Following extensive travels across the world, in particular Latin America, the founders of Class Adventure Travel decided to turn their love for travel and South America into a career. After realizing that the best incoming tourist operation in Latin America would result from the creation of international teamwork, the founders formed CAT in hopes of building bridges between cultures and introducing new people to the ever impressive continent of South America. And so, In 1995 Class Adventure Travel was officially established and the groundwork was laid for what was to become one of the most trusted and widely known tour operators in Latin America.

The Class Adventure Travel team consists of a number of travel experts from the US, Europe and Latin America; all of whom who work day and night in order to ensure that the very best services are provided, that all itineraries run as smoothly as possible, and most importantly to ensure that all clients return home safely after an extraordinary and unforgettable vacation. With offices across Latin America, the Class Adventure Travel team is able to constantly keep up to date with the ever changing currents present in South American society. The company’s automated internal reservations and administration system helps to adequately set up, organize, and monitor your entire journey. CAT is constantly aware of both you and your voyage; being only a phone call away – 24 hours a day - should even the slightest problem arise.

All tours offered by CAT are carefully designed in order to offer the most illuminating experiences possible while ensuring that quality of service and exclusivity is maintained and upheld at al times. All tours are fully customizable and all offer varying levels of luxury based on the standards one would expect from superior and luxury establishments in the US and Europe. CAT is in a continual process of self evaluation and follows the principal that both traveler and host should benefit from Latin American tourism; the team strives to ensure that the company offers only the most responsible, eco-friendly, and sustainable of tours. Being one of the best and most respected Tour Operators is a daily challenge, and is one that the team takes on with great pride and enthusiasm. 

Karin Deen, our Chief Executive Officer, has long since been the backbone of the company. Her remarkable working prowess, eye for detail and constant quest for perfection have made CAT Travel into what it is today - a dynamic, creative and very professional travel company in a league of its own. Karin studied Leisure Management at the Superior Institute for Tourism Studies in Breda, and Film and Theatre Sciences at the University of Utrecht, both in The Netherlands. After traveling the world for several years she decided to support her husband Bart’s wild plans of setting up a business in Peru, which has led CAT to become the success that it is today. Karin’s focus lies on CAT’s corporate image, the financial department and the development of new offices across Latin America – a development that she envisions will continue along with the ever increasing achievements of the company. With an ever inventive approach to complex situations, Karin’s profound business intuition continually keeps CAT on track - ensuring the company’s future success. She remains our commanding officer, calmly calculating our ship's course and steering us through the intercultural waves as we cruise through the unpredictable waters of today’s Latin American Business Society.

Bart de Graaf, our CCO and Director of New Business Development, is the founder and father of CAT Travel. He dreamt up the idea on his way through Ecuador's innermost jungle in 1994, on one of several trips through the area. An intense explorer of Latin America for over 14 years now, he has seen and experienced most of the breathtaking surprises one can encounter living, working, and traveling in this wild continent. He studied International Tourism Management and Consultancy at the Superior Institute for Tourism Studies in Breda, in The Netherlands. Bart's open-minded nature and love of traveling gave him itchy feet during his period of study and upon successfully graduating in 1995 he took off for Latin America once more. It was in Peru that Bart decided to make his two dreams a reality: to turn his greatest hobby into a professional way of living, and to help build a bridge between Latin America and the rest of the world. Bart's extensive experience and passionate drive for perfection ensure that CAT will continue to offer clients more than just the exclusive tours they have come to expect from the company. Balanced by Karin's realistic views, he is free to dream up new ideas and share his enthusiasm with an ever growing group of clients across the globe.

A true traveler at heart, Marc finds working in tourism to be extremely gratifying, as day-in and day-out, he gets to help people experience the magic of Latin America. His dynamic personality and ability to get along with just about everyone make him a synergetic piece of the puzzle here at Class Adventure Travel. Marc attended Southwestern University in Georgetown, just north of his hometown in Austin, Texas, where he completed his Bachelor’s degree in business management and a minor in photography…while occasionally taking time off to chase his real passion - making his path through the Latin world. Following graduation, Marc lived and worked in the USA, Belize, Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, and Argentina. All of these countries have given him a great knack of local culture and customs and he seems to be familiar with just about everything Latin America has to offer. Breaking barriers is an important concept for Marc, and by working in tourism he hopes to see both Latin Americans and foreigners benefiting from the mutual cultural exchanges that take place when people travel. Always willing to share a good laugh with anyone, Marc’s friendly professional nature makes him an accomplished Sales Director and a valued team member here at CAT.

With an ever friendly attitude and a keen zest for adventure travel, Jose Luis heads out our Marketing and Web department. He was raised in a number of different countries around the world including Angola, Thailand, and Iceland – all of which have instilled a deep love of travel and cultural diversity within him. Jose Luis returned to South America and spent a year traveling around his home country Peru, before heading to University in Chile where he graduated with a degree in Marketing and Business Administration. Following his studies, Jose Luis worked in a number of IT and telecommunication companies during the dot com boom; here he realized the potential of the internet as a social and business media. Back in Peru he applied his studies to different projects and ventures he created, one of which included the promotion of Andean artisan communities and the exportation of their alpaca wool textiles and pottery to the United Kingdom and the USA. After meeting Bart and Karin - who were immediately impressed with his marketing and web talents, and his warm character – he was eagerly invited on board. Not only does his professional character make him an integral part of CAT – but his cheerful and caring nature make him an important member of the team.

When he was five years old, Jeremy took his first trip to Machu Picchu. He went with his grandfather who kept a sketchbook of local peoples’ faces, market scenes, and wildlife. This instilled in him a love for exploration that he has pursued his entire life thus far. His family back in Florida breed exotic birds and other animals, so he has years of personal experience pertaining to nature. His personal interests include anthropology, archeology, and adventure in any form it may take. He acquired a degree in Spanish and International Business from the Eckerd College in Florida which enabled him to the chance of returning to explore Latin America. After a number of years working and traveling throughout the region in the luxury goods industry, he decided to take a step in the direction that had always intrigued him the most: tourism and adventure travel. Jeremy decided to move to Lima in order to pursue this passion, which led him to CAT travel. His passion for international travel – combined with his commercial background and love for South America – make him the perfect Sales Manager for Peru and Bolivia. He’s a great asset to the CAT team and an excellent person to have on board.

Meet Pablo, the CAT Sales Manager for Argentina and Chile. Having traveled across his home country more times than he can remember – Pablo claims to never get tired of the spectacular beauty of Argentina. Buenos Aires born, Pablo is always thrilled to be able to share his country with visitors from overseas. Pablo studied Sociology at the Faculty of Social Sciences in the University of Buenos Aires during which time he would jump on every conceivable free moment to head out and explore both his home country and that of other South American travel destinations. Following his graduation from university, Pablo was got a job working for a number of leading incoming travel agencies in Buenos Aires where his knowledge of the travel industry bloomed. Following seven years of working between these leading travel agencies, Pablo began to look for greater challenges. He started working as the Class Adventure Travel Sales Manager for Argentina and Chile in 2007 and his expertise, experience, and his good nature, have all been an incredible asset to the team ever since. Besides traveling to new and exciting places, Pablo has a passion for working lunches and above all else loves to spend time with his wife and son.

Adam has travelled to every continent, lived on three of them, and looks forward to adding as many more countries as possible to his passport. On his first full day in South America after leaving home for Brazil, he found himself on a beautiful beach with a surfboard under his arm. It was a good start. He has experienced almost every one of the established Brazilian highlights, from marvelling at Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro to soaking up the falls at Iguaçu or basking in the sun of the beaches in Bahia. His experience also runs to locales that are more off the beaten track: sleeping in caves while trekking in Chapada Diamantina or lying in hammocks strung between two trees in the Amazon jungle bring back great memories for him, as do so many of the things in Brazil. The hospitality and vitality of the people that can be seen in the festivals and the football, allied to the beautiful and amazingly varied natural scenery instilled in him the belief that everybody should have a Brazilian experience, and he enjoys nothing more that helping others realize their dreams of travelling here. Having also lived in Argentina and enjoyed travelling in Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay and Uruguay, he is well placed to share his knowledge and love of the continent with others.

Matilde Miranda is the region Manager for Peru and Bolivia Her extensive knowledge of both countries, her eye for detail, and her constant quest for perfection ensure that all CAT clients traveling through Peru and Bolivia receive the very best quality and service imaginable. Born and raised in Lima, Matilde feels a deep connection to Peru and neighboring Bolivia and understands the two countries better than most. She initially studied medicine in the Dominican Republic before switching career choice and returning to Lima to study tourism at Cenfotur. Matilde started as a trainee at CAT – her talents however, were clearly visible from the beginning and it wasn’t long before she began to take on more and more responsibilities. Matilde is a three time National Champion of the Marinera Nortena and one time winner of the Tondero (both traditional northern Peru dances). Traveling is all about experience – she claims – and experience is all about discovering new cultures. She loves her culture and she loves the fact that in her line of work she gets to share it with those who visit her country. Most of all however, she adores spending time with her seven year old son Piero. Essentially, Matilde’s energy and warmth make her a fantastic regional manager and a valuable member of the CAT team.

Born and raised in Lima, Cynthia Alegre is Class Adventure Travel’s Peru Operations Supervisor. Being interested in the wildlife and ecology, Cynthia initially studied biology at Cayetano University in Lima. Her interest in this field – while still pronounced – took a back seat when she discovered she had a passion for tourism and she veered off to follow this calling. Cynthia started working for CAT in 2005 and her enthusiasm and smooth work ethic has seen her progress swiftly up the chain of command. Cynthia is renowned for knowing the status and location of each CAT Traveler in Peru from the moment they arrive until their departure. Cynthia has superb organizational skills and her dedication to providing a vacation that runs flawlessly is remarkable – these qualities make her a fantastic operations supervisor. Outside of office hours Cynthia works with her husband on a new project for children with special needs called Una Sonrisa de Dios at her Church. With other specialized professionals, Cynthia and her husband work with the kids, teaching them music and art. Her recent appointment to Peru Operations Supervisor was a welcomed move, and with her warm heart and friendly attitude she is a valuable member of the CAT team.

Rossie was born and raised in Cusco and her passion for travel and for tourism started early on in her childhood. In 2000 she graduated as a Professional Tour Guide from the Tupac Amaru Institute and went on to complete courses in English at the ICPNA Institute. Rossie then began giving guided group tours, her first being the famous Inca Trail. Between tours, Rossie travelled around the United States to improve her knowledge of that country and also to fortify here English language skills, knowing how the experience would hold her in good stead for her career in tourism, helping her to communicate and share her culture with foreign people. Upon returning to Peru, she continued working as tour guide, of course this time with more experience and a more fluent English tongue. At the present time Rossie continues to work as a guide as well as functioning as CAT’s Operations Executive in Cusco. Because she loves her work, country and her culture, (her favorite is the Sacred Valley Tour) she concentrates her efforts on providing you with everything need to have a memorable experience in Peru.

Laura – or Lala as she is affectionately known – is the ideal Cusco Operations Manager for CAT as she is constantly above the game. Pretty much everyone in Cusco knows Lala - and her big heart and giving nature make her a much loved and well respected member of the Cusco community. Lala was born in Lima in the district of Barrios Altos – an old Lima district and spent part of her childhood being raised in Cerro de Pasco, close to Junin in the centre of the Peruvian highlands. She’s has always worked in tourism and seems to have experience in just about every single component of the tourist industry. Lala has worked in administration, as a tour conductor, in operations, and in a number of other areas, and she pretty much knows the business from back to front. Lala lived in California for a couple of years where she developed a passion for everything Walt Disney and his ability to make fantasies come true. This is exactly what tourism is all about – she explains – honing in on ones dreams of travel and turning them into reality. Lala is much loved and a very important member of the team for everyone here at CAT. 

Meet Silvina Pereiro – Class Adventure Travel’s Groups Manager. Silvina is 25 years old and lives in Almagro, one of the quieter neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. She started traveling with her parents when she was still very young; and later while on school organized trips – her fascination with travel grew and she developed a passion for getting to know different places and people. After high school – Silvina studied Tourism and Hotel Management in Buenos Aires at the Universidad del Salvador. During her last year at University, Silvina joined an internship program in France where she worked for 3 months in a hotel. Silvina claims that this incredible experience gave her the chance to get to know people from all over the world and reinforced her love for intercultural exchange and travel. Following her internship in France, Silvina worked in hotels in two of Argentina’s most important travel destinations – Puerto Iguazú and Bariloche. Following her graduation she started working for an incoming tour operator in Buenos Aires where she remained for 4 years before joining Class Adventure Travel where her professional attitude and enthusiasm were well received. Silvina uses her spare time to travel as much as she possibly can around her home country.

Luciana – the Class Adventure Travel Brazil Manager – was born and raised in Sao Paulo. She graduated from the Paulista University with a degree in engineering after also studying at the Benedictine College in Atchinson in Texas. Luciana has and always will harbor a passion for travel and tourism. It came as no surprise that after graduating, Luciana decided to get into the tourist trade. She started out working as a tour guide in Disney Land before joining the Jamaican Super Clubs chain and working in resorts across the Caribbean and Brazil. She went on to work in the Corporate Sales sector of a large Inter American travel firm. It was here that Luciana’s skills began to flourish and when introduced to Bart and Karin, they were immediately impressed with her knowledge of Brazil and her skill in the tourist game. She started working for CAT in 2004 and has been an integral member of the team ever since. Luciana loves working in tourism for a number of reasons. She feels it gives her the opportunity to get to know people from across the planet and lets her work with a group of dynamic and distinctive people. Luciana recently had her first child and finds mixing her professional development with the joys of maternity to be a constantly rewarding experience.   

Our Central America Sales Manager at CAT is Anne Doorn. At the age of 18 Anne decided to venture off to Spain in order to learn to speak Spanish. After 9 months in Spain, she returned to the Netherlands to complete her studies. In 1997, Anne finished with two degrees in Tourism and landed her first job in the Tourism Industry, working for Pegasus Travel in Peru. It was there that she first fell in love with South America. In 1998 Anne began her tenure with Angeli Travel in the Netherlands. As a Sales Manager at Angeli, she specialized in tailor-made trips to Africa and Latin America. Anne’s adventurous nature brought her back to Latin America in 2008 and soon thereafter into the fold at CAT. Her ability to take new tasks upon herself and juggle a seemingly endless amount of details is truly astonishing. One gets the feeling that Anne would be managing sales somewhere, even if it she wasn’t being compensated for it. CAT came to rely heavily on Anne very soon after she joined the team in 2008 and she never fails to provide whatever is needed for the sales arm of the team. Anne has lived and worked in several countries and across several continents, including Asia and Africa, as well as her home country of Holland, and her well-rounded and experienced background always serves as an important touchstone for both CAT and our clients.

Meet Dirk Dekker, our Bolivia Operations Manager. Originally from the Netherlands, Dirk now resides in Bolivia and supervises all Class Adventure Travel tours in the country. Dirk – or Dirko as he has come to be known – used to work as a Senior Technician / Diagnosis Manager with a major motor company in Nijmegen in the Netherlands. While travelling through South America four years ago, Dirk fell in love with the culture, the people, and the lifestyle. He decided to settle in South America and when he met his future Bolivian wife Sayda on the Salar de Uyuni, they decided to remain in Bolivia. This was how he got into the tourist business. Initially he started to work as a full time tour leader for a number of different travel outfits operating in and around Bolivia. After building up an amazing reputation in the Bolivian tourist industry, his friendly style and professional attitude caught CAT’s eye and he was invited to join the team. In Holland Dirk worked solving technical problems with clients, cars and mechanics, and oversaw a section of a plant; in Bolivia he basically does the same – he solves problems and oversees a section of South America.