The Grasshopper Crew
Meet the people that make it all happen...
Jason - Grasshopper Master...
Company founder Jason Williams has a long association with cycling having fallen off his first bike at age 4. It wasn't until after university that Jason finally managed to leave his homeland of Australia to explore the world on two wheels. He has since ridden tens of thousands of kilometres, mostly in Asia, the place he now calls home.
Fed up with the same same of tourism Jason started Grasshopper Adventures in 2004 to be able to run the tours that he wanted to operate. Little did he know that starting a tour company would take over his life and see him having to balance being office bound and out leading tours. Jason now manages all the tours in his home Thailand and other special projects.
Adam - From banking to bicycle...
Adam Platt-Hepworth first started as a customer of Grasshopper but it soon become apparent that Adam was concentrating more on his next biking trip rather than his banking job. So he threw in the cushy lifestyle in Melbourne, sold his car and moved over to Asia with his bike to be in a place that suits him much better than a bank.
Adam now lives in Cambodia and manages our Asia operations. You'll often find him at one of the two Cambodia Grasshopper shops, or out on the road.
Ewen - Photographer Man...
Photographer Ewen Bell is addicted to travel. Anyone who receives emails from him will notice that they come from all over the world - one week Greece, the next Japan. Sometimes he even manages to go home to Melbourne, Australia to repack.
Ewen is the backbone of our Photography Tours having developed the concept for Grasshopper and filling the instructor role on many of our tours in this range. A widely published photographer and writer, Ewen has also worked in a wide range of jobs in the tourism industry so he brings a wealth of knowledge to our tours. In 2007 Ewen was awarded the Australian Travel Photographer of the Year title by the Australian Travel Writers Association. Ewen is also the Editor at Large for Digital Photography Magazine (Australia).
China Photography Tour | 14 day Photo Tour in China
Checkout Ewen's website
Nok - Jack of all trades...
Nok, a native of Thailand, manages our Thailand operations, working out of our Bangkok shop. Nok has also travelled extensively internationally and used to escort Thai groups to Australia. Luckily we have found a roll for Nok that doesn't just find her behind a desk. Nok is a fantastic guide and still gets out on a Bangkok tour once a week or so as well as regularly leading the City to Shore and Floating Markets Plus tours that she developed herself. If you want to make her really happy bring along a sample of your country's sweets - you'll have a friend for life!
City To Shore | 1 day bike tour in Bangkok, Thailand
Floating Markets Plus | 1 day bike tour in Bangkok, Thailand
Simon and Tot - Taiwan and beyond...
Simon Foster first started tour leading in the Middle East in 1997 and has subsequently led groups in India and China. He is also a travel writer for the Rough Guide and Frommer's and has just completed his first solo guidebook to China. He has lived in China for two years, Taiwan for three. When he's not leading tours he writes for local travel magazines which allows him the excuse he needs to search out every last nook of his various homes. Simon first met Tot whilst they were both tour leading in India and subsequently they have worked together on tours and guidebooks in Asia, Europe and Australia. They divide their time between Taiwan and India and when they're not leading tours, guidebook work allows them just the excuse they need to search out new destinations for tours.
Simon's China Guidebook
The Other China | 15 day Adventure Travel Tour in Taiwan
Paul - Photographer Extraordinaire...
Paul was born in England but grew up in Queensland, Australia. A keen photographer at 16, he turned professional at 26. Paul worked for 'News Limited Australia' publications including the 'Australian' and the 'Courier Mail'. Paul left Australia and settled in Laos in 2004 and has been photographing for magazines including UK 'Geographical' and 'Asian Geographic'. Paul received world wide recognition in the highly prestigious 'Prix De La Photographie' with first prize for 'Portraiture', 'Family Portraiture' and 'Nature Earth' - all in one year!
Paul makes his home in the beautiful town of Luang Prabang in Laos and leads photography tours for Grasshopper throughout the region. If you find yourself in Luang Prabang be sure to drop by his gallery located at Joy's Restaurant to see his work.
Northern Laos Photography Tour | 14 day Photo Tour in Laos
See some of Paul's award winning photographs
