Travel at quite a scale

Eric Sheets (Economics ’90) in Machu Picchu, Peru, the "lost city" of the Incas.
Photo courtesy of Latin Excursions.

If you’re chained to a cubicle right now, you might not want to read about the adventures Eric Sheets sets up for a living.

Private tango lessons in Buenos Aires. Balloon rides over ancient Incan ruins. Diving in the Galapagos and drinking wine aboard well-appointed yachts.
 
Getting wanderlust yet?

Five years ago, Sheets (Economics ’90) left his respectable job in the world of finance (read: Cubicleland) to found Latin Excursions, a boutique travel agency that focuses on South America. He bases his business out of Miami Beach, Fla., with sights set on the travel gems of the Southern Hemisphere.

There are lots of incredible places to explore there, Sheets contends, from the mysterious ruins of Machu Picchu to the giant tortoises of the Galapagos Islands. Not to mention the food — lime-infused ceviche in Peru, red wine by the gallon in Chile and perfectly roasted steaks and rack of lamb in Argentina, the land of the sultry tango.

To Sheets, South America is the next frontier for specialized, upscale travel.

Plus, the dollar stretches far.

“Things are about half cheaper than anywhere else,” he says.

South America has long been known as a place for adventure travel, especially among backpackers who hit the hiking trails of Peru and Patagonia or explore the wildlife of the Amazon. It is not known, however, to be a particularly easy place to travel, and many places there are considered off the beaten path.

These days, though, more Americans are traveling to Buenos Aires, Argentina, the self-pronounced Paris of South America. And they like what they see. From there, they get a taste of Latin life and want to know more.

So far, Argentina is the No. 1 destination for travelers who go through Sheets’ agency. For people who want to check out other places, Sheets sends them to Brazil, the country where he was born, for its lively culture and adventures in the Amazon. Or he steers them to the salt deserts in Bolivia, where they can camp and go horseback riding. In Patagonia, they can stay on a private ranch and do yoga with the Zen-like owner.

Sheets says his company tries to give each trip a personal touch. A honeymooner wants a dinner in a Chilean vineyard while being serenaded by violins? Done. A family wants to rent out a spacious villa for a reunion? No problem.

“Those kinds of things, we try to make trips memorable,” he says.

While such trips may be cheaper compared to traveling to more well-worn luxury destinations in Western Europe or the Caribbean, the agency does cater to a more upscale client. A 10-day trip to Argentina starts at about $2,500 per person. That includes personalized service and expert tour guides, he says.

Sheets’ current job is far different from the business world he entered when he graduated from the University. Funny enough, though, it’s the business world that got him there.

For 10 years, he worked at Citibank. His job required him to travel all over Latin America — but for business, not fun. He carved out some free time, though.

“On the weekends I would explore and find out what the secret places were,” he says.

Soon, friends and family started asking him for advice. He set up one trip and then another.

“I learned that I had a little skill for it.”

A&S Online, Jan. 24, 2007