The Grasshopper Crew
Meet the people that make it all happen...
Grasshopper Masters
Jason Williams
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 Platt-Hepworth
Adam 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 sales and operations. You'll often find him at one of the two Cambodia Grasshopper shops, or out on the road.
Bhutan
Tandin
Tandin was with us in Bhutan from the start, doing the original survey trip when we first looked to Bhutan for tours. Tandin has a very gentle approach to his work and great pride in his country which shines through in everything he does. Tandin is never flustered and is well loved by his customers. A great credit to his country and a great asset for Grasshopper.
Ugyen
Ugyen guided our first Grasshopper Bhutan trip and continues to guide our cycling groups over the mountains. A strong and patient cyclist Ugyen is happy to lead from the front or hang out slowly at the back. When it came time for more training we happily got Ugyen on a plane for the first time in his life and over to the very different worked of Bangkok. We think he enjoyed it!
Photography
Ewen Bell
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
Paul Wager
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
Taiwan, Philippines & India
Simon & Tot Foster
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
Hannah Backhouse
Hannah's love of traveling saw her on the road for two years exploring the world from the peaks of the Himalayas to the jungles of Sumatra. A passion for all that is active and adventurous led her to Taiwan where she is now based leading tours and exploring this adventurous island. Hannah loves the challenges that cycling offers and leads our tours in Taiwan, India and the Philippines.
Lewis Youngson
Whether sailing the North Sea or climbing some of South America's highest peaks it is Lewis' desire to see the world in a unique form that drives him. Through cycling Lewis has found the perfect balance, mixing the challenge of pedaling through a country with the opportunity to appreciate the surroundings at a slower pace. His love of Asia washed him up on Taiwan's shores, where the dramatic coastal cycling roads keep him busy. Lewis leads our tours in Taiwan, India and the Philippines.
Thailand
Natbenyarat "Nok" Noysuwan
Nok manages our Thailand operations, working out of our Bangkok shop. Luckily we have found a roll for Nok that doesn't just find her behind a desk all day everyday. Nok is a fantastic guide and still gets out on tour regularly leading the City to Shore and Floating Markets Plus tours that she developed herself. For a great day out join her for a ride:
City To Shore
Floating Markets Plus Bike
Palida "Tammy" Diwell
Tammy was one of our first guides in Thailand and is still with us energetically guiding her groups through Bangkok and throughout the country. Tammy is a ball of energy and lots of fun to spend time with. Being married to an Englishman means we sometimes lose her to the UK for a few months but she always returns smiling and eager to ride. But it also means that she has excellent English that is easy to understand.
Damri "Seen" Suwamin
Seen is one of our long serving guides who always get raves reviews. Fairly quietly spoken Seen has been described in his feedbacks as 'charming' and a 'gentleman'. He has travelled widely and his in-depth knowledge of his country makes him a pleasure to cycle with. Outside of his time cycling with us Seen is also a graphic designer (see our cool brochure) and plays in a band (guitar and vocals). Quite an all round individual!
Jitsupa "Goong" Saelee
You might tell from the photo that Goong isn't a guide. Instead she spends her days counting money, doing the banking and keying in lots of numbers into the computer. Yes, she's our accountant and makes our lives all that much easier by handling this side of our Bangkok office. Goong is the only person who has seen our office's resident ghost. The collection of Buddha images around her desk protect her from any more scares.
Kritsada "Tik" Klinhom
One of our lead guides in Thailand, Tik's first interest in biking came with his collecting of vintage bicycles. Now we've got him all modernised, riding a mountain biking and wearing lycra. Tik guides on our Bangkok day tours as well as our longer tours throughout the country. Tik loves food and colour. He will surely feed you well if you travel with him. Having worked in a surprisingly large range of jobs throughout Thailand gives Tik a great perspective on life and Thailand.
Vongpan "Luck" Kijbumrungsas
Luck is our Miss Organised. She looks after the Thailand bookings for all our various trips so as you fall off to sleep after a great day of riding you can thank Luck for booking the hotel for you. And while she doesn't do any cycling with Grasshopper we couldn't run our tours without Luck there in the office making sure everything is running smoothly. Luck is another of our office "laugher's". She has been know to lose control in outbursts of laughter.
Sarawut "Woody" Theerakamchai
Woody loves bikes and loves to ride. When he's not guiding groups in Bangkok and throughout Thailand he seems to spend a lot of time in our workshop fiddling around with parts and pulling things apart (and hopefully putting them back together again). Woody has great knowledge about the country and is amazing at bird spotting knowing the English, Thai and sometime latin names of what he sees. A ride with Woody is a ride of discovery.
Pornpawee "Tann" Chanaphai
Tann is probably the most experienced guide in our Thai team with many years of guiding and tour organising behind her. Now guiding for Grasshopper in Bangkok Tann is entertaining and fun to ride with. Her knowledge and understanding of Buddhism which comes from her personal practise of the religion gives a great insight into the culture of Thailand. Oh, and she plays golf, just in case you needed to know where the best courses are.
Laddawan "Anna" Yingchuen
Anna joined us after many years guiding on boats around the canals of Bangkok. Now on dry land Anna guides groups on our Bangkok day tours along the trails that run alongside the canals that she knows so well. In the office Anna is known for always laughing, no matter what is happening. It's a very positive attitude that rubs off on everyone. She is charming to the point of getting her own way when she needs it, even managing one time to get her bike on a Bangkok public bus (which is generally forbidden).
