"I love the first class casual, genuinely caring staff, details before during and after, knowledgeable guides, and wherever you look...you see smiles." -- Hope Sieradzki
"I love the level of detail and planning that you put into your trips. We know that everything will be thought through and all we have to do is show up and enjoy it. I also love having a person on the ground to keep everyone and everything moving. The trips feel very personal, like traveling with friends who love the same things. And the level of enthusiasm is always great. -- Colleen Bessel
"Your trips always live up to their descriptions, which themselves are detailed enough to give me a good idea of what to expect. You’re also able to adjust on the fly to take advantage of opportunities that arise, your people on the ground have always been good, and I appreciate that in addition to knowing the destination many of them are also photographers." -- Diana Ruddick
A little more about Diana Ruddick
Diana used to arrange group travel events for a big financial services company so she knows a thing or two about arranging her own tours. That said, she’s tired of all the energy and hours of research it takes. She likes that I pour in just as many hours of research that she’d do on her own and that the stuff I find is unique. She also very much appreciates that these trips are built around experiences and not just big sites.
"I love the photography tours! I like traveling with a small group of like-minded people. You can come with or without your spouse. You allow time for photographers to linger and get the shot. It’s not a forced march!" -- Caroline Maryan
"Planning, prep work, advance work with the guides, and your personal commitment to excellence are your strengths." -- Alex Dominick
“You have a meticulous attention to detail and offer experiences I would not necessarily be able to coordinate for myself."
— Karen Kirkland
A little more about Karen Kirkland
Karen is a single, female traveler from Atlanta. Sometimes she comes on these trips with friends or her sister and brother-in-law. Sometimes she comes alone. She graduated from the Rocky Mountain School of Photography so she loves that our itineraries include photo opps and enough time to work her shot.
When she’s not traveling, she likes hanging out with her family and friends -- going to movies and playing trivia at a local restaurant. When she is traveling, she’s looking for connections with the place; the one-on-one encounter with a local, the charming shop of handmade textiles she stumbled on while venturing down a side street. She likes gadgets too so, like Jan, she’s always helping others with their gear (or lack of gear). She has a solution for everything.
"Your ability to interact with all people is what I like most about your tours." — Bev Hart
“Unlike other tours, Lori always has some of her team members on the trips to assist the travelers with logistics, accommodation issues as well as photography.” – Courtney Edwards
" I love that you do such a great job of creating small, intimate groups of people who love to travel and appreciate the differences in peoples and cultures. Making new friends among my fellow travelers is an added bonus to experiencing the cultures and people of the intended destinations.." -- Kathy Sullivan
A little more about Kathy and her husband Dan
Kathy and Dan aren’t typically ones for booking group travel but they appreciate the unique experiences I can drum up thanks to my in-country contacts and the power of being in a group. They love unique accommodations and authentic cultural experiences. They didn’t really care about the photography aspect of my tours before they came on their first one but now, they’re really getting into it.
Kathy, for sure, has caught the photography “bug”. She loves all the feedback from the rest of the group and the fact that no one expects her to know what she’s doing. She’s even started selling some of her images on macro stock sites where she gets a kick out of getting those “you sold an image” emails every time something sells.
"I appreciate your attention to detail. You find the best guides and experts (photography). And I like your friendly groups." -- Hilary Thomas
"I think you are particularly good at encouraging people to develop their direction. You are also good at making strangers into friends." -- Janette Tepas
"I like that even before the trip, we are a group, and become close-knit, from the beginning to the end. The photographer or staff person is very attentive to everyone, very inclusive. I like your small groups, too. And you pick hotels that are small/local/boutique-y, I don't want to feel like I'm in an American hotel if I'm in another country."
— Jan Corradini
A little more about Jan Corradini
Jan is an avid traveler from Madison, Wisconsin, who loves traveling any way she can – with friends, family, and solo. When she’s not traveling, she’s planning more travel. When she is traveling, she loves to immerse herself in a new culture, meet new people, and enjoy different food & drink, language and experiences.
She loves taking photos, especially of wildlife. And when she’s not on our tours, she’s traveling to some other far off place in the world, her favorite places being most anywhere in Africa or SE Asia. When she is on one of my tours, she’s a rockstar of kindness. She enjoys helping people with their camera questions or sharing Lightroom tricks and she’s always quick to compliment other people’s photos and help them get better at “seeing” the scene.
"You put together small groups traveling to unique locations. You book quality upscale accommodations and include almost everything in the cost. You keep the group size to below 12." -- Wayne Simpson
A little more about Wayne and Dianne
Wayne loves photography and he’s always got the latest, greatest gear. Dianne, on the other hand, shoots everything with her phone and she doesn’t want to be bothered by all that stuff (though she’s quite good at capturing images with what she has).
Wayne picks which tours they come on and Dianne is mostly quiet until it comes time to share photos and then she whips out these amazing detail shots she’s captured along the way. These two are the perfect example of the spectrum of skill we get on our tours. Some people come with only camera phones and no skills. Others come with lots of training and big gear. No matter what, we at least try to get you in the right place at the right light so that you return home with photos better than the average tourist gets to take.
“Lori's trips are so highly organized that there is nothing left to do but enjoy every moment. Everything is taken care of, down to the last detail. So when you finally return home, you will still be smiling at the wonderful memories, and the fun you had with Focused Escapes.”
— Elizabeth Coughlan
“I like that your trips are always to interesting and photogenic places even when the focus isn't on photography.”
— Riley & Karen Caton
“Excellent tour guides and better than average accommodations.”
— Linda Wanstreet
“I like your small group sizes, attention to detail and great customer service.”
— Marsha Wassel
“Your tours are well organized and your photography knowledge is always welcome."
— Karen Williams
“I enjoy the ease of planning - all I have to do is sign up, pay a deposit and show up. I love that all the details are taken care of from meals, in country transportation, to accommodation.”
— Terry Granger
“I have not traveled with you personally Lori, but I have loved the 2 trips I did take through your organization. I loved the size of the group, the photography instruction, and the camaraderie of the group.”
— Susie Duke
“I like the special time set for picture taking (sunrise, sunset).”
— Arlene Evangelista
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"I love the level of detail and planning that you put into your trips. We know that everything will be thought through and all we have to do is show up and enjoy it. I also love having a person on the ground to keep everyone and everything moving. The trips feel very personal, like traveling with friends who love the same things. And the level of enthusiasm is always great.”
— Colleen Bessel -
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"Put your trust in Focused Escapes as they always have fantastic on-the-ground guides, packed itineraries and we do things that are outside of the normal tourist tours." -- Debi Ayres
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“Georgia was not even on my list of places to go. I am so glad I went. Definitely, had a variety of experiences. Our tour guides were excellent. Food and wine were fabulous. And the people in the group and the Georgian people were kind and embracing. I loved that one young tour guide's grandmother made Cha cha for us! A fun trip.” - Diane Hollands
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"Traveling with Focused Escapes is always wonderful. Lori and her crew take care of the 'hard parts' (lodging, transportation, food), leaving us free to make new friends, work on our photography, and relax. The accommodations are well-chosen and one of the highlights is the balance between structured activities and free time." -- Michelle Walker
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“This mystery tour is, I think, the answer to a question that has been on my mind for the last two years. That question is, What am I going to do for my next "milestone" birthday? I have done and experienced a ton of stuff in my life, so if you can come up with things I haven't experienced, you will be my hero for life!” — Bev Hart
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“The personalized tour I took my family on through Focused Escapes was the best of both worlds. Our group was small and nimble with terrific leeway in what we did and how much we veered off the regular itinerary... but at the same time, everything was done for us. As a mom, it's a dream vacation to get to go on a trip that takes all the thinking and decision-making out of the mix. I felt cared for and doted on while getting to make great memories with my family and enjoy a totally one-of-a-kind adventure.”
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"This is my first trip with Focused Escapes and I am very impressed with the organization of the trip. Great local tour guides, fantastic hotels and fabulous fellow travelers. Amanda was very accommodating and attentive to our needs." - Rita Lei
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“Our Trip to Tanzania was a trip of a lifetime. The kids are begging to go back weekly. It’s our best trip to date. The amount of work and planning Lori put into our trip was priceless. There was no real stress involved on our end except keeping healthy per COVID. Willing to book another trip with her again.” — The Dole Family
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“What a phenomenal experience! I kept thinking: I could go home today and be completely satisfied with the tour. But then the next day was even better and the day after that even better. It just kept getting better and better as we went. Everyone should do this trip at least once.”
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“Keeping groups small and allowing for personal attention is one of your strengths. Connecting with the right tour guides on site is another. I also like that you allow for flexibility/choice – another game drive or stay at camp and relax. Having the choice was great.” – Susan Gettys
