The word Fresi is a derivative of “Fresa” which is the Spanish word for strawberry but also a colloquialism used in Mexico, to describe someone that is preppy or yuppie, has high expectations and is very particular about what they like. While the name for the company was said in jest by friends to poke fun at the level of attention we give to the most minute of details when planning a trip, the name and what it came to represent stuck. The term came to encompass our core belief in founding our company that when planning your travels, you should only expect the best when spending your hard-earned money.
What started out as a challenge to create a once in a lifetime tour for fellow friends in the oil and gas industry subsequently became an annual tradition to add to our latest adventure. For our first trip we thought back on our years of traveling to determine what would have made prior trips taken even more enjoyable, and fulfilling. What emerged was a template we have used and built upon ever since.
For the maiden voyage we created our ideal itinerary by ‘Fresi Travels’ for ‘A Private Tour of Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam’. Twenty-one pages which not only included the standard information you would expect such as travel dates, flight information, and hotel, but the addition of all those missing elements that we would have found helpful to our travels. Weblinks, telephone numbers, pictures, and all the details that remove any doubt as to how or what, plus all the necessary information one needs in case things don’t go as planned. What really served to differentiate it from any itinerary we had ever encountered however was the addition of information which helped put context to what you were going to see and do along with fun facts and tips for travelers to read prior to the trip. Our template not only told the who, what, where, and how’s but served as a great memento for people after the trip to blog, post, and scrapbook about.
When we returned from our adventures, we would do just that. Our social media posts allowed us to connect with our friends and family that live in different parts of the world and have them live vicariously through our travel experiences. As the number of trips posted increased so did the flood of questions from friends, family members, co-workers. What company had arranged our trips? Could they have copies of the itineraries? What trips would we recommend given their time, budget, and interest? We became the go-to resource for trip planning. We would gladly share our experiences, provide recommendations on where to stay, eat, and must see’s and give them a copy of the itineraries we had created. Time and again the feedback was a resounding why hadn’t we dedicated ourselves to doing this full time. It wasn’t until a trip to Portugal on a private tour to Sintra and conversing with our tour guide that it finally became clear. We would join forces, formulate a game plan, learn the industry, and finally make Fresi Travels a reality!!!
After eight years of organizing hundreds of travel experiences for friends, work colleagues, and family we formalized what we had been doing all along by filing the requisite legal paperwork to create Fresi Travels LLC.
We understand anyone can plan a trip; we strive to provide an experience. We marry our knowledge of destinations with your likes, tastes, and desires to create a uniquely catered travel experience for you. Our success is defined by creating unforgettable experiences for you.
I think food, culture, people and landscape
are all absolutely inseparable.
– ANTHONY BOURDAIN
Travel and food have been my passions since I can remember. Born and raised in Peru in a multicultural family of Peruvian and Japanese ancestry provided me an intoxicating fusion of cultures and cuisines, and fermented a yearning to experience first-hand how historical and cultural influences manifest themselves in the local cuisine.
Aboard it’s a Small World ride in Disney World, my dream to travel took hold as I told my Mother I planned on visiting every single one of the countries on that ride. A rather defiant declaration of exploration at age 6, but with 65 countries and counting I think I can say I keep my promise.
When I’m not on the road, I’m crafting amazing itineraries for family and friends. My travel passion, adventurous soul and foodie bug have led me to seek unique experiences across the globe whether it’s being suspended in a capsule at 1,300 ft. overlooking the Inca’s Sacred Valley; sipping champagne and watching the sunrise at Angkor Wat; sleeping in a Bedouin tent in the middle of Wadi Rum; fishing for piranhas in the Amazon river or eating the lethal fugu in Japan.
My MBA from Rice University combined with my 10+ years of experience in the oil & gas industry have provided me the foundational skills in logistics to seek creative solutions to planning and problem solving, and the necessary eye to detail to ensure even the most minute detail is not overlooked.
If you are looking for an exceptional experience with a personal touch, I would be delighted to design the perfect custom vacation for you.
It’s hard for me to remember a time when I did not welcome the opportunity to go out in nature and explore my surroundings or just beyond the bounds of defined limits. This quest for exploration evolved and expanded with age and I found a natural expression through travel from my immediate surroundings to those further afield.
My travels have taken me on adventures as varied in geography, as they are in language, culture, and cuisine. Each trip adding to the repository of knowledge and friendships gained. After working in the oil and gas industry for 20+ years, many colleagues would joke and say “you live abroad and work in Houston”, and there is quite a bit of truth to that statement. I want to share my passion and experience assisting others in designing trips that will create a lifetime of memories.
2207 Bancroft Street, Houston TX 77027
713-432-7074 | contact@FresiTravels.com
Mon-Fri 8am – 5pm CST
© 2021 Fresi Travels
