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This is our recipe foR
Unforgettable Expeditions

Incredible Island survival adventures are built on three key ingredients:

First, take one stunning uninhabited tropical island. We meticulously search the world looking for the perfect islands for your adventure

Then sprinkle in the world’s best bushcraft instructors who are not just supremely talented at teaching survival but also possess the soft skills to ensure everyone has their best adventure.

Finally, we ice the cake with an invisible safety net allowing you to safely walk the tightrope of adventure without feeling like your experience is contrived.

“We walk the tightrope of challenge and fun, leaving you with the feeling that you had a fantastic time and achieved something incredible, promise!”

Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Founder of DIS

What makes our trips special?

It’s simple, really. We’re passionate about curating unforgettable adventures that strike the perfect balance between learning skills, challenging yourself and having fun. Our expeditions are designed to get you as close to the real experience of living on a desert island as possible, while still ensuring that you stay safe and enjoy yourself. You will discover the thrill of reconnecting with your primal human nature in a breathtaking island setting.

Responsible travel

We’re not only focused on providing an amazing experience for our castaways. We’re also dedicated to the preservation and protection of the pristine locations we operate in, ensuring we leave no trace of our presence on the island and being mindful of resource depletion. We manage our fishing practices to ensure sustainability and avoid harmful any practices that involve any unnecessary bycatch. We also take great pride in supporting the local economy.

The Desert Island Survival Team

Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Founder

Meet Tom Williams, the founder of Desert Island Survival, winner of the TV survival show Alone UK 2023 and one of our expert instructors. With a passion for island life and adventure, Tom leads four of our expeditions annually when he’s not exploring new islands. 

His love for expeditions started in colder climates when in 2010 he won a 367-mile race to the North Pole. He has cycled over the Andes, sailed 8,000 miles and is a snowboard instructor and dive master.

in 2023, Tom participated in the prestigious TV survival competition Alone, lasting as long as possible completely solo in the Canadian wilderness with no food and only a handful of survival items.

To learn more about Tom’s journey and the origins of Desert Island Survival, check out his website.

Tom Williams

Layla Kyle-Hopkins

Operations Director

Layla Kyle-Hopkins is our Operations Director and the driving force behind the scenes, ensuring everything runs smoothly. With a deep passion for travel and nature, and a home base in Colombia’s “most beautiful town,” Barichara, she’s devoted to crafting unforgettable experiences.

Meet our exceptional instructors

You won’t find bravado and chest-beating here. Years of wilderness living ensures our instructors are both exceptionally competent yet humble individuals.

An inspiring instructor is not just about world-class bushcraft skills. It’s about their soft skills, their ability to read a group, to curate a fun learning environment and nurture camaraderie, ingenuity and resilience within the tribe. 

We invite you to meet these great humans face to face and experience firsthand the difference that a great instructor can make. Our islands are amazing, but its this lot that will make your trip unforgettable.

Tom Williams

Tom McElroy

Expedition Leader and Bushcraft Instructor | Panama & Tonga

Tom Williams

Nicholas Simmons

Expedition Leader and Bushcraft Instructor | Indonesia

Tom Williams

Naomi Aldwyn-Allsworth 

Expedition Leader and Bushcraft Instructor I Panama & Philippines I Featured in Alone

Tom Williams

Jade Bielski

Expedition Leader and Bushcraft Instructor I Panama & Philippines

Tom Williams

Gaz Lloyd

Expedition Leader and Bushcraft Instructor I Panama & Philippines

Tom Williams

Azrael Renee Nickens

Assistant Bushcraft Instructor | Panama

Tom Williams

Don coron

Assistant Bushcraft Instructor | Philippines