Adventure with Purpose: How Uncharted Earth Redefines Travel Through Immersion and Impact

 

In this episode of The Inn Crowd, host Jamie Mattingly dives into the wild world of experiential travel with Leo Cuesta, founder of Uncharted Earth. From his early days in corporate real estate to crafting deeply immersive journeys through the Philippines, Colombia, and the American West, Leo shares how his passion for nature, culture, and authentic human connection fuels his adventure travel company. Tune in for a rich conversation on storytelling, sustainability, scaling with soul, and what it really takes to lead people through transformative travel experiences.

📌 Key Takeaways

• 🌏 Immersion over Sightseeing: Uncharted Earth prioritizes experiential travel—think trekking through rice terraces and staying in remote villages, not just checking off landmarks.
  
  
• 🧭 Building a Business with Heart: Leo shares how he grew the company organically, focusing on quality over rapid expansion.
  
  
• 💬 Authenticity in Marketing: The value of customer reviews far outweighs influencer hype in adventure travel.
  
  
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Guide Recruitment with Intention: Future trip leaders shadow actual tours to ensure alignment with company values and guest expectations.
  
  
• 🔄 Sustainable & Transformational Travel: Small group sizes, local transport, and community respect are core to Uncharted Earth’s mission.
  
  
• 🚵‍♂️ What’s Next?: Leo hints at dream trips involving more extreme sports—but only if they can be done responsibly.
  
  

🔗 Guest Links

• 🌐 Uncharted Earth Website (Note: There’s a dash between “uncharted” and “earth”)
  
  
• 📷 Uncharted Earth on Instagram (accessible via their main website)
  
  
• 📘 Uncharted Earth on Facebook (accessible via their main website)
  
  

💼 Connect with Jamie

• 📧 Email: jamie@duvalstmedia.com
  
  
• 🌐 Website: www.duvalstreetmedia.com
  
  

📝 Mentioned in the Show Notes

• 📍 Website for trip bookings: www.uncharted-earth.com
  
  
• 📝 Leo mentioned “we’ll put it in the show notes” in reference to their booking/contact information. That’s included above.
  
  
• 📚 Adventure Travel Definition Source: Physical activity + nature + culture — a framework that still guides Uncharted Earth’s approach.
  
  

🎒 Local trip examples: trekking the Banaue Rice Terraces, kayaking remote islands, snorkeling marine sanctuaries.