Sent by Catherine B
Walton on Thames 22/04/2024
A treat having someone understand my requirements and finding a holiday to suit. Thank you
Based in Walton-on-Thames
Laura Hood
Available for new enquiries
It's Nice To Meet You
Hi, thank you for visiting my page.
My name is Laura, I live in Walton on Thames with my husband and two young children.
I have been in the travel industry for over fifteen years as consultant and manager for an award winning travel agency based in London's West End and Kensington. I specialise in arranging long haul tailor-made premium travel. I have always put my customers first and have a great understanding of what it takes to put together the perfect trip.
It is difficult to pick a favourite destination. Over the years I have been fortunate to stay in some of the world’s best hotels and fly with some of the world’s best airlines. I have canoed by mokoro on the Okavango Delta and cruised to the Alaskan fjords. I have helicopter hopped around New Zealand and cycled down 'Death Road' in La Paz. I have sipped cocktails in the Maldives, watched sunsets in the Seychelles and in more recent years meandered down lazy rivers with two toddlers in tow.
I love getting to know my clients and finding out about their holidays and what has inspired their latest travel plans. I make suggestions to match your requirements after taking the time to listen to what you really want, a step beyond the capabilities of the world wide web!
My priority as a travel counsellor is to put you first. From your initial enquiry until you return home I am only ever a phone call away. When booking with me, I am proud to offer further peace of mind that all of you money is 100% protected under the Travel Counsellors Financial Trust or ATOL. So, if it is that once in a life time trip, family holiday or business flight you are looking for then let me make all of the arrangements for you, stress free.
What are you waiting for? Let’s start planning!
Contact Me
Whatever your holiday needs I'm here to help you, so simply give me a call or send me an email with your contact details on and I can get things started for you:
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My Blog
I absolutely live and breathe travel and I love to write about my experiences! Please take a look through my posts - you might find your own holiday inspiration.
Memories of The Maldives
01 October 2022
It is hard to pick a favourite destination but the Maldives is definitely up there! I was a cynic before. Is the water really that turquoise, the sand so white? It was time to go and see for myself. So we visited Six Senses Laamu for 10 nights of pure luxury. From Male international airport you will be transferred by sea plane, speed boat or domestic flight to your chosen resort. We took a flight to Laamu’s Kadhdhoo airport. The short 35 minute flight gave us an incredible birds eye view of the stunning Maldives Archipelago and I could not wait to dip my toes in the beautiful blue water. The best time to visit is between November and April. We went at the end of April beginning of May and got warm sunny days, the odd short sharp shower and great value. We stayed in a Lagoon Water Villa giving us direct access to the ocean. It was perfect for cooling off after spending the afternoon sun bathing on our private deck. Every afternoon we would snorkel around the lagoon from our room. My mouth is watering as I am writing this! Thinking about Zen, my favourite Japanese restaurant. Also worth a mention is the famous ice cream and sorbet parlour. We were challenged to sample all of the 48 flavours on our first day. We needed to eat nearly five ice creams a day, of course the challenge was gladly accepted! As well as ice cream my other holiday guilty pleasure is normally a spa treatment or two. At the spa you have your own private nest which are dotted along the beach and each treatment is specifically tailored to you. My favourite was the Balinese Massage, I don’t think I have ever felt so relaxed! Believe it or not the Maldives is not all about relaxing. Six Senses offer all sorts of activities from cooking classes, chocolate making to learning to scuba dive. My favourite activity was hiring a catamaran and sailing out to sea whilst watching the turtles pop up to take a breath. Next time, I plan to visit between June and August to view turtles hatching. Oh and the answer to my questions, yes the water is turquoise and sand so white. The pictures have not been photoshopped! If you would like to see for yourself, or like me are already a Maldives enthusiast please get in touch, I would love to plan your next trip!
My customer stories
Sent by P Reay
Surbiton 22/04/2024
Very helpful service to find a holiday tailored to us.
Sent by Helen B
Henley on Thames 27/03/2024
We already love you and the super efficient service you provide. Thank you.
Sent by A Jackson
Hampton 18/03/2024
Our Travel Counsellor, Laura Hood, manages all our travel arrangements with seamless ease. We are delighted with her service and advice.
Sent by A Handa
Leeds 06/03/2024
Laura was so flexible in accommodating our requests, understanding the significance of the trip in terms of cost and meaning to us.
Sent by Zoe T
Walton on Thames 06/03/2024
Laura's knowledge and experience was priceless when we wanted to book our Family holiday to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. We had a vague idea of what we wanted to do and Laura was able to suggest the places to visit/activities that our teenager Daughters would be interested in. She drew up a couple of different tour options with different activities and in different price brackets. She was able to answer any questions we had and made the changes we wanted for our tour. We are all very excited for this trip with our youngest Daughter telling me each day how many days til we fly!
Sent by Kirsty S
Salisbury 04/03/2024
Laura is very friendly, professional and patient with my many questions!! I would have no hesitation in recommending her!
Sent by Robert Robinson
Marlborough 21/02/2024
My wife and I have just returned from a holiday in Sri Lanka and Maldives arranged by Laura Hood.She has planned many wonderful holidays for us, and her excellence was certainly continued.
Her advice and consultation during the ‘planning stages’ was most helpful and thorough, her attention to detail was superb and several ‘small’ issues that we weren’t aware of were addressed early and this was appreciated during the trip. She has a great personal touch and always takes time when speaking with us and we are always made to feel that we are ‘important!’
We had a bespoke guided tour in Sri Lanka, from the pick-up to drop off at Colombo Airport everything went according to her comprehensive plan.
Choice of hotels was excellent especially on The Maldives which was her strong personal recommendation.
Laura has always kept in touch between booking and departure.She made sure, again at an early stage, that we were aware of all medical and visa requirements. She was in contact immediately prior to departure and on return, for feed-back to ensure that we had a good time
She has a high degree of personal attention and a ‘nothing is too much trouble’ approach. This together with a very pleasant personality ! I can’t recommend her highly enough!
Robert Robinson
Sent by R Neal
London 10/05/2023
Laura was amazingly helpful in organising our holiday to Mauritius. Our two daughters (in their early twenties) wanted something different for this year's summer break and Laura came up with some wonderful options to choose from. Lovely and easy to talk too and understanding our needs.
Sent by Tracey B
Wiltshire 10/05/2023
Laura was really helpful and very quick to respond.
Sent by Timothy M
Salisbury 10/05/2023
Very helpful and insightful. Thank you very much for all your help.
Sent by I Thomas
Hertfordshire 10/05/2023
Great service from start to finish.
Sent by A Jackson
Hampton 27/04/2023
Laura provided us with friendly, efficient travel advice at a good price. Nothing further to add - as simple as that !
Sent by James A
Salisbury 27/04/2023
Laura has not only been very patient through the whole process but has provided us with great guidance and recommendations thanks for all your help
Sent by Sue E
Salisbury 26/04/2023
Wonderful experience from start to finish. So quick and efficient and everything I could have wished for. I shall definitely use this service for my next trip. Thank you so very much.
Sent by Bob R
Wiltshire 26/04/2023
I cannot recommend Laura highly enough. Not only is she highly competent in arranging holiday itineraries, but also has an extremely pleasant and helpful personality. Her travel plans always include personal touches to ensure great trips. She always spends time to ensure that our holidays are memorable from start to finish. Nothing is too much trouble for her. I have always been made to feel that we, as the customer, are the most important item.
Sent by Ben M
Poole 07/11/2022
Laura found us a very exclusive resort in Crete, not available from the usual high street channels. 10/10!
Sent by Malcolm H
Oxfordshire 17/10/2022
Brilliant service!
Sent by G Mutton
Swanage 17/10/2022
Much easier than booking on the internet and finding flights and hotels etc. Laura gave a thoroughly professional service and I would not hesitate in using her and Travel Counsellors in the future.
Based in