Brent Olson’s Journal

Raised in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Brent began his life of travel soon after graduation from Iowa State University, roaming extensively in Europe and the Middle East, working on an archeological dig in Jerusalem, eventually discovering his deep personal connection with Bhutan. Settling in San Francisco, Brent brought his extensive knowledge of Bhutan to Geo Ex in 1985.

Brent Olson is one of the few Westerners to have lived in Bhutan (he worked with its government in the creation of a photographic archive of the country’s rich artistic heritage). A veteran of 30 (and counting) trips to the remote Himalayan kingdom, member of the advisory board of the American Bhutan Council (in addition to a number of Bhutan related board memberships) he is unquestionably one of the United States’ ranking experts on Bhutan. Brent has presented numerous slide shows and talks on Bhutan around the country, including a slide presentation for the Smithsonian Institution seminar on Bhutan at the Textile Museum in Washington, DC.

Since then, Brent has created and led numerous treks and tours all over the kingdom, and forged close friendships with a wide variety of Bhutanese, from villagers to the royal family. His devotion to Bhutan is mirrored in the unique quality of his itineraries, which are designed to highlight and support the country’s determination to maintain its proud culture.

Due to Brent’s unique and comprehensive knowledge of the kingdom, GeoEx has been successful in planning and operating trips to Bhutan for such prestigious organizations as The Asia Society, The Textile Museum of Washington, DC, Dr. Robert Thurman and Tibet House, The California Academy of Sciences, The Society for Asian Art, The Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, The World Wildlife Fund, The Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard, The National and Pacific Crest Outward Bound organizations and the American Museum of Natural History to name a few. Brent’s unique travel knowledge and experience has been recognized by Conde Nast Traveler magazine where he has been repeatedly named as one of the Top Travel Specialists.