Travel Should Change How You See the World
[ AND YOUR PLACE IN IT ]
A Great Trip Makes You Uncomfortable
But not in the bad hotel way. Not in the I just had mediocre cacio e pepe at a tourist restaurant way. Instead, it should be the I can’t believe this exists way or the This changes how I’ll live my life way.
We created Boutique Explorer to make those moments possible. It’s hard to notice deeply when you’re juggling logistics, battling crowds, or constantly planning your next move. DIY trips are too often a collection of unvetted spots you saw on the internet. You arrive and feel like an outsider looking in, not part of it.
Our travelers are the type who want to immerse themselves in a place, its culture, and its people. They want the space and time to truly notice. If that’s you, send us a note.
You take the trip. Be present.
Leave the planning to us.
- Los Angeles
- Time unavailable
- Chicago
- Time unavailable
- New York
- Time unavailable
- Buenos Aires
- Time unavailable
- London
- Time unavailable
- Barcelona
- Time unavailable
- Marrakech
- Time unavailable
- Nairobi
- Time unavailable
- Dubai
- Time unavailable
- Singapore
- Time unavailable
- Tokyo
- Time unavailable
- Sydney
- Time unavailable
Someone Repositions Your Slippers 12 Times a Day.
Yet you never see them do it.
Every time you step out of your slippers at a ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn), staff discreetly turn them. You leave for the onsen and when you return, your slippers are ready, facing inward. You go to dinner and when you are leaving the dining room, your slippers are ready, facing outward.
Over a decade of planning immersive trips in Japan taught us that hospitality is anticipation. The water appears before you realize you’re thirsty. The umbrella waits by the door on the one afternoon it might rain. It’s what happens when you combine meticulous preparation with genuine care. It’s how we’ve operated in Japan for over a decade, and continue to bring that same precision everywhere we work.
This means your driver knows your flight landed early. Your guide studied your interests and adjusted the route. The details align so perfectly you stop noticing them and start noticing everything else. The light. The sounds. The moment you’re actually in.
Boutique Explorer grew out of Boutique Japan. Our clients time and time again, after their trip, asked us to take our craft beyond Japan, and offer trips that maintain our same standard of service globally.
Same discipline. More destinations. We’re still committed to dotting our i’s, crossing our t’s, and flipping your slippers*, but now we do it all over the world.
*you’re probably only getting your slippers flipped in Japan.
Our Team
Andres Zuleta
Founder
Recognized as a top travel specialist by Condé Nast Traveler, Andres has spent years living in Japan and enjoyed long-term stays in locations including Medellín, Oaxaca, Chiang Mai, Havana, and Lisbon. Favorite destinations include Mexico, Japan, Australia, India, Vietnam, Colombia, Portugal, and the Galápagos Islands.
Memorable Adventures
- Winding through the Andes in Colombia and Ecuador, and snorkeling with penguins in Galapagos.
- The inimitable atmosphere of Varanasi, and breathtakingly majestic trip atop Himalayan mountain roads to Ladakh in northern India.
- Road trips in Hokkaido and Shikoku, with impromptu stops to swim in lakes and pristine waterfalls along the way.
- Mouthwatering market tacos in Tijuana, margaritas overlooking the ocean in Ensenada, and wine pairings surrounded by the beautiful scenery of Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe.
Roni Sivan
Lead Trip Designer
Recognized as a top travel specialist by Condé Nast Traveler, Roni lives for travel and loves helping adventurous people bring creative trip ideas to life. With extensive experience traveling through over 40 countries across 5 continents, favorite destinations include Italy, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Argentina, and Iceland.
Memorable Adventures
- Indulging in high tea overlooking the misty hills of Sri Lanka's tea country.
- Forever exploring regions throughout Italy, from Piedmont in the north to Puglia in the south.
- Awing at the wildebeest migration and other incredible wildlife up-close on safari in Tanzania.
- Road-tripping around Iceland taking in majestic sights under the midnight sun and soaking in geothermal pools along the way.
Vanessa Miller
Operations Specialist
Vanessa has called both Japan and Singapore home and has been lucky to have adventures throughout Asia, the Americas, and Europe. She lives for immersing in all forms of beauty in every new place she visits. She loves diving into details and has helped facilitate amazing and unique experiences for travelers since 2017.
Memorable Adventures
- A self-drive adventure through the remote forested inland areas of Honshu, Japan, hot spring hopping along the way.
- A New Year’s Eve spent in the hills of southern Bali, 360 degrees of fireworks dazzling the horizon.
- Exploring terraces of waterfalls in a remote area of Peru, while spotting rare species of brightly-colored frogs and butterflies.
- A lively dinner at a goat shepherd’s cottage atop one of Crete’s tallest mountains, accompanied by traditional Greek folk musicians.
Natalie Watenpaugh
Sales Assistant
Since studying abroad during her senior year of university on Semester at Sea, travel has been Natalie’s passion, and led her to circumnavigate the world twice by age 25. Her favorite destinations include Japan, Cambodia, Iceland, Nepal, and Thailand.
Memorable Adventures
- Traveling via camper van throughout Iceland in the quiet shoulder season of October, waking up next to majestic waterfalls with no one around.
- Watching the alpenglow on Mount Everest from Kala Patthar and witnessing the pure quiet and beauty of this remote part of the world.
- Traveling through Thailand via motorbike, occasionally getting lost with forced pit stops for coffee during monsoon downpours.
- Experiencing the pristine and calm waters of the Indian Ocean while in Mauritius, where the mountainous topography and peaceful ocean make for a beautiful contrast.
Julie Begley
Accounting Specialist
Julie has had a taste for travel for over twenty years, when her first international adventures were in Cameroon and Kenya. Since then she's rooted down in Donegal, Ireland and is passing down the love of travel to her three children.
Memorable Adventures
- Sand surfing just after sunrise in the Sahara Desert
- Witnessing Swahili wedding traditions in Mombasa, Kenya
- Motorcycling through hairpin roads and breathing the unspoiled beauty of Vietnam
