Shawna Sanders

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"Peru. I have travelled extensively across the country and have lived in Lima, Arequipa, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Iquitos. I am particularly passionate about wildlife experiences, Peruvian cuisine, and hands-on local cultural immersion. I love planning family trips, and am accompanied on my adventures by my 10 year old daughter, who has been called a real life Dora the Explorer.

I also design adventures combining Peru with Bolivia and Ecuador. "

How did you get involved in travel?

"Growing up in a small town in Canada, I dreamed of visiting the colorful destinations I saw in the pages of National Geographic. While at university, I had the chance to enroll in a semester abroad and jumped at the opportunity. As a Biology major, I spent six months in the field studying gray whales in rural Baja California, Mexico. This special time connecting with nature and the local community changed the course of my life forever.

In 2010 I joined a conservation program in the Amazon as an intern where I was tasked with unconventional responsibilities from managing the international volunteer program to raising an orphaned sloth and harvesting water hyacinths for our resident manatee. I found my passion in sharing my secret haunts with our volunteers on days off, guiding them to see giant paiche fish or taste camu camu fruit. Since then, I have created a career sharing local culture and unique ecosystems with other travelers looking to go beyond the ordinary.
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Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"I recently visited a jungle lodge outside of Tarapoto, Peru. I am a wildlife fanatic and had an incredible time spotting hoatzins, a primitive bird species, perched in the trees lining the Mayo river, and hiking local trails to waterfall pools, searching for colorful poison dart frogs along the way.
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