Our story starts in 1979.
Explorers World Travel was founded over 45 years ago by James Heck and Kathleen Morgan, passionate adventurers who sought to share their love of exploration with others. Over the years, they established themselves as leaders in luxury travel to Africa and other destinations, offering meticulously curated itineraries, personalized service, and insider access to the best destinations and experiences. Their daughter, Elizabeth Heck, grew up in the world of the family business and world travel and is now taking over the reins of the company with other travel adventurers, Rick and Stephanie Lunt. Rick and Stephanie have traveled extensively in Europe and Asia, and Rick is a premier expert in curated Asian travel, specifically Japan and Korea. Stephanie served in the Peace Corps in Turkmenistan and has since worked in the events industry, in travel, entertainment and finance.
Our Legacy
Our Mission & Values
At Explorers World Travel, our mission is to provide discerning travelers with a tour experience that uniquely blends unparalleled luxury with adventure travel. Offering personalized service, cultural immersion, and unforgettable itineraries that exceed expectations.
Explorers World Travel is the brainchild of Jim Heck and Kathleen Morgan, two intrepid travelers whose lives have been dedicated to understanding our diverse world and conveying that splendor to others through adventure travel. Their journey began the moment they left college in the late 1960s, living in various places in Europe before eventually finding each other again in Paris where they worked at UNESCO before marrying then traveling to northern Kenya to live and teach. Two years later they returned to the U.S. to begin selling African safaris through their jointly owned company, Explorers World Travel, Inc., one of the most reputable and enduring adventure travel companies in the world.
Throughout all the ups and downs and cultural and financial changes of the last half century, Explorers World Travel has steadily grown an unexcelled reputation for delivering what is promised, and never promising what can’t be delivered. This unique characteristic of a travel company is because Explorers World Travel has always worked directly and entirely with local companies and the citizens of the destination, often financing them and often investing with them. This unusual link creates a trust with those whose home is the destination.
Explorers World Travel’s holistic approach to its clients is equally unique. Rather than specializing in only one part of the travel vacation, Explorers World Travel acts as a personal travel agent for each and every client, creating a door-to-door inclusive vacation with unmatched airline assistance, travel insurance, and a preparatory guide to each and every trip however large or small.
While Explorers World Travel’s well-known expertise in Africa is undisputed across the industry, the half-century of adventure travel has spanned the globe, and Explorers World Travel’s actual experience in all the great natural history destinations ranks well among the very best.