Dean McMackin
My expertise
I'm based in
Swindon
It's Nice To Meet You
Hi, I’m Dean – thanks for stopping by!
I’m an independent travel adviser with Travel Counsellors, running my own business here in Swindon. What that means for you is simple: a genuine one-to-one service, built around your schedule (not the other way around).
Everything you book with me is 100% financially protected through either the Travel Counsellors Financial Trust or ATOL, giving you some of the best protection in the industry and total peace of mind.
I’ve been in travel for nearly 20 years and love nothing more than creating holidays that feel truly special. From weddings, group trips and sporting events to cruises, long-haul adventures, car hire, package deals and tailor-made escapes, I can take care of it all. I can also book holidays with trusted brands like TUI, Jet2 and easyJet, so you really do get the best of both worlds: big brands and personal service.
While I’ll be your main point of contact from start to finish, I’m also backed by an incredible team of travel experts who I call on for specialist enquiries. Whether that’s Emma, our Disney Ambassador, Kat, who specialises in unforgettable safari trips, or other experts covering everything from luxury cruises to bucket-list adventures, there’s always someone perfectly suited to your holiday needs.
I know Dubai and Australia particularly well, having visited many times, and I also have strong experience planning trips to Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Thailand. After visiting these destinations recently, they’ve become real favourites of mine, and I love helping clients experience their culture, landscapes and incredible food. Alongside this, I have a real passion for designing cruise holidays.
Whether you’re after a laid-back escape or a full-on, action-packed adventure, I’ll go the extra mile to make sure you and your family get exactly the holiday you’re dreaming of.
By letting me take the stress out of planning, you can relax knowing everything’s sorted. All you need to think about is what to pack (and sadly, I’m not legally allowed to do that part).
If you’re ready to start planning your next trip, I’d love to help, just get in touch whenever suits you.
Travel guides
Explore my guides and blogs
Dean Around The World with Karen Thornton
This month on Dean Around the World, I sat down with my colleague and very good friend Karen Thornton to talk travel. From childhood memories in Austria to unforgettable sunsets in Barbados and a deep love for destinations like Saint Lucia, Sri Lanka and Iceland, her stories reminded me exactly why travel means so much to all of us. Huge thanks to Karen for sharing her travel memories – I loved
22 Feb 2026 5 min read
Dean Around The World with Aaron Drinan
This month i asked Swindon Town striker and EFL top goaldcorer Aaron Drinan his thoughts on Travel and what he enjoys and is looking forward to regarding his future travel plans
08 Dec 2025 5 min read
Exploring Sri Lanka: A Trip I’ll Never Forget
Exploring Sri Lanka: A Trip I’ll Never Forget Sri Lanka has been an absolute blast. From the busy streets of Colombo to the tea hills of Nuwara Eliya and the beaches of Bentota, there’s so much to see and do. I want to say a huge thank you to Chanaka and Priyal, our guides for the week .Funny, super knowledgeable, and just great people. And to PulA from Colombus, honestly one of the nicest, humbl
10 Oct 2025 5 min read
Nuwara Eliya to Bentota
Our final day in Sri Lanka began with breakfast and one last look at the misty hills of Nuwara Eliya before we set off for the coast. The journey took us from the cool mountain air down to the warm, sunny beaches of Bentota — it felt like the perfect way to end the trip, by the sea. When we arrived, we checked into the Thaala Bentota Hotel, a lovely beachfront spot with a calm, laid-back feel. Af
10 Oct 2025 5 min read
I SAW A LEOPARD
This is possibly the best day I’ve had on a FAM trip! It started with a jeep safari in Yala National Park and what a morning it was. We spotted not one, not two, but three leopards. Seeing a leopard in the wild has been on my bucket list for years, and today it finally happened. To see them so close, in their own space, was something I’ll never forget. Yala is a brilliant place, full of life. We
10 Oct 2025 5 min read
Did i tell you about the time i bumped into an Elephant
After getting up early and having a proper look around the Heritance Tea Factory Hotel, which used to be an old tea plantation and factory, we ended up switching things up a bit. Our safari got pushed back to tomorrow, so instead we decided to leave Nuwara Eliya and make our way towards Ella. And as usual, the best days seem to be the ones that aren’t planned at all. We stopped off at the famous
10 Oct 2025 5 min read
Nuwara Eliya Itinerary
Today we set off from Sigiriya and made our way to Nuwara Eliya, a hill country town known for its cooler weather and old colonial charm. The drive itself was brilliant — winding roads, rolling green hills covered in tea bushes, and small villages dotted along the way. It was amazing how quickly the scenery changed Our first stop was the Labookellie Tea Estate, one of the most famous plantations
10 Oct 2025 5 min read
On top of the world-Well Sigiriya
Sigiriya, Dambulla & Kandy We started the day with a visit to Sigiriya, the famous Lion Rock, and one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic landmarks. It’s the kind of place that photos just don’t do justice .Seeing it rise up out of the jungle is an incredible sight. The climb to the top is around 1,200 steps, but it’s very manageable if you set off early before the heat builds. The route winds through an
10 Oct 2025 5 min read
Day 2 - Colombo to Sigiriya
After breakfast at The Kingsbury Colombo, it was time to say goodbye to this beautiful hotel. The Kingsbury has a lovely classic feel to it, with brilliant service. It is definitely one I’d suggest to my customers for a stay in Colombo. We then set off on our journey towards Sigiriya, a four hour transfer with a stop for lunch at Lora Café. The food here was brilliant with a superb choice for eve
10 Oct 2025 5 min read
Sri Lanka – Day 1: Arrival & Colombo
After a smooth flight with SriLankan Airlines we arrived in Colombo to a lovely welcome from our hosts, Colombia Tours. The flight went very quickly with a great range of entertainment and food. It was a late flight so I skipped dinner and waited for the breakfast omelette, which was a good choice. Immigration was smooth and took no longer than 15 minutes which was fantastic. After the welcome
01 Oct 2025 5 min read
Coming Soon
Coming soon- Daily live blogs and updates regarding my upcoming trip to Sri Lanka. Follow myself and 13 other Travel Counsellors as we showcase what this amazing country has to offer
25 Sept 2025 5 min read
A Pleasant Surprise: My Experience Aboard Ambassador Ambition
Embarkation in Liverpool was stress-free, with plenty of welcoming staff on hand to make the process easy. Alongside over 20 fellow Travel Counsellors, we toured the ship’s key areas, including restaurants, bars, the gym, and public lounges. Despite its smaller size, the Ambition felt spacious and well designed. The relaxed atmosphere, free from the crowds often found on larger ships, was a welco
31 May 2025 5 min read
Day 2 On The Ambassador Ambition
Day 2 – Onboard Ambassador Ambition Up early to check a few customers in and then concentrate on day 2 onboard the Ambassador Ambition. An early start meant a visit to the gym and like everything else so far, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s spacious, modern, and far better equipped than I expected. After a good workout, I wandered through to the spa and treatment area. Again, absolutely superb.
30 May 2025 5 min read
Day 1 Onboard the Ambassador Ambition – A Refreshing Change of Pace
As a Cruise Ambassador for Travel Counsellors, I’ve been invited onboard Ambassador Ambition for a short sailing from Liverpool to Bristol. Over the next few days, I’ll be exploring everything this ship has to offer and so far, it’s already full of pleasant surprises. Having spent most of my time on larger cruise ships, this is my first real experience of a smaller vessel and honestly, I’m impres
29 May 2025 5 min read
All aboard
Norwegian Aqua: A Fun New Cruise Option I just got back from an awesome 3-night sailing on Norwegian Aqua, NCL’s brand-new ship and the first in their Prima Plus Class. I was lucky enough to hop on board for its inaugural sailing from Southampton, and if you’re looking for flexibility, great food, and a fun vibe, Aqua is definitely worth checking out. She’s off to the Caribbean now, but this qui
01 Apr 2025 5 min read
Cambodia Suprise
Halfway Through Cambodia: A Journey of Culture, Adventure & Unexpected Surprises My familiarisation trip to Cambodia has been nothing short of incredible so far. From jungle bike rides to luxury hotels, candlelit ceremonies to Marmite at sunrise, every day has brought something new. Here’s a look at what I’ve been up to so far. ? Touchdown in Siem Reap The journey started in style—with generou
11 Mar 2025 5 min read
Why Cruising Could Be For You
With the number of new-to-cruise passengers increasing – 27% of cruisers over the past two years are new-to-cruise, that's an increase of 12% over the past year i thought it would be great to speak with someone about what makes Cruising so special for them This week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with cruise blogger Andy who runs the website https://mycruiseblog.co.uk/, his passion for the
29 Sept 2024 5 min read
It's more than just booking a holiday
The Other Side of Being a Travel Agent: Ever since I started working in travel nearly 20 years ago, I’ve always loved putting together peoples holidays whether it’s an hour away or the other side of the world. Since i launched my own business 4 years ago the travel industry has had to navigate Airport Strikes Volcanic eruptions Oh and a Global pandemic Recent events in Dubai have shed light o
20 Apr 2024 5 min read
Dean Around The World
Dean around the world.... I bet you read that to the tune of Lisa Stansfields song didn't You :-) Every month i will be bringing you this feauture from travellers. This month I sat down with Bianca Austin and her Husband Charlie to discuss their favourite and not so favourite holiday locations this week with some brilliant answers from them that will hopefully give you a few ideas of where you'd
27 Apr 2023 5 min read
Dean Around The World With Martin Peters
Dean around the world.... I bet you read that to the tune of Lisa Stansfields song didn't You :-) Every month i will be bringing you this feauture from travellers who are either famous or not. I start with Martin this month... He is not ?? Dean around the world with Martin Peters Do you remember your first holiday either home or abroad? My first holiday was to Disneyland Paris with my sister
10 Apr 2023 5 min read
NCL Prima-
I was lucky enough to sail on the Norwegian Prima last week and I think I have a new favourite. The Norwegian Cruise Line’s 18th cruise ship set sail from Reykjavik, Iceland in August and I watched on as Katie Perry set sail on her and to say I was jealous is a understatement so to be invited a month later was an absolute honour. . Prima is the first ship in an entirely new class for Norwegian, a
27 Sept 2022 5 min read
Costa Rica By Martin Peters
Costa Rica It’s been 9 months since I visited Costa Rica as part of a 9 week trip of Central and South America. Including where I went on this trip, I have been fortunate enough to visit 43 countries and have lived/worked in 4. Travelling has been a huge part of my life for about 7 years now and I really hope that this blog will make you consider adding Costa Rica to your bucket list. It’s a pla
09 May 2020 5 min read
Did you hear the one about the man who set up a travel agency during a global health pandemic
That’s me! Those that know me will tell you that during my life I have made a few wrong decisions and at the time of writing this I have no doubt a few of you are thinking he’s done it again but it’s strange that during these crazy times that I am strangely optimistic. Am I worried? Too right I am but the reason I took the plunge and decided to do this was that I simply love travel and so do most
20 Apr 2020 5 min read
Why Dubai?
Hello It seems very strange to be writing a blog in these extraordinary times but for my own sanity, I thought, why not? So why not start with the one place our family call our happy place, Dubai As a family we have now visited Dubai numerous times, in fact, our first time was as a couple where my wife simply fell in love with the place and I wouldn’t be exaggerating by saying she fell in love w
08 Apr 2020 5 min read
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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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