Meet our amazing team.
EXPLORERS WORLD TRAVEL CO-FOUNDER
James Heck
James Heck, co-founder of EWT, has written three African guide books, one novel set in Kenya, and is currently working on a memoir about half a century of adventure guiding. Along with his wife, Kathleen Morgan, he has worked and lived in Africa since the early 1970s, owning and heading several companies promoting and selling world travel. Their companies have organized safaris into East Africa for more than 10,000 visitors including most of the country’s major zoos and conservation organizations. Jim has personally guided since 1972.
James began his career with the United Nations, working in several capacities for UNESCO, the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In 1976 he and his wife formed Morgan Tours, Inc., which in 1979 became Explorers World Travel (EWT).
Since 1980, James has specialized in East Africa and probably knows more about the Serengeti and other wilderness touring in the area than any man alive. But his career in Africa spans a much wider area:
He has been kidnaped in Nigeria, jailed in Guinea-Bissau, rescued from the last Rwandan war; was the first westerner allowed to leave Addis after the Red Terror; had canoes overturned among crocs and hippos on the Zambezi; been charged by an elephant that he hit with a plate of Waldorf salad; lost in the jungles of Cameroon; marooned in the Ituri Forest and rescued by Rhodesian sanction busters; and was among the few outsiders to travel through Uganda during the time of Idi Amin. James has never lost a client or fired a gun.
EXPLORERS WORLD TRAVEL CO-FOUNDER
Kathleen Morgan
Kathleen Morgan, like her husband, Jim Heck, is a passionate traveler and co-founder of Explorers World Travel, where she has combined her love for adventure with a deep appreciation for history. Since her college days in the late 1960s, Kathleen has been dedicated to exploring diverse cultures, with a particular fondness for the rich histories of the Middle East and India.
Her journey began in Europe, where she and her husband, Jim Heck, reunited in Paris while working at UNESCO. Their shared appetite and curiosity for exploration led them to northern Kenya, where they lived and taught before establishing Explorers World Travel, Inc. This adventure travel company has garnered a stellar reputation for its authentic connections with local communities and its commitment to delivering exceptional travel experiences.
Kathleen's holistic approach to travel has emphasized personalized service, ensuring that every client enjoys a seamless vacation experience enriched by her extensive knowledge of global destinations. For over forty years, Kathleen was the heartbeat of EWT’s business operations, while still finding time to guide unique luxury trips to some of the world’s most compelling destinations.
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Liz Heck
Well loved by many at Explorers World Travel, Liz has led tours not only into Africa but to Alaska and South America as well. She grew up in many of the world's wild places, holds a literature degree from Bryn Mawr, a JD degree from Fordham and studied at the University of Cape Town. After almost two decades as an English and literature teacher in Berkeley, Costa Rica, and Brooklyn, Liz is now embracing working with Explorers World Travel full time, as her parents retire after 50 years of guiding and curating explorations and experiences for thousands of clients. As a teacher, Liz guided large school groups on trips in Europe, China, and New Orleans; she is just as at home trekking through the museums, cultural treasures, and streets of the world’s big cities as she is through jungles, deserts, and savannah's.
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Rick Lunt
Based in New York, Rick has been designing trips to Asia and beyond for over 15 years. Whilst early visits to the continent involved a backpack and not much else, recent trips have have included meals with Geisha in Japan and being adopted by the Asaro Mudmen in Papua New Guinea. Rick is always looking for the road less traveled, and encourages everyone to step out of their comfort zone when it comes to travel. This has led to adventures such as being invited to an Indian wedding in Udaipur, riding motorbikes through the Vietnamese countryside, and attending a parliamentary session in Myanmar (no longer allowed!). He also loves to champion destinations that are often overlooked such as Laos & South Korea. Indeed, Rick was fortunate enough to be one of the first people invited back to South Korea post-pandemic, as they geared up to reopen in 2021. It reaffirmed his love for the continent, and there are plenty more trips back to Asia in the pipeline.
