Based In Rayleigh

Donna Puffett

Available for new enquiries

It's Nice To Meet You

Hello. Thank you for taking time to visit my website!

Working from my office at home, without the distractions of the high street and noisy call centres, I am able to offer exceptional customer service to ensure each and every trip meets and exceeds your expectations.

With Travel Counsellors I can offer a one-to-one travel service, using my experience of 24 years, combined with a unique system which no other travel agency or tour operator has access too. This enables me to book flights, accommodation and transfers separately which more often than not beats standard tour operator packages.

I am passionate about everything 'travel' and even if I haven't been there myself I still love to investigate the details on somewhere new.

I have travelled to California, Florida, Alaska, Las Vegas, Colorado, New England, Caribbean, Cuba, Canada, South Africa,Indian Ocean, India, Morocco, Dubai, Egypt, Israel, Greek and Canary Islands, and most European countries. This includes cruising, touring, city-breaks and experiencing some wonderful fully inclusive resorts!

I have attended the Walt Disney ‘Stars Programme’ in Florida and Paris gaining first-hand knowledge on what Disney can offer. I am an Australian specialist so I can plan itineraries and advise visiting the "top end" of Australia. I took part in the Dubai Expert programme staying in Dubai for four days, carrying out over 10 hotel inspections and visiting the attractions of this vibrant and growing city.

I have visited Jersey, a wonderful unspoilt island very close to home. Fantastic for gourmet food lovers, especially seafood! I have extensive knowledge of some of the most inspired operators, be it Sandals, Virgin or Cunard to name just a few.

I can arrange every aspect of your travel needs from weddings, group and special interest tours, car hire, package deals, tailor-made, flights only, cruise and long-haul.

My aim is to build long-term partnerships with all my clients based on trust, honesty and friendship.

The Travel Counsellors concept provides a friendly and hassle free way of making your travel arrangements from the comfort of your own home or office. Everything that is booked with me is 100% financially protected by our Travel Counsellors Financial Trust.

My experience is there for you. Allow me to take the legwork out of surfing the net, or waiting to be seen in a travel agency! I look forward to hearing from you and hope to turn your dream holiday into reality.

If you would like any further information, or an informal chat about your travel plans, now, or at any time, please contact me by phone or email.

Thank you.

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My customer stories

Sent by Jeni Windsor

Colchester 15/05/2023

Booking with Donna was easy. We gave her our requirements and she used her expertise to find a suitable holiday that fit our brief and budget. Donna found us flights that saved a lot of money and then checked in before and after the holiday to make sure we had everything we need. I feel like we got a very personalised service and felt reassured that there was someone I could contact if anything went wrong- however we didn't need this as everything went as planned.

Sent by James Phillips

UK 29/09/2022

Our Honeymoon was amazing, thank you. We really did not want to leave ! All hotels were good, private transfers fantastic, allowing us to relax far more. We've already said we would love to go back in the future.

Sent by Micheal Davies

Rayleigh 29/09/2022

Excellent, quick, precise and most efficient. Donna answered my questions very quickly and anticipated some I had not thought of. Much appreciated and I would highly recommend to family ,friends and colleagues.

Sent by Sarah Catchpole

UK 29/09/2022

Very helpful,listened to what I wanted and budget,delivered exactly that ! Fantastic and stress free.

Sent by Iain Patterson

Chelmsford 01/04/2019

Hi Donna, thankyou for organising our trip to celebrate Carols 60th Birthday. The hotel in Miami was very nice and only a short walk to Ocean Drive. Norwegian Lines were very good and would recomend them as a cruise provider. Had a relaxed atmosphere and the staff were all friendly and helpful.

Sent by Claire Wells

Benfleet 26/01/2018

Fantastic service from Donna! Nothing was too much trouble for her to look into and she has found the perfect packages to make our holidays the best they can be - thank you Donna.

Sent by Dee Mathers

Billericay 28/09/2017

Hi Donna Firstly, I cannot tell you how much we enjoyed Dubrovnik it truly was fabulous on every level, thank you so much for organising it all for us, it does make life so easy!

Sent by Roger Grimwade

Southend. 13/06/2017

The holiday was great. All your arrangements went faultlessly, with flights and transfers all on time. Don't know if you've been to Oludeniz, but it is very much a tourist town with lots of activities that you can sign up for. The hotel was fine and we met lots of people who were making retun trips, and quite a few had made multiple visits. Thanks for your help with arrangements and I am sure we will in touch again.

Sent by Dawn Clark

Chelmsford 24/05/2017

We have been using Donna for a number of years and she has helped us create some of the most spectacular memories. Whether it has been an apartment in Spain for a family holiday; a first time cruise or a stay in the jungles of Africa, we know all will be in place and Donna will have thought of everything. Donna seems to know all the secrets of a great holiday no matter what we are after and I know our holidays have been all the more special for her help and advice. And it doesn't end with the booking, any questions and Donna is there and when we had to cancel because of illness, all the stress was taken away as Travel Counsellors were there to assist. Thank you Donna

Sent by Sally-Ann Judd

Chelmsford.Essex 17/05/2017

Hi Donna , Just a short note to thank you very much for recommending and organising our holiday to Tromso and beyond. We had the best time ever and saw the Aurora Borealis every night except for two when we had heavy snow storms. MS Nordlys was a lovely ship, the staff, service and food fanastic and we ate Norwegian all the time which we were pleased about. I will recommend this trip to everyone and your service as well .

Sent by Jackie Ullyart

Chelmsford 07/04/2015

Donna Puffet is always very helpful and very efficient - I have always been very happy with the service she offers.

Sent by Michael Frost

Chelmsford 07/04/2015

Donna has been our Travel Counsellor for several years now. She is always available to help even when we are away on holiday and that sort of customer care and service is rare these days. Value for money coupled with great service keeps us coming back to Donna. We are pleased to recommend her without hesitation. Michael and Heather Frost.

Sent by Trevor Parrett

Rayleigh 07/04/2015

Donna is always fantastic and we have recommended her on several occasions.

Sent by Dee Mathers

Billericay 14/05/2013

I had a 'big' birthday this year and I knew that I wanted to celebrate in style with a holiday. After a brief chat with Donna she came up with the most perfect holiday for me and my friends. Everything about the trip was absolutely perfect! Donna was so helpful every step of the way and answered any queries we had instantly. I could not recommend her highly enough, she does a great job at a great price ,you really couldn't ask for more. Thank you so much Donna you are a star!

Sent by Jill Denton

Leigh on sea 15/04/2013

Many thanks for arranging our trip to Disneyland, Paris. We were really impressed with the organisation of our schedule and everything worked exactly according to plan. The Disney Hotel was everything that we had hoped for and the bus shuttle service was excellent. We all had a thoroughly good time and have brought back many happy memories of our stay in Disneyland. It was lovely to see the grandsons enjoying themselves and they have been telling everyone what a wonderful place it is. Once again many thanks for arranging this trip for us. We will certainly use your services again when we next require a bespoke holiday.

Sent by Dave Bowes

Windsor 20/10/2011

Forget holiday brochures and the internet, just pick up the phone and call Donna, tell her where you want to go and how much your budget is. Within no time you will have a choice of wonderful destinations to choose from. Let Donna know your favourite and it's booked along with all the other bits and pieces that take time. Any problems just ring and she is there to help. Excellent service, nothing is too much trouble.Highly recommended.

Sent by Clare Parrett

Rayleigh 18/10/2011

I have used Donna at Travel Counsellors several times and have always been immensely impressed with the service received. I particularly feel her forte is in the bespoke holiday - I have literally emailed what I want from my holiday, destination and my budget and within, at most, 24 hours I have quotes and details emailed back to me. In December 2009 we were in Paris when the Eurostar services were suspended - I am convinced it is only because we had booked through Travel Counsellors who immediately sourced flights, taxis etc from the airport, that we got home to our daughters in time for Christmas! Donna provides a very professional service in an excellent manner and I wouldn't - and haven't - hesitated to recommend her.

Sent by Rosemary Cunningham

Benfleet 17/10/2011

Donna has booked flights for me on several occasions and without fail, finds me the best option, saving me hours of research and stress. She has infinite patience when I suddenly have to change the dates and goes back and comes back with more options on complicated routes. Her knowledge is huge and I recommend her to many friends and clients.

Sent by Steve Reed

Burnham on Crouch 06/06/2011

We needed to find a special location for our wedding and Donna found somewhere special that did exactly that and organised a great travel package that ticked all the boxes. Donna is a true professional who provides a fantastic service. I can refer Donna with confidence to anyone that wants something special from their holiday.

Sent by Gary Raven

Leigh-on-Sea 23/05/2011

Donna has been absolutely superb in delivering an itinerary that matched my requirements from a very sketchy brief. Since accepting her proposed itinerary she has been in regular contact, providing helpful and relevant advice leading up to the date of vacation. I would not hesitate to recommend Donna to assist with delivering your travel plans.

Sent by Hilary Ashman

UK 21/09/2010

Hi Donna, Just wanted to say "Thank you" Kalkan was fabulous. Something for everyone. We all had a really great time. Hotel brill! Restaurants, Turkish people, weather - could'nt have been better...Thanks again. Hilary

Sent by Jackie Ullyart

Chelmsford 02/07/2009

This is just to say what a fabulous time we had on the Princess Cruise. We really appreciated the lovely suite with the balcony - it made all the difference. It made life easier that you had thoughtfully placed us near to the lifts. We really enjoyed all the places we stopped at, Ajaccio was beautiful. So thank you for all your help. Thank you also for the Ruby anniversary card. Thanks again, Jackie.

Sent by Michael Frost

Chelmsford 30/01/2009

We have now enjoyed several superb holidays arranged with meticulous care for us by Donna. She always looks after our interests with commendable and entirely professional diligence. We are delighted with the service that Donna gives us and as a consequence have a very high opinion of Travel Counsellors as a company.

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.

Romanian Jewel

12 December 2017

In October I experienced the inaugural short flight of two hours, 15 minutes from Stansted to Oradea, Romania. Our transfer took 15 minutes to Bali Felix staying in the new President Spa Hotel. This hotel is part of a group of hotels on the same resort built on a thermal plain. The temperature of the thermal water is 37-38C and this is used in all the 17 pools within the complex. Adjacent to t

The Smiling Coast

08 January 2013

On my recent trip to the Gambia our group met at Gatwick for our six hour flight with Monarch airlines. We arrived at Banjul to a welcome blast of African heat! Our home for the next five days was the 5* Kairaba Hotel. My terrace room was very spacious, overlooking the landscaped gardens. I instantly felt relaxed and was taken back with how friendly everyone was. Every morning the resident peac

Colourful Colorado

19 June 2012

Colorado, a state of contrasts. After a comfortable flight with American Airlines via Dallas I arrived in Denver, the “mile high” city. With a short transfer time of 30 minutes you reach Downtown. Our overnight stay was in the historic Brown Palace Hotel. The rooms were spacious and included unique period features. The location was ideal as it was only a brief walk to the city centre but as

Turkey captivating Kalkan

23 May 2011

On a short visit to Turkey we flew from Gatwick on Easyjet to Dalaman, a quick 3.5 hour flight. Visas are obtained on entry so don't forget your £10 note! It was my first visit to a Turkish resort. Our transfer was by minibus and took an hour and forty five minutes. During the journey we passed through green valleys, mountains and acres of greenhouses filled with ripening tomatoes - very scenic

Scenic Jamaica

30 November 2009

This was a fantastic short visit to Jamaica which definitely exceeded my expectations of the island. I travelled on the re-instated flight with British Airways on the Montego Bay service which has resumed after a sense year absence. On my first day I climbed Dunn's River Falls at Ocho Rios, which was a exhilarating experience - all 600ft! The guide was very sure footed and I highly recommend

Queen Victoria Cunard & Norwegian Fjords

11 September 2008

Experiencing my first cruise on Cunard as we left Southampton with the sounds of the ship's band playing and accompanied by many small boats escorting us from the port, I felt quite emotional. I was very impressed with the layout of the ship, she is very grand. I've never seen so many Grand Pianos in one place! There were also plenty of bars (12in total) and three main restaurants. The journey

Sharm El Sheikh & Taba Heights

02 June 2008

I experienced a multi centre stay in Egypt. Spending 3 nights at The Grand Rotana,1 night at The Hilton, Coral Bay and 3 nights at the Hyatt Regency, Taba Heights. I travelled along with 15 other Travel Agents, including a fellow Travel Counsellor. We flew out from Gatwick with Monarch Airways. I would recommend upgrading to premium class as the seat pitch was considerably more comfortable and

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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:

Send me an email 01268 856580

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