggles to be the successful and proud Burmese woman she is today. At a very young age she moved to Malaysia to get valuable work experience and earn money sorely needed by her family. Here she experienced foreign culture, learned the English language and discovered the opportunities available in the travel industry.
When she went back to Myanmar, she took the first opportunity to work within the tourism industry. Whilst working she managed to achieve her Bachelors degree and also helped her two younger sisters to attend university. Dar Le's success in the travel industry has developed her passion to present Burma's culture, history, nature and people to the world.
She is the reason Journeys Within offers tours to Burma as a few years ago she convinced Andrea and Brandon to take their first trip to this amazing country, she has now become a friend. With her infectious smile and positive attitude as well as her strong work ethic DarLe is a wonderful example of what makes Burma so special.
 Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Van “Van”
Journeys Within Liaison, Vietnam
Born and raised in Hanoi, Van has traveled the world extensively and speaks Vietnamese, French, English and Russian fluently. Travel is her joy and she is happy that she has had the opportunity to turn her favorite hobby into a successful career. Van has worked in the travel industry for over 15 years and has run her own travel company since 1993. Van is a special part of the Journeys Within team, bringing more than just her extensive knowledge of Vietnam and other world travel, she has become a friend to the Journeys Within staff and family. Whilst Andrea is traveling in Vietnam Andrea’s daughter Callie has grown up playing with Van’s two young sons.
 Ms. Ho Phuong Loan “Loan”
Journeys Within Liaison, Vietnam
At 6 month’s old, Andrea’s son Couper fell in love with Loan - and we can clearly see why! Her upbeat and kind personality is infectious and she has been a joy to work with over these past years. With a BA in Economy and Marketing as well as a degree at the Foreign Languages University in Hanoi, Loan has a strong work ethic which brings the high quality tours that we always strive to offer. In her time off she loves swimming, cooking, reading and of course traveling. She has traveled throughout South East Asia, as well as France, Italy, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. Loan appreciates working in the field of travel which she loves, and we appreciate having the pleasure of working with her!
 Narla Phuon
Director, Cambodia
Narla grew up in Banteay Mean Chey province 150 km from Siem Reap. The oldest in his family he came to study tourism and hospitality management at Build Bright University in Siem Reap. When Brandon had to visit the tourism police to help some guests who had lost their tickets he met Narla and immediately invited him to come and work at Journeys Within.
After coming to work at the B&B as a front desk manager Narla applied for a JWOC scholarship and was admitted to the program. A tireless advocate for helping the Cambodian people Narla graduated from university and now works for both JWOC and the tour company. He works around the clock and still manages to always be smiling. Narla has a great heart and truly enjoys life, we feel really lucky to have him on the team. Brandon goes so far as to call him the fourth love of his life!
 Sereisours Souet
Assistant Booking Coordinator
Sours grew up in Puok district like much of the staff. She has been working for Journeys Within for a couple of years part time and after graduating from university this year in Tourism and Hospitality Management she came to work full time.
She works with Linda putting together tours and booking flights. She loves trendy clothes and is devoted to her family, not married yet, we think she might have her eye on someone at Journeys Within and we are hoping we might have a JW couple soon!
 Linda Chhay
Booking Coordinator
Linda grew up in Siem Reap town, she graduated in 2004 in Tourism and Hospitality Management in Phnom Penh. We like to joke that Linda can see the matrix because she picks up computer programs so quickly! She tells us that university was the first time she touched a computer which makes her skill that much more impressive.
Linda lives with her husband and daughter, Dalisa, in Siem Reap. Linda's only flaw as far as we can tell is her driving, she has been known to take an hour just to back out of the Journeys Within driveway! Luckily she has a great sense of humor about it and never lets Brandon's teasing get to her, in fact she can often give as good as she gets.
Team Photos
In this photo you will see from left to right:
Sours (yellow shirt), Linda (light blue shirt), Narla (white shirt), and Waew (pink shirt).
We took this picture when Waew come to visit Siem Reap in March.
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