A travel agent’s top five tips for tours
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It’s set, you’re going on a holiday…finally! A two-week trip to the Caribbean Islands—what a dream.
You hop on the internet and you do a Google search. You find a hotel and some accompanying tours. The photos look incredible, and the reviews don’t seem too bad either. A couple of questionable ones, but you can’t please everyone.
It’s time to go and you’re so excited! Except truthfully, the flight was a bit of a downer. In reality, three stopovers at six hours each weren’t ideal—but it’s okay because you’re finally here!
You get to your hotel room and your heart sinks a little. It’s a shoebox. Judging by the state of the bedsheets, they haven’t been washed for about five years. The bathroom is mouldy, the walls are paper thin and there’s a pungent odour—the source of which you’re trying really hard not to think about. A cockroach scurries across the floor…
‘Well, it’s not like we’re going to be spending much time here anyway, right?’ you nervously laugh to your partner.
But your tours don’t get much better. Your guide, Alejandro, barely speaks a word of English. You’re worried the boat you’ve booked might not actually make it back to shore. And judging by your gut, you’re 90% sure you’re going to see the seafood you just sampled again very soon.
It’s an experience many of us know too well. Especially if you’re a small-town gal like myself, who is currently trying to book a holiday in a far-off, non-English-speaking country.
The internet is a great thing, but it can also be very misleading, particularly when it comes to holidays. Remember, it’s not unheard of for hotels to write their own TripAdvisor reviews.
Cue Jamison Plaza Travel Associates–the ladies you should be speaking to before booking your next holiday. Located at the Ricardo’s café entrance, their brand-new, light-filled office is both welcoming and spacious, providing the perfect blank canvas to book the holiday of your dream.
The Jamison Plaza Travel Associates Team.
Their team is made up of seven experienced, professional women who have lived and worked all over the world, and share a passion for travel and a common bond in seeking out authentic travel experiences.
Travel experience lies at the heart of everything they do and they have a whopping 40 years between them to prove it. Even their email signatures outline their years in the industry and number of countries visited. And trust me, it’s a lot.
“We have an extraordinary variety of backgrounds that enable us to share our knowledge with our customers,” says Senior Store Manager, Thea Bainbridge.
“Using our experience, our team are able to provide invaluable first-hand advice to book you the trip of a lifetime. “
“We also have a huge network of consultant and wholesaler knowledge that can’t be found online. It’s a valuable resource that you can only access by spending time with us, and it’s so worth it,” she adds.
Alongside saving you from holiday disasters, Jamison Plaza Travel Associates are also dedicated to ensuring they book you a holiday that’s completely tailored to, well, YOU.
“We love to hear our clients’ stories, reasons and motivations for travel to ensure we find the right arrangements for each person and be a part of their travel journeys year after year,” says Thea.
“We’ll give you our undivided attention to ensure we develop our very best value recommendations and specialised suggestions of things to see, do, eat and participate in.”
In fact, the team gets to know their clients so well that they’ve even been invited to many an engagement party, wedding, christening and birthday of their clients, and vice versa.
Another bonus of booking via the Travel Associates team means you have a trusted go-to source in case of any travel emergencies.
“Just this morning one of our agents had a client contact us from the Greek Isles as there is a storm warning and strong winds that have meant all ferries are cancelled for at least the next three days,” says Thea.
“Not only have we spoken to the client for the personal reassurance they needed that everything will be okay, we have also organised additional accommodation until the winds pass, as well as a connecting flight to Athens so that they do not miss their International flight back to Australia.”
“This is exactly why we’re here.”
Of course, in preparation for my honeymoon next year, I had to ask Thea where the most underrated holiday destination is.
“Even only a few years ago, the Cook Islands were a very well-kept secret,” she says.
“The ease of direct flights, a charming local community, stunning white sands and crystal-clear ocean vistas mean people who do visit do not want to share either! Aitutaki with its over water bungalows, tropical cocktail offerings, and lush green palms must be experienced at least once in your lifetime.”
Sorted.
Travel Associates’ Top Five Travel Tips
- You must have least six months remaining on your Australian passport from the date you’re due to return to Australia
- When you’re packing, lay everything you plan to take out on the bed – halve it, and halve it again before trying to put it in the suitcase!
- When in the USA, always bring $1 bills with you for tipping and carry them in a separate purse as all cash notes in the States are the same size and colour
- Always put a fresh change of outfit in your carry-on luggage, so if your checked luggage is delayed you are able to continue your plans
- A good quality multi-country power adaptor is one of the best investments you will make. And a power board to ensure you have enough plugs is always an option
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