Leo Cuesta
I'm the founder and president of Uncharted Earth, an adventure travel company that specializes in lesser known and relatively undeveloped travel destinations. We seek out unspoiled nature destinations and authentic experiences to give our customers exceptional adventures that go way beyond typical tours.
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"Mountains, rainforests, tropical islands and volcanoes; hiking, snorkeling, diving, climbing, kayaking and mountain biking. Anything active in a beautiful and unspoiled nature setting. We also specialize in interacting with indigenous people and immersing people in traditional culture. "
How did you get involved in travel?
"I've always loved nature-based travel. As a kid I couldn't wait to escape the city to spend weekends at my dad's farm or longer vacations in the mountains or by the sea. I'm a professional dive master and also love to go climbing, hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, skiing, kayaking --- pretty much any active endeavor done in nature. In my mid twenties I decided to make a career out of my passion for nature and adventure. I went to business school then worked for adventure travel companies in the US and Colombia before setting up my own adventure travel company. "
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"In 2011 I had a new company and also a new dog that I adopted. I wanted to explore some very remote islands in the Philippines, accessible only by very long rides in a small boat, braving big waves in the Pacific. I couldn't find anyone to leave my dog with so I had to bring him with me. It was a fantastic trip to some of the most spectacular islands in the Philippines that few people have ever been to, and I had my big white fluffy dog with me riding huge waves, exploring caves, camping on pristine beaches and snorkeling coral reefs. You can read about the adventure here: http://www.uncharted-earth.com/en/community/travel-stories/babuyan-islands-reconned/ "
Featured trips & expertise
Diving in the Philippines: Cebu, Negros, & Bohol - 9 Days
Experienced divers can experience the Philippines' vibrant marine biodiversity, colorful reefs, and white-sand beaches on this exciting 9-day itinerary. Begin your trip with an easy dive off the coast of Panglao Island before exploring underwater caves and reefs off Balicasag Island. See camouflaged creatures like octopi and frogfish in the volcanic sands of Dumaguete, spot huge schools of jackfish and barracuda near Apo Island, and go wall diving in Moalboal before ending your trip in Malapascua.
Discover the Philippines: Snorkeling in the Calamian Islands - 6 Days
Explore the natural wonders of the Calamian archipelago on this exciting 6-day snorkeling trip. You'll begin your trip on Coron Island, the third-largest of the Calamian islands and a snorkeling hot-spot that's teeming with marine life. After exploring Coron's World War II-era shipwrecks and reefs, you'll transfer on to Pass Island, snorkel at Smith Point Coral Garden, and go swimming at Barracuda Lake. Then, go on one last snorkeling adventure in Siete Pecados Marine Park before spending one last night in a beach cottage.
Whale Shark Encounter in the Philippines: Ticao & Donsol - 3 Days
On this eco-friendly tour, you will get to swim with wild whale sharks in a protected and responsibly-managed environment. Considered the best place in the world to see the gentle giants, Donsol is also a paradise of soft-sand beaches and magnificent limestone rock formations. Besides seeing whale sharks in their natural habitat, you'll get to snorkel and relax around the islands of Ticao, and float down the amazing Firefly River as bright sparkles alight the surrounding forest.
The Cordillera: Banaue, Batad & Sagada - 6 Days
Trek through the Philippines' Cordillera and marvel at its natural and cultural heritage. Discover famous rice terraces, quaint villages, sacred waterfalls and rivers, extensive cave systems, and the hanging coffins of Echo Valley.
Palawan: Adventure in Paradise - 6 Days
Palawan's exotic geography and diverse vegetation are exceptional in a country that already has its fair share of awe-inspiring sights. This six-day adventure will have you snorkeling, seeking out wildlife, riding an underground river, and kayaking the El Nido islands. Discover why Palawan is in a league of its own when it comes to tropical destinations.
Secrets of Palawan - 6 Days
Go deep into the Philippines' "last frontier" to discover beaches, rainforests, and waterfalls that few travelers explore. See endemic cockatoos in their natural habitat, snorkel coral reefs, and meet the indigenous Batak people. This is a unique trip that takes you away from crowds and lets you experience Palawan's nature at its best.
Recent trip reviews for Leo
Overall the trekking was very well organised ... · Philippines - Feb 8 - Feb 15, 2020
Overall the trekking was very well organised with excellent commumication leading up to the trek itself. The rice terraces of Ifugao were truly amazing and better that I expected. Loved the villages and the warm welcome we received throughout our journey. Our guide Marvin was very friendly and led us through well, and has a superb knowledge of the local area, the environment, its people and its customs.
We had to make some initial route adjustmenst due the poor weather and track... read more
Hi Dennis, thank you for your review and I'm glad you had a great adventure! Thank you for choosing to travel with us and we hope to go on another trip with you in the future!
Hiking in Ifugau · Philippines - Feb 8 - Feb 15, 2020
If you are looking for an adventure then book yourself the Ifugao Villages Trek.
Forget the telephone and fl-yin rescue teams. You depend on your buddies and the locals.
We combined our trip with a trip to Sagada. (8 day tour including travel to and from Manila.
Our tour guide Marvin is a local and answers all questions regarding the Ifugao region.
Unfortunately the day we arrived in Sagada all tourist attractions got shut down due to the covit-19.
Marvin took us back to Banaue where we were... read more
Hi Armin, thank you for your review and I'm glad you enjoyed your trip! Thank you for choosing to travel with us and we hope to go on another adventure with you in the future!
Philippines Ifugao and Northern Palawan tours · Philippines - Dec 29 - Jan 1, 2020
Leo helped me plan 2 great adventures in the Philippines. Highly recommend!
Ifugao Trek: Jody was an AMAZING guide for the Ifugao trek. Very knowledgable, personable, genuine, fun, and kind. He went out of his way to make sure we got the experience we were looking for while also being safe. We had such a good time we would love to bring our parents back to share this awesome experience. One of the best tour guides we had, that is now a friend .
Northern Palawan Tour: Jhonas was very... read more
Hi Joleen,
Thank you for your review and I'm glad you enjoyed your honeymoon trips with us! It was a pleasure having you as our guest and we hope to go on another adventure with you in the future!
I wasn’t sure what to expect as this was my first trip to the Philippines and my first experience with kimkim. The trip more than met my expectations and frankly, I was blown away. Leo from Uncharted Earth kept in touch, answered my questions, and made and adjusted arrangements quickly and graciously. He sent photos, bios and cell numbers for everyone I would be guided by in the Philippines so I knew who was supposed to be meeting me. While in the Manila area the guides, Don-Don, EJ and Jhon... read more
Thank you for the detailed review Sara, my team and I are all very happy that you had such a wonderful time with us! You were a great guest and we hope to go on another adventure with you in the future!
Law Family Tour · Philippines - Dec 27 - Dec 30, 2018
Our trip was wonderful..Our drivers Ana and John were excelkent .Friendly and amazing druving skills and patient with our regular stops. They were wonderful to accomodate another person in our tour at the last minute.Marvin our guide was good and found great restaurants fir lunch Hillside Inn in Batad and Misty Inn in Sagada were both charming and served delicious food.
The terraced rice fields and Echo Valley were amazing and despite the long drive well worth it.Abother trip off my bucket list.Thanks Leo for your help and advice
Carina Law
Hi Carina, thank you for your feedback and I'm glad you had a wonderful trip! It was a pleasure for my team to show you a bit of our country.
We also do tours in Colombia, another amazing country. You might want to consider that for your next vacation!
Thank you for traveling with us and we hope to take you on another adventure in the future!
Johnas was WONDERFUL. Thank you for a wonderful trip. Everything was handled expertly.
Thank you for your review Blair, I'm glad you had a great trip despite the less than perfect weather! Thanks for choosing to travel with us and we hope to go on another adventure with you in the future (we also do trips in Colombia, you might want to consider that for your next vacation)!