Kensington Tours – Explorer in Residence Series

Explorer-in-Residence itineraries offer a unique opportunity to travel with a world-famous explorer. Our guides include Royal Geographic Society Fellows, Explorer's Club Fellows, and leading adventurers with fascinating stories of personal endurance. They will join you in-country on your bespoke adventure to offer a privileged perspective on the local sights, culture, flora and fauna. Note: Limited availability based on the schedule of individual explorers.

Enjoy all the usual features of a Kensington Tours vacation with your own custom itinerary, local private guide and vehicles, and local support. And add the once in a lifetime experience of traveling in the company of a world famous explorer. These are not group tours. This is a private tour, only for you and your companions.

Mikael Strandberg was born in 1962 in Sweden, and started his professional career as an explorer 25 years ago. His expeditions have included; Chile to Alaska by bicycle (27,500 km including the "impassable" Darien Gap), Norway to South Africa by bicycle (33,000 km including pushing across Sahara Desert), New Zealand across Asia to Cairo by bicycle (90,000 km), a year with gauchos in Patagonia (3,000km by horse), a year with the Masai in East Africa (total immersion in the culture), exploration of the unknown Kolyma River in North-Eastern Siberia (3,500 km by canoe and skis - with temperatures below -60C). His Siberia expedition is globally hailed as one of the coldest ever in the history of exploration.

Mikael is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, the Explorers' Club, Travellers Club and the Long Riders Guild. Explorers Club in London considers Mikael "the best contemporary explorer in the world" at the present. Mikael has written seven books and numerous articles. He is frequently used by broadcasters for travel and adventure programmes. In Sweden Mikael has become a household name and Swedish Television SVT and National Geographic have made a documentary about his life. He was voted Explorer Hero by the National Geographic 2002. He's an Honorary Ambassador of his native district Älvdalen. He's also an Honorary Ambassador for Cappadocia, Turkey. He was awarded The Determination in the Face of Adversity Medal by the Explorers Club 2005. The King of Sweden and The Travellers Club of Sweden awarded him the prestigious Silver Medal in 2006. Travellers Club in Finland awarded Mikael the prestigious Mannerheim Medal.

Oliver (Olly) is the youngest of 50 of the world's leading explorers featured in 'Faces of Exploration' alongside such luminaries as Buzz Aldrin, Dr. Jane Goodall, Sir Edmund Hilary, and Sir Ranulph Fiennes where he's described as "a representative of the new generation: modern, media savvy, high-tech, digital adventurer". He is regarded as one of the most influential and pioneering explorers of his generation. Oliver is Director of Digital Explorer and founder of the Academy of Exploration. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, the Explorers Club, and the Scientific Exploration Society. He speaks Mandarin, French and some tribal languages. Oliver has travelled, explored and caused trouble in over 100 countries including expeditions in Mongolia, Mauritania, Niger, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, China, Syria, Jordan, the Amazon and New Guinea. "The Real Indiana Jones" - Meredith Viera - NBC TODAY

Oliver is also an acclaimed investigative journalist and broadcaster. In the Discovery Channel series "Solving History with Olly Steeds", he explores some of the great mysteries of the world including Atlantis, Ark of the Covenant, Nazi Treasure (The Amber Room), Nazca Lines, El Dorado (Lost City of Gold) and even escaped from Devil's Island (aka Papillion). Oliver has spent a large quantity of time living with and documenting some of the world's last tribes including presenting 3 acclaimed Tribal Series: 'Living with the Kombai' and' Living with the Mek' both in New Guinea and 'Living with the Machigenga' in the Peruvian Amazon. His investigative reporting has featured on ABC, Channel 4, BBC and Al Jazeera English. His work has been nominated for Emmys and Overseas Press Awards. Oliver formerly managed ABC News' Asia news operations from their Beijing HQ. Regarded highly in his industry, Oliver is a reknowned public speaker, entertaining and challenging audiences from schools to board rooms.

Richard Madden has been one of the UK's top travel writers for the last 20 years and was the Adventure Travel Editor of the Daily Telegraph for much of that time. He is now freelance and in the last few years has edited, co-written or ghost-written, five travel and adventure books. These include 'Born Survivor' (Man Vs Wild in the U.S.) for the TV Adventurer, Bear Grylls, which topped the best-seller lists on both sides of the Atlantic. He has also presented two 40-minute travel documentaries for the Discovery Channel in their series, Trailblazers, and is the Editor of OE Magazine (www.oe-mag.com), one of the UK's top outdoors magazines.

Richard's first ever experience of a foreign country was the Uganda of General Amin which he travelled around as a 16 year-old schoolboy - when he was also introduced to the dictator himself. As a student at Oxford University he bicycled across the U.S. before beginning his career in the British Army and later becoming a journalist. He specialises in adventure travel and activity sports - his favourites are trekking, horse-riding, diving and paragliding - and he has travelled to more than 80 countries on all seven continents.