Donna Bidwell
I'm based in
Lowestoft
It's Nice To Meet You
Hi, I'm Donna based in Oulton, Lowestoft and Welcome to my page
I have over 28 years of working in the travel industry, and have built up experience, a wealth of knowledge and most of all, an enthusiasm and passion for what I do as a travel agent. It is an advantage that I am not bound to any tour operators and neither do I have sales targets. Therefore, it's all about taking care of you and making sure I find you the perfect holiday/travel arrangements.
As your Travel Counsellor, you are assured of fantastic service, wider choice of holidays and an easy and enjoyable experience with exceptional aftercare. Travel Counsellors' award-winning technology enables me to work from home which means you can contact me in the day, evenings or weekends and receive prompt responses from me too.
I take the personal service to the next level, some of the little things I like to do for my customers are forwarding passport information onto the airline, allocating seats and checking my customers in before they fly where possible. If it is a special holiday then I will personally inform the hotel prior to arrival to see if they will do anything special for you; not forgetting always being at the end of the phone day or night if you should need me while away- who else would do all this for you?
If you are thinking of booking a wedding abroad or honeymoon, then you need to speak to me. I am proud of the fact that in the last 11 years, I have arranged 28 overseas weddings for my customers. I love taking care of these special occasions and being there for my customers helping every step of the way, making it an enjoyable, easy, stress-free way of arranging a wedding.
All aspects of your holiday are fully protected 100% of the time - and that's guaranteed. Travel Counsellors offer the best financial protection in the industry and it is offered free of charge to all our customers.
During the Pandemic, I was here for all of my customers and helped each and everyone. I was available day and night via phone, email and what's app to be promptly available for everyone who had bookings with me and needed help and I am still here for everyone who books with me.
Don't be just another booking to a direct operator or nothing more than just a transaction if you book online. That doesn't make you feel special or appreciated. My customers actually matter to me and all of my customers have the reassurance that I personally take care of their holidays and that I am the person they speak to every time.
If this pandemic has shown us anything, it is to make sure you have reassurance when booking your holiday. I am very proud that I am part of a business that has been recognised by Money expert, Martin Lewis, as the best travel company who dealt with cancellations during Covid and won numerous awards for the outstanding service we offer and we are rated 5* on Trustpilot.
I am very active on Facebook and Instagram. To keep up to date with offers, travel updates and generally what I am up to, take a look at my pages and please start to follow me.
If you like the idea of having me arrange your next holiday with peace of mind, I'd love to hear from you. This pandemic has especially shown the true value in having a personal travel counsellor having your back every step of the way.
Travel guides
Explore my guides and blogs
Booking Online VS Booking with me
When booking online, remember it’s a transaction and nothing more! Great if it all goes to plan and no help at all is needed! However, the moment you need any kind of help or guidance, is when you are left feeling alone! A personal travel agent does so much more than any online booking supplier…We care! We genuinely care! A computer can’t do that!! A computer doesn’t appreciate your hard earned
02 Jun 2024 5 min read
A week at Sandals Royal Barbados
Our first holiday abroad without the children in 13 years and it was amazing! I am lucky enough to of visited many Sandals resorts, and I love Sandals but this resort was by far my favorite. I loved Barbados, I love how we could walk out from the hotel and venture to other bars and restaurants and found everything about Barbados to be really lovely. Arriving in to Barbados is a little chaotic as
28 Aug 2023 5 min read
My experience onboard Royal Caribbean UK Cruise, Anthem Of The Seas
I was lucky enough to enjoy a few nights on Board, Royal Caribbeans, Anthem of the Seas this summer. I had been on board the MSC Bellissima for its Launch and also P&O Britannia when this was first launched. So I did have experience being on a few stunning ships. Cruising had never appealed to my husband and there was no chance I would ever have persuaded him to book a cruise, however, When I was
08 Oct 2021 5 min read
Our Majorca holiday during the pandemic
7 Nights staying at Iberostar Ciudad Blanca in Alcudia, All Inclusive I had been promising my daughter, Ashlea a mum and daughter holiday for the last several years. I had done this with Erin when she was younger, so I owed Ashlea a holiday, just the two of us. As I am fully vaccinated and Ashlea is under 12, we didn’t need PCR tests before travel, so it was all relatively easy. We just needed to
01 Oct 2021 5 min read
What does Brexit mean for travel to Europe?
What does Brexit mean for travel to Europe? 17 December 2020 The UK is fast approaching the deadline for Brexit on 31 December 2020. As the date approaches, it's worth thinking about some of the points below to ensure you continue to enjoy seamless travel experiences to Europe. As the UK Government is still in ongoing negotiations when it comes to travel policies, it is important to note that t
17 Dec 2020 5 min read
Family Holiday to Dubai in August
We absolutely love Dubai, however we had never been in August before and I am not going to lie if I said I wasn’t concerned about it being too hot. We had been in June with the children when they were 4 and 6 and they never once complained about it being too hot, so I figured I would risk it. Plus I wanted to be away for my 40th Birthday and Dubai was the perfect choice to spend my special birthda
09 Feb 2020 5 min read
New Zealand 'Family Trip of a lifetime'
At the beginning of last year, I had the pleasure of helping bring to life Katy’s family holiday of a lifetime to New Zealand. Working on this dream holiday was amazing and I got so much pleasure helping to arrange this, knowing how much this meant to them. Katy had a clear vision of what she wanted to do whilst in New Zealand. She had thoroughly researched everything, and it was important to m
30 Jan 2019 5 min read
Family Florida Holiday 2018
This was our second time to Florida. We first went when the children were 5 and 8 years old. My travel blog is also on here for that holiday and my experience of staying in a Disney hotel and going to Florida while the children were a bit younger. This is our second time going when it's Halloween and it's such a great time to go. Being in a villa we could walk around to look at the decorated house
29 Dec 2018 5 min read
Family holiday at Iberostar Club Cala Barca in Majorca
We stayed here for six nights on 26th August 2018. We usually take the children long haul, so we were really looking forward to a short flight and going closer to home. The transfer time was approx. 45 minutes and I had pre-arranged a private car transfer rather than a coach transfer which was much better. The hotel was very clean and tidy, and the staff were very attentive. The entertainment t
06 Oct 2018 5 min read
I pride myself on the service I offer
I take great pride in what I am booking for my customers. I am not on a salary so all the time I spend on people’s enquiries is my own time. I work on commission from suppliers when customers book, so you are assured that I will want to find you the best holiday to suit your requirements. Chances are I am the same price as most operators and I often package the holiday myself to get the best deal.
27 Jun 2018 5 min read
My wedding couple Rory & Katie French - Their thoughts on booking with me
It was the 28th October 2016 that I got the wonderful message from Katie asking me to help her plan their wedding abroad. I remember I got the message on my phone while I was watching my daughter playing her first match for Norwich at the Norwich City training ground and she'd just scored before I started reading the message. I never stop working! I had arranged numerous holidays for Rory and K
23 Mar 2018 5 min read
My personal tips on planning your wedding abroad
I wanted to give a couple of my own personal tips on getting married abroad when it comes to the planning stages. There are many general tips online about getting married abroad, however the difference with my tips are that these are based on things I see often or have arranged so these are personal to me. Tip 1: Think of yourself I often see couples getting too caught up with what their fam
17 Mar 2018 5 min read
Girls Holiday to St Lucia with Mum & the Children
I enjoyed a lovely holiday to St Lucia with my children and my mum. I was a little concerned about the weather due to Hurricane Irma hitting the Caribbean the weeks before and causing a lot of damage to many islands. However, I had nothing to be concerned about, the weather was perfect. It was hurricane season and I always knew this when booking for this time of year, but we were very lucky wit
05 Jan 2018 5 min read
California Trip
My trip to California was truly amazing! I was lucky enough to go with 12 other agents, we all won a cover stars competition for Travel Weekly which is a travel Industry magazine. My whole trip literally felt like I was living a dream. I got to fly in Business class with American Airlines to LA, fly home in Business class with BA, experienced and saw some amazing things and stayed in lovely ho
05 Jan 2018 5 min read
What you get when you book your holiday with me
DID YOU KNOW? When you book your holiday with me, you get the following: - Peace of mind, I always have my customer's back! So important especially these days! It counts for a lot that my customers will always speak to me, I know their booking so they don't need to explain who they are. - I am available 24/7. Can you call/text/email your travel agent late at night and get a prompt reply?
03 Nov 2017 5 min read
Beaches Turks & Caicos
Going to Beaches Turks had been on my bucket list for a while so I was very excited about booking this holiday. We flew with British Airways, the flight went via Antigua to drop off passengers then flew onto Turks after being on the ground for 1 hour. In total, the flying time was 11hrs 35mins, it sounds long and it is but my children aged 7 and 9 were perfect, never got bored and were fully en
27 Jul 2017 5 min read
Dubai Business Trip
I was lucky enough to go on a Travel Counsellors FAM trip to Dubai. This was my fourth time visiting Dubai and yet again Dubai never failed to be anything other than amazing. I also spent several nights in Ras Al Khaimah which I was really excited about because this is an up and coming place which is only an hour from Dubai airport and the prices are much more affordable. Again I was not let do
11 Oct 2016 5 min read
Las Vegas Second Visit
I stayed for four nights at The Encore at the Wynn on a work trip. We flew with Virgin Atlantic on the 9th May 2016. I had a Strip View Suite which was really lovely and spacious. I had always been under the impression that The Wynn and Encore were too far out but this really wasn't the case, it was in a great location opposite a very good shopping mall and a nice walk out from the strip. The buf
28 Aug 2016 5 min read
Family holiday to Florida staying at Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge
This is mainly my tips and views on our holiday rather than going through what we did each day as everyone does their Florida holiday in different ways. We flew with Virgin Atlantic. I had pre booked our seats early to make sure we got upstairs in the aircraft which is much nicer (known as 'The Bubble'). You get served quicker, it's quieter and you can easily go up and get drinks throughout the
28 Aug 2016 5 min read
Sandals Emerald Bay, Exuma Island, Bahamas
On the 4th September 2015 while on a familiarisation trip to Nassau Bahamas, after staying three nights at Sandals Royal Bahamian we flew onto Exuma Islands for a three night stay at Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma. A twin centre between the two resorts was brilliant and having now done this, it is something I would thoroughly recommend for those that wouldn’t mind catching a 45 minute flight to
09 Dec 2015 5 min read
Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort & Offshore Island, Bahamas
On 1st September 2015 I flew from Heathrow to Bahamas on a Sandals educational trip. These trips are familiarisation trips to get to see a hotel and destination. There were 11 of us travel agents and we were very lucky to all be upgraded to Club Class on the British Airways flight. We stayed at Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort and off shore Island on Cable Beach, Nassau. The room type was a
09 Dec 2015 5 min read
My wedding couple Jemma & Aaron Dalley who I arranged their wedding for in Mauritius
Jemma originally contacted me via email after being recommended to me. I called Jemma to discuss things further with her and to get all requirements that I needed. One which stood out to me as being the best option was one which I have booked many people too for Honeymoons was the Heritage Awali Resort & Spa in Mauritius. Once Jemma and Aaron had decided on where they wanted to go. I visited th
14 Jun 2015 5 min read
My wedding couple Sarah & Andy Chilvers Wedding I arranged in Dominican Republic
I wanted to share with you the wedding which I arranged for a beautiful couple who I got to know so well and will always now regard them as friends. They met me while I had a stand at a local wedding fair a few years ago. They knew where they wanted to get married but they wanted to get married ahead of the time that the holidays were on sale, so it was a waiting game for the time of year they wan
08 Jun 2015 5 min read
Jamaica, Beaches Ocho Rios Family Holiday
We stayed at Beaches Ocho Rios on 1st May 2015 for 7 nights. We booked a Greek Beachfront Concierge Terrace suite which looked right onto the beach, we had a huge terrace which was great for the children and having a concierge room meant we also had a fridge of beers and soft drinks, wine and spirits in the room and a coffee maker, which are all replenished daily. I sell a lot of Sandals and B
28 May 2015 5 min read
Las Vegas Trip
On the 19th March 2015, my mother and I had a holiday to Las Vegas and what a superb time we had. I book a lot of holidays for my customers to Las Vegas and it is somewhere my mum had always wanted to go, so I arranged for us to go and thought it was about time I checked out what all the hype was about. We flew with Virgin from Gatwick. I had pre booked our economy seats which I allocated us
29 Apr 2015 5 min read
Family holiday in Dubai
We took the children on an 8 night family holiday to Dubai on 2nd June 2014, staying at the 5* Jumeirah Madinat mina a salam and it was amazing!! We had such a great holiday and I would thoroughly recommend it! We booked with complimentary half-board which gave us access to over 40 restaurants. This was a god send and saved us a lot of money. The hotel itself has a massive variety of restaurants t
22 Jul 2014 5 min read
Abama Golf & Spa Resort, Tenerife
I stayed three nights at the stunning 5* Abama Golf & Spa Resort which is a Ritz Carlton hotel in Guia De Isora (approximately 30 minutes away from the south airport). My daughter and I were welcomed by very friendly staff and the elegance of the hotel was apparent from the moment you step into the grounds. We were offered a glass of champagne and my daughter an orange juice while checking in.
14 Mar 2014 5 min read
Family holiday in Turkey, Fetihye
We were in Fetihye for a family holiday. I love Turkey and was really pleased to be going back. We stayed at the 4* Majesty Tuana Resort, the hotel had also been recommended to me from other people plus Trip Advisor reviews were also very good. The hotel did not disappoint! It was very nice. The rooms weren’t huge and were quite basic but this is generally typical of Turkey. The pools
14 Mar 2014 5 min read
Girlie holiday in Marbella
I had arranged for ten of us girls to go to Marbella for my friends hen do in September 2012 for three nights. We wanted a hotel within Marbella which wasn’t too far from the beach and centre and easy to get to Puerto Banus for the night life, the Hotel Faro Inn didn’t disappoint for this purpose. The rooms were studios and were spacious but basic. As we didn’t spend much time in them this w
14 Mar 2014 5 min read
Disneyland Paris
When we went to Disneyland Paris a few years ago we travelled from Ashford. This is what I book many of my customers, so this year I wanted to travel from Ebbsfleet so that I had another departure area to compare. We stayed the night before at the Holiday Inn Dartford and went to Bluewater that evening for a meal and shopping. We then drove 15 minutes the next morning to Ebbsfleet International wh
04 Mar 2013 5 min read
Lanzarote Holiday with the Children
I booked our holiday for 5 nights which was a lovely duration if you want a holiday but haven’t got enough time for 7 nights or you want to keep the cost lower. We stayed at the 4* Rio Playa Blanca in Playa Blanca, an all-inclusive resort which is approximately 45 minutes on a transfer bus from the airport. I booked a 1 bedroomed apartment for the four of us which included waterpark access as w
25 Oct 2012 5 min read
Beaches Boscobel Resort & Golf club, Jamaica
While I was at Sandals Grande Riviera I also spent time at Beaches Boscobel. Both are owned by the same company but the difference is Sandals is an adults only 'ultra all inclusive' holiday and Beaches is a 'family ultra all inclusive' holiday. As I have a young family of my own, I was very excited about spending time here and to experience it for myself. When staying at Sandals Grande Rivie
31 Jan 2012 5 min read
Sandals Grande Riviera Beach & Golf Villas Resort, Jamaica
I was lucky enough to be invited to the Sandals & Beaches annual STARS awards in Jamaica, this is an awards event to celebrate the top agents, which I am pleased to say I am! What an amazing time I had! We flew from Heathrow and as a treat we were able to use the Heathrow Lounge, which was a very relaxing large area with games room, cinema, spa room, bar with drinks included when you purchas
31 Jan 2012 5 min read
My Wedding at Sandals Antigua
We had such a lovely relaxing wedding at Sandals, just the two of us. We decided to go away to get married because it just made sense to us. A big wedding in England would have cost us the earth and neither of us had ever been interested in getting married here. Plus we have a large network of friends and it was becoming too complicated with who to invite, etc, so we just decided to do it and h
06 May 2011 5 min read
Disneyland Paris Family holiday
What a lovely holiday we have just had, just the four of us. We travelled to Disneyland Paris by Eurostar from Ashford. We stayed the night before at a hotel 5 minutes away which also included the parking which worked out perfect for us. This was my first time on the Eurostar and we were very impressed by how easy and simple it was. We also went Premier select which is equivalent to first cl
17 Mar 2011 5 min read
Family holiday to Costa Dorada
This was our first holiday with the children. Ashlea was 5 months and Erin was nearly 3 years old. We also went with two other families. We stayed at the Golden Avenida Suites in salou and I had requested our rooms to be next door to each other and pool facing, which we got and were very nice and spacious. We stayed on self-catered basis and the cooking facilities were very good. The pool ar
08 Mar 2011 5 min read
Reviews
What my customers say
Videos
Discover the world with me
Our Family Holiday to Turkey with Friends
This summer we had an amazing time on holiday at the 5* Liberty Fabay in Calis, Turkey. If you would like me to arrange your holiday here, do get in touch.
03 Aug 2022
Northern Lights trip from Norwich
I had the pleasure of hosting and 3 night Northern Lights Trip from Norwich and have 36 customers join me. It was amazing! and I can't wait to host next years.
17 Feb 2022
I love this amazing Poem put together for us
I hope you enjoy reliving your travel memories with us as you watch our film, and when you’re ready to travel again I’ll be here for you.
08 Apr 2021
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Let's plan your dream trip together
Tailor-made for you
Your holiday isn’t just a trip away. It’s a longed-for escape, time to reconnect with loved ones, or a dream adventure you never thought possible. That’s why I take the time to truly get to know you and understand your hopes and expectations, then use my experience, connections and passion for the destination to create a trip that makes those dreams a reality.
Personalised service. Always
When you plan a holiday with me, you’ll be given my personal mobile number from the very first call. I’ll listen to your thoughts and ideas like I would a friend and arrange accommodation, activities, and flights that are all personalised to you. And I’ll share my personal tips and recommendations, so you can experience the true beauty of each destination.
Stress-free travel, and more time for what matters most
I believe your time away should be stress-free, easy, and seamless from start to finish. So, I take care of all the details for you - from ATOL protection, insurance, and flexible payments to access to the myTC app, which keeps everything in one place.
Support when it matters most
If the unexpected happens, you can rest easy, knowing that I’ll handle any last-minute changes, flight cancellations, or disruptions before you even pick up the phone. So you always feel happy, carefree, and ready to make the most of every moment.
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