About Us | Travel Pioneers

About Us

Meet the Travel Pioneers Dream Team

With over forty years of combined experience in the industry, we deliver authentic and meaningful travel opportunities.

Craft Your Travel

Katrin & Catalina are the founders and two cross-cultural, passionate travel designers dedicated to designing the journey of a lifetime for you.

For nearly 10 years we worked alongside each other, until we decided to create Travel Pioneers. The passion and energy we put into our work provides clients with seamless travel coordination for all stages of planning, booking, and enjoying of hand-crafted journeys throughout Latin America.

We’ve discovered that the secret lies in the cultural nuances, and that’s why we want you to get the most out of your trip. We are not just planning a vacation, we’re creating memories that last a lifetime.

Meet the Travel Pioneers visionaries, Katrin & Catalina.

Every itinerary is a symphony, and you are the composer. We listen to your dreams and desires and build the experience around them. You speak, we deliver.

#STORYMAKERS

I’m at a lack for words to describe just how special my trip to Guatemala was with Travel Pioneers. I’ve worked with several travel agencies over the years, and I’ve never received this level of personalized attention. Guatemala is a magical place that should be explored to the fullest and the TP designer I worked with came through time and time again. My recommendation to future clients… don’t miss staying a few nights in Panajachel, and by all means, do not miss Antigua!!

Sarah D

Travel Pioneers arranged a fabulous vacation for my family (including two teenage boys). I was really impressed with how they tailored the trip to meet all our needs. Plenty of adventure and culture so that everyone was happy at the end of each day. Villa Casa Palopo was right on the water with kayaks and interesting tours as well as opportunities to get to know an amazing culture. I was particularly spellbound by the market at Chichenitza. Good work Travel Pioneers!

Doug M

I can’t thank Travel Pioneers enough for introducing my family to Villa Bokeh and the beautiful town of Antigua. We fell immediately in love with our hotel and its top-notch services. Now my daughter wants to get married there! We’ll be in touch to make the arrangements!

Monserrat R

Thanks Travel Pioneers and Katrin for creating an amazing trip around our tastes and budget. Being that I am an archaeology appassionato, their advice and guidance helped me find the right hotel in tune with my interests. La Lancha resort was super helpful in arranging tours to the Mayan excavations nearby. Your attention to detail and personalized touch made the trip one of my best. Thank you!

Carlos S

Bogota and Medellin are officially my favorite cities from now on. Our travel designer at Travel Pioneers organized a super chic and exciting stay for myself and my fiancé. The Quinta Camacho and Zona G neighborhoods of Bogota were full of incredible restaurants and shopping. We felt safe, well-advised, and pampered at our hotel Casa Legado. Medellin was equally special, and TP expertly blended tours to the nearby natural attractions with cool urban outings. Hats off to Travel Pioneers!

Mark T

Travel Pioneers helped arrange a surprise trip for my wife on our 25th wedding anniversary. The experience was more than I could have hoped for, and my wife was utterly delighted. The old part of Cartagena is certainly the most romantic place I’ve ever been. We loved the personalized touches, like being met by a private tour guide at the airport. He gave us a welcome kit of snacks and a water bottle and was always available as a personal guide and treasure chest of information. Thumbs up all around!

Richard C

We had an incredible 10-day vacation in Colombia with Travel Pioneers. Katrin was patient and thorough in providing us with a variety of lodging options and some unforgettable tours. We started in Cartagena for five nights at the Sofitel Legend, just down the street from Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s old-city home!! It was breathtaking. Our last days in Medellin were equally special and I really felt like we were blessed with a glimpse of true Colombian culture. Thank you, Travel Pioneers; I’ll definitely recommend your amazing travel services to my family and friends.

Christina H

Thank you, Travel Pioneers, for your amazing attention to detail and for standing by us 24/7when we had issues with our rental car. Colombia was a dream come true, and you provided the perfect blend of luxury and cultural authenticity. Cartagena was everything I’d hoped for. Touring and snorkeling the islands was breathtaking, and I can’t wait to go back for more. You guys are the best!

Sarah P

They helped plan a trip for our adventurous family of 6 (4 kids, ages 8-13). From a beautiful ecolodge to incredible tours to hiking, snorkeling, zip lining, canyoning, and river trips. The itinerary was exactly what we had in mind but we could never have planned it ourselves. Monkeys, tucans, Scarlett Macaws. The service and atmosphere at the ecolodge. Family dinners overlooking the ocean where no one wanted to leave.

A. Long

We really enjoy the hospitality and services of TP in Costa Rica. We were amazed to see how they managed to take care of every small detail in our tour and made it memorable for us – Leo the concierge called us during our trip to check up on us. I will definitely recommend their service to my friends and family who want to visit Costa Rica.

Rudi C

Adrian was a wonderful person to work with. He helped us greatly during the trip when we needed phone contact. He kept close tabs on us. During our travels in Costa Rica we appreciated the drivers and guides working with TP. They were uniformly intelligent, cheerful, and informed. The zip-lining was exhilarating (first time for both of us). We learned so much about the flora and fauna. We loved the private boat tour/picnic, and sub winging behind the boat was one of the most wonderful experiences I've ever had. I would definitely go back to experience more of that beautiful country and the people.

Marta J

The team was very useful in helping us plan our trip to Costa Rica. Katrin was responsive to our requests and attentive to our preferences regarding types of activities. She provided ideas for hotels and excursions that were less touristy as we had requested. She helped us plan a private guided hike to the Children's Eternal Rainforest. The opportunity to be off the beaten path was amazing!

Jonas R

We had an unforgettable vacation in southern Nicaragua. Nekupe Resort was not only luxurious but offered a great assortment of activities, of which birding, and horseback riding were our favorites. Topping off the experience in Granada was a great call by Adrian. Mingling with the locals while enjoying fabulous meals and shopping for awesome artwork really rounded out the experience.

Janet M

I never expected to fall in love with Nicaragua. Thank you Katrin and the TP team. My family was enchanted by Morgan’s Rock Resort and all of the activities they offered. I was thrilled to visit the artisan markets in Masaya and stroll the streets of Granada. We ate an amazing mix of traditional and fusion cuisine and had a great rapport with our local tour guides who were always so friendly and knowledgeable. Thanks for the great memories!

Pascal S

My wife and I had an extraordinary adventure in Nicaragua, including being greeted at the airport by the Travel Pioneers guide and the perfect trip itinerary to match our interests. I particularly enjoyed our two nights at El Coyol’s private island on Lake Nicaragua. The personalized service, kayaking among the islands, and tranquility were an otherworldly experience. Thank you, Travel Pioneers! We’ll be back!

Joseph C

That was amazing! Thank you so much for organizing one of the very best vacations our family has ever experienced. The attention to detail particularly getting us from one place to another was phenomenal, especially crossing over to Nicaragua and back. (…) And each day was better than the one before.

Guillermo A

There are not enough superlatives to describe how Travel Pioneer created a fun filled and luxurious vacation for my wife and i. The trip was truly outstanding. What made it most incredible is the process of planning the trip, and having every event go off without a hitch. We definitely had a vacation of a lifetime.

Josh P

Well, we’re heading back to LA from a wonderful 10 days in Belize. Just amazing. (…) It is just incredible, entering caverns that feel like cathedrals, seeing all sorts of rock formations, and often having to deal with a current that is anywhere from noticeable to swift as you head up the cave, as the Mayans did centuries ago.

Emerson Fam

We had a wonderful trip in Belize, Travel Pioneers did an amazing job of organizing it for us. We had never been to Belize before and Katrin really listened to what we wanted before putting the trip together for us. The three lodges we stayed at were luxurious and welcoming, they were perfect for us. Finally, everything was well planned and smooth, down from being greeted at the airport to each transfer from lodge to lodge. We didn't encounter a single problem. I don't doubt for a second if there had been any problems that these girls would have dealt with them efficiently. We loved each and every location!

Sean T

Once we walked out of the airport, we were greeted by our guide with water, snacks and were able to leave right away. TP knew Belize well enough to pair us perfectly with the resort and experiences we were looking for. We were able to make life-long memories with this trip and I can’t say enough good things.

Mark W

Travel Pioneers organized an amazing trip to Costa Rica for my family. We were extremely pleased with all the services and amenities at each of the hotels. Right after we landed, we had a driver and a tour guide pick us up to make us feel very welcome to Costa Rica. View More

Stephen C

Words cannot adequately express how pleased we were visiting Costa Rica and the service that was provided by Travel Pioneers. Our trip was effortless and seamless. Every driver and tour guide were on time, thoughtful and passionate about the work that they do and their beautiful nation. Costa Rica is a beautiful travel destination and should be on everyone's bucket list. I plan to visit again because there is so much more to experience. This trip was PERFECT! I plan to return to explore the rest of beautiful Costa Rica!

Frank S

I just returned from my excellent trip to Costa Rica. After warm and friendly conversations with me and me clearly stating my wants and expectations, I was furnished with a trip that infatuated and excited me. TP arranged exactly what I asked for. The drivers and guides were friendly, knowledgeable and multi-lingual. I learned from conservationists, snorkeled, kayaked, horseback road hiked, zip-lined, paddle boarded and boated down a wild and timeless river. I had a great time and always felt TP would take care of any of my personal or travel needs.

Hilary W

I cannot recommend strongly enough how wonderful it was working with Catalina. She helped make our vacation everything we hoped for and more.

Gloria L

What a journey you had prepared for us....It was really fantastic! We enjoyed the last two weeks intensely! It was well-organised down to the last detail. Costa Rica has surprised us: what a beautiful nature and friendly people.

Engelen Family

Travel Pioneers was fabulous. They had someone greet us before we even reached baggage claim and they were there to tell us where to get our baggage and greet us with gifts! The entire experience was once in a lifetime and I would highly recommend these services to everyone!!! Thank you!

Frank R

Travel Pioneers definitely lived up to my expectations. Catalina helped plan my whole trip out and she responded to every email I had asap. Everything was so organized from start to finish and if I had any questions. Thanks guys for the memories!!I Definitely recommend it!

Kiara F

Everything was exactly as we wanted. We had an amazing vacation. The activities were great, all of the tour guides were personable, everyone was appropriately safety conscious, and everyone was on time.

William L

Travel Pioneers was on top of all of our plans from the beginning with some ideas and inspirations of where to go and what properties. I would 100% recommend them with professionalism, knowledge, and delivery! Well done girls! Pura Vida

Nikki B

Suntainability

Our dedication to protecting the environment and the cultures where we work goes above and beyond the call of duty.

We cherish this land we call home and do everything possible to ensure the well-being of our people and the wholesome integrity of the environment.