About BOA Overland
BOA Asia is a jointly managed Australian / Nepali adventure travel company with a wealth of experience in overland adventure travel in Asia and beyond.
We know that the best people to properly show you a destination are the people who actually live there. This is what makes our trips really special, our local partners, tour leaders and guides who are not only travel experts with years of experience but the source of a true insight into their countries, cultures, religions and day-to-day lives.
Meet the Team
Ben Grayling
Managing Director
Ben Grayling
An Adelaide boy who had spent all of his working life in the Australian outback, as a stockman and a road train driver, carting cattle and minerals, (a road train is a very… very long truck), Ben realised he had the potential to be an overland driver/leader when he joined a trip from Nairobi to Cape Town as a passenger. He could drive a truck, had a bit of common sense and on this particular trip, spent a lot of time, as a passenger, under the truck.
Ben launched Best of Asia Overland in 2008 with an exploratory trip in Nepal. His previous seven years experience with Dragoman, the highly successful British based overland company, took him to over eighty countries in Africa, The America's, Asia and the Middle East but time after time he ended up working back in Nepal and the Indian Subcontinent. Even when he was not working, he returned again and again to Asia and his beloved Nepal and the mountains of the Himalayas.
Ben's working life on the road has given him vast experience and knowledge, as well as an insatiable passion for travel and for sharing this with fellow travellers.
BOA's customised vehicles are now running in the Subcontinent and Tibet, and Ben's passion for leading, exploring and developing new and un-trodden paths and routes is as strong as ever.
Leslie Carvell
Director
After training in Hotel and Catering Management and having interned at the Sydney Opera House, Leslie started her own independent travelling career, which in those days inevitably lead to her becoming a passenger on first an Asian, then an African Overland trip before working as an overland driver for the same company.
Having exhausted Africa, Asia, South America and the Middle East she managed the operations office Dragoman in the UK for 4 ½ years and juggled operations on all those continents for countless trucks and passengers . Finding UK winters long and dark, she jumped at the offer of a job with Nile River Explorers, an adventure activities company in Jinja, Uganda.
Having previously worked with Leslie at Dragoman, Ben was thrilled at the opportunity to have her join the BOA team when some 15 years and very itchy feet later, Leslie was looking to restore her wanderlust life. Her vision, communication and media experience and calm logistic skills have integrated BOA’s many activities and affiliates and added a smooth professionalism that has helped make us a unique travel experience.
These, and her other countless talents make her an exceptionally valuable asset to the BOA team and you can be sure that the seamless tourist experience you can find at BOA has her “behind the scenes” stamp on it somewhere .
Rural Heritage
Our Nepali Partner
With a select number of stylish, elegant accommodations and their own in-house travel company the services offered by Rural heritage are extensive. The exceptional standard given to clients has been a benchmark since the company’s incorporation in 2001 with their roots dating back to 1980. Preserving Nepal’s rich, cultural heritage and ensuring that tourism has a positive impact on the lives of the local people lies at heart of everything that Rural Heritage does.
RURAL HERITAGE engine room:
Niraj: Founder / Team leader
Being a people person by nature and his deep-rooted fascination with travel drew him to travel industry nearly 2.5 decade ago. Having been through the thick and thin of it all and having firmly established himself as one of the movers & shakers of tourism fraternity in Nepal, he ensures unwavering direction and that Rural Heritage is there to give the very best - be it service / product/ delivery.
Abhi: Chief Operating Officer
Born and brought up in the oldest part of Kathmandu which at the formative years of tourism in Nepal was the hot-bed of hippies and back-packers. Alternative forms of music brought in by travelers staying and frequenting his neighborhood and shared interests in spirituality and the nature brought him closer to those travelers. His perspective in life took a big turn when he went on his first trek. Having had dabbled with diverse professions, he finally found his footing in tourism. 12 years since - from leading tours & treks in the region, Nepal, Bhutan, India, Tibet, to developing products and operating trips, he has come a long way to now live and breathe tourism. He’s the one who keeps the wheels of RURAL HERITAGE rolling.
Sea & Sky Travel (India) Pvt. Ltd.
Our Indian Partner
Established in the year 1974 as a small adventure travel agency, Sea & Sky Travel has grown into a major adventure and leisure tour operator with infrastructure for complete travel services having full operational office in Delhi and Srinagar (J&K)
The company owns a fleet of tourist transport and is fully equipped to cater to every type of adventure tourism including Trekking, Mountaineering, White water Rafting, Sailing, Camel, Horse and Wildlife Safaris.
The company is also backed by a network of offices and local representatives across the country with a team of professionals having considerable experience in the tourist trade. Also the founder members/directors have two decades of experience in the travel trade and have led a number of treks, tours and expeditions throughout the country.
As 60% of their activities are in mountainous and desert terrains where means of transport is limited to horses, mules and camels; the regular inflow of tourist to these terrains provide employment to people of these areas; thereby contributing to local economy. Utmost care is taken to conserve forests and ecology.
For the last three decades Sea and Sky has been responsible for providing ground services and Tour Leaders for Explore in the UK, Terre D’Aventure, and Explorator in France, and Globotrek in Switzerland; a breadth of experience that has encouraged him to now bring his tours direct to the market.
Bashir Sheikh - Managing Director
After graduating from the University of Kashmir with a degree in Commerce, Bashir started his career in travel as a Trek Leader in Kashmir and Ladakh, in the Indian Himalayas. Following 5 years as a Leader he then founded Sea and Sky Travel, with a partner in 1978. In 1995 Bashir became Managing Director of Sea and Sky and has since continued to develop a successful range of tours which are now marketed internationally.
Nadeem Sheikh - Director
Nadeem Sheikh Nadeem obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree at Kashmir University before following his father Bashir into the family business in 1995. After a spell as a Tour Leader he is now responsible for Marketing and also heads up the Operations Department.
Our vehicle
'Snowy'
BOA Asia runs a custom built Mercedes Benz all-terrain coach style overland vehicle. Our vehicle is very user friendly and can comfortably handle all travel in the Indian Sub-continent and SE China.
BOA's unique comfort design is just that ……..BOA's own custom design. After years on the road, we know what is required. Air conditioning and heating…… a well stocked library, charging facilities, a fridge for cold drinks ……
We also have seating for 14 (a vehicle that size normally has seating for 20 plus), however we do not take more than 12 clients on any trip, this way there are always at least 2 spare seats, enabling people to move around.
Our crew
Tour leaders, drivers & local guides
Our crew are passionate about travel, Asia and always up for adventure. It takes someone special to become a BOA tour leader. All of our crew have had years of experience working for other reputable companies.
We have a crew of two, one local driver and one local tour leader who keep the passengers informed with local knowledge, including culture, language and cuisine! Both of the crew are responsible for the group and the day-to-day running of the trip and will accompany you for the duration.
With many of the sites and cities we visit, we also have a resident English speaking guide accompany us. Their extensive local knowledge and real insight into the lives of the local people are invaluable to fully experiencing a destination.
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