About Us

 Ma Hla Myint, Managing Director

Ma Hla Myint was born in Mawlamyine ( Moulmein ), the capital of Mon State. She has attended Moulmein University and has got her Bachelor of Science degree ( Chemistry ) in 1981. She continued her courses of study in the former capitol of Myanmar where she has received her Bachelor of Science ( Honours ) from Rangoon Arts and  Science university in 1983 and her Master of Science ( Chemistry )  from Yangon university  in 1989.

Ma Hla Myint has worked as a Demonstrator in the  Rangoon Institute of Technology from 1986 to 1990 and from 1990 to 1998 as a Scientist at the Central Research Organisation in Yangon. During these years she has studied part time at the Institute of Foreign Language and obtained a diploma in German language. In 1998 she attended the basic tourism guide training course given by the Ministry of Travels and Tourism and got her tour guide license. Ma Hla Myint has started working as a German speaking tour guide in 1998 and has now fourteen years experience of leading expeditions all around the country.

Her extensive work experience and wide knowledge of the many attractive tourist destinations in Myanmar as well as of the history and culture of her country, makes her one of the most professional and enthusiastic tour guides in Myanmar. Known to her guests as “Ma Hla”, she is admired by many of her numerous happy travelers she has met through the years. She has travelled extensively in her country, as well as in other places around the world such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, China, and in Europe Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Italy and Switzerland.

Ma Hla is fluent in both English and German and speaks some basic Swiss German as well. She is the leading force in our group of friends and is very enthusiastic to contribute with her vast knowledge to the exceptional efficiency of Absolute Exotic Tours.

Han Zaw Zaw, Director of Operations

Han Zaw Zaw, a former seaman, used to be part of the marine crew of river cruise ships.
While traveling on ships around the world, he always thought that his home country Myanmarwas one of the most fascinating destination for tourists as it was still untouched and more rich in its own traditions and culture than its neighboring developed countries.

After eight years of seaman life he decided to return home to start a new career in the tourism and hospitality industry. In early 2005 he began to help his friends from Thurgau Travel, a Swiss tour operator, to set up a river cruise project on the Irrawaddy river, where he is is still working as the operations director of the Swiss-Myanmar management team. He has now several years experience with inbound tour itineraries, package as well as individual and river cruise tours. Han Zaw Zaw is very enthusiastic to join his friends at Absolute Exotic Tours and manage the operation team to ensure a smooth and efficient operation.

                                Peter Kaufmann, Human Resource Manager

Peter was born and raised in Switzerland. After completing the Hotel & Gastro College at Academia Euregio Bodensee in 2007, he received a Swiss state – recognized diploma that enabled him to enter the Hotel Management School. Instead he joined the Swiss army first to become higher officer in food supply and hygiene inspection. He was offered an internship at the family’s river cruise business (Thurgau Travel AG) right afterwards and was trained in customer service and sales management. After completing the internship, he took his first break from home and moved to Australia to attend the University of Wollongong English College for an extensive English course and a Business Communications course at the University of Wollongong. Travelling various countries on the way back home increased his desire to perform a job abroad in the near future. As his sister, Simone, was seeking a successor to continue the operation of the “RV Thurgau Exotic” hand in hand, Myanmar quickly became a new home to him.

He works in the hospitality business ever since to ensure hygiene safety and the highest possible service standard on board the vessels RV Thurgau Exotic 1, 2 and 3. Happy team-work and conclusive crew recruitment and training are among his highest priorities. It is an honor and great pleasure for him to be part of a very well established Myanmar – Swiss relationship and to be assisting Absolute Exotic Tours in administrational and human resource matters.

His mother language is German and Peter speaks fluent English and basic French

Nyonwe Win, Sales & Reservation Manager

Nyonwe graduated from Yangon University with a Master of Science degree in Botany, and obtained a diploma in German Language from the Institute of Foreign Language, Yangon. She was a successful German speaking tour guide with a vast amount of resources and had experience in this field for over seven years. She then decided to join the office team in Yangon of one the biggest European tour operators where she worked as a Sales Executive for another seven years.

Her extensive work experience and wide knowledge of the Myanmar travel industry, and her travel experience in European and Asian countries, gives her a talent to create the most excellent travel itineraries and professional tour operations that fulfill the requirements of all customers. Nyonwe is eager to continue her career in the tourism industry by joining the Absolute Exotic Tours team as Sales and Reservation Manager. With her happy and friendly way, she is looking very much forward to assist our customers when planning their trip to Myanmar.

She is fluent in both English and German.

Simone Kaufmann, Sales & Marketing Manager-Europe

Simone was born and raised in Switzerland. After graduating from the Zurich Business School in 2001, she has received a degree in Business Management and International Freight Forwarding & Logistics. She decided to move to Geneva where she has worked for several companies such as DHL before entering the tourism domain working in the sales and reservation department of an international yacht sailing company.

When she was offered to join her family's business in 2004, she left for South East Asia to work for their travel agency named "Thurgau Travel" as a tour leader on Mekong and Irrawaddy river cruise ships. She went ahead to work as a cruise director aboard several ships on South East Asian and European rivers and also joined Thurgau Travel's sales and reservations department in Switzerland for a year. Her dreams came true when together with her friends and partners in Myanmar she could manage a small river cruise vessel named "RV Thurgau Exotic"..

While she continues her career in the hospitality business it is always her most important priority to fulfill any of her guest’s needs and giving the highest possible service standards to them. Wanting to support her friends of many years in the fascinating country of Myanmar, she is proud to join Absolute Exotic Tours Ltd and taking care of sales and marketing in Europe.

Her mother language is German and Simone speaks fluent English and French and basic Burmese.