In the summer of 1990, Steve Jermanok left his job as a broker in Manhattan and booked a year-long ticket to the South Pacific. Upon his return, he would write his first article, “Dining with Descendants of Cannibals in Fiji,” for The Miami Herald.
Today, he is considered one of the most prolific travel writers in North America, having explored more than 80 countries and written over 1000 articles on a broad range of subjects, from food to art to adventure.
He has worked as a columnist for National Geographic Adventure, contributing editor for Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel, guest editor for The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, and writes regularly for The Boston Globe, Travel & Leisure, and The Washington Post.
Other writing projects have included 11 guidebooks, working with Lonely Planet, Frommer’s, Discovery Channel, Outside Magazine and other travel publishers; and a screenplay, which he collaborated on with his brother, Jim, Passionada, released by The Samuel Goldwyn Company in 2003.
After working in the arts for two decades, Lisa Leavitt decided to fly over to the travel industry, joining her husband Steve (see above!) to co-found ActiveTravels.com.
Her work as curator and content writer at several art museums, including the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Danforth Museum of Art in Framingham, MA, has been a labor of love.
Now, after years of traveling alongside Steve on his assignments, taking photographs to accompany his articles, and editing many of his pieces behind the scenes, Lisa has decided to push her excitement for travel to the forefront.
Her years as a curator has made her exceedingly detail oriented and has trained her to be highly selective when it comes to choosing quality. She uses these important strengths to help you select the best destination, hotel, and activities available to make your vacation as seamless and worry-free as possible.
Rachel graduated Newton’s Lasell College with a degree in Fashion Design and a minor in Special Event Planning and EcoTourism. From 2012 to 2014, she worked at Liberty Travel, specializing in honeymoons. She took a hiatus to raise two adorable boys before joining ActiveTravels in January 2017. Rachel now handles many of our Wellness trips, Girls Getaways, and travels to the Caribbean and Scandinavia.
We look forward to working with you!
When the founder of TripAdvisor wanted to bring his wife on a honeymoon, he contacted ActiveTravels. Co-owners Steve Jermanok and Lisa Leavitt helped them decide between a scuba diving trip to French Polynesia or a more historical and cultural vacation in Turkey. They soon decided on Turkey and ActiveTravels designed a 10-day itinerary that would bring them to Istanbul and the fascinating landscape of Cappadocia. When they returned home, the TripAdvisor CEO told us, "on a scale of 1 to 10, that trip was an 11!"
When the owner of the Winnetu Oceanside Resort in Martha's Vineyard and The Nantucket Hotel wanted to bring his son to Brazil, he contacted ActiveTravels. Steve and Lisa designed a 2-week itinerary that included jaguar viewing in the Brazilian Pantanal, seeing the majestic Iguazu Falls, and the beaches of Rio.
When the renowned travel publication, Conde Nast Traveler, had to choose one travel agency to design a 2-week trip around New England for families, they chose ActiveTravels. We are also pleased that the founder of NewEnglandTravelPlanner.com promotes ActiveTravels as their go-to travel agency for the region
People in the travel industry know Steve Jermanok as one of the most prolific travel writers in America. He has penned more than 1500 stories and 9 books while working as a columnist for National Geographic Adventure, author of Outside Magazine's Adventure Guide to New England, and writer of more than 400 stories for The Boston Globe. In the midst of a career that spans 25 years, Steve has visited over 90 countries. Those stories from The Boston Globe resulted in many emails from readers asking Steve for recommendations on a certain locale or hotel. That's when Steve decided to bring his wife, Lisa Leavitt, into the travel business.
Lisa comes over from the art world, where she worked as curator and content writer at several art museums, including the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Danforth Museum of Art in Framingham, MA. Her years as a curator has made her exceedingly detail oriented and has trained her to be highly selective when it comes to choosing quality. She uses these important strengths to help you select the best destination, hotel, and activities available to make your vacation as seamless and worry-free as possible.
Welcome to ActiveTravels, a new type of travel agency, where your travel advisors have more than likely been to that exact country that entices you. Our recommendations come from first hand experience. In the rare circumstance that we haven't been to that one locale you desire, rest assured that we have great contacts around the world to lead you to that authentic and memorable travel experience. Since we opened our doors in May 2012, we have booked over 1,000 trips to all corners of the globe. Whether it's a safari in the Serengeti, a food and wine tour of Provence, or a family reunion in Hawaii, We Help You Get There. Start making your dreams a reality and join the ActiveTravels community!
Happy Travels,
Lisa and Steve