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About

Our Promise To You

We are in the business of creating life-enhancing travel experiences. We do this by cultivating your travel dreams, curating the best destinations, and bringing people and cultures together. We have been making unique travel dreams come true since 1996. Our team set out to build the best luxury travel company in San Diego and across the USA.

Why Choose OTA As Your Trusted Travel Expert?

We know that your travel dreams are a unique expression of who you are. We take the time to get to know you, your aspirations, and style of travel that’s right for you. We pride ourselves on delivering quality experiences while supporting the details of your adventure every step of the way. Our intimate local knowledge and exclusive connections enable our experts to fulfill your curiosity of what the world has to offer—helping us to create a bespoke itinerary that takes you exactly where you want to go.

How We Work

Step 1: Curiosity

Share your travel dreams with us! We want to understand your interests and style, so that we can create your unique travel plan.

Step 2: Engagement & Innovation

When you’re ready to move forward, we’ll curate your ideal vacation. This is where the magic happens—and your dream vacation becomes a reality.

Step 3: Exploration

We will ensure that you are prepared and supported for a seamless journey. Meanwhile, you can simply explore and create memories to last a lifetime!

Details of the Experience

NOTE: Some quotes may be based on local currency, so the price of your trip is dependent on the current exchange rate at the time of payment. Payment amounts and timing may vary according to individual vendor terms.

  • Consultation – We offer a complimentary consult, so we can understand your travel style and vision for your trip.
  • Proposal/Ideas – Trip options and or a trip proposal with a package price and general logistics is provided for your dates of travel; normally within 48 hours of your consultation (this can vary depending on travel dates and circumstances).
  • Budget – on average we operate on a minimum land budget spend of $5,000 per person; it may be less for families.
  • Engagement – Once you are happy with our approach and what we have presented, we will require a Booking Form, Travel Curation Fee of $200 or $500 depending on trip; and passport copies for all travelers (6 months validity is recommended).
  • Deposit/Confirmations – Air tickets may be issued as the first order of business to ensure dates of travel. We will provide confirmation of services we have booked on your behalf, once approved we will request a specific deposit.   In addition we will provide a travel insurance quote at this time. Deposits amount are normally 25% depending on the destination and the terms of the vendors we use. In peak season vendors may require larger deposits or even full payment if lead time is short.
  • Final Payment/Documentation & Post Trip – Between 60 – 120 days before departure, we collect your final balance. Approximately 2-3 weeks before departure, you will receive electronic final documents. A pre-trip phone call can be scheduled with your Travel Designer to answer any questions you may have. After travel, we will follow up for feedback and ask for a review of our service.

View our detailed Booking Terms & Conditions page.

FAQs

Do you give price break downs on your customized travel packages?
We quote custom land arrangements as one price. Depending on the vendor we are using we may have confidential rates and buying power that will not enable us to provide breakdowns. We can help you determine what components represent higher costs, such as helicopter trips and private tours, and work with you to deliver the right value for money based on your preferences. Our packages are priced to include processing and trip documentation with our local operators. Our goal is to provide value and the best vacation experience possible. We offer 24/7 in-country support for most of our destinations.

How do Travel Consultants make money & do you charge fees?
Generally speaking, agents are paid commissions by the hotel and tour companies we work with. We also charge modest planning fees to cover our time and expertise, including a Travel Curation Fee of $200 or $500 per booking and air ticketing fees of $50 per person. These fees also enable us to make your trip a priority above the many requests we receive.

Is our service right for you?
We offer a professional, comprehensive and personalized trip curation service for the discerning traveler. Our global partnerships enable us to design exceptional itineraries. While traveling, we prioritize working with local operators that provide 24/7 support with our in-country representatives. Although we book and manage air reservations, we do not facilitate mileage redemption and related upgrades. Our US office hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm (PST) Monday through Friday.

How far in advance should I book?
Ideally 6-8 months in advance, especially for travel during peak times. We may or may not be able to accept bookings less than 60-90 days in advance. We will let you know at the time of your enquiry if we are able to assist. With late bookings we kindly ask for patience and flexibility, as the booking and planning process is greatly condensed. Availability may be limited, and late bookings require immediate payment.


OTA TEAM

Roseann Iovine

President & Chief Travel Designer

Outdoor Travel Adventures was born from Roseann’s passion for creating life enhancing travel experiences. She recognized the positive impact travel has on our perspective of the world and on our own health and happiness.

Prior to starting the company in 1996, she spent 15 years with British Airways, holding a variety of key positions in sales, marketing and strategic planning. Roseann has used her innovative marketing approach and her sales expertise to position OTA as a leading provider of niche travel, widely respected by national tourism boards, airlines and worldwide operators.

Roseann is a sought-after expert travel designer for Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, the Cook Islands, as well as an industry guru on active and wellness travel.

As a career travel professional, she understands client expectations, and leads a team of professionals who collectively share best practices to fulfill clients’ dreams. She also has a strong personal commitment to health, wellness and mindfulness. Her favorite activities include hiking, paddle boarding, mountain biking, golf, yoga and meditation.

Wendy Eickhoff

Vice President & Senior Travel Designer

Wendy made her commitment to the travel industry after graduating college with a business degree in hand. Her career began with an international hiking company, and she joined forces with Roseann in 2000 to propel Outdoor Travel Adventures to its current status as a leading niche travel company. Meanwhile, her love of the ocean led her to a side career as a scuba instructor in the San Diego area for several years.

Her incredible attention to detail leads to carefully curated and personalized itineraries that are designed to exceed her clients’ expectations. Getting to know her clients’ interests and planning the trip from start to finish as if it were her own is her recipe for success, with numerous repeat and referral clients as testimony.

Wendy’s destination specialties include New Zealand, Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Tahiti, the Galapagos, Papua New Guinea, Palau and Uganda, not to mention various destinations that attract scuba divers with their promise of unique marine life and top-notch dive operations. If you ask about her favorite travel moments, she’ll likely mention truffle hunting in Western Australia, ice climbing and caving in New Zealand, scuba diving with dolphins in Tahiti, sharing kava with the Fijians, and her own wedding with 60 friends and family in the Cook Islands!

Sue Rovegno

Senior Travel Designer

Since 1989, Sue has been designing custom international travel experiences that delight and impress her clients. Sue prides herself on relationships that she has built with global travel partners over many decades, and collaborates with those partners to offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences for curious travelers.

If anyone was born with the wanderlust gene and love for everything travel, it is Sue. Having traveled the world extensively, her favorite adventures include snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, staying in world-renowned safari camps in Africa, island-hopping in French Polynesia, swimming with whale sharks in Mexico, exploring New Zealand’s luxury lodges, relaxing at boutique resorts in Fiji, and expedition cruising in the Galapagos and Papua New Guinea.

A mom of three adult sons and a grandma of two, Sue is an expert in planning trips of a lifetime whether they are inter-generational family adventures, romantic getaways, girls’ trips (or boys’ trips), or special occasion celebrations – let Sue know what’s on your bucket list and the adventure will begin!

Sari Gartner

Travel Designer

At a very early age, Sari had a passion for travel and a love for the outdoors. Her home in Colorado is a wonderful base camp for daily exploring, and her travels have taken her around the globe to discover the unique aspects of each destination in order to create amazing experiences for her clients.

From exploring the mountains of Peru and Machu Picchu to gorilla trekking in Uganda, diving the Great Barrier Reef to exploring historical sites globally, the great commonalities in Sari’s travel experiences are hiking and outdoor activities combined with culture and wildlife. Sari is a specialist in various areas, including Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, Peru and Africa – specifically Uganda.

Sari brings her sense of commitment and organization to her clients, and listens to ensure her clients’ adventure is their own. Having worked in the industry for many years, and having personally traveled with her husband, son, and extended family, Sari understands the varying dynamics; including the intimacy you may want when traveling as a couple, the nuances of travel with children and teens, and the diversity and flexibility that’s needed for multi-generational trips. She is dedicated to ongoing education and experiences in order to confidently and accurately advise and support her clients throughout their journeys.

Linda King

Travel Designer & Expedition Cruise Specialist

Linda’s lifetime of incredible travel experiences developed into a passion for helping her clients discover their next adventure. Her belief is that travel can be personally fulfilling, while also supporting fragile environments and the guides who have dedicated their lives to educating and inspiring travelers. Linda understands the balance of connecting with those local experts who protect, maintain, and strive for their precious sites and animals to flourish, while traveling in luxurious style and comfort.

Nikita Tanielian

Concierge & Client Support Advisor

Nikita’s wanderlust has taken her all around the world- from the tropical rainforests of Costa Rica, to crystal clear waters of Greece, to the exquisite Alaskan glaciers, and everywhere in between. Her adventurous spirit comes from her travel loving parents, and her enthusiasm for exploring is contagious- she’s been traveling since she was born, and you might hear her joke about how there was a map in her hand before there was even a pacifier.  

She loves the beautiful aspects of travel- the way it gives us our greatest stories, creates our most cherished memories, and allows us to be transformed by this beautiful earth we get to call home.

She is passionate about customer service and understands the importance of the communication, flexibility, and patience it takes to create these once in a lifetime memories, and will establish that connection to ensure every moment in your journey flows as smoothly as possible.