Liz Penn

My expertise

Antarctica
New Zealand
South Africa
Japan
Mediterranean
South East Asia
South America
Sri Lanka

I'm based in

Tonbridge

Available for new enquiries

Looking for help with your business travel? Find out how I can help here

It's Nice To Meet You

Welcome to Travel Counsellors and thanks for visiting my page.

I’m based in Tonbridge, Kent and I absolutely love travel, however, I can fully appreciate that booking your holiday can be time consuming, frustrating, stressful and the choice can be overwhelming; which is where I come in.

My travel has taken me all over the world, with the most recent trip being a week in Sri Lanka. Last year I had a fabulous two-month tour of Japan, New Zealand and French Polynesia. Other favourite destinations in the last few years have been Antarctica (yes, it was amazing!), Costa Rica, Singapore and the Seychelles. I have had the privilege of spending a year in Australia and three months travelling in South America, visiting Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador (including the Galapagos) and Colombia. I combined backpacking with five-star hotels, trekked to Machu Picchu and boated down the Amazon - incredible experiences that will stay with me forever. I try to learn a few words everywhere I go and love to experiment with the local food, although being vegetarian, that has sometimes been slightly disastrous (especially in Japan!)

I put my knowledge and experience into planning your perfect trip – whether that’s a weekend away in the UK, to a week in the sun, to the trip of a lifetime; let me take care of it to get it tailored just for you. I am an independent travel adviser and I want to get it right for each and every one of my clients, so there’s no hard sell.

As well as benefitting from my expertise, you can rest assured in the knowledge that your booking will have full financial protection of Travel Counsellor’s unique Financial Trust, as well as being ATOL protected. Our 24/7 Duty Office ensures that whatever happens, you have immediate access to help and support, wherever and whenever you are.

I don’t want you to come back from a holiday that I have helped with thinking ‘that was OK’ - I want to exceed expectations wherever possible and give you the fantastic time away that you deserve.


Liz Penn, Travel Counsellor – “Exceeding your travel expectations”

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Explore my guides and blogs

Superb Sri Lanka

Superb Sri Lanka

In October, I was lucky enough to join a group of Travel Counsellors on a whirlwind trip through Sri Lanka – and what an adventure it was! We flew direct with SriLankan Airlines, and I have to say, I was impressed. Great legroom, comfy reclining seats, and charming cabin crew in their gorgeous peacock-inspired uniforms. The food was tasty too, though the entertainment system had a mind of its own

31 Oct 2025 5   min read

Adventures in Japan - Kyoto

Adventures in Japan - Kyoto

Onto Stage 4 of our tour of Japan and we reach a place that kick-started my fascination with the country – Kyoto! As a recap, our tour started in Tokyo, moved to Takayama in the Japanese Alps, took in some of the historic Nakasendo Way and now we’ve reached Kyoto. Following a couple of nights in ryokans I must admit the thought of an actual bed and being able to choose what we ate sounded like l

14 Mar 2025 5   min read

Women-only Tours and Experiences

Women-only Tours and Experiences

This International Women’s Day I wanted to take the opportunity to highlight some holiday experiences for women only or with solo female travellers in mind. Some people might wonder why this is even a thing? Here’s why: 1) Safety – of course for a lot of women there is safety and security in travelling with other like-minded women – maybe they are on their own, maybe their other half isn’t inte

06 Mar 2025 5   min read

Adventures in Japan - The Nakasendo Way

Adventures in Japan - The Nakasendo Way

Our tour of Japan started in Tokyo, moved to Takayama in the Japanese Alps and next up I’m talking about the historic Nakasendo Way – the trail between Edo (now Tokyo) and Kyoto. From Takayama we took a scenic bus journey through river valleys, passing dams to Matsumoto, famous for its castle, with an original tower dating back to the Edo period (1500s). It certainly has an imposing presence and

03 Feb 2025 5   min read

Adventures in Japan - Takayama Autumn Festival

Adventures in Japan - Takayama Autumn Festival

In October last year my husband and I set off on a long-overdue trip, taking in Japan, New Zealand and French Polynesia. It was very much like three holidays rolled into one and here I’m talking about the Japanese Alps - specifically Takayama and its Autumn Festival. Our first destination outside Tokyo was Takayama in the Japanese Alps. To get there required a number of train journeys, so I was

12 Jan 2025 5   min read

Travelling in Tokyo - the first chapter in our Japanese adventure!

Travelling in Tokyo - the first chapter in our Japanese adventure!

In October last year my husband and I set off on a long-overdue trip, taking in Japan, New Zealand and French Polynesia. It was very much like three holidays rolled into one and, to try to make it easy for you to pick the bits that are the most relevant, I’ve tried to break it down into sections – here are my reflections on our starting point - Tokyo. Tokyo is huge and therefore looking at it as

03 Jan 2025 5   min read

Majestic Antarctica

Majestic Antarctica

I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to write about our amazing trip to Antarctica but, having recently had clients return from there, it seemed like a good time to get on with it! Unsurprisingly, with such a trip-of-a-lifetime we had a special occasion to celebrate and we started with a steak at Rich’s favourite restaurant in Buenos Aires for his 50th birthday – I was thrilled to see it still ex

12 Jan 2024 5   min read

Deep South Music Tour

Deep South Music Tour

Back in April I had a lot of fun putting together a Deep South US tour for my clients Suzanne and David Johnson. They've recently returned and were kind enough to share some photos with me! Their trip started in New Orleans where they sampled the legendary nightlife and found some respite from the mayhem in the more tranquil parks. Next they headed to Mobile and Birmingham in Alabama, then on to

01 Dec 2023 5   min read

The resort that rocks!

The resort that rocks!

I've just finished in the gym, showered and am about to head out for brunch at the waiter service restaurant, rather than the various buffet options I could choose from. Next up will be a spot of sun-bathing, most likely in the adult-only area, although I might have to try out the waterslides that have been calling my name all week - one of them, Green Thunder, looks pretty terrifying though. Lat

30 May 2022 5   min read

Pura Vida in Costa Rica

Pura Vida in Costa Rica

I've recently returned from Costa Rica, as those of you who follow me on Facebook will not have failed to notice, no doubt! The primary aim was to see as much of the country as possible and this was achieved through a blend of accommodation and transportation that brought us into contact with the amazing range of environments and biodiversity Costa Rica is known for. Costa Rica has almost 6% of t

31 Mar 2022 5   min read

The A-Z of touring the USA

The A-Z of touring the USA

From white-sand beaches to mountains, grizzly bears to hummingbirds and trail trekking to iconic road trips, the US is one of those destinations that has a huge amount to offer. If you’ve always wanted to explore but the idea of unfamiliar food and language puts you off, the US is the perfect first-time touring destination. New York and Florida’s Walt Disney World top the charts for US trips and

14 Jan 2022 5   min read

Long weekend in Lithuania

Long weekend in Lithuania

I recently had the absolute pleasure of joining three fellow travel agents on an educational trip for the first time in two years and the destination was Lithuania. Now, I knew pretty much nothing other than to expect it would be very cold in late November and I came away with a great impression of the places we visited, the people we met and (very importantly) the food we ate! We flew from the t

01 Dec 2021 5   min read

Bucket List Destinations – December – Lapland

Bucket List Destinations – December – Lapland

As the nights draw in some of us might be tempted to head for warmer climes, as per November’s New Zealand blog but others might want to make the most of the cold and go searching for all things winter – whether that’s snowmobiling and husky-sledding, visiting Santa at home or seeking out the elusive Northern Lights. Lapland is the perfect place to combine all of these and there’s even downhill an

08 Feb 2021 5   min read

Bucket List Destinations – November – New Zealand

Bucket List Destinations – November – New Zealand

As winter bites in the UK what better time for a long-haul trip to the Antipodes for a spot of sunshine? Try to avoid December as you’ll be competing for beach space with the locals who have an extended holiday, so November, January or February are great months to visit. I spent a year in Australia so trying to narrow it down to a trip of a few weeks is asking a lot (although I may be giving this

03 Feb 2021 5   min read

Bucket List Destinations – October – New England Leaf-peeping

Bucket List Destinations – October – New England Leaf-peeping

This is the third time the US makes my bucket list but that’s hardly surprisingly given how vast it is and the number of incredible destinations there are. For an even more exotic alternative, autumn in Japan is second only to the cherry blossom season. Depending on where you start, this trip can be done from mid-September through to late October and I would recommend trying to finish up around Ha

25 Jan 2021 5   min read

Bucket List Destinations – September – Italy

Bucket List Destinations – September – Italy

For those of us not tied to school holidays, September is the perfect time for a holiday in Europe – the sea is at its warmest, the weather is generally still pleasant and the crowds are slimming out. You could pick any number of fantastic European destinations but I have chosen to focus on Italy. Why? Because for me it is the ideal blend of culture, landscapes, beaches and food, combining to make

14 Jan 2021 5   min read

Bucket List Destinations – August – Alaska & West Coast Canada

Bucket List Destinations – August – Alaska & West Coast Canada

As tempting as it was to include Alaska in June’s blog on national parks, there is just so much to do here it really deserves a blog in its own right – so here it is. The tourist season is short, pretty much from mid-May to September, with snow and ice making trips longer and more difficult outside these months. This timing works well combined with a trip to Canada’s British Colombia (BC), particu

07 Jan 2021 5   min read

Bucket List Destinations – July – Great Migration

Bucket List Destinations – July – Great Migration

You might have noticed by now that a lot of my bucket list destinations have a leaning towards seeing our amazing wildlife in their natural habitat and this month is no exception. The Great Migration sees thousands of wildebeest and other savannah dwellers travelling through the Serengeti and Masai Mara following the rains to new feeding grounds. This is the largest mass movement of land mammals o

18 Dec 2020 5   min read

Bucket List Destinations – June – US South West National Parks

Bucket List Destinations – June – US South West National Parks

The US might be best known for its cities but it has some of the most iconic national parks – think Yosemite, Yellowstone and, of course, the Grand Canyon. June is a fantastic month to visit before the crowds of summer – unsurprisingly thousands of Americans descend on the parks by car and it can become very difficult to get around. It’s relatively easy to visit several parks in one trip, especial

26 Nov 2020 5   min read

Bucket List Destinations – May – Borneo

Bucket List Destinations – May – Borneo

Unique wildlife is a big draw for many people, so the opportunity to see orangutans in their natural environment is on a lot of people’s bucket list. Borneo is the ideal place to do this and makes for a fabulous trip of two weeks combining wildlife with beaches and starting the whole thing off with a stay in Malaysia’s capital – Kuala Lumpur. This itinerary would work pretty much anytime from Marc

24 Nov 2020 5   min read

Bucket List Destinations - April - Japan

Bucket List Destinations - April - Japan

This trip is sat firmly at the top of my bucket list, as I would love to see the cherry blossom in Japan. This can start in mid-March depending on whereabouts you are and will only last a couple of weeks but with different varieties flowering at slightly different times, early April is peak season. The most popular ‘sakura’ spots tend to be close to the cities, with Kyoto considered to be the prim

16 Nov 2020 5   min read

Bucket List Destinations - March - South East Asia

Bucket List Destinations - March - South East Asia

If you’re looking for the best time to visit Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia, then March is right up there. Combining culture and beaches, a tour around South-East Asia is definitely on a lot of people’s ‘to-do’ list. It goes without saying that night markets, cookery classes, stunning waterfalls, elephant sanctuaries, visiting local industries and other superb experiences can be enjoyed thro

10 Nov 2020 5   min read

Bucket List Destinations – February - Carnival time

Bucket List Destinations – February - Carnival time

Surely we all need to experience the sheer joy and celebration associated with Carnival time at least once in our lives?! A few places spring to mind but three big hitters have to be Venice, New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro. Venice is often cited as the original Carnival as we know it. Meaning ‘farewell to meat’, Carnevale celebrates the last few feasting days prior to the traditional forty fasti

03 Nov 2020 5   min read

Bucket List Destinations - January - Antarctica

Bucket List Destinations - January - Antarctica

As one of the last places on the planet to be ‘discovered’ by man just 200 years ago and with such a high ecological profile, it’s hardly surprising that Antarctica makes it onto so many people’s bucket lists – mine included. However, our increasing awareness of the climate crisis is enough to give people pause for thought about travelling here. In 1991, the International Association of Antarctica

23 Oct 2020 5   min read

Venice without the crowds

Venice without the crowds

It seemed like a good idea to take the opportunity of a lifetime to see Venice without anywhere near the usual crowds, so we did! Quieter hotels meant more deals, the museums had reopened and were operating relatively normally (although masks were mandatory) and it was lovely to be able to sip a Spritz and stuff your face with actual Italian pasta. We flew with EasyJet out of Gatwick and, other th

26 Aug 2020 5   min read

Unusual UK Stays

Unusual UK Stays

It’s fair to say there will be a significant demand for ‘staycations’ this summer as we all want to get away for a change of scenery, even if it’s not the beach paradise we had in mind. I’ve been hearing from people that they are looking forward to catching up with friends and family, enjoying the great outdoors and recharging their batteries. UK holiday cottages and rentals have a lot going for t

07 May 2020 5   min read

Ticking the bucket list in the Galapagos

Ticking the bucket list in the Galapagos

As part of our three-month trip around South America, my husband and I got to visit a real bucket-list destination – the Galapagos. Firstly, here are a few tips from me: 1) Unless you get seriously sea-sick don’t opt for a land tour; the absolute best way of seeing as much as possible is by boat. 2) You ideally want at least a 10-night tour as these tend to actually mean 8 nights out in the isl

27 Apr 2020 5   min read

NZ North Island Highlights

NZ North Island Highlights

Great friends of mine have emigrated to New Zealand and so I couldn’t wait to go and visit. I primarily planned the trip around spending time with them, so focused on the North Island. I’m very much looking forward to returning to see for myself what the South Island has to offer. Here are my impressions of the North Island. I’ve heard people giving Auckland a hard time but I really liked it – wa

02 Apr 2020 5   min read

Epic tour of Africa!

Epic tour of Africa!

This summer clients of mine undertook an epic journey across five countries in Africa. They have been kind enough to share their travel journal with me and I have used that for the basis of this blog. Huge thanks to Peter & Ruth. Starting in Cape Town, South Africa, they didn’t have the best of weather, so that prevented a trip to Robben Island. I always recommend going up Table Mountain as soon

06 Nov 2019 5   min read

Kicking our heels in Kefalonia

Kicking our heels in Kefalonia

I absolutely love Greece and Kefalonia is somewhere that has certainly featured in my wish-list for some time, so when I was fortunate enough to receive a travel agent offer from Sunvil I seized the opportunity! We chose the Kaminakia apartments, within walking distance of Fiskardo, as we wanted to be close to town but also wanted a pool to enjoy. The apartments are basic but comfortable and were

30 Aug 2019 5   min read

Lovely client feedback about South America trips!

Lovely client feedback about South America trips!

I really wanted to share the great feedback and wonderful photos (I especially love the traditional costumes!) I had from some lovely clients who have travelled as a group of four on two lengthy trips to South America in the last couple of years with me. I'm sure they won't mind me saying they are (slightly) older than the average back-packer but their wanderlust and enthusiasm has given me the o

02 May 2019 5   min read

Singapore Fling!

Singapore Fling!

I had the wonderful opportunity of spending 5 days in Singapore with Singapore Airlines (fabulous by the way) and the Tourist Board. They were determined to make sure we sampled the best of everything Singapore has to offer, so we packed a lot in! Most Brits are likely to visit Singapore on a stopover, sometimes just a touchdown and sometimes for a day or so. My suggestion is to give yourselves a

13 Mar 2019 5   min read

Sustainable Travel - how we can help

Sustainable Travel - how we can help

I’ve recently completed training with the Travel Foundation – an organisation determined to put sustainable tourism at the top of every country’s agenda. This is about more than single-use plastic; although that is a great place to start, this encompasses the impacts of the travel industry on the local economy, communities and the environment, to ensure it contributes positively. The Travel Fou

10 Jan 2019 5   min read

US National Parks

US National Parks

Following a couple of nights in Vegas (see previous blog) we picked up our Mustang convertible (what else?) and hit the road. First stop was the Grand Canyon but less than an hour out of Vegas is an equally awe-inspiring site, albeit a man-made one. The Hoover Dam is a genuine feat of engineering – I was a little bit unnerved to discover it’s pretty much held in place by gravity. The visitor centr

04 Jan 2019 5   min read

Viva Las Vegas!

Viva Las Vegas!

I’ve always assumed Las Vegas is very much like Marmite – you either love it or hate it. I wasn’t sure which camp I would be in and there was only one way to find out! As part of a trip designed to visit several US National Parks we were starting with the Grand Canyon, a mere four-hour road trip from Vegas, so that decided our starting point. On arrival it looms out of the desert like some kind

27 Dec 2018 5   min read

Child-friendly holidays with a difference

Child-friendly holidays with a difference

If you’re a mum with school-age children, the chances are you’ll have heard of the Algarve resorts of Martinhal and Pine Cliffs or the Greek mainland choices of Sani or Ikos. They are fantastic resorts offering a huge range of accommodation and activities aimed at creating memorable family holidays and long may they continue to do so. However, you might be looking for something different. Maybe

11 Jan 2018 5   min read

On the hunt for truffles in Bologna

On the hunt for truffles in Bologna

Bologna has many names – La Dotta, referring to the number of educational institutes that can be found there, La Rossa, for both its ubiquitous roof tiles and communist sensibilities and, my personal favourite, La Grassa – the fat one – for the sheer magnitude of superb cuisine – just don’t ask for Spaghetti Bolognese (read on and I’ll explain why). I’ve visited a fair bit of Italy and absolute

08 Nov 2017 5   min read

No reason to feel Blue…

No reason to feel Blue…

Our stay on Crete was drawing to an end and I had opted for a serious dose of luxury to provide an appropriate send-off. This took the form of the truly magnificent Blue Palace Hotel, based just outside Plaka on the Mirabello Gulf, overlooking the famous (thanks in large part to Victoria Hislop) former leper colony on the mysterious island of Spinalonga. The island provides a haunting backdrop

18 Oct 2017 5   min read

The Cretan Odyssey continues...

The Cretan Odyssey continues...

After a few days of essentially walking and eating, we headed out to explore a little more of this part of the island. Arkadi Monastery is a poignant reminder of the resistance of the local population to invasion by the Ottomans. As the battle was lost, the women and children who sheltered here chose to ignite the gunpowder store rather than join the Turkish harems – the storeroom has been left un

18 Oct 2017 5   min read

Rethymnon - the ideal introduction to Crete

Rethymnon - the ideal introduction to Crete

I’ve lost count of the number of times I have sent clients to Greece this year, and Crete is one of the perennial favourites – fabulous beaches, lots of culture, great food and wonderful weather – at least, that’s what I’ve always told people even though I’d never been! It was clearly time to practice what I preach. It’s been some time since my last visit to Greece, specifically Skiathos, mainl

18 Oct 2017 5   min read

A long weekend in Lisbon

A long weekend in Lisbon

I try to make a point of going away for my birthday every year and, as it falls in June, I can usually expect good weather. This year we headed to Lisbon, which was in the middle of a heatwave so the weather was perhaps a little too good. We’d pre-ordered Lisboa cards which we collected at the airport – this gave us discount or free entry to a number of top sights, free travel for our chosen le

09 Oct 2017 5   min read

Nice and Monte Carlo

Nice and Monte Carlo

It’s been a long-held dream of mine (well alright, fantasy and it has always involved watching from one of the super yachts) to go to the Monaco Grand Prix and I finally bit the bullet this year. One of our fabulous partners, BAC Sports, had an offer on for five nights in Nice and grandstand tickets to the race, so I just couldn’t pass it up. I won’t bore you with the race details (F1 fans, get

05 Oct 2017 5   min read

Luscious La Palma

Luscious La Palma

Where are you going this time? La Palma? Oh I love Majorca. Nope, that’s Palma, this is one of the Canary Islands. Oh yes, Las Palmas is on Gran Canaria, isn’t it? Well yes, but it’s not that one either. This pretty much sums up one of the main attractions of staying on La Palma – no one’s ever heard of it, let alone been there. It’s one of the smallest of the seven main islands and is out to the

25 Apr 2017 5   min read

Paradise found in The Seychelles

Paradise found in The Seychelles

Mention the Seychelles to most people and it immediately conjures up images of perfect white sand beaches fringed by palm trees with unusual boulders jutting out of the turquoise sea. And that’s just about spot on. The second thought is probably along the lines of ‘expensive’ or perhaps ‘exclusive’, which is where I beg to differ. I was one of a very lucky group of six Travel Counsellors fortu

03 Apr 2017 5   min read

Into the Amazon

Into the Amazon

As part of our time in South America, my husband and I spent a few nights in the Ecuadorian rainforest on a tributary of the Amazon. The trip down was on a motorised canoe and the sheer width of the river amazed us – of course it’s the main mode of transport, so we passed by all sorts of boats; some taking children to school and others carrying heavy equipment for the logging industry. Upon arr

14 Sept 2016 5   min read

Budapest birthday

Budapest birthday

Being at work on your birthday is over-rated, and the last couple of years has seen me jet off somewhere as the UK's weather gets increasingly unpredictable in June! This year (due to far too many other holidays) we only had time for a long weekend and, after a bit of research (also known as asking people on Facebook), Budapest beat Copenhagen. Surprisingly quick to get to (about a two-hour fli

22 Jun 2016 5   min read

Funtastic time with Carnival Cruises!

Funtastic time with Carnival Cruises!

Following on from my blog about Louisiana and New Orleans, here's what I made of Carnival Cruises... Our first two days were at sea, which gave us plenty of time to acquaint ourselves with everything the Carnival Dream had to offer. The first thing that springs to mind is the amazing food – so fresh, tasty and plentiful but such a variety of options – you simply couldn’t get bored and that’s co

12 Apr 2016 5   min read

Louisiana - Cajun Country & Nola

Louisiana - Cajun Country & Nola

Recently I was very lucky to be one of a group of fellow Travel Counsellors who got to take a cruise courtesy of Carnival. We were fortunate to start our trip with a couple of days in Louisiana in the capable hands of Neil Jones from the office of tourism. After a slightly bumpy start to the trip involving various flight and luggage issues we were underway! First stop was Lafayette, staying nea

12 Apr 2016 5   min read

Lanzarote

Lanzarote

I have to admit I'm a little bit of a Lanzarote fan - enough going on to keep all of the family interested but plenty of places to find some peace and quiet. Couple that with one man's successful crusade to limit the impact of development and for me it's the perfect example of a Canarias island. As much as I love Lanzarote, I invariably find myself both returning to and recommending clients vis

16 Feb 2016 5   min read

South African Safari and Jozi

South African Safari and Jozi

In October this year I got the chance to take part in my first educational trip – 10 nights in South Africa. I was thoroughly excited as this was somewhere I had never visited, but I must admit to having a degree of trepidation at the thought of visiting Johannesburg, largely thanks to sheer ignorance! Our Virgin Atlantic flights were great (I was lucky enough to be upgraded to Premium Economy

29 Dec 2015 5   min read

Lake Como packs a scenic punch

Lake Como packs a scenic punch

OK, I admit I was basically going in the hopes of catching a glimpse of a certain Mr George Clooney who has a place down the road but the Italian Lakes offer lots of alternative eye candy if he proves elusive! I stayed on Lake Como, in a small village called Argegno with the most wonderful tiny piazza incorporating a few restaurants, an enoteca and a highly noteworthy gelateria – I recommend t

08 May 2015 5   min read

Inspirational Iceland

Inspirational Iceland

It's hardly surprising that Iceland's landscape has been inspiring people for centuries - from Jules Verne using the glacier of Snaefellsjokull as the base for Journey to the Centre of the Earth to the world's biggest TV series, Game of Thrones using a range of Icelandic backdrops - it truly is a stunning and unique natural beauty. I visited Iceland with the hope of seeing the Northern Lights.

16 Apr 2015 5   min read

The magic of Dubrovnik

The magic of Dubrovnik

I've had the fortune to visit Dubrovnik twice and it truly is the Pearl of the Adriatic as Byron once said. The walled centre is dazzling marble with a shock of red roof tiles and can often be wall to wall with people, but there's usually somewhere quiet you can escape to. If you are able to stay within or just outside the town you get to experience it once the day-trippers have left - in the sum

15 Apr 2015 5   min read

Winter in Istanbul

Winter in Istanbul

Everyone seems to think that Istanbul should only ever be visited in the summer but I beg to differ. For Christmas 2011 my enterprising husband surprised me with a long weekend in Istanbul...for Valentine's. He's cheeky like that. I let him get away with it as it's somewhere I've always wanted to go and I do love a good city break out of season. We arrived accompanied by a small flurry of snow

27 Jan 2015 5   min read

Venice in September

Venice in September

Having been to Italy several times I couldn't quite believe I'd still not been to Venice, so when I found I had an opportunity to go in September, I grabbed it with both hands. I arrived on train from Trieste via Croatia and only had two days and one night to see as much as I could. The train station delivers you directly onto the Grand Canal and your first sense of the timelessness of this floati

19 Dec 2014 5   min read

The Inca Trail

The Inca Trail

My husband and I had been planning to have a go at the Inca Trail for about the last ten years, but life got in the way. So, with the opportunity of a lifetime to spend three months travelling around South America, this experience was top of our list. We had acclimatised as we travelled through northern Chile and into Peru, so by the time we got to Cusco, the starting point for the Inca Trail,

10 Dec 2014 5   min read

La Paz

La Paz

La Paz is an incredible place. It was with some trepidation that we headed there, having heard the horror stories about drugs and crime. It sounds as though that story has reached the ears of the Bolivian government though, as every tourist area has a clear police presence. I didn’t once feel even remotely worried for my safety, but instead absolutely fell in love with the vibrancy and people. It’

10 Dec 2014 5   min read

Northern Chile - San Pedro de Atacama

Northern Chile - San Pedro de Atacama

After a few weeks in the southern part of Chile, we travelled up the country (with a detour over to Mendoza for the wine, of course), passing Mario Irarrazabal’s Mano del Desierto, a giant hand in the middle of nowhere. We were heading for San Pedro de Atacama, situated within the Atacama Desert, the driest place on earth. San Pedro is a very chilled out, quite hippy-ish sort of place. We staye

17 Nov 2014 5   min read

Northern Chile - Humberstone & Putre

Northern Chile - Humberstone & Putre

San Pedro is where we decided to deviate from the well-worn gringo trail through the salt flats on Uyuni, as stunning as it looks, all because I wanted to visit a ghost town…ever since I read about Santa Laura and Humberstone I’ve wanted to go there – a saltpeter mine and attached town in the middle of nowhere which, thanks to becoming a World Heritage site, has been remarkably preserved. It was b

17 Nov 2014 5   min read

In Patagonia – around and about Puerto Natales

In Patagonia – around and about Puerto Natales

As I mention in the Torres Del Paine entry, Puerto Natales is a fantastic base for a number of wonderful sights in Patagonia. Having completed the trek and celebrated with Patagonia’s very own Baguales beer, we thought it was high time to detour over to Argentina to take a look at one of their own biggest Patagonian draws – Perito Moreno Glacier. It’s really difficult to do it justice in photos

17 Nov 2014 5   min read

In Patagonia - Torres Del Paine National Park

In Patagonia - Torres Del Paine National Park

After spending two weeks trying to learn something resembling Spanish in Buenos Aires (a truly stunning, very European city), we flew down to Punta Arenas in Chilean Patagonia. We spent a few days visiting the area my husband’s granny grew up in and then headed by bus to Puerto Natales. This was a great jumping off point for some wonderful experiences, not the least of which being the National Par

17 Nov 2014 5   min read

What my customers say

We found Liz to be friendly, approachable and efficient. Also patient when we were considering various options. So much better than trying to do things ourselves. She knows what she is doing! Well done and thank you Liz.

M S

Sevenoaks

Brilliant service; I am an amputee and my requirements had to be very specific. Also just a very pleasant demeanour on the phone.

P L

Reading

Liz helped us with a wonderful holiday back in 2015 so we've come back for more ten years on! She's found us a perfect sounding set up in Corfu and taken all the stress out of holiday planning for us. We're very excited about our trip. Thank you Liz!

Alex Vernon

Gloucester

Liz has organised a lot of trips for me and never fails to amaze. She is a great asset to Travel Counsellors who is always prepared to go the extra mile in search of the best solutions. Very highly recommended!

David Weeks

Reading

Liz is very professional and her advice is really great regarding travel, places, value for money. Her knowledge is really excellent and we have had very good experiences in the past with her bookings.

Caroline Pickering

Tunbridge Wells

Liz has been attentive, responsive and has a great attention to detail. Our trip was complicated and required a large investment of time and energy to get us the trip we wanted. During the process, Liz has kept us fully informed and ultimately has delivered the trip of a lifetime. We will be using Liz as our travel guru on all future travel activities.

Jonathan Price

Weybridge

We had booked our honeymoon through another travel agent and they let us down at the last minute. A friend of mine recommended Liz and she really saved the day for us! Liz has been so helpful, offering really sound advice and responding to all of our queries really quickly. Would definitely book a holiday with Liz again and have already recommended her to other people. Thank you Liz!

Emily Smithers

Bristol

Once again, Liz has provided outstanding service. Her knowledge and expertise gives us a lot of confidence in going to a destination we haven't visited before. Nothing is too much trouble for her; we recommend her to all our friends. We have great peace of mind knowing that before, during or after our holiday Liz is only a phone call away.

Neil Hudson

Sevenoaks

Liz understood our holiday requirements perfectly and booked a fantastic trip for us as well as suggested an itinerary. Exactly what we wanted. She also looked after us from the start to the finish, even when we were out there. I look forward to booking further trips with her.

Sashini Chandrasekera

Sevenoaks

I wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to Liz. The support she has given us is OUTSTANDING! From the very start and the planning of our trip finding just the right place to meet our needs and budget, Liz has been so helpful. Then of course the world turned upside down and we were no longer able to travel. Again Liz was with us every step of the way explaining what can and can't happen. Giving us choices and options and then a full refund. I'm quite sure Liz did far more work for us with our holiday not happening than she would have if we had gone ahead but her commitment to us and wonderful service has never faltered (even though I'm guessing a full refund meant no commission for her). Wonderful service and I for sure will be booking my holidays and travel Liz in the future. Brilliant! - THANK YOU!

Caroline Hart

Tunbridge Wells

My daughter was due to get married overseas this month and we have sadly had to postpone the wedding. During these uncertain times, our Travel Counsellor Liz Penn has dealt with any problems that have arisen with cancelled flights, hotels and travel insurance etc. She has been very prompt and thorough with any actions that were required, and is ready to re-book when possible. She has managed to make this time calm and stress free for us in what could have been extremely difficult circumstances. During a long period when we, and the British public are not able to actually book any new trips abroad, presumably resulting in non-existent commission for her endeavours, Liz’s after sales service in sorting out refunds, potential re-bookings and travel insurance for our family has remained second to none. I pity those travellers who either use the on-line travel agents or the High Street agents, as I am positive they wouldn’t have received the excellent after sales service that Liz has provided for us. I will definitely continue to use Liz and Travel Counsellors for my future holiday requirements.

Andy Brett

Tonbridge

Really good booking service. Listened to and delivered on all my (picky!) holiday needs. Has put together a really exciting itinerary that really suits my family. Cant't wait to go now.

Annette Wright

Tonbridge

Liz has been brilliant on more than one occasion now. She is passionate about what she does and this really shows through. Liz pays attention to detail and those little things that make a trip a holiday! Thank you Liz.... I’ve no hesitation in recommending you and your service to others!

Janet Colenutt

Tunbridge Wells

First class service we receive from Liz including communication, diligence, flexibility, reliability and collaboration. That’s why we keep coming back to her first! Thank you.

Peter Nwosu

Enfield

An excellent service was provided by Liz. It was personal and our itinerary was tailored exactly to our requirements, all our queries were sorted and she was there each step of our way. We were very impressed!

Chris Lawrence

Hildenborough

Liz has organised our two South American trips. Both were designed by Liz for two couples. She came up with great suggestions of where to go and provided us with a variety of accommodation which really appealed to us. We had a mixture of Private and small Group tours. All our trips were ideally paced to not feel too rushed. Liz was in regular contact with us after booking making suggestions for what to take on holiday and, amazingly, emailed boarding passes whilst we were away! We have just asked her for a simple USA flight and car rental quotation and she came up with a great deal compared to Sunday Times national Travel operators. A true professional!

Douglas Mills

Bristol

I have already recommended Liz to my parents due to her excellent service and travel knowledge. Everything has been really easy and Liz is very accommodating and happy to personalise our holiday! Liz is very good at getting in contact and replying quickly to any email communication! We couldn't be happier with our final honeymoon itinerary! Thank you Liz!

Hannah Gidley

Tonbridge

Like many people, trying to find the time to research and locate that ideal holiday, or in our case, honeymoon, is really difficult. We gave Liz some ideas of what we liked and our budget. Liz then came back with some lovely options that stretched our imagination. A great service and good communication all along. Definitely recommend Liz, to pull the whole package together. Thank you. Just one thing left for us to do, relax and enjoy our lovely holiday/ honeymoon.

Kevin Macleod

Tunbridge Wells

Liz was wonderful in booking and planning our honeymoon, I loved the flexibility of dealing with her and not having to go visit a shop. It had a personal feeling which I really liked, and I'd not hesitate to recommend her (or use her myself) again.

Amanda Paver

Tunbridge Wells

We have never used Liz or Travel Counsellors before but have been persuaded by the comments of others. We have found Liz and her team to be both attentive and thorough in the organising of a very complicated and amended holiday. We have nothing but praise for Liz and would add that it is testament to her quality of service that we have today instructed her to source another holiday before we have even gone on this one.

Roy Patey

Tunbridge Wells

Liz was most helpful and took on board all our requirements so that we have together worked out what promises to be a good holiday.

Nadine Scurr

Halstead

Liz Penn is very knowledgeable, extremely helpful and I cannot recommend her enough. If I hadn't used Liz to book my holiday in Iceland I don't think I could have done it without her.

Tracy Wilson

Tunbridge Wells

Extremely happy so far with my travel arrangements for our first visit to India made by Liz. Very professional and helpful, useful suggestions. Thank you. Will definitely recommend her, as I was recommended to her by another friend.

Liza Georgiou

Limassol

Liz Penn is a wonderful lady, who very quickly "sussed" us out and instinctively understood our priorities. She listened carefully to our requirements and then exceeded them. For example, she made sure that any longer flights were scheduled for overnight, so that we did not waste daylight hours travelling. She also scheduled in time for us to visit Singapore between flights, as we had been there before, but were previously stuck in the airport. Liz also recognised that we are not "5 star" travellers, but included luxury elements that we do feel comfortable with. Liz produced a well-balanced itinerary, with activity and relaxation days spread throughout. It has been a joy to meet and work with Liz Penn and I would highly recommend her to anyone contemplating a special trip.

Delly Dickson

Southborough

Liz has been extremely helpful. Very patient with our changes to the itinerary and gave us good advice as to our visits and time scale. No doubt we shall be contacting her again before our trip for some final advice. A very knowledgeable authority on South America.

Angela Conibere

Bristol

I've been consistently impressed by the high quality of service provided by Liz - she really takes the time and puts the effort in to find the holiday you're looking for, even if you don't yet know what it is yourself.

Shona Campbell

Sevenoaks

I have already recommended Liz to three other people since I received such fantastic service - Liz has really listened to our needs, she had been very patient with our itinerary changes, and she has provided timely and regular communication. Awesome!!

Steve Jamieson

Sunnningdale

Liz has been brilliant in arranging our holiday. She was attentive to our very specific requirements, kept me fully informed and has made the whole booking process seamless. I have no hesitation in recommending Liz and will definitely be using her for all our future holiday requirements. A well justified 10 out of 10.

N J

Tunbridge Wells

Discover the world with me

Manta Ray Encounter!

Manta Ray Encounter!

Watching these majestic creatures at their cleaning station, just off Bora Bora in French Polynesia

21 Nov 2024

Dolphins in Costa Rica!

Dolphins in Costa Rica!

It was incredible to be surrounded by dolphins who were having a great time playing around our boat!

14 Feb 2022

Did you know?

Did you know?

A little overview of the great things we can book closer to home

27 May 2021

‘Postcards’ – A special film from Travel Counsellors

‘Postcards’ – A special film from Travel Counsellors

Enjoy the magic of travel with this special poem courtesy of Tony Walsh

12 Apr 2021

5 Reasons to book with me

5 Reasons to book with me

In these uncertain times it's good to know your holiday is in safe hands. Here are the top 5 reasons to book with me.

11 Mar 2021

The World of Good

The World of Good

Why we can't wait to take our next holiday!

11 Mar 2021

Arrival into Venice

Arrival into Venice

Arriving into Venice by water taxi is special; even more so when it is extremely quiet as this trip took place in August 2020.

15 Aug 2020

Additional offers

More destinations to enjoy

Let's plan your dream trip together

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Find Tc Difference

Start planning with me

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Let’s talk through your ideas, no pressure.

01732 807510

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Finding your match...

Every unforgettable journey starts with the right person by your side.