Amanda Duggan

Hello, I’m Amanda. I’m a Travel Counsellor, and the founder of Expand & Explore Travel alongside my husband Peter who is also a Travel Counsellor. We are your specialists for Cruise, tour and incredible travel experiences. I believe the best holidays begin with a proper conversation.

We also work with small to medium businesses to help arrange all of their corporate travel arrangements, and support with all the documentation and invoicing required for your accounts. This is a free service we provide for all our corporate clients which saves either yourself or your PA/VA a lot of time and effort.

You can spend hours searching online and still wonder whether you’ve chosen the right hotel, the right cruise, the right cabin or even the right destination. I’d much rather hear about you: what you love, what you’d rather avoid, what you’re celebrating and how you want to feel when you’re away. Then I can turn all those possibilities into a holiday that feels right.

My husband Peter is a Travel Counsellor too, and we work beautifully together. I love getting to know our clients and dreaming up the experiences and little surprises that make a trip memorable. Peter is brilliant at the planning and practical details. Between us, you have two people who know your holiday and care about getting it right.

Cruises and tours are our specialities. We’ve sailed on more than 50 cruises, and we know that the ship, cabin and itinerary can make all the difference. We can also bring the pieces together, perhaps a cruise with a few days exploring beforehand, or a tour followed by somewhere lovely to relax.

South Africa is especially close to my heart. I lived there and spend a lot of time in Cape Town each year, so if you’re dreaming of the city, the Garden Route, a safari or all three, I can help you plan it with real first-hand knowledge.

And you don’t need to have it all figured out before you call. Bring us a destination, a budget, a half-formed idea or simply a feeling you’d love your holiday to give you. We’ll talk it through and find a way forward together.

Once you’ve booked, we’re still here. We’ll help with the details before you leave, be there if you need us while you’re away and follow things through when you come home. If a flight changes or something doesn’t go to plan, you have our personal numbers and people who know your trip on your side, with the wider support of Travel Counsellors behind us.

We can help with far more than cruises, too. Family holidays, romantic escapes, celebrations and once-in-a-lifetime journeys all get the same personal attention. You can be involved in every decision, or tell us what matters most and leave the organising to us.

I should introduce the other two members of our family: Bovey and Oreo, our border collies and official Biscuit Inspectors. Their morning biscuit inspections have become a bit of a family tradition, and they inspired the little thank-you gift we send when you book with us. Rest assured, the dogs inspect the biscuits. Peter and I look after the holiday!

If you’d like to talk about your next trip, put the kettle on and give me a call. I’d love to hear what you have in mind.

Amanda x