I’m Ready to Discuss the Details!
We’re more than Africa travel agents. We’re a family with a passion for travel. We know first-hand the difference between a “good” vacation and an “unforgettable” one because we’ve lived it. At Roane Travel Design, you can expect an African safari tailored to your unique goals and interests, custom-created by a member of our team.
Your Africa Travel Agents
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Born in Southern California to two missionary parents, Jim was born to travel. As a child, Jim remembers the Roane family living all over the world, including Barcelona, Spain, Assiut, Egypt, Kathmandu, Nepal, Colombo, Sri Lanka, Manila, Philippines, and throughout India, including Delhi, Kolkata, Madras, Kodaikanal and Mumbai. This experience opened up a world of opportunities for unique family adventures, which extended into his adult life. Jim has visited hundreds of unique vacation destinations and 48 countries to date. Living abroad, wholly immersed in other cultures, instilled in Jim appreciation, empathy and compassion for others.
Jim graduated from Southern California College with degrees in anthropology and political science, followed by a 2-year stint on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. He met and married his wife, Mary Beth, a Northwest Airlines employee. Eventually, an Airline merger and career change for Jim brought the couple to Minnesota, where they have lived since 1986.
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The years in MN provided Jim with a fulfilling career as a trader at Piper Jaffray, and the couple had five children in 10 years. Family, especially their children Jay, Michael, Elizabeth, Jack and Mark, have always been the Roane's top priority. Their childhood years were wonderfully busy, filled with sports and community activities. The family was surrounded by supportive grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family, which also blessed them with lifelong friendships.
Sadly, 1998 brought tragedy when 10-month-old son Jack drowned during a trip to their Florida family vacation home. Jack's untimely death caused the family to reevaluate their priorities. Jim ultimately decided to retire as a Trader and take the family on a one-month family adventure to India. The next five years consisted of more heavy travel to unique luxury destinations, including a trip to Tanzania, Africa, that changed the Roanes' lives once more. Finally, after years of traveling with his own family, in 2019, Jim resolved to share his love for travel with the world and started his own travel company, Roane Travel Design.
owner
Jim Roane
To create incredible experiences for families that so profoundly shaped my own.
To allow others to live life and do the things they have always wanted, not taking a moment for granted.
To have the privilege of working alongside my daughter, Elizabeth.
To lead and grow a team that shares similar values.
To share my love of Tanzania with others.
In His Own Words, “My Why:”
Mark is a hospitality professional with over 20 years experience in all aspects of the industry. Travel has always been a great privilege to him. Having the opportunity to see beautiful places is only outweighed by meeting and interacting with the incredible local people in each destination.
Africa is raw, authentic, and largely untouched. It is deep-rooted in his soul. Being able to share this great continent with the world is an absolute pleasure. Doing so whilst investing in the development of local communities and their immediate environments provides fulfilment beyond description.
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After leaving TAASA, Elizabeth went on to work for a family of travel journalists, known as The Bucket List Family. Along with the adventure-loving family, Elizabeth explored even more global destinations, including Mnemba Island, Uganda, Rwanda, Australia, Hawaii and many others. Elizabeth found an incredible amount of joy seeing the world through the eyes of a child while watching their curiosity for the world blossom. In addition, this experience created lifelong friendships while strengthening her love of world cultures and exploration.
Like her father, Jim, Elizabeth has a passion for sharing her love of travel and family adventures to unique vacation destinations with others. From luxury African safaris to visiting remote cultures in a far-off corner of the world, each trip has made a lasting impact on Elizabeth's life.
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So, when Jim approached Elizabeth with the concept of a travel agency as a way of helping to share the love of travel with others, Elizabeth was quickly on board. In 2019, when Roane Travel Design officially began, Elizabeth promptly joined the team as one of the lead Travel Designers, backed by her many years of experience traveling and exploring many of these incredible destinations. She enjoys creating one-of-a-kind vacations that will leave a lasting memory in travelers' lives, no matter their age.
VP of Business Development
Mark Huppelschoten
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As the daughter of Jim and Mary Beth Roane, Elizabeth grew up a global traveler. The Roane family enjoyed many family adventures and unique vacations, including vacations in India, Tanzania, Mexico and many places throughout the United States.
Her love of travel didn't stop there, however. Elizabeth visited 13 different countries during a "Semester at Sea" experience during college. Then, she took her curiosity for world exploration a step further by taking another semester off school to travel throughout Southeast Asia and Europe. Finally, during her senior year at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, she decided to move to Tanzania, Africa, to accept a position as the Guest Experience Manager at TAASA Lodge.
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After leaving TAASA, Elizabeth went on to work for a family of travel journalists, known as The Bucket List Family. Along with the adventure-loving family, Elizabeth explored even more global destinations, including Mnemba Island, Uganda, Rwanda, Australia, Hawaii and many others. Elizabeth found an incredible amount of joy seeing the world through the eyes of a child while watching their curiosity for the world blossom. In addition, this experience created lifelong friendships while strengthening her love of world cultures and exploration.
Like her father, Jim, Elizabeth has a passion for sharing her love of travel and family adventures to unique vacation destinations with others. From luxury African safaris to visiting remote cultures in a far-off corner of the world, each trip has made a lasting impact on Elizabeth's life.
Go Back
So, when Jim approached Elizabeth with the concept of a travel agency as a way of helping to share the love of travel with others, Elizabeth was quickly on board. In 2019, when Roane Travel Design officially began, Elizabeth promptly joined the team as one of the lead Travel Designers, backed by her many years of experience traveling and exploring many of these incredible destinations. She enjoys creating one-of-a-kind vacations that will leave a lasting memory in travelers' lives, no matter their age.
DIRECTOR OF TRAVEL DESIGN & GROUP SALES
ELIZABETH ROANE
To ignite a passion for travel in others.
To increase interest in unique vacation destinations.
To deliver a high-quality product to my clients that I am proud of.
To set the stage for others to create lifelong memories
To introduce others to new locations, foods, cultures and purposes.
To positively impact others' lives through my work by setting the ground for quality time spent with loved ones, giving back to our environment/ community, and supporting businesses with a similar mission.
In Her Own Words, “My Why:”
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With a heart that beats for travel and a keen sense of adventure, Michelle's love for travel, diverse cultures, and conservation sparked her passion for the tourism and hospitality industry, in a career that spans 25 years.
Having lead teams in every aspect across both hotels and lodges, locally and internationally, Michelle’s commercial approach drives business strategies to new heights.
Her focus on building and leveraging relationships with key partners has not only driven growth within her businesses but delivered an enhanced travel experience for those travelling to incredible destinations throughout the world.
Residing in her home country of South Africa, Michelle is driven by her unwavering passion for her team and is always searching for creative and innovative ways to enrich people's lives through memorable travel experiences, whilst preserving the need to continuously invest in the communities in which we operate.
COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR
MICHELLE MULLER
Africa is a feeling! It will move you through the exploration of its diverse cultures and destinations, with every experience creating lifelong memories for you, as it has and continues to do for me.
In Her Own Words, “WHY:”
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Samantha believes in the power of travel to shift perspectives and enrich lives. She is dedicated to creating unforgettable experiences that go beyond the surface, allowing travelers to immerse themselves in the vibrant cultures, diverse landscapes, and rich history of their chosen destination.
As the daughter of a pilot and flight attendant, the world has been seen as accessible and meant to be explored from a young age. She recognizes that this is a unique perspective that was gifted to her by her parents, and it sparked her own passion for travel. She has been fortunate to experience countries including Costa Rica, France, South Korea and more. However, it was her first trip to Tanzania that ignited a connection to Africa and sparked a need to share this special experience.
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Travel is not just about ticking off bucket-list destinations to her, it's about creating meaningful connections with people and fostering a deeper appreciation for the world we inhabit. She is passionate about facilitating travel experiences that provide the opportunity to engage with local communities, support animals in their habitat, and make sure to leave a positive impact.
TRAVEL DESIGNER
SAMANTHA FUXA
To share my passion of shifting perspectives through travel.
To serve others by curating meaningful and intentional experiences that will make a lifelong impact.
Make a difference in the world by connecting travelers with resources to get involved, through Explore with Purpose, Inc.
Working alongside teammates with the same family-oriented, hard-working, kind and passionate values.
In Her Own Words, “My Why:”
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Samantha's love of travel, exploration and connecting with cultures has helped shape her into who she is today.
Travel has allowed her to connect with people on a deeper level and it is through these experiences that she has learned most about herself. Her sense of adventure, appreciation of nature and love for culture started from an early age. She spent a lot of time hiking in the Drakensburg Mountain Range in South Africa, which left a profound imprint on her life. To this day, she finds her greatest source of inspiration in the natural world and finds that when you're immersed in it, it's hard not to feel connected to everything and everyone around you.
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She believes this love for travel and human connection led her into her career in hospitality. She has over 12 years of experience in the tourism industry, having worked in various departments focused on marketing, reservations, web & design, brand, and guest experience development. During this time she has also had the opportunity to experience incredible parts of Southern & Eastern Africa, England & France.
She is a creative and a story-teller, and is passionate about inspiring people to experience the gifts of travelling, while contributing towards the betterment of humanity and our planet.
MARKETING MANAGER
SAMANTHA NEL
Sunsets in Africa. Trying new foods, wines, and beers. Game drives & animals. Arts, music & culture.
To be a small part of giving you memories to last a lifetime.
I believe that making memories with people you love is priceless and I want to help create those opportunities for others.
In Her Own Words,
“THINGS I LOVE:”
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Who knew it was possible to acquire a job that was beyond any of her expectations?
Ever since she was a little girl, she always had a love for planning her birthday parties and had the dream of one day becoming an event planner. She grew up in Chanhassen, Minnesota and graduated from the University of North Dakota with a degree in communications. After graduating, she then found herself in the hospitality industry allowing her to gain experience and eventually land here at Roane Travel Design.
She met the Roane family in 2022 and immediately fell in love with their passion, excitement, adventurous attitude and mission. She knew this was a team she wanted to be a part of. Similar to the Roane family, she also shares a love for travel and meeting new people.
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Since joining the Roane Travel family in 2022, she has met some incredible people, helped plan experiences that will last a lifetime and have created memories for herself throughout the continent of Africa. She can tell you from her recent experience in Tanzania, that there is nothing quite like the wildlife, landscapes and beautiful people that you will meet there.
She would like to think of her role here at Roane Travel being similar to her dreams as a kid, but this has far exceeded any of the expectations that she could have dreamt of.
She can't wait to share the magic of Africa with all of you!
Travel Manager
AlLi Senger
To take the stress out of travel and guide you through the experience of a lifetime.
To serve others by curating meaningful and intentional experiences that will make a lifelong impact.
Make a difference in the world by connecting travelers with resources to get involved, through Explore with Purpose, Inc.
Working alongside teammates with the same family-oriented, hard-working, kind and passionate values.
In Her Own Words, “My Why:”
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Calling sunny South Africa her home, Jennae has always loved the tranquility of the African bush. Her deep-rooted love for nature, wildlife and conservation sparked her interest in travel and in pursuing a career in travel and tourism.
She has several years of experience in the hospitality industry, particularly the safari industry where she spent part of her career working for luxury lodges and game reserves in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
Her lifelong connection to Africa was deepened significantly by her first trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar. Her favorite travel memory is floating in a hot air balloon over the beautiful Serengeti. In this moment, she realized this is why she loves to share the beauty of Africa with others!
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"Once you have been to Africa, you will never be the same! There is so much to discover and having the opportunity to share this continent and the opportunity to travel with the
world while conserving the natural world, its wildlife and local communities makes her role even more fulfilling!
When you travel and experience a destination for the first time, the memory of your trip will always be in your mind forever. It is the authentic interactions with the local people, the beauty that takes your breath away and the magical first time experiences that will remain in your heart forever!"
The great outdoors is what makes her heart beat faster! To recharge, Jennae enjoys hiking, wildlife photography and long walks along the sunny beaches of South Africa.
commercial administrator
jennae tessendorf
To connect people through travel and foster a deeper understanding of the natural world whilst experiencing the magic of unforgettable travel moments.
In Her Own Words, “MY WHY:”
- Chris Moody
Thank you for assisting us to set up this trip and taking care of all of the logistics. Everything was seamless and ran like clockwork... Thanks for the trip of a lifetime! Both times we have come to the Serengeti and Taasa it has been the trip of a lifetime - lol. We are looking forward to future visits with more family and friends.
~ Grant and Janine Drenkow
Traveling to Africa has been a life-long dream. Roane Travel Design was the PERFECT company to take us there! After a couple of conversations with Jim, we followed his expert advice and had the trip to Tanzania planned. Elizabeth...does a great job of taking care of everything so preparing for the trip was effortless on our part. The trip exceeded our expectations in every way!
- Deanna and William Bloodworth
We have traveled extensively and I usually do all the research and book everything myself. It was so nice to just ask Elizabeth.. We so enjoyed our first trip we were planning to return before we left Africa. We have already booked our next trip to Africa and Elizabeth made it so easy. We highly recommend Roane Travel and Taasa Lodge.
We're thankful to be part of making lifelong memories for travelers. These are just a few unforgettable moments.
We’re Honored to Be Included
- Deanna and William Bloodworth
We have traveled extensively and I usually do all the research and book everything myself. It was so nice to just ask Elizabeth.. We so enjoyed our first trip we were planning to return before we left Africa. We have already booked our next trip to Africa and Elizabeth made it so easy. We highly recommend Roane Travel and Taasa Lodge.
- Chris Moody
Thank you for assisting us to set up this trip and taking care of all of the logistics. Everything was seamless and ran like clockwork... Thanks for the trip of a lifetime! Both times we have come to the Serengeti and Taasa it has been the trip of a lifetime - lol. We are looking forward to future visits with more family and friends.
~ Grant and Janine Drenkow
Traveling to Africa has been a life-long dream. Roane Travel Design was the PERFECT company to take us there! After a couple of conversations with Jim, we followed his expert advice and had the trip to Tanzania planned. Elizabeth...does a great job of taking care of everything so preparing for the trip was effortless on our part. The trip exceeded our expectations in every way!
~ Grant and Janine Drenkow
Traveling to Africa has been a life-long dream. Roane Travel Design was the PERFECT company to take us there! After a couple of conversations with Jim, we followed his expert advice and had the trip to Tanzania planned. Elizabeth...does a great job of taking care of everything so preparing for the trip was effortless on our part. The trip exceeded our expectations in every way!
- Deanna and William Bloodworth
We have traveled extensively and I usually do all the research and book everything myself. It was so nice to just ask Elizabeth.. We so enjoyed our first trip we were planning to return before we left Africa. We have already booked our next trip to Africa and Elizabeth made it so easy. We highly recommend Roane Travel and Taasa Lodge.
- Chris Moody
Thank you for assisting us to set up this trip and taking care of all of the logistics. Everything was seamless and ran like clockwork... Thanks for the trip of a lifetime! Both times we have come to the Serengeti and Taasa it has been the trip of a lifetime - lol. We are looking forward to future visits with more family and friends.
Talk to an Experienced Travel Designer
Since you've read about all of the unique luxury destinations we've been to, you may wonder why we specifically chose Africa. The truth is, Africa holds a special place in our hearts, and we hope anyone with interest makes it a point to go. However, for many Africa excursions, we highly recommend having a guide. The other continents are slightly easier to navigate without a professional holding your hand. For example, can you visit the Eiffel Tower in France or the Statue of Liberty in New York without a guide? Yes, of course, people do it every day. However, to get the most out of your trip to Africa, we highly recommend having experienced travel experts help you plan your trip!
For the Love of Africa
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