Nikki Mortimer

My expertise

Australia
South Africa
India
Kenya
Thailand
Vietnam
Costa Rica
Iceland

I'm based in

Cuckfield

Available for new enquiries

It's Nice To Meet You

Hi, my name is Nikki and I am your local Travel Counsellor based in Cuckfield in West Sussex.

I have been a Travel Counsellors for over 8 years now, although I have worked within the travel industry for over 25 years (it’s so hard to comprehend how quickly time flies). I have been lucky enough to have worked for a number of different tour operators over the years and have travelled to some truly amazing places, both on business and on holiday.

As your personal Travel Counsellor, I am able to provide a unique travel service, using award winning technology to tailor-make holidays, with the support of a world leading, independent travel company. As I work from home, I can speak to you at a time that suits you, even if it is outside normal working hours. The way in which we are booking holidays has changed dramatically over the last 20 years, but the need to tap into expertise and the ability to contact your individual travel consultant with any questions (with no delays or waiting on the phone for hours) is something I have found customers really want - particularly for those with more complex and specialist holidays.

I specialise in long haul, tailor-made and luxury travel and am able to create magnificent holidays all over South East Asia, Africa, Australasia, the Americas and around the world. Whether it’s a Tanzanian safari you’re after, a fully escorted tour around Indochina or a leisurely self-drive around the beautiful islands of New Zealand, I can help to create a magical holiday for you by taking away all the pressure and providing valuable and impartial advice on the best places to stay and visit.

I have access to some of the best hotel, tour and airline rates in the industry and can also provide piece of mind when it comes to your money as all of the holidays I create are 100% financially protected by either ATOL or the Travel Counsellor Financial Trust. If you book a Travel Counsellors' package with me, you will also benefit from a unique flexibility and free amendments up to 8 weeks before travel. So there really is no need to be concerned about booking in advance.

After the blip in 2020-2021, travel has really bounced back, and I'm guessing your desire to travel the world is as great as it's ever going to be so why not give me a try – I pride myself on treating everyone’s holiday as if it was my own and will do my utmost to provide you with the dedicated service you deserve.

Nikki

signature

Explore my guides and blogs

Mount Etna changed our flight plans!

Italy

Malta

Mount Etna changed our flight plans!

A short trip to Sicily to experience some of the lovely Mangia Hotels and Resorts had to be extended by a day due the activities of Mount Etna!

02 Sept 2026 2   min read

A girls weekend in Ibiza

Spain

A girls weekend in Ibiza

I hadn’t been to Ibiza since the summer of ‘94, when I was 18…footloose and fancy free and up for anything on a girls ‘Club 18-30’ holiday. Fast forward 32 years and when my old friend suggested we all went back to celebrate our 50th birthdays, naturally I jumped at the chance. 

25 Jun 2026 2   min read

Iceland in Winter (well March anyway…)

Iceland

Iceland in Winter (well March anyway…)

Iceland has always been a place that I had on my list to travel to – when should I go? When would be the best time to experience everything that I wanted to see?

17 Apr 2026 2   min read

India’s Glorious Golden Triangle (with Ranthambore National Park)

India’s Glorious Golden Triangle (with Ranthambore National Park)

One of the most famous and frequently travelled to regions of India, the Golden Triangle comprises of the country’s vibrant capital New Delhi, the city of Agra famed for possibly the world’s most recognised building - the Taj Mahal - and the intriguing ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur

22 Feb 2026 3   min read

48 hours in Istanbul

48 hours in Istanbul

My first thorough when I booked our trip to Istanbul was ‘will we have enough time there’. And then…is it a bit far for 48 hours (we had 2 nights and 2 full days). The answer is yes. Whilst you could easily spend longer in this amazing city, if you only have 48 hours to spare (as did we), you can easily squeeze a lot in.

24 Nov 2025 3   min read

Valletta, Malta

Valletta, Malta

Malta really is a year round destination, we visited Valletta for New Year - and the weather was mild and very favourable. It can get rather warm in the summer months, but to be honest, a city break to Valletta really can be enjoyed at anytime. Read on for some useful information and tips on this amazing place... At one-square-kilometre and with its entirety recognised as a UNESCO World Heritag

22 Apr 2025 4   min read

San Sebastián in 48 hours

San Sebastián in 48 hours

If you’re looking for somewhere slightly off the standard city-break beaten-track, somewhere a little different and special, then San Sebastián should be pretty high on the top of your list. It’s not necessarily the easiest of cities to get to; it is necessary to fly into the nearest international airport that is accessed from the UK, Bilbao, but to be honest, this is what makes it special, uniqu

30 Mar 2025 4   min read

A bit of winter sun in Cyprus

A bit of winter sun in Cyprus

OK, so not quite the Canaries or the Caribbean, but to get away from the dreary weather in the UK in November, I would very much recommend this beautiful island. Most UK holiday makers tend to stick to the traditional summer months of May-September when it comes to travelling to Cyprus, and whilst I would probably say December-February may be a little out of season (a higher chance of rain), the

04 Dec 2023 4   min read

Lisbon - The perfect European city break

Lisbon - The perfect European city break

I guess Lisbon had always been on my list of places to visit, but as I didn’t know a huge amount about the city, it wasn’t at the top of my (rather enormous) list. I can honestly say, however, that having now visited the city, it is one of the best surprises I have experienced. We only had 2 nights to spare, but the activities we did really made the most of our time in this city and made us feel

30 Nov 2023 4   min read

Our Search for the Northern Lights

Our Search for the Northern Lights

A snow-filled holiday, that doesn’t always include extreme sports (in my eyes, skiing and snowboarding ??), was always on my list. Seeing the Northern Lights was another. So, when I was given the opportunity to host a trip to Finland to search for the Northern Lights, how could I not resist? I had assumed COVID was going to affect the trip in some way, but thankfully apart from the forms to comp

30 Jan 2022 4   min read

Come with me and search for the Northern Lights

Come with me and search for the Northern Lights

On 13th January 2022 I will be hosting a 3-night/4-day trip to Swedish and Finnish Lapland to see the magnificent Northern Lights. If this is something that has always been on your bucket list, this could be the ideal trip for you! I have joined together with Transun, an expert tour company that specialises in breaks to Lapland and of course searching for the Northern Lights. You will not only ben

01 Feb 2021 2   min read

Travel Insurance - a necessity

Travel Insurance - a necessity

Travel Insurance - not necessarily the most 'sexy' part of booking a holiday, but something I would always advise you to get. I know everyone that works in insurance would probably say the same too, but they really do understand the importance of it. They've experienced its purpose and benefits. They have also experienced what happens if you don't have cover - not something you even want to thin

12 Aug 2020 1   min read

The Journey Home and the Arrival in the UK

The Journey Home and the Arrival in the UK

Without going into too much duplicated detail, the airport at Nice was very well organised and yet again, apart from the obligatory face coverings required, was surprisingly normal! Plenty of people, yes a reduced service of flights of course, but still rather bustling – perhaps it was because it was later in the day, perhaps it was because France is a couple of weeks in front on us with regards t

22 Jul 2020 3   min read

Experiencing the French Riviera after Lockdown

Experiencing the French Riviera after Lockdown

As you may know, I specialise in long-haul tailor-made and bespoke holidays, ones where I can really add value and provide expert guidance. I am also able to offer holidays to Europe, in particular city breaks, river cruises and family holidays. The French Riviera has got to be one of the best places to visit in the summer and I am lucky enough to have family here so get to experience the very bes

22 Jul 2020 3   min read

On Arrival

On Arrival

Following our very swift and stable landing, we were advised to disembark row by row (from the front), staying in our seats until the row in front had left. Some people struggled a bit to understand this instruction, but most followed the rules, and the disembarkation was actually relatively swift and easy – why they didn’t do it like this before the pandemic, is beyond me? It took about the same

22 Jul 2020 3   min read

And we're off...

And we're off...

When getting onto the flight, I realised that social distancing isn’t really a possibility when flying – even easyJet that were quoted originally in the press as looking to ‘leave the middle seats free’ – the flights was almost full, so there was no chance of getting a bit of space. It is mandatory to wear face coverings throughout the flight, covering both your nose and mouth (although there w

21 Jul 2020 3   min read

What is Air Travel really like at the moment?

What is Air Travel really like at the moment?

It’s all rather surreal… The drive to Gatwick, on a dreary Tuesday morning at 4am, was as expected, extremely quiet – until we reached the M23 we didn’t see another car, and then it was only 1 or 2. Whilst this whole pandemic and the situation we are faced with is extremely devastating in so many ways, the fact that the roads are quieter is one big winner! On arrival at Gatwick, it was still dar

21 Jul 2020 2   min read

Why book with me?

Why book with me?

I’ve been a Travel Counsellor for just over a year now and during this past year I have learnt a huge amount. Starting your own business, regardless of what your product or service is, is hard. It’s very hard. But it is also very rewarding. One of the best things I have learnt is about how to truly value yourself and your experience. I come from a long-haul tailor-made travel background and th

10 Jun 2019 3   min read

Utah Road Trip - Part 2

Utah Road Trip - Part 2

The following day we headed for Bryce Canyon National Park, a random and beautiful canyon which appears very fragile as the rock formations look like they’re made of Type 1 rather than the stronger sandstone we had been used to in previous parks. We were quite high up here and there was quite a lot of snow of the ground. This meant a few of the trails were closed, namely the famous Navajo Trail wh

23 Apr 2019 4   min read

Utah Road Trip - Part 1

Utah Road Trip - Part 1

Utah is not necessarily the first US destination on everyone’s list when thinking about a trip to the States but having been tempted to travel there by the Utah Tourist Board, it quite quickly became one of mine. With mesmerising scenery, endless roads, varying climates and the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere, it was certainly somewhere we wanted to explore. We travelled as a group of e

23 Apr 2019 6   min read

Bag a bargain in the souks of Marrakech

Bag a bargain in the souks of Marrakech

When I arrived at Marrakech’s Menara Airport I felt not only a sense of excitement but also apprehension. I don’t know why, I like to think I’m fairly well travelled having negotiated the chaotic traffic in Delhi, the distinctive cuisine in Tibet and many an elephant ride in Thailand and Sri Lanka. However, whenever I travel to somewhere new I always get a bit nervous, of the unknown I guess.

11 Jun 2018 4   min read

From Melbourne to Adelaide along the Great Ocean Road

From Melbourne to Adelaide along the Great Ocean Road

We’d been camping a little bit before, but our preferred choice of family holiday had always been a hotel-based beach holiday. So the decision to hire a motor home and drive the 1000km journey from Melbourne to Adelaide stopping at campsites along the way was quite a new experience for us. The drive south from Melbourne to Geelong (pronounced J’long, one of the many towns and cities that we man

06 Jun 2018 5   min read

What my customers say

We’ve just returned from our third trip that Nikki has booked for us, and once again, it did not disappoint! This time, we headed to Rome, and the choices Nikki found for our accommodation and flights were amazing. Nothing is ever too much trouble for her, whether you change your mind, want to add something, or need to make adjustments along the way. Nikki always goes above and beyond to make sure everything is perfect. Her attention to detail and dedication really do make travelling so much easier and more enjoyable. Thank you again, Nikki ❤️✈️

Sarah Galbraith-Gibbons

Cuckfield

Nikki was recommended to us by a close friend after becoming aware we were organising a long-haul road trip through British Columbia and Alberta. Our trip was pretty bespoke and required several intricacies to make this work. Being in a busy job meant I didn’t really have the time or knowledge to get this accomplished without significant amounts of research &/or hiccups. On contacting Nikki our requirements, answers and concerns were met quickly - and all within budget. Itineraries were tweaked to our liking and the vacation of a lifetime was booked. The hardest part was waiting almost a year for the trip to begin! Due to Nikki’s experience she recommended some great holiday additions to factor in, eg excursions and important shuttle bookings. On arrival everything fell in to place as planned without any problems, Nikki was always there (online) to double check everything and in short we did indeed have the holiday of a lifetime! Nikki even went the extra mile with a minor issue that came up back in the UK whilst we were overseas. Nikki provided a faultless 10/10 customer service experience. We cannot thank Nikki enough and have already recommended her services to several people. We will definitely be retaining Nikki’s contact details for future trips. Thank you Nikki!

Charlie Hodgkinson

Mid Hants

Nikki helped to arrange an amazing holiday to Greece for me and my 4 daughters. Right from the first contact, Nikki was friendly and professional. She took time to understand what we were looking for and sent back a number of options that matched. Once we'd selected an option, the booking process was seamless and communication was excellent throughout. I'd highly recommend Nikki's services and will be using her many more times in the future.

Simon Da Silva

Cuckfield

Nikki is an AMAZING travel consultant. Nothing is ever too much trouble, and she is always there to help. She consistently goes above and beyond to make sure everything is taken care of, making the whole experience stress-free and enjoyable. I have recommended her to several friends and colleagues, and I wouldn't hesitate to do so again.

Sarah Galbraith-Gibbons

Cuckfield

We've used Nikki now for three holidays - all with complicated arrangements - and she did a fantastic job each time. We had wonderful trips, all made so much easier thanks to Nikki's help. We'll definitely use again!

Anthony N

Haywards Heath

Nikki did an amazing job to firstly understand in detail what I was looking for then coming back with an excellent variety of options around that brief. The booking itself was seamless. Will definitely be using again.

Simon Da Silva

Cuckfield

Nikki has been so helpful, friendly and professional, offering us her advice on places that she knows, I would recommend Nikki to all our friends without doubt.

Mark Powell

Derby

We've booked a few trips with Nikki now and this was the best yet - and they have all been excellent. She is really helpful with advice and suggestions for itineraries, hotels, flight options and activities. Everything seems to come together seamlessly and the quality has always been spot on. Even when something went wrong this year (a weather event out of anyone's control) Nikki was on it to find a solution even though she was away herself.

Jamie & Catherine Ellis

Cuckfield

Nikki was fantastic, she has sorted out 3 boys who have never taken a holiday on their own abroad. I would absolutely recommend her for sorting your holiday requirements.

Michelle McGauran

Derby

Nikki is fab and has found us a holiday despite all the complications that our family present. I would always recommend her.

Sarah Cheesmur

Cuckfield

Nikki was recommended to us by friends who had used her services to book a trip to Davvi Lodge in Finland. It was a trip we wished to book for a special birthday. From the first conversation, Nikki was helpful and very informative with both details for the trip and recommendations for packing, experiences and general advice. She liaised with us at many points and everything was a very smooth and easy experience. This leads us to the trip itself. What an amazing place the Davvi Lodge & Finland are. Every minute of a very packed few days was a joy and we look forward to travelling back again in the coming years. Even the Northern lights came to visit, (not a guarantee, of course. But it's simply a bonus to a wonderful trip, rather than a make or break situation). Thank you to Nikki & Travel Counsellors for a wonderful experience. Mark & Sam

Mark Johnson

Burgess Hill

Excellent service from Nikki! She was incredibly helpful and even thought of things we hadn’t considered. Booking us in online while traveling multiple times was a huge help. Highly recommended — we’ll definitely use her services again!

Catriona McLean

Cuckfiekd

Nikki is super friendly and helpful, she listens to wish lists and delivers. She is also clear in her delivery of options. Excellent, x

Kat Finley

Ardingly, West Sussex

Nikki does more than just organising the booking of the holiday but makes sure that should any problems arise for any reason whilst we’re away she’s available to deal with them. I would definitely recommend using her and Travel Counsellors to book a holiday, especially one that that requires a lot of organising.

John Sherwood

Derby

Nikki has been wonderful. She listened to what we needed, our concerns and our expectations. India was a real unknown to us and there are lots of things to consider before you leave. It was my Husband's 60th birthday and I wanted that to be the focus of our trip and it most certainly was. I asked Nikki to make sure every hotel was informed about his birthday and it made such a difference to our experience. We arrived with smiles, greeted with Happy Birthdays, songs, cakes and everyone made a fuss of him. The itinerary built with the travel consultants in India was fabulous. It included a few personally requested experiences and also ones we may not have included but we were very pleased were included. Everything in India went to plan, we couldn't have asked for a better team. We felt safe, well looked after and learnt so much about such a fascinating and colourful country. It will certainly be a trip we will remember for a lifetime. Thank you Nikki for helping us make that happen!

Jane Keating

Brighton

The brief for our holiday wasn’t easy with disabled guests, teenagers and food allergies but the hotel and resort Nikki recommended for our group booking ticked all of the boxes and was exactly what we had asked for. Customer service has been excellent throughout and she has gone above and beyond to ensure everything went smoothly despite some last minute changes we had to make. Having the expertise of a travel agent is reassuring when travelling abroad and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Nikki and Travel Counsellors to my family and friends.

Erin Benton

Derby

Professional, friendly service, would have no hesitation in recommending Travel Counsellors to family, friends, colleagues, in fact, have done so. Our Travel Counsellor, Nikki Mortimer is someone we can totally rely on to get us the best deal! Once Nikki knows what we are looking for, she promptly sources our options. From start to finish, takes all the stress out of booking a holiday, wouldn’t go anywhere else now, one call to Nikki and we can rest assured our holiday is sorted.

Diane Clayton

Hurstpierpoint

Nikki has provided excellent service with quick response times, clarifications and advice. I would certainly recommend Nikki to friends, family and colleagues and have done so already with one of my closet friends having booked with Nikki...

Steve Lynch

Cuckfield

Booking our special family holiday through Nikki was so easy. We had a few ideas on destination, and she filled in the gaps with suggestions of specific regions to visit and activities to do, often based on her own personal experience. The process was very straightforward and we could design a bespoke holiday and leave all the logistics and admin arrangements Nikki. Would definitely recommend.

Jen Taylor

Hampshire

We have only ever had a brilliant experience with our Travel Counsellor Nikki and would definitely recommend booking trips with her!

Stuart Dorn

Haywards Heath

Nikki is fantastic. She always goes above and beyond when booking my holidays. Travelling can be stressful and now I am in my fifties I can do without that stress and so booking with Travel Counsellors through Nikki means I have one less thing to worry about. She always books amazing hotels and is able to give suggestions of hotels and locations when we are at the booking stage.

Emma Cameron

Cuckfield

Nikki was fabulous from start to finish. She contacted us throughout the trip to ensure everything was going well. Thank you.

Carla Turner

Bolney

Excellent! All documents on my phone, but more importantly also printed. Continuous, and reassuring communication before and during holiday - not intrusive. Nikki was easy to talk to, and nothing felt like too much trouble. Everything worked beautifully - it was such peace of mind to feel we were not on our own - highly recommend!

Pauline Cowley

Worthing

From a tentative enquiry to the most amazing holiday! Nikki advised, recommended and organised our Northern Lights break superbly. Wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of Nikki's knowledge and passion again. Thank you so much!

Simon Chenery

LANCING

We have just returned from our trip to Finland and it really was a fantastic holiday. The whole experience was seamless from my initial chat with Nikki about what we wanted from the holiday, the planning, documentation, flights, accommodation and experiences that we had booked. It was stressful from start to finish. The extra information that Nikki provided based on her own personal experience such as what to take etc was invaluable. I would definitely use Nikki for other special holidays in the future.

Elizabeth Boland

Telford

We’ve used Nikki to book several holidays previously and when planning a trip to South Africa to celebrate a special birthday she was our first port of call. Her knowledge, experience, contacts and genuine passion for travel make her unbeatable when it comes to putting together an itinerary. She completely took the stress out of a two week holiday for 5 of us which involved lots of moving around, car hire and internal flights. Everything was seamless and we truly had the holiday of a lifetime! Thanks so much Nikki!

Jo Harding

Cuckfield

Nikki has been incredibly helpful throughout the whole process. She is very knowledgable which made planning our trip very easy. There was great communication throughout the planning and prior to our trip. I would thoroughly recommend Nikki! Thank you.

Gemma Stapleton

Cuckfield

Nikki organised a week's holiday in Nice for a party of three. She arranged flights, hotel,transfers and assistance for me at both airports. Nothing was too much trouble for her and all aspects of the holiday went well. I wouldn't hesitate to use her services again.

Mike Littlejohns

Cuckfield Haywards Heath

Wow! We have just returned from the most amazing holiday in Tanzania and from start to finish Nikki was awesome! She tailor made the holiday around our requirements, working with us to make sure it included everything we wanted. There were a lot of complex logistics to our trip but they went so smoothly - all aspects had been carefully arranged and I knew in advance what we were doing and when. It was also super helpful having Nikki on hand during the trip - for me that was like an added layer of security. It was the trip of a lifetime and I’m so grateful to Nikki for her hard working in making it happen!

Lindsay Smith

Haywards Heath

Nikki always goes above and beyond to make our holidays the best possible experience! Just booked our third trip with her and wouldn't use anyone else now.

Bella Cameron

Worthing

Additional offers

More destinations to enjoy

Let's plan your dream trip together

Icons 4

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.

Icons 2

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.

Icons 3

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.

Icons

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

0/500 characters

Give me a call

Let’s talk through your ideas, no pressure.

01444 420 001

Let’s connect

Villas 1 Awali Background Colour Banana Island 3 (2)

Finding your match...

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