Leia Morales
My expertise
I'm based in
Nottinghamshire
Looking for help with your business travel? Find out how I can help here
It's Nice To Meet You
Hello, my name is Leia and I am excited to be your local Travel Counsellor based in Ruddington, Nottinghamshire.
After 10 years of working for a High Street Tour Operator specialising in Long Haul Travel, I took the plunge to become a Travel Counsellor in 2020 (no need to say anything more about that!) I love being able to offer a personal service to my customers which means they get looked after from initial enquiry right through to their return home.
I love everything about travel but my background is in long haul tailormade travel, so anything where you want to get off the beaten track, or visit a number of different places, is what I love helping you plan. I've 16 years experience in making your travel plans a reality. It all starts with a chat on the phone, in person or over video call. If you are local, feel free to stop by Ruddington Village Market on the 1st Saturday of the month to have a chat with me or visit my office on the High Street.
I've lived and worked in Japan, Australia and the USA. I've experienced budget travel post university, family travel and been treated to some luxury on many of my work trips. These trips are a great way for my to experience new destinations and visit a range of hotels to recommend to my clients.
The places on my bucket list to visit are Sri Lanka (I'm visiting this year!), Costa Rica, cruising fjords and South Korea.
Travel guides
Explore my guides and blogs
What's popular at the moment?
I am often asked what is popular with my customers. Honestly it is difficult to say as each of my enquiries is very different. But here is an insight into my last few bookings. Caribbean I had a customer come home from St Lucia and wanting to book to go back to the Caribbean again next year. This happens a lot as customers like to have something to look forward to and know that the best flight
11 Dec 2024 5 min read
Record Breaking Year
Wow what a 2024! Travel Counsellors have achieved over £1 billion in sales this year, our best ever year. Perfect icing on the cake for our 30th anniversary celebrations. I have had my best every year since become a self employed Travel Counsellor and that is all thanks to the amazing support of my amazing clients. January has always traditionally been the month to book holidays so I am busy get
11 Dec 2024 5 min read
Travelling after loss
In October 2015 my daughter was 9 months old and we were due to go on our first family holiday that we had booked several months prior. On the 13th of October my Grandma passed away unexpectedly, just a week before we were due to travel. It was a difficult decision to make as to whether we would still travel or stay home to attend her funeral. My Grandma loved her holidays and lived in Spain for 1
29 Nov 2022 5 min read
New to Cruise
After 12 years in the travel industry selling cruise, I have finally been on my first and second cruises in the space of a month. It wasn’t something that was planned that way, but opportunities presented themselves and now I am a cruise convert. I always thought that if I was going to take a cruise it would be to a destination best served by cruise such as Alaska or the Panama Canal. Instead, I t
30 May 2022 5 min read
Australia is back in business!
After almost 2 years Australia has reopened its borders to visitors and there is no better time to plan a trip down under. Australia is a bucket list destination for retirees and a backpacker haven for gap year students. Whilst budgets might be a little varied, Australia offers something for everyone. The first thing to say is that Australia cannot be done in a 2-week holiday, which is why to “d
02 Apr 2022 5 min read
Disney World in a Covid World
Enough of the dreaming, this month we got to do our dream holiday to Disney World Florida. We booked last year on a hopeful whim. As October half term got closer, the FCDO advice for travel to the USA was updated and there was no longer anything in our way. My husband is a US citizen and so we were exempt from the restrictions in place stopping most Brits from travelling stateside until the 8th of
04 Nov 2021 5 min read
Sustainable Travel
There are lots of ways that the last 16 months has changed the way that we travel. For a start, many of us simply haven’t travelled. In 2019 80.9 million passengers travelled through Heathrow airport. In 2020 this decreased by 72.9% to just 22.1 million passengers. This reduced CO2 emissions from aviation by 60% according to the Global Carbon Project. It is sometimes difficult to see the positives
17 Jul 2021 5 min read
Where to go Autumn/Winter
Autumn/Winter Picking up from my previous blog post, this time we look at Autumn and Winter months to get some adventure and sun. September Keeping with wildlife, head over to Borneo in September to see orangutans and other primates in their natural habitat. Finish with some down time at one of the luxury hotels over by Kota Kinabalu. October New England in the fall, the changing of the leaves
08 Apr 2021 5 min read
Where to go Spring/Summer
Spring/Summer Most countries have their ideal travel season, based mainly on the weather, which can vary within a country as well. Whilst weather can always be unpredictable, there are certain weather patterns that it is always worth being aware of when you are planning to visit a country. You won’t be thinking something was a “good deal” if it is monsoon season. This two part “where to travel whe
08 Apr 2021 5 min read
Travel 2021
Foreign holidays seem a distant memory for most, unless you were one of the few to make use of the travel corridors last summer. With the recent introduction of mandatory testing to enter the UK and additional tests two and eight days after returning home, the additional cost for a family can be difficult to justify on a 7-day holiday. There is good new though; despite some reports, it is not il
08 Apr 2021 5 min read
What my friends think I do. What society thinks I do. What I actually do.
I’ve been a travel consultant for 10 years, my friends and family think they know what I do but like the meme’s that go around there are different images of what a travel consultant does: What my friends think I do. What society thinks I do. What I actually do. Putting aside that I am running my own business and the day to day work that comes with promoting myself, let me run through the experie
10 Jul 2020 5 min read
Travel a little closer to home
With it looking unlikely that many will be taking holidays abroad this summer, we will have to look closer to home for travel inspiration. With Travel Counsellors up and down the country, some of us have teamed up to make suggestions for what there is to see and do a little closer to home. This is my travel blog all about the beautiful South Nottinghamshire village of Ruddington, that I call home.
11 May 2020 5 min read
Gap Years for all ages
At age 16, while studying for my GCSE’s, the opportunity presented itself to travel to Ecuador with my school. We fundraised and I worked part-time in a fish and chip shop to fund the month-long trip, which saw us trekking in the Andes, exploring the Amazon and volunteering to build an orphanage. It was a life changing experience for me that sparked a desire to explore the world and lead to me tak
05 May 2020 5 min read
Travel with kids
Back in 2007 I did a skydive over Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, but if you asked me if I would do it again, I would say a firm no. When I had my daughter in 2015 my life changed. I am now responsible for another life, and I look at risk factors in a different light. But having kids doesn’t mean that you can’t have adventures and experiences when you travel, there is just different factors to cons
15 Apr 2020 5 min read
Getting married in 2021?
Right now, you are sat at home with your fiancée, spending more time together then you had planned, gazing lovingly across at each other as you work from home. Opportunities to plan your wedding and honeymoon are usually limited to evenings and weekends, but COVID-19 has given you this extra time together. Unfortunately, high street travel agents are closed, and you might be reluctant to trust you
07 Apr 2020 5 min read
My travel biography
So who are you booking with when you book your holiday with me? Well, as you are on my blog you should already know that my name is Leia Morales. I am married to, Lou, a Chilean who grow up in Miami. We have a 5 year old daughter and we live in Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, with our dog. So that is where I am now, but where have I been? Growing up with a dad in the RAF, I spent 4 years living in
26 Mar 2020 5 min read
Reviews
What my customers say
Videos
Discover the world with me
Alternatives to flying
I spoke to BBC Radio Nottingham last year about alternatives to flying, lots of ideas here if you are considering
11 Dec 2024
Summer 2022 Travel
I as invited onto the BBC Radio Nottingham Breakfast show to talk about all things travel
25 Jul 2022
BBC Radio Nottingham 8/7/21
Ahead of the announcement that full vaccinated travelers returning to the UK wouldn't need to self isolate, I appeared on BBC Radio Nottingham Breakfast SHow
08 Jul 2021
Top Tips for Planning a Honeymoon
As an alternative to reading my blog, have a watch of my top tips
06 Apr 2021
Additional offers
More destinations to enjoy
Why use a Travel Counsellor
Let's plan your dream trip together
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.
Get in touch