Paddington Tucker founded Travel e-Sense in 2002. Before that he attained a Masters in Slavonic and Eastern European history, literature and languages at both Glasgow University and UCL, taught in English and Czech secondary and language schools, and worked as a freelance radio journalist in Prague. He speaks fluent Czech, German and Russian. He became involved with Africa because of his family's connection with Legend Lodges' Entabeni Private Game Reserve, which at that time was looking for European marketing. He has extensive travel industry contacts in Europe, Africa, North America and Asia, and experience in promoting luxury hotels to the world's top tour operators.

In the late 1990s Penny Hooper taught English in China, before studying English and European Literature at the University of Warwick. After travelling in south-east Asia, South America, and southern Africa Penny became a tour leader for Explore Worldwide, working in destinations as diverse as the French Dordogne and Djibouti. While tour-leading she spent over 9 months in Morocco and 6 months in South Africa, touring the Cape and Garden Route, KwaZulu Natal, Swaziland and Kruger NP. Penny speaks French and German. On returning to the UK she worked for Expert Africa (formerly Sunvil Africa) for 2 years, specialising in Tanzania, Zanzibar and northern Mozambique. She joined Paddington in April 2007 and is responsible for serving the UK, Ireland and France.