Once again, Travel + Leisure has published its list of top travel agents. Out of 133 advisors on the magazine’s 13th annual “A-List of Top Travel Specialists,” 38 are based in the West. Here are the agents that made this year’s list, organized by their area of expertise.
Super-Agents
Jim Strong and Nancy Strong (Strong Travel Services, Dallas)
United States and California
Hawaii – Carolyne Brandon (Altour American Express Travel, Cupertino, Calif.)
Hawaii – Marilyn Clark (Lighthouse Travel, Huntington Beach, Calif.)
Hawaii – Ed Phillips (Frosch Travel, Burlingame, Calif.)
Napa Valley – Michelle Murre (Azurine, San Francisco)
Europe
France – Murielle Blanchard (Black Pearl Luxury Services, Salt Lake City)
Switzerland – Ilene Koenig (Let’s Travel, a division of Plaza Travel, Santa Monica, Calif.)
Mexico, Central and South America
Galapagos – Brian Morgan (Adventure Life, Missoula, Mont.)
Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific
Australia – Cassandra Bookholder (Camelback Odyssey Travel, Phoenix)
French Polynesia – Susanne Hamer (TravelStore, Los Angeles)
Asia
Burma – Rebecca Mazzaro (Asia Transpacific Journeys, Boulder, Colo.)
China – Stan Godwyn (TravelStore, Sacramento, Calif.)
Hong Kong – Laura Woo (West University Travel, Houston)
Indonesia – Jarrod Hobson (Asia Transpacific Journeys, Boulder, Colo.)
Japan – Noriko Townsend (Altour American Express Travel/Japan In Style, Fort Collins, Colo.)
Maldives – Justin Parkinson (Linara Travel, Eagle, Idaho)
Africa and the Middle East
Africa – Sandy Cunningham (Outside Go, Santa Fe, N.M.)
Africa – Dana Welch (The Travel Society, Denver.)
Eastern and Southern Africa – Tim Lapage (Safari Experts, Park City, Utah)
Eastern and Southern Africa – Kent Redding (Africa Adventure Consultants, Denver)
Family Safaris – Leora Rothschild (Rothschild Safaris, Denver.)
Namibia – Chris Liebenberg (Piper & Heath Travel, San Diego)
South Africa – Tamsyn Fricker (Travel Artistry Africa, Houston)
Southern Africa – Cherri Briggs (Explore Inc., Steamboat Springs, Colo.)
Southern Africa – Teresa Sullivan (Mango African Safaris, Portland, Ore.)
Family Travel
Sam McClure (Small World Travel, Austin, Texas)
Kara Slater (SmartFlyer, Los Angeles
Cruising
Small and Large Ships – Paul Niskanen (Cruise Masters/Concierge Travel Advisors, Portland, Ore.)
Small and Large Ships – Ruth Turpin (Cruises Etc., Fort Worth, Texas)
Special Interest
Adventure – Susan Sparks (Points of Interest Travel, Aspen, Colo.)
Adventure – Doris White (Cadence Travel, La Jolla, Calif.)
Business Travel – Steve Orens (Plaza Travel, Encino, Calif.)
Culture/Education – Margery Hunter (Rudi Steele Travel, Dallas)
Destination Celebrations – John Clifford (International Travel Management, San Diego)
Fly-Fishing – Betsy Donley (Camelback Odyssey Travel, Phoenix)
Food and Wine – Lynda Turley Garrett (Alpine Travel of Saratoga, Saratoga, Calif.)
Gay and Lesbian Travel – David Rubin (DavidTravel, Corona del Mar, Calif.)
Spas and Wellness – Karen Benson (Camelback Odyssey Travel, Phoenix.)
The Details
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