Meet Our Team

Our Team

Bernhard

Bernhard, our founder, head chef and walking, talking roadmap looks back at more than twenty years in the travel industry. Learning the ropes as a tour leader and later in various management roles with large names in the travel business, Bernhard has an eye for itineraries that “work”. His experience on the road in off-the-beaten-path destinations like Albania, Montenegro or Bulgaria paired with his European heritage (born and raised in Austria) and his appreciation for history, culture and the finer things in life have made him the go-to person for everything travel-related for many loyal clients, travel agents and colleagues. Bernhard founded Custom Travel Network in 2006 to fill a void in a market saturated by over-priced, under-delivering cookie-cutter travel products.

Lana

Lana is not only Bernhard’s wife, and co-owner of Custom Travel Network, she is the brain behind making everything work. With a background in finance, Lana makes the spreadsheets add up and accounts balance. But make no mistake, she herself is an experienced traveler and acclaimed (and much-sought after) tour leader with lots of experience on the ground in Europe. Lana runs Custom Travel Network’s operations, creates amazing itineraries for our clients, and looks after the company’s day-to-day business.

Joanna

It all began with Joanna’s love for scuba diving, which inspired her to leave her native Poland and embark on a journey of discovery. Her experiences guiding underwater expeditions and meeting people from all corners of the globe ignited a deep passion for adventure, diverse cultures, and languages. This thirst for exploration led her to travel extensively, living and working in countries like France, Egypt, Thailand, Spain, the Dominican Republic, and spending over a decade in sunny California.

Now back in French countryside, Joanna has made her home in the breathtaking Dordogne region, where the echoes of prehistoric civilizations and the Middle Ages blend seamlessly with modern life.

At CTN, Joanna loves to use her extensive knowledge to craft unique and exciting itineraries for her clients. She places a strong emphasis on the personal touch, believing that meaningful connections and human relationships are what make travel—and life itself—so enriching and beautiful.

When not working, Joanna can be found hiking through the picturesque Dordogne Valley seeking out hidden gems like a new Lascaux Cave. At home, she enjoys tending to her garden, cultivating new plants, and finding peace in the beauty of nature or renovating her charming old farmhouse.

Michelle

With a little over 10 years of experience in the travel industry, Cape Town, South Africa has always been home to Michelle. Steering the ship in our remote office in Cape Town, with Table Mountain as the backdrop, Michelle loves the natural beauty and rich diversity that the Mother City has to offer.

Michelle has always had a love for travel and a passion for exploring off the beaten track! Besides being well travelled within Africa, she has had the privilege & opportunity to travel all over the world. Some of her favourite visits include New Zealand, Wales, Vietnam, the coast of Costa Brava and Indonesia. Known for having an adventurous, ‘’glass half full’’ spirit, Michelle believes there’s nothing that can’t be fixed by coffee, or a glass of South African wine!

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