Louise Hunt
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I'm based in
Hebden Bridge
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It's Nice To Meet You
Your holidays should always be amazing, not average or ok. I appreciate that most people just don’t have enough time spare in order to guarantee this by putting the work in themselves. As holidays are so precious they should always be perfect. I’m here to help ensure that this is a reality for you.
My goal is to provide you the best customer service in delivering your perfect travel experience, whether that be a bespoke tailor-made escape or a package holiday in Europe: boutique hotels, Amazon adventures, 6* cruises, exclusive offers, close up wildlife encounters, or everything rolled into one!
Travelling is a wonderful experience; I have toured cities, mountains and beaches across France, Spain and Italy, sampling food and wine along the way. We’ve been lucky enough to see elephants in South Africa, turtles in Tobago and Lightening McQueen at Disneyland Paris! Currently on my bucket list are visiting Polar bears in Canada, a luxury cruise, a snowy break in a castle in Scotland and another city break in Itay. If you’ve got any ideas to share with me, I’d love to chat!
I have long been obsessed with discovering foodie finds, so I can usually recommend a restaurant to anyone who is planning a trip, wherever you may be going. After visiting New York about 20 times, I’ve got great recommendations for places to dine in the Midtown area from steaks to sushi! In Florence, I'd suggest that you take a cookery lesson, so you can recreate local dishes when you get home. In Madrid, there’s a buzzing tapas market which is amazing. There’s a fantastic place in Krakow which serves Michelin food at pub prices, my list of recommendations goes on. I love adding to it with my own experiences and suggestions from friends.
Hopefully you won’t need to test me, but I do come into my own when problems arise. I’ve helped friends, family and customers to get out of some tricky situations all over the world! This includes helping my customers when trouble recently began in the Middle East, when a credit card didn’t work in Sydney, when mountain rescuers were needed in France, and when the nanny of one of my customer’s phoned in sick while she was skiing.
I understand that travel is important, it could be the two weeks you’ve looked forward to all year, it’s the trip you deserve after a career at the grindstone, it’s your honeymoon, and it’s jumping into being an empty nester.
Whatever your trip, it’s important to me to get it right.
Travel guides
Explore my guides and blogs
It's just not Virgin!
I love Virgin Voyages! I love cruise, but this is a cruise without being too cruisy…. It still has the benefit of unpacking once whilst visiting multiple destinations, super entertainment, a spa but has so much more. Gone are early dining and late dining, gone is the dress code, in fact, even the main dining room is banished on Virgin Voyages. Dining on a Virgin ship is like being on your hol
17 Mar 2023 5 min read
Abu Dhabi - sunshine in winter
In November I took a group of friends and family to Abu Dhabi. They weren’t really convinced in it from a holiday destination perspective…… but they got over it. They loved: - Day time flights from and to the UK - Abu Dhabi airport is so close to the hotels and resorts - Proper sunshine and heat in November when the weather at home is poor - Good quality food with lots of dining options - A grea
15 Mar 2023 5 min read
Testing Times - COVID, PCR tests and quarantine
A test I couldn’t revise for, in fact I turned up for hoping to get a negative result. Thursday was D day, only 6 days after I’d found out that I’d been invited by Barbados to find out first hand what travel was like in this new crazy world, we call a new normal. No time to get excited, I had to work out a PCR test..... what accreditation did the lab need? How many hours before travel? Was there a
29 Nov 2020 5 min read
Calvi, the perfect short haul escape
I travelled to Corsica with my son and his grandparents in July for a cheeky week in the sun. I did have to juggle work and pleasure, so my requirements for a break were: - Short flight - Short transfer - Pool - Wifi - Walkable to restaurants - Good wine We found the perfect break which matched all the criteria, plus was walkable to the beach and had a local train running to Ile Rousse so great
14 Oct 2019 5 min read
Family fun in Cuba
Havana really is crumbling, you’ll have your own opinions about whether the outcomes of the revolution were all positive. I took a look around, and then closed my eyes to try and rebuilt the city in my mind: It is hard to imagine how magnificent this place must have been, I’ve not seen anywhere which could have been so beautiful in the Caribbean.... it must have been like Venice, Paris and Barcelo
13 Oct 2019 5 min read
VIP, Rockstar, Royalty Orlando experience.
Do you like to holiday like a Rockstar, royalty or lottery winner? Do you hate queues? Are you prepared to pay for an easy life? Hate not knowing the inside track? Do you know what to do with fast passes, express passes? Do you want the best pictures and memories? Well, this is the Orlando review you need to read. I am just back from the most amazing trip, and I was blown away by the VIP care of m
28 Sept 2019 5 min read
Self catering in Croatia
We wanted to self-cater last summer, shop for fresh fruit at the local markets, buy warm patisserie for breakfast and make fresh salads for lunch. We did all of this in a country which would be a new adventure for us all.... Croatia. We don’t like crowds and we do love amazing food, so a colleague suggested that we start our holiday on the island of Korcula. A simple drive along the coast from Du
23 Aug 2019 5 min read
A tropical island with something for everybody!
This lush Caribbean island is a story of 2 halves: It can be idyllically relaxing or physically challenging! For those wanting to be pampered and to relax, the fabulous setting of Sugar Beach with its white sands and impeccably discreet service is the place to be. Every meal we ate there was a delight, from sushi in the bar, fine dining with a view or just a snack at the beach bar. Our room was n
28 Apr 2019 5 min read
A new day in New York
I can never resist the chance to visit New York, and a when a friend said they she’d never been to the city that never sleeps, I said that we should go! We arrived in New York via Dublin so had precleared immigration, that made life so much simpler when we landed in the US. After dropping our bags, he headed straight out. Priority one was Rockefeller Plaza as the fabulous Christmas tree had jus
14 Jan 2019 5 min read
My mini break with Fred
I’m just back from a few days away with Fred! He was kind and thoughtful, cooked dinner, made the bed, tidied my room and took me exploring (and shopping). What a great holiday companion! Was I being unfaithful to my husband? No, I spent five nights on board Balmoral, one of Fred Olsen’s lovely little cruise ships. The fact that Fred Olsen is still a family-owned company, run by a chap called
06 Nov 2018 5 min read
The Golden Triangle
Golden opportunities should always be seized, especially if they involve golden bucket list itineraries! The Golden triangle takes in Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, three cities steeped in history and incredible architecture. British history is woven amongst Indian colour and culture. Your guide will bring to life the religions, the leaders, the wars and the colours of India. On day one we flew o
17 May 2018 5 min read
Tigers, tea and tranqillity
I travelled with Intrepid to central Kerala in September 2016 and arrived back home still excited about my first trip to India, so immediately began planning my return with Cenwyn and Rhys. This time we would scratch the surface of Karnataka and northern Kerala, which are areas just opening to foreign tourism. We started in Mysore which is home to the second most visited attraction in India aft
14 Apr 2018 5 min read
San Francisco - ABCD
San Francisco ABCD - Alcatraz, Bridge, Culinary Delights! I love this city, so have a read of my top tips to enjoy your trip. Top foodie tips • The Ferry Building may just have the best ice-cream I’ve ever had. As usual I had my eye on dessert before my main course, but the mains were equally fabulous at The Slanted Door – a great Vietnamese place with bags of atmosphere. • Dandelion choc
22 Feb 2018 5 min read
Carmel, Monterey, which to choose?
Monterey is known for the aquarium, Cannery Row and Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s a tough choice, and will be down to your preference. We visited both, and I suggest that you do the same as they are only 10 minutes apart by car. Monterey has the world-famous aquarium, with its variety of exhibits, including sea otters, penguins and sardines! It has sculptures and exhibits about ocean pollution, and h
29 Dec 2017 5 min read
It's THE destination, not a 'stop off'
As you pull in and drive towards reception, it’s as if life slows down a little. Post Ranch Inn is in the gorgeous area of Big Sur, on the east coast route of California. That said, this hotel is not somewhere ‘just to stop off’ en route, it really is the destination. There are 38 rooms and eight types of accommodation, but to narrow it down, I’d always have a room with a hot tub on its private
29 Dec 2017 5 min read
Love and Marriage Barbados Style
I'm just back from a visit to Barbados exploring the romantic side of the island. I've been looking at the perfect places for marriage proposals, weddings and honeymoons. If you travel out as a big group, there are also lots of ideas for a mini stag/hen event. For wedding venues, you can say 'I do' on a sandy beach with palms swaying, have a full catholic mass, relax in the privacy of a luxury
19 Sept 2017 5 min read
Kotor as a cruise port
What should you do in Kotor if you are just there for the day? After my recent visit I have some suggestions! - When you get to the cruise port, there is a poorly signposted office on the left hand side. You can buy the hop-on-hop-off bus tickets, it cost us 20 euros each. The bus is just through the gates. - The bus tour takes you about 30mins along the coast ( passed the Catholic church –
19 Apr 2017 5 min read
LA
I’m trying to recall my preconceptions of LA: busy, fake, confusing..... But I wasn’t sure, so it was time for a trip. We spent our time mainly between Santa Barbara and the city of Los Angeles. We ventured further south just to take a trip out with Captain Dave to meet up with the local dolphins; all 5000 of them and 3 humpback whales. It was the most impressive marine life trip I’d been on, but
19 Apr 2017 5 min read
Skopelos
My top tips for Skopelos would be, eat, explore, chill, repeat! After the dramatic landing in Skiathos, only eight passengers form our plane ventured on to Skopelos. I liked the idea of travelling the extra miles to escape the Manchester masses. Skopelos is served by ferries and flying dolphins with no airstrip, so there is more mystery. Our apartment was very simple. It was 2* but it had a
29 Nov 2016 5 min read
Celebrity Eclipse
I had a lovely couple of nights at sea with my sister and mother to try out Celebrity Eclipse. It was a spa break/girlie break/escape the husband’s sort of break, and was great fun. We loved the fast track boarding which came with our Concierge class cabin, with friendly staff it was very efficient. Upgrading our drinks package was a bit of a farce (but worth it by the time we hit the Martini b
13 Nov 2016 5 min read
Whistle stop Dubai
People tend to have two different sorts of holidays in Dubai, a proper holiday bathed in sunshine and being pampered in the fabulous hotels, or a short break/stop-over type holiday. We had four nights in Dubai, so crammed in as much as we could. If you had more time than us, you would just fill the days by the pool or on the beach! We took an overnight flight from Manchester, arriving Friday
12 Nov 2016 5 min read
A family trip to Washington DC
Through the eyes of an 11 year old! Washington is amazing, when we arrived there we dropped our bags off and went in search for food. The first meal we had was in Chinatown we had some sort of soup with chicken and noodles. It was very nice. The next day we went walking and we passed the Lincoln memorial, Washington Monument and Capitol Hill. The Washington Monument was made out of two types
07 Nov 2016 5 min read
Kerala
Begin with the end in mind: I spied a holiday maker reading Steven Covey’s book – this really is the place to begin practicing the Seven Habits, and Kerala is the place to Sharpen the Saw. My last day in India started early with yoga on the beach, freshly cooked breakfast and then an Ayurveda treatment. After some time by the pool, I was feeling sharp! India is a treat to the senses, not an
07 Nov 2016 5 min read
USA - The South
I have been itching to get to the South for ages, I had a feeling that I’d love it there. I wanted to see rockers on the porches of antebellum houses, to eat at the Crab Shack, to be surrounded by a soft southern drawl at every crossroads. I had ideas of a slow sunny pace of life, great food, and towns with rockers on the porches. Our itinerary was three nights Savannah, three nights Charleston
06 Nov 2016 5 min read
New York
Tourist Attractions I prefer the Rockefeller Centre to the Empire State Building – it has shorter queues, is more interesting and you can see the Empire State Building. In Central Park, cycling is the best way to see more of the park. You can do an organised tour or just hire a bike and go for it – there is so much to see. The highline is a great park space in west Manhattan. There are w
04 Oct 2016 5 min read
Harmony of the Seas
I can honestly say that 5 hours on board Harmony of the Seas was not enough: She is HUGE, and there is so much on board for everybody, anybody... all the family and your friends. Take everybody on a Royal Caribbean ship, and I'm sure that you will have a fabulous holiday. A few facts about this particular ship: - She cost £800million - She is 60ft taller than the Statue of Liberty - 124
31 May 2016 5 min read
Magical Mallorca
This is more of a picture book than a story of words…. These photos speak far more clearly than I could write! I spent 3 lovely nights and days in Mallorca with friends. I am lucky as one of my friends acted both as guide and host. We ate tapas at the marina in Palma, pizza at the marina in Port Portals and paella at the port in Andraxt – so much of our food was at the water front – great foo
24 Sept 2015 5 min read
A child's review of Britannia
The first impression I made of the ship was that she was massive: It felt about 5.5 times the size of the Holiday Inn in Southampton, and that is big! When I got on Britannia, it felt like a modern hotel, that could move as fast as a car on a track. I liked my cabin a lot, but having 2 TVs was the best because Dadi didn’t want to move from watching the rugby, so I watched the Lego movie on th
26 Aug 2015 5 min read
CMV Azores - a quick visit
Over all I was pleasantly surprised with the ship: The clientele were younger in age and spirit than Fred Olsen, and you need to be as there are no accessible cabins and you board the ship up a set of stairs – no tunnel or ramps. Azores looks like a traditional cruise ship, and features like her teak deck remain a pleasing feature. The food was fine, I had a 3 course lunch ( served at the tab
03 Aug 2015 5 min read
Sunny Sani - my top 5
Sunny Sani is wonderful for many types of holiday, couples, families, weddings, spa breaks, sport…..it is perfect for so many reasons, here are my top 5: Couples who want romantic dinners for 2, spa treatments for 2, romantic walks on the beach, or the total indulgence of your own private yacht for the day, whisking you off to secluded bays for a private picnic. Multigenerational family holi
27 Jul 2015 5 min read
Camping, Glamping and Festival Survival Tips!
I was lucky enough to travel with friends who have been going to Glastonbury for years, so they shared the information that they had gleaned over the years. After my first camping trip in 25 years, I’m not calling myself an expert, but I did learn something which may be useful whether you are heading off to Eurocamp, spending a night in the arctic wilderness or even heading a to fab European festi
11 Jul 2015 5 min read
Viking River Cruise on the Danube
Rather than drone on for ages about my week on the Danube, I’m writing a short bit about what I learned about river cruising, then my top tip for each city we visited. Our Viking cruise ship, Freya was modern, well staffed. I thought that the river cruse was a fabulous way to do 6 city breaks in a week. We also spent very little money, as all meals were provided and included wine / beer with lu
31 May 2015 5 min read
Paris - city break for grown ups
We managed an adults only escape to Paris for hubby’s birthday. For the first time in years we travelled by Eurostar, it is not the natural choice from the north, I’m not sure if it takes longer than flying ( when thinking about door to door) but it was a far lovelier way to arrive in Paris. Travelling standard premier class, included a light lunch and a glass of wine. When we arrived in Paris
31 May 2015 5 min read
Select dining with P&O - is it worth the extra?
I love good food, cook as many new recipes as I can, and I’m a little bit in awe of Britannia’s food heroes. Such a great bunch of characters. Despite my hero crush, I needed to sample as much as I could to understand if their speciality dining (and drinking) venues were worth the extra money I though that I would write about the pick of the pack, rather than drone on about extensive menus, I w
18 May 2015 5 min read
My Britannia experience
I’ve just been on my first cruise out of Southampton, admittedly it was a mini cruise but I thought I’d jot down the experience whilst it was still fresh in my mind! There was no way that I was going to miss my departure, so I flew down the night before and stayed at the Holiday Inn. The Holiday Inn were kind enough to allocate me a room facing the Ocean Terminal where Britannia was waiting! I’
25 Mar 2015 5 min read
An auspicious occasion
Since becoming Britannia’s Madrina, I have been treated like a princess over the last year by P&O, and given the most amazing opportunities. 3 weeks ago, I flew out to Italy for the official handover of Britannia from the Fincantieri ship yard to P&O. Captain Paul Brown and Terry McGillicuddy (the designer) gave me a tour of my lovely ship, I can’t recall how many times that I said ‘wow’. The
15 Mar 2015 5 min read
Britannia is handed over to P&O - Magical day with P&O
I had butterflies in my stomach as I waited with anticipation, eager to be the first to catch a glimpse of my ship, Britannia. It had been a year since I was last at this shipyard in northern Italy, the surreal day when I smashed a bottle of Prosecco against her hull, and she floated out of her dry dock. At 1082ft long and 141000 tons, Britannia is the biggest cruise ship built for the British
27 Feb 2015 5 min read
A food and wine holiday in British Columbia
When I come back from a holiday, I want to be able to say “the people were friendly, the wine was wonderful, the food delicious and the weather sunny”…… Well that is certainly the case for a summer holiday to British Columbia in Canada. Last summer travelled around a few areas, with a focus on eating in restaurants which created superb food, ideally surrounded by a winery! In this case pic
04 Feb 2015 5 min read
First times... Turkey and Neilson
Back from a super week in Turkey with Neilson. It was their Adakoy resort, just round the peninsular from Marmaris, which was close enough yet far enough away! Despite waking up a little grumpy after a delayed flight but after a caffeine injection over breakfast we were awake enough to go along to the kids club welcome meeting. It was a bit of a scrum to sign up for activities but I secured
11 Nov 2014 5 min read
A beary special holiday!
Wildlife spotting anywhere is magical, but I’ve yet to be part of anything more special than Knight Inlet in Canada. It is a small floating lodge on an inlet accessible only by floatplane or boat. The accommodation is simple but scrupulously clean, comfortable and has everything you need (except a hairdryer, but the bears don’t mind wild hair, so why should I?) The lodge is run by a team dedica
09 Sept 2014 5 min read
Epic Egypt
I’ve tried to explain to my son that he overuses two words - awesome and epic. I didn’t think that half a dozen things a day, every day, could be deserving of such high praise, until I went to Egypt! I’ve just come back from an amazing educational trip with Red Sea Holidays. I spent three nights on the MS Grand Rose, boarding at Luxor. From stepping foot in the boat the service was impressive,
15 Jun 2014 5 min read
Sardinia with Mark Warner
Mark Warner invited me to check out not one but two of their properties, first Corsica, and the second one was in Sardinia (see separate review for Corsica). This property is about two hours from Cagliai airport where the Mark Warner team will welcome you to the island. The beachfront here is spectacular, you can walk for ages along the sand, and paddle in the blue sea. There is plenty o
27 May 2014 5 min read
An Olympic ski holiday.
This is the second time we’ve skied in Sestriere, it’s a lovely little town in the Italian Alps, with only a 90 minute transfer from Turin airport. We chose it two years ago for its short flight time, short transfer and great selection of slopes on the Italian Milky Way. It has plenty for the novice (nice blues and wide reds) and the expert skier with Olympic Black runs. There are over 400KM of ru
21 Feb 2014 5 min read
Britannia Madrina
On Friday 14th February, I had the most amazing Valentine’s day ever, I had a date with the new love in my life…… she’s a big girl, and unfortunately I don’t think it’s an exclusive relationship but it will always be special! Of course, I’m talking about P&O’s new cruise ship Britannia, as her Madrina she will always hold a special place in my heart. Before the ceremonies kicked off, I was luck
18 Feb 2014 5 min read
London with the family
I jumped on the number 49 bus with my son and nephew, it goes to South Kensington which has lots of cafes and restaurants, museums as well as easy access to Hyde Park. We decided to visit the Natural History museum, it’s an incredible building right next to the Science museum, and the V&A. We did have to queue but it really is worth it, how can it not be? For starters it’s free, and then, there
04 Jan 2014 5 min read
Mini break in Madrid
My husband was working in Madrid, and somehow it seemed unfair that he should be ‘heading to the office’ to a mystery Spanish city, so I did what any supportive wife would do, and hopped on a plane to see what I was missing out on! My son and I stayed on Calle de la Princesa, by the Arguelles metro stop. Each morning we waved goodbye to my husband, sending him off to the office whilst we set o
04 Jan 2014 5 min read
Safely navigate the moguls of packing for your ski holiday!
Some of my clients recently departed to visit Santa in Lapland and asked if I had any packing tips…….Oh yes! I have a packing list for each type of trip, ski, sun, city and business. Given this is the season of snow and goodwill, I thought I’d share my snowy holiday list. Here goes: o Long johns o Thermal tops (long sleeve vest type ones) o Hat, furry headband, ear muffs o Gloves (water
06 Dec 2013 5 min read
Tobago - An island of sunshine, beaches and cocktails!
Everyone said that Tobago was too far to go for a week, and in one way they were right, I didn’t want to come home after a week! But it wasn’t too far to go for a week of rest and relaxation, and much needed sunshine at October half term. After a couple of days reading books by the pool, we got itchy feet and booked an island safari in an old open top land rover. We bumped along the coast line,
11 Oct 2013 5 min read
Samoens, Grand Massif – a ski resort for non-skiers!
We certainly aren’t accomplished skiers - we’ve only been three times, but we’re getting the bug. Our criteria was high altitude, variety of pistes, short transfer time and something for non-skiers as my Mum was coming with us this time. The resort of Samoens ticked all the boxes, it’s a lovely town all year round but particularly beautiful in the snow, and very well connected as it’s in the Gran
05 Oct 2013 5 min read
New York, New York
New York, New York: so good I’ve been there twice! In fact I’ve been three times now, and I’d say we’ve hardly scratched the surface! It’s so great for so many things: sightseeing, culture, food and shopping. I’ve done the cheesy horse drawn carriage through Central Park in the snow, been on the open bus tour, visited the MOMA and the Metropolitan Museum (from Thomas Crown Affair) and walked mi
05 Oct 2013 5 min read
Romantic Rome
Rome was a wonderful weekend escape, and a perfect place to spend our 10th wedding anniversary. We’d been to Rome before so in a way it took the pressure off seeing some of the sights, so we indulged in leisurely walks along the Tiber, night-time strolls around the city, and long people watching lunches. We took the train out of the city and went to Ostia Antica, which is the old port of Rome:
04 Sept 2013 5 min read
Reviews
What my customers say
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Discover the world with me
Barbados 2020
A fabulous escape to Barbados in a COVID year. The sea was still warm and blue, the sun shone, and the turtle said Hi!
02 Dec 2020
Our family holiday to Cuba
Gorgeous Havana, beautiful beaches and lots of rum. Cuba certainly lives up to expectations!
08 Apr 2019
Golden Triangle
Bucket list trip. Who doesn't want 'the' picture in front of the Taj Mahal? ... Lady Diana
10 May 2018
A family holiday in Southern India
WOW! I love India. The people, the food, the culture and the beaches. Have a look what we got up to over Easter
08 Apr 2018
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Tailor-made for you
Your holiday isn’t just a trip away. It’s a longed-for escape, time to reconnect with loved ones, or a dream adventure you never thought possible. That’s why I take the time to truly get to know you and understand your hopes and expectations, then use my experience, connections and passion for the destination to create a trip that makes those dreams a reality.
Personalised service. Always
When you plan a holiday with me, you’ll be given my personal mobile number from the very first call. I’ll listen to your thoughts and ideas like I would a friend and arrange accommodation, activities, and flights that are all personalised to you. And I’ll share my personal tips and recommendations, so you can experience the true beauty of each destination.
Stress-free travel, and more time for what matters most
I believe your time away should be stress-free, easy, and seamless from start to finish. So, I take care of all the details for you - from ATOL protection, insurance, and flexible payments to access to the myTC app, which keeps everything in one place.
Support when it matters most
If the unexpected happens, you can rest easy, knowing that I’ll handle any last-minute changes, flight cancellations, or disruptions before you even pick up the phone. So you always feel happy, carefree, and ready to make the most of every moment.
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