About us
At Temple World we are passionate about travel, about our destinations and about our travellers getting more from their travel than merely a holiday. We are a family company, committed to providing the very best that the world can offer. In this we excel.
After a quarter of a century, we know what makes for a successful journey. It's the knowledge of the country, knowing the best accommodation to suit each customer and knowing the extra features of the destination that only a thorough experience of its location and its people can bring.
This is the basis of our business: an expertise based on really knowing the countries we offer. We've been there - often many times. In some cases we've lived there too, and this is how we know the many small local details which make a holiday run smoothly and add the spark of engagement.
Add to this our truly personal service and you have discovered the secret of our longevity. We are delighted to welcome back our repeat clients time and time again, and are always excited to get to know new clients too, to help turn their travel aspirations into reality.
Our staff
Temple World Ltd was created 25 years ago by David Price-Williams and his wife Sue. Today we are proud still to be a family business, with daughter Alice now also on board.
David Price Williams
David is an archaeologist by training, and has worked on classical sites all over the Middle east, in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. He also lived and worked in Swaziland for ten years, leading an archaeological research project examining the impact of climate change on populations, and in Turkey, excavating the ancient site of Knidos on the Datca peninsula.
Since starting Temple World, David has led tours all over Southern Africa, with his favourites being Namibia and Botswana. He is a keen amateur photographer and knows the local and latin names of virtually every Southern African bird and plant. His own travels have taken him to India, Japan, Micronesia and the USA and Canada including New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Ottawa and Montreal. He speaks SiSwati and Turkish, and with his enviable archaeological expertise he is our 'cultural consultant' for those who would like their holidays with and educational element.
Sue Price Williams
Sue was born in cosmopolitan Alexandria, Egypt, then moved to Swaziland, Southern Africa, where she grew up on a remote farm. As an adult she has travelled extensively all over the African continent: North (Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt) East (Kenya and Tanzania) and South (Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique,Zambia and of course South Africa), with her most recent and so far favourite destination being Madagascar.
She has driven overland from London to Istanbul via Belgium, Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia (now Slovenia and Serbia) and Bulgaria, and her independent travels in Europe include Italy, France, Greece, Spain, Croatia and Malta, with dozens of visits to explore Turkey. Sue also knows and loves the Middle East, and even spent her honeymoon in Syria & Jordan. Her latest passion is for South America, with Ecuador and Argentina being favourites, but finds Antarctica the most outstanding.
Alice Burns
Alice grew up on her parents' archaeological dig in Swaziland, and has a passion for Africa which keeps luring her back. She has spent years travelling the globe, including living and working in Australia, and on both the East and West coasts of the USA. Alice has travelled overland through the whole of Southern Africa, most of South East Asia, right across America and into Mexico and throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Her love of the underwater world has taken her to some of the world's top dive destinations such as the Maldives, French Polynesia and the Galapagos. She has trekked in Nepal, photographed Orangutans in Borneo, sampled tea in Sri Lanka, snorkelled with Whale sharks in Mozambique, and recently took her baby with her on safari.
Alice earned her travel industry spurs in Trailfinders and then Abercrombie & Kent before joining the family travel business three years ago.
Jane Smith
Jane, the daughter of an airline pilot, has travel in her blood. Born in Beirut, she spent her formative years in Kenya. Jane lived in Australia for 10 years and has travelled extensively in the region, with a love for the beautiful Barrier Reef islands. She joined Temple World 13 years ago from Air Namibia, where she had the opportunity to travel throughout Southern Africa and fall in love with Namibia itself.
Travel is Jane's hobby as well as her career, and her independent travels have also taken her to Canada, Alaska and the Panama Canal. Recent highlights have been several trips to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, with a visit to Madagascar planned and eagerly looked forward to this year.
Jane Banks
Jane has worked part-time for Temple World for over 15 years. Her travels have taken her all over Europe, including Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Italy, France, Bulgaria and communist Russia, as well as further afield, to the USA, Egypt, Jordan, South Africa and India. Jane and her husband have two intrepid young children, and her experiences on the road with them are invaluable in helping us to choose exciting and practical destinations and hotels for our 'family holiday' portfolio.
