Meet Our Team

Mery Calderon: Founder and President

Mery fell in love with the tourism industry as a young girl working in her parents´ Cusco-based souvenir shop. She went on to earn her degree in hospitality and tourism and then spent fifteen years working for the best luxury travel companies in the world, including Abercrombie & Kent. Mery founded Kuoda Travel when she saw the need for a company that could better serve visitors to South America by offering truly personalized unique travel experiences. Today, she makes it her mission to develop personal connections with each and every one of Kuoda´s clients so that the trips she takes them on are just what they need and want. Her passion for customer service and attention to detail are reflected in the high-quality travel experiences Kuoda provides and in the attitude of the team she inspires.

Thomas Adams: Travel Designer

Born and raised in the UK, Tom traveled Europe, Asia and South America before settling in Peru. His love of nature - particularly birds - drives him to explore the wonders of the Peruvian countryside and offer his clients incredible insights into enjoying South American wildlife. In his free time, he indulges his interests in environmental conservation, history, sports, hiking and photography.
Favorite Places in South America:

Anywhere with birds and nature
Favorite Kuoda Experience:

The day-to-day feeling that more than a company, Kuoda is a family

Victoria Huillca: Travel Designer
A native Cusqueña, Victoria is now delighted to be raising her family in Cusco. She takes great pleasure in introducing visitors to the beauty and culture of her home country and her home town. Extremely conscientious, Victoria creates each of her clients´ itineraries with the care she would take in building a trip for her own family.
Favorite Places in South America:

Cusco, of course. The Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu
Favorite Kuoda Experience:

A jungle trip with the Kuoda team and her daughter; the experience is something her daughter has never forgotten

Tom Carroll: Travel Designer
Tom left his native London under the spell of South America and toured most of the continent before falling for Cusco and making it his home. His interest in travel and exploration, especially of some of South America´s more untouched spots, makes him an excellent resource for off-the-beaten-path experiences.
Favorite Places in South America:

Northern Columbia; an amazing remote place to explore alone
Favorite Kuoda Experience:

Exploring Machu Picchu with a Kuoda guide and staying in the Sanctuary lodge; an incredibly luxurious experience

Amanda O'Connell: Travel Designer
I believe that travelling to distant lands is good for the soul and should be an enlightening and relaxing experience. Please let me help you to make your journey exciting and stress-free!
Favorite Places in South America:

Amanda grew up in the heartland of the United States. A true cheese-head and proud Wisconsinite, Amanda has loved travelling since she was a girl. Amanda lives in Cusco and enjoys sightseeing in the city as well as travelling around the Cusco area.
Favorite Kuoda Experience:

Visiting the jungle

Emily Guilmette: Marketing Director
A Vermonter by birth, a New Yorker by choice and a Cusqueña for love, Emily has over eight years of experience creating marketing strategies and plans for corporations from McGraw-Hill to Brüt Cologne. She is delighted to be telling the world about a company as truly dedicated to its clients and communities as Kuoda is.
Favorite Places in South America:

Argentina’s Patagonia
Favorite Kuoda Experience:

Visiting the new Kuoda children’s computer center in the Andes and seeing the kids creating electronic paintings

Nadia Vizcarra: Chief Financial Officer
Hailing from a large Cusqueñan family, Nadia has over six ten years of experience in the tourism industry. She began her career in accounting before attending the prestigious Tupac Amaru Institute of Tourism and went on to work with some of the region’s most prestigious institutions, including Cusco’s Libertador. Nadia loves that her job is to make travelers happy and she loves working with a company that is devoted to sustainability of cultures and the environment. 
Favorite Places in South America:

Peru’s delightfully warm jungles
Favorite Kuoda Experience:

Checking the services provided by hotels, restaurants and guides and knowing  that the product Kuoda offers is excellent

Edson Chacon: Director of Client Services
Edson brings a wealth of tourism industry experience to his role as Director of Client Services. He loves the fact that Kuoda clients work with us to create a perfect tailor-made vacation itinerary; incredibly detail- and service-oriented, Edson personally ensures that each client has that perfect travel experience. A true Cusqueñan dad, Edson´s spare time is devoted to his son, football and basketball.
Favorite Places in South America:

Buenos Aires and Rio!
Favorite Kuoda Experience:

Visiting the children of the Andes to celebrate Christmas

Cinthia Puente De La Vega: Operations Manager
Cinthia has a passion for traveling and a great deal of concern for other people, making her the ideal fit as Kuoda's Operations Manager. She takes care of clients as if they were family, and wants them to return home knowing they have friends in her home town of Cusco. She thrives on the responsibility and creativity inherent in her job.
FavoritePlaces in South America:

Argentina – it feels like a little Europe
Favorite Kuoda Experience:

Visiting Manu with the Kuoda team’s incredibly knowledgeable guides – very illuminating

David Ipanoca: Reservations Supervisor
With an extensive background in administration for the financial and tourism industries, as well as long experience as a tour guide, David possesses the perfect combination of attention to detail and people skills. He loves introducing travelers to the best of South America, and, when he has a free moment, enjoys playing high altitude football.
Favorite Places in South America:

Cusco, his hometown
Favorite Kuoda Experience:

The strong family feeling in the office – Kuoda is a place to try new things and constantly improve yourself

Orlando Jara: Logistics Coordinator
Orlando fell in love with tourism and went on to complete his studies in the field before joining Kuoda. He loves the challenge of perfectly coordinating trip details so that Kuoda clients have a seamless experience, and he enjoys constantly learning about South America´s best hotels, restaurants and guides.
Favorite Places in South America:

Anywhere with excellent Cusqueñan cuisine
Favorite Kuoda Experience:

Working with the friendly Kuoda team

Mariela Hurtado: Accountant
Born in Cusco, Mariela has loved numbers since early childhood. She studied business accounting and graduated with honors. Mariela feels that she has learned a lot from working with Kuoda, not just as an accountant, but also from Kuoda's strong sense of teamwork and dedication to sustainable travel.
Favorite Places in South America:

Ica
Favorite Kuoda Experience:

Learning about Cusco´s history from Kuoda´s extremely knowledgeable guides

Victor Cesar Huanacchiri Quisiyupanqui:

IT Director and Interactive Designer
Born in Cusco, Victor trained as a web designer. Along with extensive design experience, he brings his excellent design sensibility to Kuoda. A true lover of technology, he is never far from his computer and spends much of his free time experimenting with programs.
Favorite Places in South America:

Incredible Machu Picchu
Favorite Kuoda Experience:

Day-to-day, knowing that this is a good company