Carol Cumes and Mark Hennessy were born in South Africa and both had the fortune to grow up experiencing and enjoying the wilds of South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana. For over 20 years they have been involved in travel in a variety of roles including the managing of a tour company and major corporate conventions.

After graduating as a teacher, Carol spent a year living in Israel and traveling extensively in Europe. She moved to California with her family in 1975 where she trained in yoga, shamanic studies, flower essences and meditation. She established Magical Journey, a travel company offering authentic sacred tours to open-minded people of all ages. Carol began arranging and leading tours, first to South Africa and then her passion drew her to focus on Peru where she has been arranging and conducting ‘Journeys’ ever since.

Coming in to close contact with the Quechua people of the Andes, particularly those in the remote mountain villages, Carol became fascinated by their spiritual traditions and culture and found that she was learning much of great value from their wisdom. In order to share the values of this knowledge and wisdom with the wider world, she wrote the book, Journey to Machu Picchu – Spritual Wisdom from the Andes.

In 1995 Carol moved to Peru and began building Willka T'ika Guest House. In 2009 Carol wrote her second book ‘Chakra Gardens – Opening the Senses of the Soul’, based on her experiences in cultivating the magnificent gardens at Willka T’ika. This book has earned Carol Several Golden Writer’s awards.

Mark, after graduating from University with a Mathematics degree, went to sea as a Naval Officer. After ten years he joined a major computer company where he rose through a marketing career to a top executive position in charge of Business Strategy and Development. His interest in the creative approach to 'real life' problems led him into many fields of thought and practice including Yoga and meditation techniques, unusual for a businessman. Mark maintains his belief that ideas and life practices only have value if they can be applied and tested in practical day-to-day living something that he did in his executive and management roles. He first came to Peru on a Salkkantay Wilderness Adventure in 1995 and since then has been assisting Carol on her tours and handling the business management of Magical Journey. When not in Peru, he lives in South Africa. He brings a life long love and experience of wild places and a "feet on the ground" influence to Magical Journeys.