92 TRAVEL+LEISURE | SEPTEMBER 2019
An A-List advisor can
arrange a cruise of the
Koh Yao islands, off the
coast of Thailand.New Delhi, Jaipur—while
adding special experiences
along the way. She can
coordinate a walk through the
spice market with a Delhi
culinary expert followed by a
private cooking lesson.
Additional specialties: Sri
Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan;
minimum daily spend: none;
212-545-1908; mmiller@
micato.com.
INDIAN
SUBCONTINENT
Carole Cambata
Cambata creates India
itineraries that encompass
cosmopolitan cities such as
Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad
as well as small towns like
Maheshwar and Bekal. She
excels at crafting wide-
ranging tours, with activities
like hiking and rafting in Nepal,
visits to monasteries in
Bhutan and tea plantations in
Sri Lanka, and diving
adventures in the Maldives.
Minimum daily spend: $350;
224-765-4545; ccambata@
greavestvl.com.
Rose Thomas
As the wellness-travel trend
grows, Thomas regularly
arranges health-focused
experiences across the
subcontinent, including
ayurvedic therapy and yoga
retreats. She can plan an
excursion to Jaipur’s
breathtaking Amber Fort,
complete with an elephant
ride, and guide you to the
region’s most stylish shops,
like Silk Gardens in Dambulla,
Sri Lanka, and Lungta
Handicraft, in Thimphu,
Bhutan. Minimum daily spend:
$350; 800-318-7801;
[email protected].INDONESIA
Jarrod Hobson
With his extensive knowledge
of Southeast Asia and the
Indonesian archipelago,
Hobson excels at planning
itineraries in difficult-to-
access locations, including
the Raja Ampat Islands and
West Papua. He can arrange a
variety of tripsÑa luxury
cruise from Java to Borneo,
for example, or adventures on
Indonesia’s smaller islands.
Additional specialties: family
travel, adventure travel, and
culinary travel; minimum daily
spend: none; 720-881-5575;
[email protected].JAPAN
Scott Gilman
Gilman spent seven years
traveling throughout Japan
before returning to the United
States to create his company,
JapanQuest Journeys. He
returns multiple times each
year to stay up-to-date on the
country’s best new hotels. His
itineraries can include stays
at traditional ryokans with
hot-spring baths, a visit to a
sake microbrewery, or an
evening in a Buddhist
mountain retreat. Minimum
daily spend: $2,000; 202-455-
0095; scott@asia quest
journeys.com.Tesia Smith
Smith has spent time living
in Okinawa Prefecture and on
the island of Honshu. She
returns frequently to
investigate less-crowded
sights like the Korakuen
Garden and Bizen Osafune
sword museum, in Okayama.
She can arrange such
activities as traditional tea
ceremonies and a lesson
with the choreographer of
the fight scenes in Kill Bill.
Minimum daily spend: $500;
617-223-4784; tesia.smith@
audley travel.com.SOUTHEAST ASIA
Andrea Ross and April Cole
Ross lived in Siem Reap,
Cambodia, for 10 years and
returns at least twice a year.
Cole visits the region regularly
to scope out the best culinary
spots. Whether it’s a chef-led
street-food tour in Hanoi,
Vietnam, a trek through the
bamboo forest in Chiang Mai,
Thailand, a honeymoon, or a
family getaway, Ross and Cole
can arrange experiences that
suit their clients. Minimum
daily spend: $200 per person;
877-454-3672; andrea.ross@
wild frontiers travel.com; april.
cole@wild frontiers travel.com.Jack Tydeman
For travelers who want to go
off the beaten path in places
like Vietnam and Myanmar,
Tydeman uses locally owned
accommodations and plans
meals at independent
restaurants and food stalls.
He can put together trips
to Myanmar’s remote
villages and treks through
Vietnam’s rice paddies. He
also arranges luxurious
getaways to well-known
spots, like Six Senses Yao Noi,
in Thailand. Minimum daily
spend: $250 per person; 617-
223-4912; jack.tydeman@
audley travel.com.THAILAND
Holly Monahan
Monahan, who used to live in
Thailand, can plan a trip
around the country’s
greatest hits, from the night
markets of Bangkok to unesco
World Heritage sites. She has
access to places you won’t
find in brochures—ethical
elephant sanctuaries,
obscure temples, and
off-the-wall cafés and
boutiques. Additional
specialties: Southeast Asia
and the Indian subcontinent;
minimum daily spend: $550
per person; 844-453-9589;
[email protected]. CHRISTOPHER WISE