Nolie Barnes

Founder & Travel Advisor

Having spent the better part of her career in healthcare, Nolie had an epiphany in 2014 after a long vacation to Greece. While her work in healthcare was both interesting and rewarding, it left her with little time to pursue her passion: travel. This passion came long ago when she took her first trip to Italy in 8th grade. The sense of freedom and wonder for adventure that she gained on that trip never left her and she always enjoyed planning detailed trip itineraries for family and friends.  

In 2017 she started by organizing European escapades for her and her girl friends. As these trips grew in popularity, Nolie was off traveling more and more frequently, with her family and friends always wondering “where was she off galavanting to next?” It was through these luxurious ladies' trips filled with adventure, friendship and lots of wine that Galavant Travels was born. While the enterprise has grown to become a full-fledged, luxury travel consultancy, the roots of “galavanting” remain as strong as ever. Galavant aims to provide its clients with a luxury, bespoke travel experience that maintains a feeling of adventure and approachability.

Sara Manners

Travel Advisor and Host

Sara developed an early love for travel as her parents took her on trips across the world. This love turned into a passion when she traveled to 16 European countries in 18 months. From the Swiss Alps to the waters of the Mediterranean, the vibrant tulip fields in the Netherlands to the rolling hills of Ireland, Sara reveled in the beauty and diversity of each destination. She immersed herself in the cultures of cities like Paris and Barcelona, and discovered hidden gems like quiet vineyards in Tuscany.

As her passion for travel grew, so did her appetite for adventure, exploring places like Africa, Hong Kong, Hawaii, and the Caribbean.

Sara's meticulous attention to detail, honed through her background in accounting brings peace of mind to travelers embarking on new adventures. Inspired by her own travel experiences, she is eager to use her knowledge and expertise to create the perfect itinerary tailored to your preferences.

Niki Scott

Travel Consultant and Galavant Host

After a successful mortgage banking career, Niki was offered the chance to retire early. She quickly found herself looking for opportunities beyond the corporate world and in this period of exploration, she decided to go on a ladies Galavant with Nolie. She quickly realized that working in the travel industry would be the perfect way to spend her retirement.

With a keen eye for detail and a natural leadership and charm, Niki found her perfect match in designing and leading trips for Galavant. She takes great care in crafting exceptional itineraries that encompass both familiar and undiscovered experiences, ensuring each journey is nothing short of extraordinary.

Tracey Deal

Galavant Host

Even before she took her first steps Tracey’s family relocated to Paris, France in support of her parents’ careers at the American Embassy.  Lee and Ellora Carle’s love for travel set the stage for their only daughter’s life-long desire for exploration.  Those early years truly solidified Tracey’s insatiable love for world-wide travel and adventure.  Speaking fluent French and deeply understanding the French culture made it so much easier for her to criss-cross the many European borders by any and all modes of transportation available and mostly “just for fun.”

As a young adult during Medical School at the University of Virginia, Tracey and her friends backpacked through Western and Eastern Europe continuing her need to better understand the many cultures and geographic wonders that is our world.

Throughout Tracey’s 30-year career as a physician and Senior Partner at Pediatric Associates, PC, she and her children continued to roam the world in search of new and rewarding life experiences.  Most recently, Tracey and her children spent their last New Year’s together (2025) from the deck of a 16-person, private yacht cruising an amazing eco-conscious wildlife adventure in and around The Galapagos Islands!  Her bucket list continues with such destinations as Iceland (to experience the Northern Lights up close and personal), Croatia, Morocco, and the Seychelles  just to name a few! She is excited to share her passion for traveling with others.  As a travel advisor Tracey will serve as a lead for our hosted trips referred to as “galavants”.  

Alexandra Barnes

Travel Advisor

After graduating in 2017 from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce, Alex began a career as a Product Manager, building software products at a number of tech companies including Twitter and Coinbase. With her background in business, skills in technology and passion for travel, she always dreamed of building her own business centered around travel. Excited by the business Nolie was building with Galavant, Alex saw an opportunity to scale the custom trip planning side of the business while Nolie continued to lead Galavants all over the world. Alex joined Galavant as a Partner & Managing Director, leading the custom travel side of the business.