Abby Berner is no ordinary tour guide. Over the past 15 years, she has led groups on exotic trips to over 50 countries across 6 continents. Her passion for immersive cultural experiences and adventure travel shines through in every custom tour she plans. As a self-proclaimed “golobal citizen”, Abby thrives on connecting with locals and travelers from diverse backgrounds. She has a knack for bringing people together through her charismatic storytelling and perceptive insights into the places she visits. This article explores Abby’s background, how she built her career as an expert guide and some of the unique tours she has created.
Early Travel Experiences Shape Her Path
Abby first caught the travel bug as a child going on annual family camping trips around the United States. Summer vacations were spent road tripping to national parks like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. Throughout her childhood, she loved poring over atlases, reading National Geographic magazines and dreaming of exploring faraway lands.
When she was 16, Abby embarked on a life-changing trip to Costa Rica with an eco-tourism group. That first solo travel adventure opened her eyes to the wonders of the natural world and diverse human cultures found across the planet. Over the next decade during college and work abroad programs, Abby traveled extensively in Europe, South America and Southeast Asia.
Immersed in foreign environments and forced out of her comfort zone, Abby learned the intricacies of navigating different cultures. Her natural curiosity and gift for languages served her well in connecting with new people. It was through deep ties with local communities abroad that she gained profound insight into the soul of a place. These meaningful interactions laid the foundation for her approach to travel that welcomes shared experience over passive observation.
Building Expertise as a Guide
After leading tours part-time throughout her 20s, Abby decided to dedicate her career to travel. She obtained tour guide licenses in over a dozen countries and studied the history, ecology and culture of the most popular destinations. Her qualification as an expert guide comes not just from textbooks – Abby quite literally wrote the book on responsible travel in the Galapagos Islands. She has spent years venturing to remote Pacific islands, the Amazon rainforest, African savannas and Asian megacities.
All that on-the-ground experience gave Abby immense perspective on the aspects of a place that most travelers never get to see. Whether trekking Incan stone paths or boating through Brazilian wetlands, she finds magic in the mundane that her clients would otherwise overlook. Abby is as comfortable sleeping in a family-run guesthouse as she is negotiating rush hour by camel in Marrakesh. Her resourcefulness ensures that no matter the continent, her travelers feel safe, informed and delighted.
Designing Innovative Custom Itineraries
Part scholar, part adventurer – Abby brings her fearless spirit of exploration to crafting unforgettable custom itineraries. She works closely with private clients and small groups to curate trips aligned to their interests and style of travel. With Abby as your guide, no two tours will ever be the same.
For a family trip focused on wildlife conservation, Abby created an extraordinary East African safari coupled with hands-on volunteer work at a chimpanzee sanctuary. The cultural immersion for a corporate CEO visiting India included meetings with social entrepreneurs in Mumbai before venturing into villages to see microfinance projects empowering women artisans.
Multi-generational family trips celebrate both precious bonding time and opportunities for age-specific activities balanced throughout the journey. Honeymooners wooed by Abby’s ads for “Romance and Rhinos” enjoy couples massages at a luxurious savanna lodge between awe-inspiring game drives. Her breadth of expertise translates into crafting vacations-of-a-lifetime that check every wishlist box with seamless service behind the scenes.
Signature Tours Showcase Her Passion
Over her prolific career so far, Abby has led dozens of outstanding group tours across the world. Her annual trips have become so popular that they often amass long waitlists of repeat clients. Highlights of her signature tours include:
The Great Migration Safari in Tanzania – This 2-week mobile camping safari experience follows the natural rhythms of wildebeest migration across the Serengeti. Days are filled with exceptional wildlife sightings and nights spent around the campfire under African stars.
Trekking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu – Abby’s 6-day challenging hike along ancient stone pathways reveals the grandeur of the Andes mountains. The journey culminates when the mist clears to unveil magnificent Machu Picchu, a sacred Incan citadel and one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.
Cuba Libre Cultural Adventure – On this 10-day deep dive into Cuban heritage, Abby illuminates the country’s complicated history alongside joie de vivre tropical vibes. Her homestays with local families provide the most genuine interactions with artists, musicians and everyday folk.
Why Travel with Abby
In Abby Berner, clients find more than an expert guide – they gain a savvy travel companion whose thoughtful touches enhance every step of the journey. Abby creates a welcoming space for people from all walks of life to connect while pushing boundaries. Her infectious enthusiasm and wonder of the world are contagious. Travelers leave Abby’s trips newly energized global citizens touched by the life-affirming magic of bold exploration.
Tips & Tricks from a Globetrotting Pro
Over 15 years leading tours across the world, Abby Berner has accumulated priceless insider knowledge to share. Take a page from her well-stamped passport and international success leading groups with these pro tips:
- Respect cultural norms – Research local etiquette before visiting sacred sites, places of worship, rural areas less exposed to tourism. Ask permission before photographing people.
- Pack light, wear layers – Abby swears by the mantra “take half the clothes and twice the money.” Stick to versatile neutral colors, materials that breathe in hot climates.
- Observe wildlife from afar – When safari game driving, listen for signals from your guide on appropriate distance. Never encroach space of wild creatures.
- Eat street food (selectively) – At the right market stalls, sampling well-cooked meat and fish dishes can be safe. See where locals queue with high turnover.
- Put down devices to be present – Live in the moment by paying attention to your senses, having real conversations. The perfect Instagram shot won’t conjure the magic.
- Learn basic host country language phrases – Locals light up when you greet them, order food, ask questions in their mother tongue.
- Carry small bills, hard candies for kids – Handing crying children sweets or giving a few small banknotes to restroom attendants wifi earns goodwill.
- Respect religious sites and clothing norms – Carry scarves and cover ups to use at mosques, temples. Obey strict modesty guidelines.
- Try overnight train rides – You maximize sightseeing time while the train transports you between cities overnight. Lower berths most comfortable.
- Give back to communities you visit – Ask guides the best way to invest tourist dollars so they directly support disadvantaged groups.
Years spent traversing the globe has taught Abby the difference between good travel and truly transformative journeys that sustain local communities. Keep these guiding principles in mind as you venture on your own adventures abroad.
Conclusion
Over 15 years of leading tours across six continents, Abby Berner has honed her craft of delivering unparalleled cultural travel experiences. Her passion shines through in every custom vacation she designs, from CEOs to multi-generational families. As a true “global citizen” at home everywhere in the world, Abby invites travelers to connect deeply with the people and places they visit. By walking well-worn paths with fresh eyes and an open heart, her clients embark on transformational journeys to discover not just new lands but deeper parts of themselves as well. Abby’s lust for adventure permeates each meticulously crafted itinerary, ensuring travelers return home forever changed by the power of bold exploration.