Photos samplers from our awesome tours of Tibet, Ecuador, Peru and Nepal
(click to enlarge in new window)

For bookings, ordering or more information, contact:

The Magic Suitcase
20 Monterey Rd.
Kitchener, ON N2B 1V3
Tel: 519-578-8849
Fax: 519-578-0540
info@magicsuitcase.ca
www.magicsuitcase.ca

Our Mission Statement
Our aim is to provide travel experiences to like-minded souls, who are ecologically active, socially conscious and have a spirit of adventure.

Our Tours
Magic Suitcase tours are about travel - real travel. All our tours arefully-escorted trips to enchanting places that we have visited before.During our visits we have made a conscious effort to seek outculturally-significant places, ecologically-minded guides and opportunities for social action. All of our local guides and accommodation choices reflect support of grass-roots economies and our payment for services directly benefits communities and/or local families. Each of our trips incorporates a volunteer opportunity so that clients may interact directly with local people and experience their culture.

What others have said about our tours
"A great trip, well planned and carried out, encompassing a wonderful sampling of Southern Peruvian culture and scenery. Highly recommended to anyone wishing an adventurous trip in this area." Steve, Chelsea, PQ

"Judy and Rob's personal relationships with the Peruvian historians, hostel owners, tour guides, biologists and others allowed us to have a wonderful 'up close and personal' glimpse into Peruvian culture and way of life. It was through these shared connections that I began to realize how the history of the country with the integration of the Spanish and Inca cultures has helped to shape the Peru of today." Kim, Waterloo ON

Judy and Rob's Magic Suitcase tour allowed me to explore Peru and its culture with confidence. Their knowledge of the area and their connections allowed our group to visit places off the beaten track and to truly interact with the people we met. I would go again in a heartbeat! Roxanne, Guelph ON

'A well-organized full-on adventure!!!' Julie, Toronto ON

About Us

Judy Halpern, owner of the Magic Suitcase, has been working in the business since 1996 delivering school programs, teacher workshops and writing curriculum materials. Judy has been travelling the globe since her university days, working and living abroad for months at a time.

Rob Spackman, a school teacher, has been teaching since 1986. Among his passions are science and geography. He too has travelled the globe-living and working in many exciting places. The two of them have been leading trips abroad together since1999. Over the past twenty years they have travelled extensively and are always up for a new adventure! Starting with their first student trip in 1999, Rob and Judy have always found ways to involve their groups in community service projects that really make a difference. Canadian and Nepali high school students worked side-by-side on building a block of toilets for a remote mountain school. They have since returned to Nepal with another group of students in 2001 where the group made life-long friends and helped in the construction of a new classroom. They have since led groups to Cuba in 2003, Ecuador March, 2005 and an adult excursion to Peru in July 2005! Both Rob and Judy are running enthusiasts and like to keep busy training for their next marathon!

Our Story

Judy Halpern and Rob Spackman have made travel part of their lives together since they first met on a canoe trip in 1990. In addition to many local jaunts, we hit the road in 1994 for a year-long journey to many exoticlands. Travelling mostly by foot and local transport we had the opportunity to visit many 'off-the-beaten-track' communities and connect with very real people. We wrote about our adventures in long, lengthy letters to friends and family who were eager to share in our adventures. We had the time and opportunities to get involved in communities, working with locals, volunteering our muscle, teaching and developing a genuine interest in other lands that lead us to develop Magic Suitcase Tours. Upon our return we pledged to expose our students to some of the opportunities that so enriched our lives. It took some time, organization and logistics, but in 1999 we embarked on our first student trip abroad-to the Kingdom of Nepal. The trip was magical! Since then we have led student trips back to Nepal, Cuba and this coming year to Ecuador. 2003 - 2004 held many more adventures for us as we spent another year abroad, this time adding South America to our roster. We spent 3 months in Peru and Ecuador, researching contacts and projects for future trips. From there we flew back to Nepal, after two weeks in Thailand, to reconnect with the Yholmu community, where our closest ties are. The political situation in Nepal was unstable at that time but that didn't detract from our three-month stay. Upon returning we vowed to expand Magic Suitcase Tours in response to many requests we had from friends and family to share in our adventures.

Code of Ethics

To make your travel a most valuable experience we suggest that you read our 'code of ethics' for travel.