Ismael: Born in Cuba.

Travels: Europe, Mexico and Central America

Languages: Spanish, French, English, basic Italian and German

Chantal: Born in the Netherlands

Travels: Mexico, Central & South America, N. Africa, Europe

Languages: Dutch, English, Spanish

Although born in Leiden, Netherlands, Chantal considers Central America to be her home. After traveling throughout Latin America, Chantal decided to extend her stay in Guatemala and live in a jungle community, El Remate for several years. Apart from her Latin American adventures, Chantal worked as a mountain walking guide in Tenerife; a tour leader in Costa Rica, Italy and Slovenia; and as a snorkel and bicycling guide in Mexico. Now, as a Duende Tours co-founder, Chantal dedicates her time to tour design, guiding, operational management, marketing and customer service. 

Octavio: Born in Mexico
   
Travels: Mexico, Europe, Canada & Morocco

Languages: Spanish, English

Octavio was born in Michoacán, Mexico. He left his hometown at the age of 18 to study in Guadalajara where he received his degree in journalism. Eager to avoid the traffic and crowds of big cities, he moved to Cozumel Island 8 years ago. Octavio likes to practice snorkeling, camping and biking as part of his routine. Lover of plants and animals, he divides his time between Morélia and Cozumel. This way he has the opportunity to travel through Mexico looking for new magical places that inspire his photography passion. On Cozumel Island he finds the peace and tranquility necessary to finish writing a cooking book that is still in the oven… Octavio used to work in public relations for a company serving tourism and nowadays collaborates with Duende Tours where he hopes to inspire people to travel with the purpose of taking care of all species on the planet.

Dennis: Born in the Netherlands

Travels: Europe, US, Mexico, Central-America

Languages: Dutch, English, Spanish, French

Dennis holds a bachelor in economics. He uses his affinity with finance and administration to support Duende Tours in these fields. The knowledge of information technology gained over the years make him the enthousiastic webmaster of the Dutch Duende Tours site. Dennis also takes part in the Dutch marketing team. He loves nature and would like to show everybody how wonderful a jungle walk can be. "Life in the city can make you forget about the nurturing qualities nature has. Nature can help you discover  things about yourself, you didn't know. When you find yourself surrounded by trees and animals you can take your time to reflect on things we forget about when we are living our busy city-lives. Duende Tours offers people a comfortable way to reach places that are unavailable for other travelers", he says.

Lou: Born in the United States
   
Travels: United States, Mexico, Central America, Europe & Middle East.

Languages: English, Spanish

After running various small businesses and completing his geology degree in the U.S., Lou decided to bring his academic knowledge and U.S. business experience to the Mayan jungles of Guatemala. Aside from working as a Duende Tours guide and logistics consultant, Lou also runs a bakery and runs bird watching jungle tours.