Shelly Bunge

I am a travel advisor with an unusual specialty: I am a remote and exotic destination planner. My passion for travel centers on planning soft adventures, encounters with wildlife and non-Western cultures and super-deluxe retreats in remote parts of the world. For 27 years, I led a dual life. In my professional life, I headed the Music Business & Legal Affairs Group at Sony Pictures Entertainment providing musical content for all of Sony’s film and television productions. My job was exciting and rewarding and I loved it! But it was also challenging (as was my partner’s job, as she too was a high profile entertainment lawyer). As such, in my personal life, I planned elaborate itineraries to far-flung, bucket-list destinations and as often as we could, we ventured to remote locales where there was often no phone or internet service to immerse ourselves in nature and seclusion to recharge.

We’ve been to all seven continents at least twice and visited nearly 50 countries. Wherever we go, we seek out the ways to engage with culture and nature, whether it’s joining a tribal ceremony in Papua New Guinea or participating in a Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We love observing wildlife, both on land and underwater, like snorkeling and scuba diving in Palau, Raja Ampat, Indonesia, and the Similan Islands. And of course, we love the Polar Regions, having made four Polar journeys to Antarctica, Svalbard, South Georgia and the Canadian High Arctic and Baffin Island. However, we like to combine our adventures, like swimming with humpback whales in the Silver Bank off the Dominican Republic or temple exploring in Angkor Wat, with a stay at a remote and exclusive hideaway such as one of the Aman or Six Senses resorts.

Several years ago while cruising on a 36-passenger ship in the Kimberley of North Western Australia, a region where few Americas visit, we befriended a U.S. travel professional who was surprised to learn about the extent of our travels, where we’d been as well as the many exclusive resorts we’d stayed. She suggested that if I ever wanted to leave the entertainment business, I should consider a position in the travel industry and she gave me the phone number of the head of Protravel’s western region.  Last year, when I decided to retire from Sony, I made that call. Since I was known at Sony as someone who had “been everywhere” and the go-to person for advice about trips to Africa, the Galapagos or anywhere else exotic, it seemed like the next logical step for me. Despite the fact that I loved researching my own trips, I knew firsthand the value of a good travel agent. I had a trusted advisor who booked all of my travel. Like me, she was well traveled and there was peace of mind knowing she was there for me if I needed help rebooking a canceled flight or with any other issues while on a trip. Plus, as a Virtuoso agent, she provided value-added amenities such as free room category upgrades, spa credits, breakfasts, and other extras and VIP recognition that travelers booking on their own cannot secure.  

I met with Protravel and immediately knew it was the perfect fit for the adventurous and upscale traveler I wanted to serve. Not only is Protravel a Virtuoso agency, but it is also one of the largest and most respected travel agencies in the country and offers significant additional benefits to my clients in terms of vetted suppliers, buying power and clout. I have resources I never imagined and the experience of fellow agents at my fingertips.

As a lawyer and a deal maker, my job was to head off problems before they happened and find solutions that made everyone happy. As a travel advisor, I now apply those same skills and strategic thinking to every trip I plan. I think through every detail so my clients don’t visit a much-anticipated city on the day when five cruise ships are in port or plan a stargazing evening on the night of a full moon. I may suggest shifting your itinerary slightly to catch a fascinating local festival and I know ways to save money and which experiences you will find worth the splurge. I’ve had some extraordinary travel experiences with wildlife and cultural encounters in my lifetime. Sharing those stories and planning trips that will rock your world is what excites me about being a travel advisor.