On the Road Travel

Travel Advice &
Recommendations
from Local Experts

Meet the OTR Team

Jen Hamilton

OTR Travel was founded by Jen Hamilton, a native of Ottawa, Canada. Jen has been passionate about travel since she first explored and lived in Europe as a teenager. Since then, Jen has lived abroad on several occasions and taken every opportunity to explore the world with her longtime travel companion and husband, Seth. The vision for a trusted, unique, and up-to-date independent traveler's resource has been long in the making, but came to fruition while Jen earned her MBA at INSEAD in France and Singapore. You can check out her blog at www.ontheroadtravel.blogs.com.

Contact Jen

Jen's Journey

Favourite Destination:	Rio de Janeiro or my Family’s cottage on the Rideau Lake
Favourite Read while on the Road:	The Power of One, Bryce Courtenay
Favourite Quote:	One's destination is never a place but rather a new way of seeing things. –- Henry Miller

Veronica Montero

Veronica is our Director of Product and Technology. She has spent her professional career doing technology consulting and product management and was introduced to the wonders of travel while exploring her native Peru with her family as a child. From walking on the Great Wall of China and wandering through Paris’ cafés, to camping in the Okavango Delta and biking through the ruins of Bagan, to hiking in the Peruvian Amazon jungle and riding the train across Canada, Veronica never tires of discovering new adventures at every turn. Contact Veronica

Veronica's Journey

Favourite Destination:	Zanzibar
Favourite Read while on the Road:	The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
Favourite Quote:	A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. -- Lao Tzu

Lee Weingast

For the past four years, Lee Weingast, our Brazil Editor, has made her home in Brazil while exploring, dancing, tasting, observing and absorbing the country's vibrant culture. A native New Yorker, she has also lived and travelled in Italy, Thailand and California. Lee is an M.A. in Bilingual Education as well as a certified regional and eco-tour guide in Rio de Janeiro. Her passion for discovering unusual gems throughout Brazil – the most magical places, tasty local restaurants and lively music – has earned her a reputation for having her finger on the pulse of the cultural scene. She can often be spotted pedaling her bike around Rio, where she lives and teaches English to her Carioca students. Contact Lee

Lee's Journey

Favourite Destination:	Thailand
Favourite Read while on the Road:	Like Water for Chocolate, in a hammock in the Yucatan jungle.
Favourite Quote:	When one door closes, others open. -- Anonymous

Yvonne Faass

Yvonne Faass is our editor in Guatemala. Half German, half Guatemalan and born in Belgium, she has lived in over 7 countries but Guatemala remains one of her favorites. She is a volunteer coordinator in Antigua and also a photographer, which together with OTR allows her to spend time doing what she enjoys most: traveling. Contact Yvonne

Yvonne's Journey

Favourite Destination:	Spain and Guatemala
Favourite Read while on the Road:	One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez; Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse; Skinny Legs and All, Tom Robbins
Favourite Quote:	Not all who wander are lost. -- J.R.R. Tolkien

Andrea Tello

Hiking, camping and exploring were always part of Andrea's life as a child in Peru. The magic of sharing beautiful places with beautiful people encouraged her to do the Inca trail in Cusco, go whale-watching in the south of Argentina, cross the US by train, drive along the Cote d'Azur and get lost in the Alps' forests. Andrea has lived in Buenos Aires, San Francisco and Lima, and today she lives with her husband in the Sacred Valley, Cusco - a place with a unique energy and wonderful hidden spots. Contact Andrea

Andrea's Journey

Favourite Destination:	Whale watching in Patagonia, Paris and the Sacred Valley
Favourite Read while on the Road:	Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez; Phantoms in the Brain, VS Ramachadran
Favourite Quote:	Within your heart keep one still, secret spot where dreams may go. –- L. Driscoll

Lucy Cousins

Australian-born Lucy Cousins' first experience with travelling began when she ran away from home aged 18 months – crawling across the road to the neighbour's house. Since then she hasn't stopped. In the last 28 years she has visited over 30 countries and is most at home whilst in transit. She has lived in Melbourne, London and La Paz, and spent nine months travelling around South America testing street food. Two years ago she moved to Buenos Aires to set up an English Newspaper, and now works for a non-profit traveller's club editing their magazine. Lucy is our editor in Argentina. Contact Lucy

Lucy's Journey

Favourite Destination:	Any Australian beach, the Avignon food market (France), and The Argentine Lakes District
Favourite Read while on the Road:	Shantaram, Gregory David Roberts
Favourite Quote:	Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans