Companies that get their clients into the great
outdoors, whether on a bike ride through Tuscany or a
trek through the Himalayas, come out ahead.Tour Operators &
Safari Outfitters
TCS
World Travel
creates private-jet
itineraries to
destinations like
Chile's Easter
Island.TOP 10
Tour
Operators1 TCS World Travel
97.94
2 DuVine Cycling &
Adventure Co.
97.52
3 Heritage Tours
Private Travel
97.05
4 Gray & Co. 96.86
5 Mountain Lodges
of Peru 96.726 Classic Journeys
96.20
7 Asia Transpacific
Journeys
96.13
8 VBT Bicycling &
Walking Vacations
95.93
9 Journeys Within
95.90
10 Backroads
95.72TOP 5
Safari
Outfitters1 Rothschild Safaris
98.24
2 Micato Safaris
98.15
3 Alluring Africa
98.10
4 Extraordinary
Journeys
97.69
5 Deeper Africa
97.52Founded more than 25 years ago,
TCS World Travel was the first
private-jet-expedition company to
offer global tours—and, according to
T+L readers, it remains the
standard-bearer. Travelers fly to
destinations as varied as Thailand,
Botswana and Easter Island in the
comfort of a Boeing 757 outfitted
with business-class or flat-bed
seats, depending on head count (the
pl ane s s ea t up to 7 8). O ver night s are
in five-star hotels and lodges,
with prices for two- to three-week
journeys starting at US$89,000 per
person, double occupancy. T+L
spoke to TCS’s president, Shelley
Cline, to find out why the business is
thriving.Q: Beyond having an
“enrichment” officer, a doctor
and a chef on every trip,
w hat el s e do you of fer?
A: Our guests are curious, and we
try to surprise them. We do private
event s in a temple a t A ngkor Wa t
and at the Giza Pyramids; we meet
with veterinarians taking care of the
gorillas in Rwanda; and we spend
the night with monks in a Korean
temple.Q: What does the private plane
add to the experience?
A: You save so much time traveling,
and it’s a fun atmosphere. You board
the plane, get your glass of
champagne, and everyone knows
who you are—it’s a home away from
home.Q: What’s your own
dream itinerary?
A: My 25th anniversary with the
company is coming up, and we’ve
put together a trip in January that
includes places I’m passionate
about. Vietnam—long ago, my
husband and I backpacked there—
and Morocco, which I love. Rwanda
for gorilla tracking, the Galápagos
and Kyoto, since I’ve never been to
Japan.READERS SAY...
“Rothschild Safaris
took the time to
learn what I was
looking for, added
their own
suggestions, and
together the trip
was perfect.”TCS WORLD TRAVEL,
A SOARING SUCCESS
Winner's SpotlightCOURTESY OF TCS WORLD TRAVEL