About Us
Meet the Team
Hi, I am Leah! I am originally from Northern California, where I grew up with a deep connection and respect for nature. When I was a teenager, I was completely enamored by a group of Brazilians I met during a study abroad year in Finland, and I ended up moving to Rio at the age of 17. This initial spark led me to make Brazil my home for much of the past decade, interwoven with studies at UC Berkeley where I earned a degree in Sociology. For the last four years, I've worked as a Trip Leader for Backroads travel, guiding biking and hiking trips all over the U.S., Portugal, and Peru. It is one of my greatest passions to share the beauty that this world has to offer and to help facilitate these experiences in a special and memorable way for travelers. My true dream, however, has always been to share the magic of Brazil that has deeply impacted me personally and make it more accessible to foreigners. I am NOT a traditional "guide" on these trip! I am more of a cultural liaison, translator, and trip coordinator, here to serve as a bridge between the U.S. and Brazil.
Victor, born in the capital city of Brasília and now living in Cavalcante, became a certified Chapada dos Veadeiros guide in 2018 and is one of the founders of the tourism operator Sertão Veadeiros. While he works throughout all municipalities in the region, most of his activities are centered in his home city. Over the years, he has specialized in expedition-style tours in the northern part of Chapada, particularly in partnership with Quilombola communities and in areas newly opened to visitors. His work focuses on combining ecotourism with community-based tourism. He takes tourists to experience not only some of the most scenically beautiful and pristinely preserved natural areas but also to interact with notable representatives of local culture in the most untouched regions.
Maurício is a native of the Kalunga quilombola community in Vão do Moleque, located in the city of Cavalcante in the far north of Chapada dos Veadeiros, Goiás state. An ecotourism guide since 2020 and owner of the Beiju de Ouro guesthouse, he works exclusively within the Kalunga communities and is an expert in local cultural knowledge. He's one of those people with an easy smile and a spiritual connection to his homeland. He possesses deep knowledge of the Cerrado biome and the ancestral practices of his people, passed down through generations who have inhabited the region for about 300 years. On his land, rich in all possible natural resources, he cultivates various food products and is blessed with numerous native animal and plant species. All this abundance supplies both him and his guests at his accomodation!
This is our third Brazilian guide, Anaís! Although she was born in Ilhabela, on the coast of São Paulo state, she has lived in Chapada dos Veadeiros with her family since she was a child. Between comings and goings in the region, she graduated as a Geographer from the University of Brasília in 2011, has worked as an Ecotourism guide for ICMBio since 2019, and soon after complemented her tourism education as a National and South American Guide in 2022. Her experience with outdoor work has always motivated her to take numerous specialization courses, focusing mainly on nature tourism observation and environmental conservation. Anaís is passionate about providing people who visit with a fun, welcoming experience in Chapada while also sharing in depth her incredible knowledge of the park itself.
