
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/ "
Leo's favorite itineraries and travel advice
Top itineraries and travel advice

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...

Trek through the Philippines' Cordillera and marvel at its natural and cultural heritage. Discover famous rice terraces, quaint villages, sacred waterfalls and rivers, extensive...

Experienced divers can experience the Philippines' vibrant marine biodiversity, colorful reefs, and white-sand beaches on this exciting nine-day itinerary. Begin your trip with...
Recent trip reviews for Leo
Ana was great, really enjoy to coordinate wit...
Philippines
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Oct 16 - Oct 24, 2023


Hi Marissa, thank you for your review and I'm glad you had a great time in the Philippines. Thanks for working with me on this trip and I hope to work with you again if you visit one of my other destinations in the future (Colombia, Western US).
Trip of a Lifetime
the United States
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Feb 13 - Feb 18, 2023


Hi Olivia,
Thank you for your wonderful review and photos and I'm glad you guys had an awesome time in California! Thanks for working with me for your trip and I hope to arrange another adventure for you in the future!
PS: Nice tattoos!
Leo, was a pleasure to work with from start t...
the United States
|
Apr 23 - Apr 29, 2023


Hi Robyn,
Thank you for your detailed review and great photos. I'm glad you had a wonderful trip. It was a pleasure working with you and I look forward to helping you with another vacation in the future!
Wow! What a stunning honeymoon adventure!
Philippines
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Apr 11 - Apr 20, 2023


Thank you for your great review Chris! I'm very happy that you and Naoki had a wonderful honeymoon in the Philippines! It was a pleasure for me and my team to show you a bit of our country and we look forward to taking you on another adventure in the future!
Amazing Trip in El Nido!
Philippines
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Dec 4 - Dec 8, 2022

Hi Dorothy,
Thank you for your wonderful review and I'm glad you had an amazing time in El Nido! It's great to hear that you were happy with all the guides and hotel staff and loved the islands!
Thank you choosing to do this trip with us. It was my pleasure to put it together for you and I look forward to organizing another great vacation for you in the future. My company also specializes in Colombia and the Western US --- please keep us in mind if you ever consider visiting those amazing places!
Exceptional Experience
Philippines
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Nov 18 - Nov 27, 2022

Hi Janice,
Thank you for your review and I'm happy your family had a wonderful time in the Philippines! It was a pleasure for us to show you a bit of our country and we look forward to taking you on more adventures in the future!
Utah National Parks -Zion, Bryce, Capital Reef, Arches, Canyonlands + Lake Powell and Grand Canyon
the United States
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Oct 30 - Nov 13, 2022


Hi Michelle,
Thank you for your great review and I'm very happy you guys had an amazing trip! The parks in Utah and Arizona are some of my favorite places in the world and I'm glad that you guys had a great experience visiting them.
Thank you for working with me on this trip. It was a pleasure for me to help you put it together and I look forward to organizing another adventure for you in the future!
Everything was great.
the United States
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Nov 4 - Nov 8, 2022
Everything was great.
The tours were excellent. I was a little late to the ATV tours in Sedona because I did not have enough time to drive from the airport to Sedona.
The grand canyon was impressive.
The antelope tours were great but very busy.
One note: communication was very challenging when we were trying to finalize all the details because Leo was in a remote part of the world and had very bad service.

Hi Edward,
Thanks for your review and I'm glad you had a great trip! Thank you for working with me on this trip and I hope to organize another adventure for you in the future!
Wine country and more..
California
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Sep 20 - Sep 25, 2022


Thank you for the wonderful review and photos Kirsten! I'm glad you guys had a fantastic trip! Thanks for working with us and I look forward to putting together another great adventure for you in the future!
We had a great time on our trip! Our vacation...
the United States
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May 20 - Jun 4, 2022
We had a great time on our trip! Our vacation guide was very well put together and was full of information. We really appreciated not having to worry about bookings.

Hi John, I'm glad you guys had a great time! Thank you for working with me, it was a pleasure helping you put together your trip. Thank you for your review and for sharing the wonderful photos of your Southwest adventure!
I made the mistake of indicating that I didn'...
the United States
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May 28 - Jun 5, 2022

I made the mistake of indicating that I didn't have a budget but I didn't intend that to mean I have no budget at all. I meant that I wanted to see what the hotel options were and choose the ones I liked best taking into consideration cancellation policies and location. I ended up in two *very* expensive hotels unnecessarily in my opinion. I have shared all this with my travel expert.

Hi Marion,
Thanks for sharing your photos, looks like you had an amazing trip! Thanks for working with me to put it together and I hope to organize another trip for you in the future.
Terrible planner - no local knowledge
the United States
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Jun 1 - Jun 18, 2022
The plan we are given takes ferry booked leaving Wrangell to Juneau arriving 3:45AM two days later.
We then book a one day return flight from Juneau to Sitka the for the day we... Read more

California road trip
California
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Mar 30 - Apr 9, 2022
Leo gave us an excellent itinerary for our California road trip. The hotel choices were always in a convenient location and the details in the hiking trails was appreciated. Links to google maps were provided. We spent time in Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Sequoia, Monterey & Carmel.

I'm glad you enjoyed your trip Carolynn! Thanks for working with us and I look forward to arranging another adventure for you!
Best 10 day California family road trip!
California
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Mar 25 - Apr 3, 2022
I can’t thank Leo enough. We had the best family vacation yet to Northern California and the coast. He took so much time get all the details, where to eat with fabulous restaurant picks, order of how to see the National Parks. (Sequoia and Yosemite) Fabulous reservations. Everything went seamless. I don’t think I will travel without an agent.

Hi Amy,
I'm so happy your family had such a great time! It was a pleasure helping you put together your trip and I look forward to arranging another great adventure for you guys!
PS: Awesome pics!
Leo arranged one of my best vacation week. N...
California
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Oct 17 - Oct 21, 2021

Leo arranged one of my best vacation week.
Not only he is knowledgeable about local hidden trails but also all other adventure activities.
I highly recommend Leo for west coast destinations.

Hi Lynn,
I'm glad you enjoyed your vacation! Looking forward to more fun adventures with you when you're back in Vegas!
Overall the trekking was very well organised ...
Philippines
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Feb 8 - Feb 15, 2020

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
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Feb 8 - Feb 15, 2020
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
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Dec 29 - Jan 1, 2020
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!
JoyB
Philippines
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Jan 8 - Jan 23, 2019

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
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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!