Travelling Vicariously

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Reviews

It's the end of the summer & I'll be updating my blog soon. In the meantime, some lovely reviews from my satisfied clients:

EVERYONE! RAVE Reviews!!A HUGE Thank You to Nicola Leyland for organising our Greek Holiday, it was FAB!!! Nicola, you established what we wished our perfect holiday to be, including likes, dislikes, budget, times, and hotel/amenities, etc. Your recommendations of destinations ALL fitted the bill. You understood exactly what we imagined for our holiday, and offered us choices that we wouldn't have found to choose for ourself. It was a goody bag of options!Very excited, we set off to the beautiful harbour resort of Parga...a most MARVELLOUS surprise awaited us, all of it was PERFECT! And, we WILL be going backThank You Nicola, your expertise is admired, and certainly who can think that having everything from start to finish arranged for you from finding the destination, sorting the budget,accommodation, flights, transfers, isn't an amazing bonus??! Guys, I can't think of another way to arrange your next holiday. Well done to you Nicola, Brilliant work! I have been telling everyone of you, and Parga! THANKS.

[vicarioustravel]

Overlanding Canada

I’ve been busy with Canada this year, helping to design three very exciting itineraries. My cousins will return home next week from a meticulously arranged a six week itinerary including;

an RV rental for a tour of the Rockies

                               A holiday home in Tofino, Vancouver Island

                                      And time with friends in Toronto

All with a 3yr old and 1yr old in tow. My hunch is that they have had the most unforgettable adventure. I can’t wait to get the low down.

In September three couples are travelling together for a special experience.  From East to West, they will fly into Halifax and spend the first few days on a private fishing tour on the Miramichi River, to be followed by visits to Quebec, Toronto, the Rocky Mountains by train, Vancouver and Tofino. I have enjoyed tying together all of the elements of this magnificent journey.

Back in my truck driving days, I was fortunate to lead the Mexico to Alaska six week tour. What a colourful trip this was – one of my absolute favourites. Dramatic, contrasting national parks offering the ultimate outdoor exploits, we were all surprised by the beauty and inspiration to be found in these landscapes.  I also loved the trip back down south with a new group, familiar landscapes, and fresh observations.

Let me know if you’ve had some great times in Canada, or if you’d like some ideas to help you get there one of these days?

[vicarioustravel]

[vicarioustravel]

A small glimpse of paradise

My recent trip to The Seychelles and Abu Dhabi was a most excellent adventure. I travelled with a young and lively group of travel agents and with two hosts - Dominic from Kempinski hotels, and Kofi from Etihad airlines.

The trip started on a high note with my economy seat 39D boarding pass being torn up and replaced with business seat 2B. Access to the business lounge was a rare treat, and the ice was broken over a glass of champagne (yes, the first of many), and a complimentary head massage. The service and comfort of the entire journey was lovely, and arriving at 3am to warm Abu Dhabi suited me well.

With 24 hours in Abu Dhabi, there was time to explore and get lost in the vast and magnificent Kempinski Emirates Palace hotel. The 1.3km beach front and two lovely pools were high points for me and the dinner at Mezlai was pleasing and entertaining.

There is more to The Seychelles than the exclusivity and privacy I had envisaged. I loved our first drive across Mahe, up winding hill passes, through charming villages and with seascapes to melt the heart. Mahe is indeed a spectacular island. The Kempinski is a gem of a hotel, beautifully located on Baie Lazare, encircled by massive granite stones and a private beach. Once again the hosting was exemplary with a selection of coconut cocktails, lemongrass martini's and wonderful dining experiences with a fusion menu of flavours of the Indian Ocean.

And on, to the finale. A light aircraft transfer across to private Island Denis was dreamy; pure magic. The crazy landing onto the grass strip was our introduction into another world, a wonderful, isolated and romantic world in which I could have stayed forever.

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I have been working on a honeymoon in paradise this week, and whilst there are still several destinations on the table, the current favourite combination is a week in the Maldives followed by three nights in Dubai. I hope one week beachside luxury is sufficient post wedding relaxation, as I know the bride and groom are planning a more lively time in Dubai.

      I’m no expert when it comes to luxury, with my history of tour - leading camping trips. I’m all for improving my knowledge and expanding my experiences though. This week the opportunity arose to enter a draw at Travel Counsellors for an educational trip to stay in luxurious hotels in Abu Dhabi and The Seychelles, courtesy of Etihad Airways.

You just know what’s going to come next don’t you?

Well, I was the lucky one, and in two weeks I will be jetting off to stay at the Kempinski Emirates Palace, followed by Kempinski Seychelles and Denis Island Seychelles, for a grand total of five nights.

                  I can’t believe it, me, on that beach, it seems so unlikely.

[vicarioustravel]

In praise of Chipping Norton

I have the great fortune of living in a tiny village a stone’s throw from Chipping Norton; beautiful rural Oxfordshire. My family & I enjoy the rural life; taking pleasure in country walks, finding streams to float boats, and counting cows. We have a patch of land where fruit trees, grape vines, plenty of veg grow, and a collection of happy hens roam about. Watching over this idyllic scene is a trio of guardians, Bert, Betty & Bumble.

On rare occasions we seek out a touch of light culture, maybe a new release at the local film club, a show at Chippy theatre, panto at Christmas. Well to be honest that’s about it. 

How very thrilling then to learn of Chiplitfest, (est 2012), A cornucopia of culture on our doorstep. 

Yes this will wake those lazy brain cells, fire the imagination and remind us that we belong to a wider and more cerebral world. I hurriedly raced off to Chippy in April 2012 to bag tickets for a variety of kids and adults events. So appreciative was I of this marvellous influx of sophistication that when the opportunity arose to sponsor the event in 2013, I stuck up my hand.

So bring it on Chippy! Save this rural family from an otherwise primitive, provincial future, fill our heads with fine stories and a little bit of refinery.

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What I do

I am an independent travel consultant.

I design and create itineraries for my clients.

From: a simple ferry hop over to Europe teamed with rental cottages, holiday parks or hotels.

To: A tailor made tour to The Antipodes, USA, Canada, the Far East and the rest of the world.

I can advise on and book a whole variety of services, trains, ferries, flights, cruises, hotels and holiday homes.

I take pride in going the extra mile for my clients to create the perfect itinerary to suit their needs exactly. I am proud that so many of my loyal customers make it their business to recommend my services to their friends and family. My regular clients understand that the hotels and tour companies I use pay my fees, and they don’t have to. It costs the same to book through me as to book services directly with hotels and other suppliers, but can save you hours of research and you benefit from the 100% financial protection provided by Travel Counsellors.

I provide no obligation quotations, so don’t be afraid to get in touch!

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I have always had a passion for travel and adventure and have worked in the travel industry for more than twelve years. Before joining the industry I liked nothing better than buying a flight ticket and letting the adventure unfold. My free spirited wanderlust led me to leave the academic world of Oxford and follow my heart’s desire to experience as much of the world as I could.

I spent an amazing five years working for Dragoman as an overland truck driver & tour leader; based around the world with two years in East and Southern Africa,  a couple of years in North, Central and South America,  and lots of time in the Middle East and North Africa as well as a brief (but unforgettable) spell in India. I met my now husband on the USA-Mexico border and kept him by my side for the last couple of years.

Returning to the UK, I found employment with Audley Travel (based in Witney), working in the Africa and Middle East team. I thoroughly enjoyed playing my part in this very successful local travel company; I also gained comprehensive skills as a travel advisor and tour operator.                                                                                                                                                                                  

In 2011 I decided to follow my heart’s desire once more and take the big step into the unknown world of self-employment, and I joined Travel Counsellors as a franchisee. I’m proud to say that my business is growing in turnover and reputation, I’m proud to be one of the travel counsellors who have 100% 10 out of 10 on customer feedback for the past 12 months.