Meet the team
Who travels with us?
Anyone with a sense of adventure and a passion for discovery. Whether you’re a first-time traveller looking for an introduction to the world or a seasoned explorer looking for your latest adventure, Real Travelling has an experience for you. We specialise in shorter travel experiences for young travellers - anything from 4 days to 6 weeks. We believe that you don’t need to take a year out to experience the world. A life-changing travel adventure can easily fit into a summer break or a work holiday allowance. The world is out there – all you have to do is pick a place and start exploring. So, if you’re looking for an escape from your routine and crave unique experiences in exotic destinations around the world, look no further. Join us!
Who are we?
Real Travelling is a part of the Gap 360 Ltd group of travel brands. We’ve been around since 2012 and since then over 30,000 young travellers have joined us on trips around the globe. We have a wealth of travel experience and between us we’ve been to every destination we offer. You can count on us to help you plan and operate your trip.
We all work in an open-plan office in Tunbridge Wells. We’re centrally located above a Pret a Manger (perfect for mid-morning coffees and lunchtime snacks!). We love having visitors, so please do drop in to see us and we can discuss your trip in person.
The Real Travelling Team
Everyone in our team has been travelling. We encourage them all to go away every year too, so they stay up-to-date with what’s going on in the world.
The Travel Advisors
(they help you plan and book your trip)
Becca Moulton
Travel Advisor
Becca is a serial traveller. Fresh out of school she went to South East Asia and then on to Australia selling electricity door-to-door. Back in the UK she worked for STA Travel creating round the world itineraries. Then she was off again, this time to work in New Zealand then onto Thailand. Next she worked as a tour guide in The Philippines and Japan, but then Covid hit so she moved to Bali. Now back home trying to be an adult she is loving sending her customers off on their travels.
Favourite Destinations
Nepal: mountains, the culture, the FOOD!!!Philippines: beautiful beaches & loveliest locals
New Zealand: I could have lived there forever!
Max Bevacqua
Travel Advisor
A four month trip through SE Asia led Max to find his job at Gap 360. He travelled around Thailand, including the islands and the north, then went on to discover Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. As these are among our most popular destinations, Max is well qualified to advise customers about the best places to go and what to do once there. He loves chatting to people about his big trip, and helping them to book their own adventures.
Favourite Destinations
Indonesia: The food, beaches, great weather and cultureItaly: Variety of architecture, stunning scenery & great pasta
Morocco: Big Rocky landscapes and interesting culture
Tess Smith
Travel Advisor
Tess has recently returned from a backpacking trip in Costa Rica. Prior to that she spent several months working in tourism in the Cape Verde Islands. She now wants to share her love of travel with others and help them plan their trips. Her next adventure will be to Thailand and Bali this summer. After that... who knows... there is a whole world out there waiting for her.
Favourite Destinations
Costa Rica: incredible wildlife and beautiful sunsets!Cape Verde: island hopping the unexplored archipelagos
Italy: the best food and amazing history
Emma Warwicker
Travel Advisor
Emma has been to 20 incredible countries across the world. Her greatest travel moments to date are in Kruger National Park in South Africa, witnessing a herd of elephants in their natural habitat and exploring the Lost City of Petra in Jordan. Next on her list is a road trip across the USA or hiring a campervan and travelling around New Zealand. She loves planning travel adventures, so give her a call and she can help you organise your trip.
Favourite Destinations
Thailand: The beautiful beaches, parties and excellent foodJordan: The lost city of Petra and sailing through the red sea
South Africa: seeing the big 5 on a wildlife safari
The Operations Team
(they make sure your trip is properly sorted and support you after booking)
Katie Penberthy
Product & Operations Manager
Katie is an International Development graduate who has spent her gap year living in Vietnam and teaching English. She loved Vietnam so much she can't stop going back! She has travelled through most of Asia as well as visiting Africa, the Americas and Australasia. Her best bits were driving a campervan up the East Coast of Australia and swimming in the Ganges in India. Katie looks after Gap 360 Product and Operations.
Favourite Destinations
Israel: The Old City of JerusalemVietnam: The food
Myanmar: Beautiful scenery
Katie Green
Assistant Operations Manager
Katie has been to 40+ countries across 6 out of 7 continents (she's not made it to Antarctica…yet…!). Her favourite travel experience? Hard to choose between the Lares Trek in Peru, seeing the Salt Flats in Bolivia, going on safari in the Serengeti, and sky diving in New Zealand. One thing's for sure she's excellent at ensuring all your trips run to absolute perfection!
Favourite Destinations
Jordan: Love PetraNew Zealand: Great adventure activities like skydiving
Cambodia: The friendly people and amazing Angor Wat
Elisha Bass
Travel Coordinator
Elisha spent six months on the Monterey Coast studying marine life at Cal State University. After a road trip on the west coast she headed off to volunteer with great white sharks. Surviving this she carried on travelling along the Garden Route and after a safari, ended up in Cape Town. Other trips include scuba diving in the Maldives and several trips to the Caribbean, including Tobago where she witnessed a turtle giving birth on the beach.
Favourite Destinations
South Africa: its amazing wildlifeJamaica: its lovely beaches
Maldives: for its underwater world
Ria Wilkin
Travel Coordinator
After working a season in Magaluf, Spain, Ria went to volunteer in Thailand, helping to build a jungle house and looking after elephants. Then she was off to Melbourne to work in various jobs, including selling tickets at a drive-in movie theatre and food truck catering at rodeo shows. When her visa ran out, Ria flew to Bali, and spent several weeks relaxing on the beach until, guess what... you got it... covid sent her home.
Favourite Destinations
Melbourne: street art and dumplingsKoh Phangan: beach parties
Las Vegas: for its craziness
Aimee Frost
Travel Coordinator
Aimee embarked on a massive trip around the world for five years. Starting in Lisbon with a job in a hostel, she went on to work on sustainable farms throughout Portugal. and then travelled through Europe to Croatia. Having met so many Australians in Europe she decided to head downunder to Melbourne where she worked in hospitality. A trip to India and Bali followed but then covid forced her back to the UK, where she found her home at Gap 360!
Favourite Destinations
Lisbon: art and cultureMorocco: stunning landscape
India: incredible architecture and food
Rebecca McGawley
Content & Copywriter
Bex started her travels early when her family moved to Rio de Janeiro when she was 5. Since then, she's had the travel bug big time. She graduated in English from Birmingham University, then took a gap year (which she still says was the best year of her life). The only thing she loves almost as much as travel, is writing, so she can't believe her luck that she managed to find a job that combines both.
Favourite Destinations
Thailand: Hill trekking the north & island-hopping in the southCambodia: Angkor Wat at Sunrise
Laos: Taking the slow boat down the Mekong River
The Flights Team
(they help you get the best flight deals)
Maddison Cook
Flight Coordinator
As former Virgin cabin crew Maddison has flown a lot! She's been to Antigua, Miami, Orlando, LA, San Francisco, Johannesburg, Hong Kong, New York, Mumbai and Dubai. Now that she is ground-based she loves talking to customers and helping them to plan their dream trips and book their flights.
Favourite Destinations
Antigua: lovely people and beachesSouth Africa: wildlife and the wine!
Las Vegas: it's Disney for grownups
Anna Proctor
Flight Coordinator
Anna has 15+ years experience in the travel industry and has travelled to over 60 countries, covering every inhabited continent (Antarctica is still on the ‘to do’ list). Now with two young children the destinations are a little closer to home, but the travel bug lives on!
Favourite Destinations
Belize: swimming with manatees an all time travelling highlightSri Lanka: amazing food, people, trekking and beaches
San Blas Islands: beautiful remote islands
Chloe Wild
Flight Coordinator
Chloe has worked in the industry for 20+ years, she has a wealth of knowledge to share and loves to plan exciting adventures and dream trips. Having spent lots if time travelling around the world and living in New Zealand, she has lots to share with new travellers. She has been to Canada, West Coast USA, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Nepal, Croatia, Spain and Kenya. Now she has three children, she is looking forward to taking her family on some exciting adventures soon.
Favourite Destinations
Nepal: Scenery and trekkingNew Zealand: My second home!
Kenya: Kenya - Safari and beach villas
The Marketing Team
(they spread the good word about Real Travelling so more of you can find us!)
Chris
Product Marketing Manager
Chris has travelled to 6 continents and has a huge passion for travel. Looking after the marketing, he works with our partners and suppliers to promote Gap 360 trips in the best way possible. Named after the patron saint of travellers, you know you are in good hands with him!
Favourite Destinations
Belgium: The frites, beer, waffles and chocolateAustralia: Kayaking the coast & rock climbing in the outback
USA: Road tripping the mountains, lakes and forests
Emily Wickens
Digital Marketing Coordinator
Emily is our digital whizz, all those photos, videos and that insta post, yup all her. From brochures to total site takeovers she'll have had a hand in it. She looks after our social accounts and hopefully you'll be seeing her soon in-country doing some live stories and reports once things get back to a bit of normality!
Favourite Destinations
New York: Rockefeller Observation DeckJordan: The Lost City of Petra
Greece: Little Venice, Mykonos
Michael Caller
Marketing
Mike is a numbers man, responsible for ensuring our data is spick and span. He creates complex reports that we struggle to understand, manages our advertising account and is a general facts and figures juggler (he got 90% average in his Masters Degree!) = brain box! 🤯 He's new to the travel malarky, we wonder what his stats and figures would suggest best introduction trip for him? Silicon Valley?
Favourite Destinations
USA: Top of listNew Zealand: Looking to go
China: Once a seasoned traveller
The IT Team
(they make sure the website runs like a dream)
Alex Dovey Roche
Senior Web Developer
After graduating University, Alex spent his gap year touring every inch of New Zealand and the east coast of Australia in a tiny campervan with his girlfriend (now wife). Alex has been to 18 different countries with the highlights being Canada, Denmark, Netherlands and Iceland. He's also a huge motorsports fan, combining racing with trips to Belgium and Austria to watch the races.
Favourite Destinations
Iceland: Chasing the northern lightsNew Zealand: Tubing in the underwater caves
Norway: Just anywhere near the Fjords
Nick Corden
Web Developer
This is the second time Nick has worked for Gap 360. In 2016 Nick was employed as an IT assistant, quickly moving up the ranks to a well respected web developer. His endless hours staring at pictures of amazing places got his own travel goals racing and in 2019 he packed a suitcase and moved to Australia! Possibly one of the only good things to come from covid = Nick came back, and we love having him back!
Favourite Destinations
Whitsunday Islands: Sun, Sea and Snorkelling!Lake Garda: Quaint Italian towns and strange new cocktails.
Queenstown: Lakes, Mountains and Bungee Jumping!
The Finance Team
(they collect your dosh and make payments for your trip)
Lucy Bepey
Finance Manager
Lucy has worked with the directors since year 2000. She is a brainbox with numbers and runs all the company accounts and does the complicated maths bits that no one else can really understand! An avid paddle boarder she's even been spotted out on the icy rivers dressed as Santa for Christmas charity runs - go Luce!
Favourite Destinations
Sardinia: wine, beaches, paddleboardingArdeche Valley in France: white water canoeing
Scotland: driving across Cairngorns
Catherine Thorp
Financial Assistant
Catherine has worked in the travel industry for over 20 years. Her employment has taken her to Jordan, Moscow and South Africa, but Southeast Asia remains her favourite part of the world. She loves the hustle and bustle, the people, the noise, the food and the smells. She is looking forward to introducing her kids to the excellent world of travel in the coming years!
Favourite Destinations
New York: an iconic city that you can visit again and againCambodia: temples, beautiful beaches, & crazy bamboo trains!
Macchu Pichu: trekking the Inca Trail arriving for sunrise
The Big Bosses
(they focus on looking important and overseeing Real Travelling)
Jane Mclellan
Operations and Sales Director
Jane has taken multiple gap trips and written about her experiences. She has worked in the gap travel industry since 2003. She has visited just about all the destinations where we offer trips and knows the people that run the projects, tours and accommodations personally. Jane is responsible for making sure that all the little details of your trip are taken care of and that the information you are provided with is correct.
Favourite Destinations
Bolivia: 4WD 3 day adventure around the Salt FlatsAustralia: Camping Adventure in the outback
South Africa: Safari's in Kruger National Park
James Jeremy
Technical Director
James runs the office systems, websites, marketing team, and does everything technical. He is a whiz at getting things to work and even cabled the entire Gap 360 office. He has travelled to many places including Asia, Africa, America, Australia, etc, and has 20+ years experience in gap travel!
Favourite Destinations
Cambodia: Dirt bike riding amidst templesThailand: Riding around the islands
Wales: Best dirt biking anywhere 🙂
David Stitt
Managing Director
David founded a company which grew to become the UK's largest gap year provider. He sold the company in 2008 and started a new career in playing golf, doing the school runs and food shopping. Now David does the sort of things MD's do. (we don't really know what it is, but he is good at it).
Favourite Destinations
USA: Living the dream in USASouth Africa: Amazing roads and great wine
Caribbean: Great to go there in UK winter