About Us

Open Sky Expeditions is a boutique international tour operator specialized in developing exceptional travel experiences for the most discerning clients.

We have first-hand and on-the-ground knowledge of all our travel destinations and work only with top-rated providers with a proven record of outstanding performance. Excellence in tour design and implementation is our top commitment.

Read about: The OPEN SKY EDGE | Our PHILOSOPHY | DESTINATION MENU

TEAM

Temu Nana has spent the last decade working various positions in high-end travel while simultaneously honing his skills as a professional photographer. The son of an international airline pilot with roots in both Michigan and Pakistan, he has led luxury tours and photography journeys in over 20 countries and traveled to many more. Prior to Open Sky, Temu worked behind-the-scenes in Operations, Sales and Tour Leading for a New York-based tour operator, working with many of the best institutions, organizations, and universities in the country. His field experience in the industry allows him to have a clearer understanding of his clients’ desires and their need for the very best in luxury and customized travel. Temu’s multi-disciplinary contributions involve tour leading, program development, sales & marketing.

Maria Werlau is a consultant in private practice and analyst/author specialized in international affairs and cross-cultural issues. Formerly a Second Vice President of the Chase Manhattan Bank, she holds a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a Masters degree in International Relations from Universidad de Chile. She founded her consulting firm, Orbis International, while living in Chile, originally specializing in relocating expatriates there and subsequently focused on international consulting from the New York city area. Maria has lived in several Latin American countries and has traveled extensively. As a partner in this venture, she fills many roles including working on development and cultivating the Open Sky brand.

FEATURED INTERNATIONAL PARTNER

Jorge Guazzini is the founder and owner of Caliboro Boutique Voyages and one of the best known names in Chile’s tourist industry. A graduate of the Universidad de Chile in Political Science and Public Administration, Jorge pursued a career in tourism and was for 30 years Managing Director of the Destination Management Division for Chile’s largest inbound tour operator, COCHA. During his 35+ years in the business, he has attended to a remarkable diversity of travelers, developing an expertise in small and highly specialized affinity groups. He is extraordinarily passionate about his home country, which he explores on an ongoing basis. A thorough and detailed travel perfectionist, he is also a music aficionado.

AEO500 Member of the Week

OWNER

All itineraries are meticulously overseen, and in most cases expertly-designed, by the company’s principal, Alex Ros. A Harvard graduate who speaks six languages and has traveled to over 80 countries, Alex has extensive in-depth knowledge of the high-end travel business. Prior to founding Open Sky in 2010, for over 8 years he operated and directed dozens of international programs for one of the world’s top operators of high-caliber educational programs aboard small ships. His experience includes developing countless unique itineraries, conducting reconnaissance missions to over fifteen countries in the continent of Africa alone, and personally leading hundreds of travelers on scores of international tours. He is also a musician and a photographer, passions that he has blended into his travel experience design—most notably since 2012 by creating a photography tour collection you’ll find here.

Read more about Alex in a recent interview here.

Alex counts on a team of assistants and leading industry partners to deliver top quality service. Only the most experienced and trusted hands are part of the Open Sky operation. Select team members include:

Recent Press:

David H. Wells is a freelance documentary photographer and photo-educator with exhaustive experience leading photography tours. Based in Providence, Rhode Island, he specializes in intercultural communications and the use of light and shadow to enhance visual narratives. David has received two Fulbright fellowships, a grant from Nikon/N.P.P.A. and a fellowship from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. His work has been in over fifty exhibitions and he has taught workshops at the International Center for Photography in NYC and at the Maine Media Workshops. In 2011 he was featured in Photo District News as one of “The Best Workshop Instructors.” Check out David’s upcoming photo tours with us to Sicily, Morocco & India.

FEATURED LOCAL GUIDE

Moulay Hachem is without a doubt one of the best guides in Morocco, and our top local expert on yearly trips since 2012. Travelers describe him as brilliant, eloquent, and an exceedingly gracious gentleman. Originally from a large oasis in the country’s southest (in the Tafilalet Region, home to over 1.5 million palm trees), Moulay spent the bulk of his childhood and school years in the cosmopolitan capital city of Rabat. In 1989 he graduated from Mohamed V University with a degree in Linguistics, and shortly thereafter became a professional tour guide in 1991. Throughout his 23 years in the profession, Moulay has accumulated extraordinary experience leading all types of travelers to just about every corner of the country, including many groups from reputable academic organizations and even international dignitaries.

Walking into the Moroccan Sahara, February 2012 © A. Czerska

Top photo: Golan Heights, near border with Syria, June 2017

In order to prepare our travelers with the best selection of recommended reading for their journeys, we have partnered with Longitude Books, a New York-based company specialized in precisely that service. A “bookstore organized geographically,” Longitude offers expert travel book and map recommendations for destinations worldwide. Their lists have been fine-tuned over ten years and include new and noteworthy classic and hard-to-find items. By carefully considering the details of our tours and specific interests of our travelers, Longitude prepares customized reading lists that are easy for our travelers to order from.

FEATURED DOMESTIC PARTNER COMPANIES

Wanderwell is a social enterprise travel insurance agency committed to guiding travelers towards comprehensive, yet cost-effective plans, giving you peace of mind on your adventures. Their partnerships for short-term and long-term plans include an elite global network of doctors, specialists, and evacuation teams. They are proud to be a certified B Corp, committed to meeting rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Wanderwell is passionate about promotion and practice of environmental conservation. They pledge to donate 10% of annual revenue to established non-profit members of 1% for the Planet, an organization focused on social impact and environmental stewardship; as well as to partner college and university foundations and non-profit organizations that promote sustainable travel.

Travel insurance...for good.