Sent by Rupert Thorne
Bury 11/01/2024
Great advice, super friendly and vey knowledgeable. If he can’t give you an answer he comes back to you later. Perfect customer service.
Based In Brighouse
John Horsley
It's Nice To Meet You
It's Nice To Meet You
Hello! I’m John. I have been a Travel Counsellor for over 5 years now. In that time, I have built a wealth of knowledge and experience about the travel industry that I use daily to help my customers. I love holidays and get a real sense of satisfaction at providing exceptional trips for my customers.
WHY USE ME? My customers return to me because I really care about both the customer and customer service. I’m very easy to talk to and discuss ideas with. I pride myself on going above and beyond with every booking, taking the service to the next level. It’s the little things that count; checking you in online, the extra checks to make sure everything is in place for your arrival and that all special requests have been fulfilled and seeing what I can provide for you over and above and beyond your booking. Your holiday is not just another transaction; I am available 24/7 if you need me to sort out any query or request before, during or after travel.
WHY TRAVEL COUNSELLORS? With the backing of Travel Counsellors, you are assured of a wider choice of holidays. I am not bound to any operators and I do not have targets which means my only priority is you, the customer, and making sure I find you exactly the right holiday every time. And most importantly, if you book with a Travel Counsellor, 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.
WHAT HOLIDAYS DO I LIKE? I am asked to book all sorts of holidays and trips, but I am building a reputation for bespoke travel. This goes above and beyond the usual holidays and involves searching out solutions to personally create the right itineraries, travel and accommodation for those wanting to do something a bit different. I love an adventure; over the years I have organised my own wildlife expeditions including seeing the “Big Five” in Kenya, South Africa and Botswana as well as Black Bears in the Canadian Rockies, Orangutans in Borneo and Pandas in China. Still to do are tigers in India and Black Gorillas in Rwanda. I’ll keep you posted…
So, if you like the idea of having one dedicated person manage the whole of your booking with the care and attention it deserves, I’d love to hear from you.
My customer stories
Sent by Joanne Perry
St Helens 28/06/2023
Fantastic service from John. Listened to all our requirements and arranged the perfect package. Gave great advice and guidance. We can't wait to go and will be contacting John for our next adventure.
Sent by Helen Hunt
Liversedge 24/02/2023
John is just brilliant, nothing is too much hassle and he gets every last detail to you! So helpful Can’t wait for our family holiday
Sent by Suzanne Bramley
Darlington 16/02/2023
Amazing service. John has the patience of a saint trying to sort a holiday for my family.
Sent by Dianne Turner
Brighouse 16/02/2023
John is both friendly and professional which is a great quality. Nothing is too much trouble and is always at the end of the phone when needed. He takes the stress away and you know your in safe hands
Sent by Michael Rathmell
Brighouse 17/11/2022
Simply John always does exactly what he says and do is completely reliable
Sent by Nicola Benn
Bradford 24/08/2022
We have found John both knowledgeable and considerate regarding our holiday requirements , We would have no hesitation in recommending and using John to help and organize our next holiday destination. Nicola and Trevor Benn.
Sent by Louise Cartwright
Bradford 13/08/2022
John has organised many holidays for us now and he always does his very best to ensure that everything is perfect. I would highly recommend him to anyone wanting a holiday arranging from flights to hotels and excursions anywhere in the world .
Sent by Johnny Thompson
Huddersfield 01/02/2022
John is an absolute dream to work with, he made the whole process so easy for us, he is a very knowledgeable man and I would be more than happy to recommend him to any of my friends and family Thank you for all your hard work so far John we really appreciate you
Sent by Ricky Ellam
Dunmow, Essex 01/02/2022
Really impressed that John went the extra mile to book this holiday for my family. With family using different airports and a under 2 to consider John made it look really easy. Thanks John ?? I’m hoping to use John again
Sent by Claire Freeman
Maidstone 27/01/2022
John was very helpful and would have been clueless without Johns help. Really listened to what we wanted and was very thorough. I would have even got the dates wrong not knowing the flight times and he made everything happen easily and quickly
Sent by Mike Cresey
Brighouse 12/01/2022
John was very helpful throughout the whole process, offering advice and ideas prior to us making our decisions. John was always friendly and on hand no matter how small the question or query was. We greatly appreciated all his help and advice through the whole process and look forward to further adventures in the future
Sent by Jonathan Ward
BRIGHOUSE 06/12/2021
John”s ability to listen to your requirements and find the right solution means we would recommend him to anyone. Excellent service!
Sent by Louise Sykes
BRIGHOUSE 12/11/2021
Absolutely spot on service from the start of the journey until the very end.
Sent by Nigel Hunt
BRIGHOUSE 04/11/2021
A good local friendly service. John tailored the holiday package to match our requirements, and was very prompt in his replies. We would certainly recommend him to our family and friends.
Sent by Robert Atkinson
Leeds 13/10/2021
John has always provided a top class service for various holidays we have booked through him.
Sent by John Cummings
Edinburgh 09/08/2021
I’d like to Thank John for his meticulous attention to detail, his prompt replies and his overall proficiency in delivering a totally bespoke travel package - Not the most cost effective cost but in dealing with John, it was a pleasure to give the business to him!
Sent by Daniel Ponting
Huddersfield 03/04/2020
John is always really helpful with every enquiry. He gives options for the hotel and is always happy to talk things through. It takes all the hassles out of booking. Also John was a huge help when our return flights got changed on our last trip. We knew about the changes and had other options before we even got to the airport.
Sent by Anouska Grassam
Brighouse 24/03/2020
John is marvellous, he takes the brief, explores the options and provides a number of options for consideration. He also doesn't mind when I change my mind too!! We've used John 3 times now and will definitely use him again.
Sent by Louise Cartwright
Bradford 24/02/2020
I would highly recommend John to anyone wishing to book a holiday to any destination.He has just arranged our 6th holiday for us & even though we have a lot of requirements as a family he never fails to organise everything perfectly,he is excellent at his job & i can always rely on him to find us the perfect holiday .
Sent by Peter Croft
Huddersfield 12/02/2020
John is very helpful, helps with all our enquiries straight away. He has also helped our daughter book a trip for herself and friend. Highly recommended
Sent by Scott Simpson
Grangemounth 21/01/2020
Fantastic service from John, He kept an eye on the holiday I was after, even though I had almost put it to bed as too expensive, then the costs dropped dramatically and John got back in contact. Now booked and a happy family...
Sent by Victoria Whittle
Manchester 10/06/2019
John is hands down the best agent i have ever dealt with , He knows what me and family like and is always on hand to help with any issues , John has supported me with taking 4 x 14 year old teenagers on holiday this year and he found us the perfect location and has made sure that all the finer details are sorted so i don't have to worry about anything Thank you John
Sent by Louise Cartwright
Bradford 29/05/2019
This is the fifth holiday John has organised for us & everything is always perfectly arranged ,John is a excellent at his job & is always willing to do whatever it takes to make sure everything is right for all of us .i would highly recommend him to anyone .
Sent by Rachel Beard
Manchester 04/02/2019
Most definitely recommend John because he is friendly to deal with and very helpful when it comes to booking a holiday!
Sent by Mark Edley
Huddersfield 11/07/2018
John is simply the best at what he does and goes that extra mile on every single trip he arranges for us. I have recommended him to many people who also agree with my comments above. The only thing he cant arrange is for England to win the World Cup but i wouldn't put it past him to sort that out either!
Sent by Phil Langdale
Liversedge 24/04/2018
We have always booked our holidays through the internet, but the safari was a special occasion and we didn’t know about South Africa, Game Reserves, the best places to go or how to do it. John came highly recommended from a friend and, from the first meeting with him, we knew we had made the right decision.
John’s attention to detail is second to none and he tailored our holiday according to our budget. From arranging every airport and hotel pick up to checking us in on our flights, we didn’t need to do anything but look forward to and enjoy the holiday.
The holiday was amazing! John’s recommendation of where to stay in Cape Town was perfect. The location meant we could be in the heart of the main area in two minutes but the beautiful apartments were in a lovely tranquil place.
And as for the recommendation about the safari, it couldn’t be faulted.
We had the best holiday and it made all the difference knowing everything was sorted, and we will not hesitate to contact John again for our next adventure.
Sent by Rachel Treadaway
Thatcham, Berkshire 05/05/2017
My wife and I booked a holiday of a lifetime to Australia for our honeymoon in March – April 2017, with numerous hotel bookings, car rentals, internal flights - the whole lot! From day one, John was relaxed and could not do enough for us, constantly reassuring us that it was our holiday. I remember his opening line ‘One of the best things about us (Travel Counsellors) is the hassle-free holiday you have if something goes wrong!’ – usually this is not something you want to write about, but John was utterly fantastic. Unfortunately, a cyclone hit Hamilton Island whilst we were in Australia with mass flooding around the surrounding areas where we were planning on staying and a rather battered island which was to be our main honeymoon spot to finish our trip. During this time, my wife and I did not have to lift a finger - John, or his Australian counterpart, were always contactable, informing us of the situation, changing flights and checking our hotel bookings. Not having to deal with the minutia of such an experience was welcomed. Everything we needed, John sorted out for us with calming reassurance.
From beginning to end John was extremely professional and helpful. The care and attention to detail that he has for his job is one in a million. Regardless of our trip being cut short due to the cyclone, our honeymoon was the most amazing trip both my wife and I have ever been on, and this was all down to John.
We highly recommend John, along with Travel Counsellors, if anyone is thinking about booking a big trip.
Sent by Joseph Mountain
Halifax 02/03/2017
First Class could not do enough for us. This is the third time we have used him he's brilliant and its so easy.
Sent by Adam Treadaway
Thatcham 19/12/2016
John has been extremely helpful throughout all the process! He did not seem phased by a complete change of heart from my wife and I for our honeymoon, after having already spent time on the first holiday idea. John is a great listener and always wants us to tell him what we want rather than the other way round. It really has been a pleasure dealing with him and we feel indebted to him for his work and effort to make our honeymoon the special occasion it should be.
Sent by James Moore
Brighouse 07/09/2016
John has a really patient approach, taking the time to understand what we were looking for and what was important to us.
We had a complex vacation planned and he personally contacted the various hotels to ensure everything went smoothly.
He went above and beyond by checking us in on-line and then emailing the boarding passes across – this meant we could just relax and know that every detail was taken care of.
John takes personal pride in what he does and genuinely wants you to have the best possible experience, which we certainly did!
Sent by David Leyland
Blackburn 07/09/2016
Thanks John for organising a lovely memorable 25th anniversary trip to Italy the travel arrangements went as smooth as silk. The accommodation you sorted
was superb and the chance to visit Naples, Rome, Florence and Venice was amazing. Thanks also for organising the two trips, Pompei and Vesuvius and the wine tasting evening in Florence, absolutely brilliant.
Thanks once again pal we will give you a shout later with some ideas for next year.
Sent by Louise Roy
Manchester 26/01/2016
“We had the privilege of working with John whilst planning our honeymoon in late 2015. John took the time to understand what type of holiday we wanted, our likes and dislikes, along with our must haves. He went away and within a short space of time came up with several different suggestions within our budget, and together we tailored our holiday. John’s professionalism and superb customer service shone through alongside his enthusiasm and passion for travel. He took away all the hassle and administration that tends to be time consuming and the not so fun bit of planning a holiday. John also arranged for everything to run smoothly whilst we were away, including booking private transfers and checking us in with the airlines.
Without John’s patience, understanding and assistance we would never have even dreamt of spending Christmas Day in Borneo with Orangutans and Fire Flies, New Years Eve on a remote island snorkeling in the corals and then being served by a private butler at Raffles in Singapore. John helped us to plan our holiday of a lifetime and I can not recommend him and his service highly enough”
Louise and Rahul Roy
Sent by Damian Reid
Brighouse 26/08/2015
I was struggling to arrange my friends stag do in Germany due to not being able to book a large group for the beer festival in Stuggart. In a last attempt I contacted John to see if he could help. Within 3 days John had managed to secure me a booking through his contacts. Very helpful and made it very clear what I had to do. Why bother going through the stress of externally booking when John is on hand. Highly recommend !!!!!!
Sent by Tony Shearman
Brighouse 24/08/2015
New York Enquiry - John Horsley did an amazing job in getting great flights and accommodation for a trip to NYC and although we didn't eventually book via Travel Counsellors he continued to provide us with information about the City from a tourist prospective. Great guy who provides a great service, I have recommended John to a few friends already and will continue to do so.
Sent by Diane Byrgin
Huddersfield 13/07/2015
Fantastic service John really understood what mine and my daughters requirements were and nothing was too much trouble. I am not a seasoned traveller but John took this into account and made the whole process so easy and comfortable.
Sent by Anouske Grassam
Brighouse 13/07/2015
John is super friendly, very personable and has excellent knowledge about the destinations discussed, nothing has been too much trouble, we will definitely use John again.
Sent by Francesca Pearson
Huddersfield 23/04/2015
John was brilliant when we were looking to book a family holiday for the summer, we had very specific requirements and he made sure every single thing I asked for was included. John found us the perfect hotel, in the perfect area and with great flight times to suit my baby.
He is also taking care of our boarding passes, organizing travel cots and all the hassle with passports etc which will save me doing it with three different families all travelling together.
I would highly recommend John to friends and family and will definitely be contacting him again in the future.
Sent by Tony Wilcock
Huddersfield 23/04/2015
We felt compelled to forward you a few words regarding the service we have received from yourself on behalf of Travel Consultants.
From the outset of our initial conversation regarding our holiday enquiry for 2015, we were pleased we had finally been introduced to someone who could solve our yearly problem of trying to book our summer holidays. We always try to arrange our main holiday in advance, but this always seemed a time consuming and frustrating period, and not always getting the results we wished for.
However, you – John, have made booking our holiday an absolute pleasure, from conception to completion, you handled our wish’s (and demands) with the upmost professionalism, and have installed so much confidence into ourselves that we will, enjoy our holiday in August to Egypt. You ensured that you double crossed every Tee and double dotted every I, down to the finest last detail, and at a cost we were very happy with.
May we truly thank you for all your efforts, and we will be back soon to allow you further tasks in pleasing us year on year, and have no problem at all in recommending you and your services to friends, family and business associates.
Thank you John, and please keep up the good work.
Sent by Sheena Doherty
Halifax 05/02/2015
Having used online holiday bookings for years I thought it was time to try something a little different.
I was introduced to John and his passion, enthusiasm and professionalism was 100%. The journey started by me explaining that I wanted to take my family on a Safari. This is something that none of us had done before and I was intrigued to see what holiday was available. John went away to do some initial enquiries and within a few days the holiday began to take shape. John's patience and attention to detail was very reassuring, as when you are investing such a large financial commitment to a holiday you want it to be right, but what was lovely was John seemed to view this as his own personal holiday experience. I now have a bespoke holiday planned for August this year which involves 5 nights in a private game reserve villa with my own Chef and driver, then two nights in an amazing apartment in Cape Town and to top it off 8 nights in paradise in Mauritius. Having historically trawled the net I can honestly say those days are gone because my 17 day adventure later this year I wouldn't have achieved without John's help and service.
Sent by Robert Atkinson
Leeds 30/08/2014
From initial enquiry to completion of booking the service John has provided has been nothing short of superb. He listened to our requirements and within 24 hours had presented us with an array of excellent options - once we had picked our favoured location he seemed to manage the process with real ease and nothing was too much trouble - as a couple both busy with our respective jobs he took away all the hassle and before we knew it everything was booked and the tickets were in the post! I would strongly recommend John when it comes to planning your next holiday!
Sent by Denise Mountain
Halifax 27/08/2014
I have just booked my first holiday with John and couldn’t believe how easy it was. He’s taken care of everything. Nothing was too much trouble and he was so helpful, you can tell he really cares about his customers. I even got a little thank you email, I’ve never had one of those before. My friend and I are really looking forward to a girly week away in Mallorca. Thanks for sorting everything out John.
Sent by Sarah Petty
Brighouse 21/08/2014
I recently asked John to help me organise our very first family holiday. Travelling with small children seemed incredibly daunting, but John understood immediately the sort of thing we needed (a holiday that was fun for adults and children) and found us a perfect getaway with some special finishing touches for our budget. He was also extremely knowledgable in how best to travel with children, airplane seating and luggage allowances. The service we received was second-to-none and I will happily use and recommend John again to save the long hours searching for the perfect holiday.
Based in
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.
California 2022 (Part 2) Sequoia - Hollywood - Santa Barbara - Big Sur - Monterey
28 February 2023
The next day we visited Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon. Here’s another tip for you: Cars use the Lower Falls Entrance (closer to Mono Rock and General Sherman the world’s largest tree) and RVs use the Kings Canyon Entrance at the top. This entrance is about 90 mins further North, exactly the reason you can’t get an RV up from the bottom entrance. They do run shuttles but only from May t
California 2022 (Part 1) San Francisco - Yosemite
25 February 2023
Here’s the latest instalment from mine & Mrs H’s travels around the world. This time: San Francisco, National Parks, Los Angeles - October 2022. It feels like ages since we had a big adventure. Firstly, I need to update you on a new development. There are three of us travelling now. TC (Travel Counsellor) Ted is our new companion. He’s already well travelled, having been to Paris & Rome wit
India 2019 (Part 2)
14 January 2020
On leaving Rathambore, we set our sights on Jaipur, approximately 4 hours away on a fantastically scenic route through small towns and villages. Jaipur is the largest city and capital of the Northern State of Rajasthan. This city is very different to Delhi and Agra; much more modernised with a better road system but still extremely busy and crowded. All the internal city walls are painted in terra
India 2019 (Part 1)
14 January 2020
If you follow my travels, you will notice that Mrs H and I love to have an adventure; travelling to all parts of the world in different ways. India was next on our list and after the usual initial research of all the highlights and "must-sees" on offer that we all do when starting to plan a holiday, I contacted the Travel Counsellors India Specialist Destination Management Company Trail Blazer. Th
Touring The Deep South USA 2018
22 March 2019
As you know, we love doing something different on holiday. A few years back, we enjoyed organising our own USA self-drive, visiting Aspen, Denver, South Dakota, and Montana. We absolutely loved the freedom and flexibility of creating our own tour. The only thing that could have made this trip better would have been an all-American RV… So, using a well-established and highly recommended company
Marrakech - 2017
07 July 2017
Mrs H and I booked this one last minute; Marrakech has always been somewhere we wanted to visit plus the resort we stayed in had the perfect mix of quiet and lively to suit all moods and occasions. Plus Mrs H is always a big fan of a bit of sunshine and with temperatures reaching in the mid-forties some days, she certainly ticked that box! Don't forget your sun cream! Our hotel was the Club Me
SOUTH AFRICA - 2016
19 December 2016
This was another spectacular trip, planned especially as part of our 40th wedding anniversary celebrations. We started the holiday at The Vineyard Hotel which is situated just outside of Cape Town at the bottom of Table Mountain. The hotel was lovely with two great restaurants and gorgeous gardens. I made sure to request a mountain view to make the most of the great location. As usual, we sque
NEW YORK - 2016
19 December 2016
The Big Apple has always been on my bucket list, so Mrs H and I took the opportunity to take two of our oldest grandsons (aged 14 and 16) with us for a whirlwind tour of the city that never sleeps. The young H's were very excited and I'd highly recommend NYC as a great destination for teenagers. We flew into JFK. I'd pre-organised transfers but it is easy to grab a big yellow taxi straight into
DENVER - 2016
19 December 2016
This was a very exciting, bespoke trip that I created to visit some special places for us whilst celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary. And to tick more destinations off the bucket list! We landed in Denver and began a beautiful road trip over the Rocky Mountains to Aspen. The drive was stunning; the autumn colours made for some fabulous scenery. We even saw some snow on the mountain tops wh
Venice - 2015
30 November 2015
HELP! The streets are flooded! Finally! I got to visit Venice! This has been on my list of places to visit for ages and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I visited in September when the weather was pleasant and not too hot which made strolling through the narrow, winding streets very pleasant and eating al fresco just lovely. Venice is truly gorgeous; the architecture is stunning and the miracul
CHINA 2015
29 May 2015
Just enjoyed an 19 day holiday in China which included visiting many of the wonderful sites Shanghai, Beijing, The Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, Nine Village Valleys, Chengdu (the Pandas) and stopping of in Hong Kong for three days on the way back. I have to say this has been long on my list of places to visit for a long time and it didn’t disappoint me. Shanghai Is a very busy city with o
GAMBIA - 2014
19 January 2015
We visited Gambia for the first time over the Christmas period 2014 which was also our very first time away from the family for Christmas. The weather was a constant 36 degrees everyday, clear skies, no wind and no sign of rain. Our stay was at the Sheraton hotel which was rated 5 star on a All Inclusive basis situated at the end of the resort with its own private beach in a ' On the Beach Villa'
KENYA - 2011
28 August 2014
My very first wildlife adventure was back in 2011 when I visited the Maasai Mara in Kenya. Everyone’s ambition is to see the big five but this is not always guaranteed but it's really exciting searching. The journey started by travelling from Nairobi through the country to Lake Nakuru, the home of flamingo’s, following on through to the Nakuru National where we saw plenty of wildlife. We then
Borneo - 2013
28 August 2014
Visiting the wildlife and rainforest of Borneo has to have been the best all-round holiday I have ever had. Seeing orang-utans and pigmy elephants in their own habitat was amazing. We first visited the War Memorial where many prisoners of war were killed during the First World War with only six surviving out of some 2,000 people held by the Japanese. As we travelled across the country on the w
CANADA - 2012
28 August 2014
Canada is a one of the most picturesque places I have ever seen. We started our journey in Vancouver where we went whale watching – it was a long day but very worthwhile and we managed to see several whales. After staying in the city for a couple of days sightseeing we headed off across country. Next was bear trekking in Whistler Mountain where in winter people go skiing and in the summer it’s
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: