Meet the Team
We are Latin Lovers
At Contours Travel, we pride ourselves of being Latin America and South America travel specialists. We specialise in travel to Mexico, Cuba, Central America, South America, and Antarctica. This region of the world is our passion, and every single member of our team has either extensively traveled or lived and worked there. Not only do we all continue to visit regularly, but our Product Manager also resides in Argentina, ensuring unsurpassed destination knowledge.
In addition to our experience, we believe in an honest approach to planning your dream holiday, which is why we encourage you to talk to us. With our in-depth knowledge of Latin America, we love sharing the highlights and hidden gems of this extraordinary region with our clients. One of our specialists will take care of your trip from start to finish, understanding your interests, budget, and expectations and refining the itinerary until you are 100% satisfied.
Discover our Latin American expertise by meeting the team at Contours Travel!
TED DZIADKIEWICZ
Travel Specialist
We know Latin America by heart
Ted is our Managing Director and first explored South America as an overland bus driver in the mid-1970s. Since then he has been back more than 120 times over the past 40 years! Ted has travelled throughout the Caribbean and overland from the Mexican border down to the southernmost tip of Latin America. In 2015, Ted received the Lord Mayor’s Commendation award, which recognises the longevity and success of Contours Travel as a business and the valuable contribution that Ted has made to the city of Melbourne.
TED’S TRAVEL EXPERIENCE:
Ted’s experience reads like a library of Lonely Planet Guides. He knows almost every inch of every country he has visited. In South America, he travelled to Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Guyana. In Central America, he went to Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Panama and El Salvador. He also travelled extensively in Mexico and Cuba. Has been to 20 of the Caribbean islands, including Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bequia, Grenada, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, San Andres (Colombia), St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Maarten, Trinidad, St. Thomas, St. Vincent, St. Croix and Bermuda. Most recently he travelled Antarctica where his Zodiac glided into a Humpback Whale!
- My Latin American highlight is swimming in the Napo River in the Ecuadorian Amazon with my son Lucasz. Another great memory was a very close encounter with a Speckled Bear family while walking the Inca Trail. We had to stay quiet and hide so the baby bear would cross the trail!
- My advice would be: Taste the red wine! Squeeze half a lime into anything. Don’t be afraid to go off the beaten track; you’ll be sure to find something very different.
- The next destination on my list: a road trip along Chile’s Carretera Austral is scheduled for early 2024!
HEATHER POPPELIER
Travel Specialist
We know Latin America by heart
Heather started working with Contours Travel in 2007 and has travelled all over South and Central America. She speaks Spanish, makes a mean caipirinha and wishes more people would travel to Nicaragua, Colombia and Bolivia!
LATIN AMERICA TRAVEL EXPERIENCE: ANTARCTICA, ARGENTINA, BOLIVIA, BRAZIL, CHILE, COLOMBIA, COSTA RICA, CUBA, ECUADOR, GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, GUATEMALA, MEXICO, NICARAGUA, PANAMA, AND PERU
- My Latin American highlights: The Guajira Peninsula in Colombia, the northwest of Argentina, the Salt Flats in Bolivia and the Pantanal in Brazil (yes, I know that’s a lot of highlights!).
- My advice for travellers to the region: slow down, try to avoid too many flights in one trip and be open to new experiences!
- The next destination on my list: Guyana has been on my list for a very long time….and it looks like 2024 will finally be my year to make it!
INES VIVOT
Travel Specialist
We know Latin America by heart
A porteña born and bred, Ines loves all things Argentina and is a passionate advocate for travel to her country’s lesser known areas such as Ibera and Talampaya. She is responsible for the continued development of Latin America products through the website and new products. Ines has been with Contours Travel since 2010. During her weekends, she loves spending time with her family and cooking some Argentinean recipes.
Ines is now living in Argentina, which provides Contours Travel the benefit of having an Australian locally based staff member. This allows her to keep the team up to date on regional hotels and products, while also being available during the day to provide assistance to travelers!
LATIN AMERICA TRAVEL EXPERIENCE: ARGENTINA, BELIZE, CHILE, ECUADOR, GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, GUATEMALA, MEXICO, PERU, AND URUGUAY.
- My Latin America highlight: in Argentina, has to be Salta. It has one of the most beautiful people, landscapes and wines! And Guatemala for its friendly people and the stunning ruins of Tikal.
- My advice would be: Try to learn a little bit of Spanish. It will give you plenty of opportunities to have conversations with locals, and this will undoubtedly enrich your South American experience!
The next destination on my list is: A family holiday to Panama and Costa Rica early 2024.
HANNA SHILO
Travel Specialist
We know Latin America by heart
Hanna comes from fellow Latin Travel specialists, Travel Projects, which she co-owned and ran for 23 years, before closing doors in 2022. She has been creating tailor-made holidays to Latin America since 1999 and has a wealth of experience in luxury and adventure travel in particular.
LATIN AMERICA TRAVEL EXPERIENCE: ANTARCTICA, ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, BOLIVIA, CHILE, COLOMBIA, COSTA RICA, CUBA, ECUADOR, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, MEXICO, PANAMA AND PERU.
- As an outdoor and nature enthusiast I especially love the National Parks and wilderness areas of Chile and Argentina – and the colour and culture of countries like Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia.
- The next destination on my list: After finally making it to Antarctica and South Georgia at the end of 2022, I’m now planning a return trip to Costa Rica and a first time visit to Nicaragua in 2024.
ROBYN SMITH
Travel Specialist
We know Latin America by heart
Robyn comes to us from Movidas Journeys and has been working in Latin American travel since 1988. She began her Latin experience by living in Chile and exploring the continent for two years back in 1986. Returning to Australia, she gave up teaching for a career in travel, always specialising in Latin America. Over the years, Robyn has been drawn back to the continent over and over, escorting groups, attending events and just enjoying more travel experiences.
LATIN AMERICA TRAVEL EXPERIENCE: ANTARCTICA, ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, BOLIVIA, CHILE, COLOMBIA, COSTA RICA, CUBA, ECUADOR & THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, GUATEMALA, MEXICO, NICARAGUA, PANAMA, PARAGUAY, PERU AND URUGUAY.
I just can’t stop going back to enjoy the wonderful hospitality of the Latin people, the music, the food, the wine, pisco sours, mojitos, caipirinhas…
Among the many highlights are:
- Swimming with sea lions in the Galapagos, with one retrieving my flipper from a tunnel and dropping it back to me
- Communing with the penguins in Antarctica, Chile, and Argentina
- Ziplining on the side of a volcano in Nicaragua
- Learning to salsa in Cuba, after drinking mojitos
- Watching the stars in the Atacama Desert
- Patagonia – just spectacular
My advice: Don’t race through the continent, trying to fit everything in like you will only go there once. You will return! So take it slowly and soak up the culture as you go.
