Sandra Robinson
I'm based in
Chalgrove
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It's Nice To Meet You
Welcome, I’m Sandra Robinson—your trusted Travel Counsellor with a world of experience at your service.
With over 50 years in the travel industry, I bring unparalleled knowledge, dedication, and personal care to every journey I create. My career has spanned airlines and independent agencies, retail and business travel, and the experiences I’ve gathered along the way allow me to truly understand what makes an unforgettable, seamless holiday.
Having travelled extensively—from Patagonia’s wild vistas and the wonders of Brazil to Norwegian fjords, Alaskan adventure, and the exotic energy of Southeast Asia—I offer first-hand insight into destinations across the globe. Whether you dream of exploring Iceland’s wild beauty (a country close to my heart with family ties), witnessing the magic of Antarctica and the Arctic on bucket-list cruises, or discovering the charms of European cities like Rome and Tallinn, I’m here to ensure your travels are extraordinary.
Unlike online booking sites, I take time to listen, tailoring each holiday or business trip to your unique needs and desires. If I wouldn’t stay there myself, I won’t recommend it to you. My mission is simple: to provide you with the very best advice, value, and service—because your holiday truly matters.
Many of my clients return time and again or trust me with their most special occasions, from honeymoons and weddings abroad to family adventures and luxury getaways. I’m proud that over 90% of my business comes from happy repeat clients and treasured recommendations.
Whether you’re searching for inspiration (such as Northern Lights adventures, unforgettable city breaks, or world-class cruising) or require expert planning for complex or bespoke itineraries, I offer complete peace of mind at every step. My recent travels include Patagonia, Brazil, Bali, Canada (coast to coast), Alaska, Dubai, Hawaii, Russia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Borneo, Australia, New Zealand, and beyond. I’m always happy to share honest, practical advice, inspirational stories, and insider tips.
Travel is not just my job, it’s my lifelong passion. For a taste of the wonderful opportunities and changes I’ve witnessed over the years, you can read my memoir, All Over the Place—a light-hearted look at the industry and my many adventures.
Ready to start planning? Let’s make your travel dreams a reality. I look forward to designing your next unique escape—simply get in touch and experience the difference of truly personal service.
Travel guides
Explore my guides and blogs
The Seventh Continent
One bucket list destination I was fortunate to visit was Antarctica, travelling in style on Scenic Eclipse, having flown from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia. Leaving Ushuaia we headed south to the Antarctic peninsular, where we found clear skies, placid waters, snowy cliffs and sea ice all around us. The ship offered various ways to enjoy the scenery. There were two helicopters on board for scenic flig
13 Nov 2023 6 min read
Exploring the Yorkshire Dales
2020 had scuppered any plans to travel abroad, but feeling the need to see a different part of the UK, we decided to rent a cottage and discover the scenic delights of the Yorkshire Dales. Fortunately we were extremely lucky with the weather, as this really is an area where it's needed. We stayed just south of Settle, on the Lancashire/Yorkshire border, in a beautiful quiet spot, but only about 15
05 Oct 2020 5 min read
Cape Town & Garden Route
Having sent a lot of clients to South Africa and along the Garden route, I decided it was about time I paid a visit, so in March 19 we flew out to Cape Town and headed for the V&A Waterfront. We stayed in an apartment just 5 mins walk from the main tourist waterfront area, so no problem with finding anywhere to eat. We loved the relaxed safe vibe of the Waterfront and enjoyed browsing the Artisan
05 Dec 2019 4 min read
In Search of Orangutans
One of my bucket wishlist trips was to see Orangutans in Borneo, and this year I have ticked this one off. We flew via Kuala Lumpur for an overnight airport hotel stop and onward to Sandakan. Our guide took us to our accommodation just outside the Sepilok Orangutan Reserve. As we arrived in the early afternoon we had time to walk to the Reserve in the hope of seeing some Orangutans feeding. Food i
05 Dec 2019 5 min read
Road trip around North Island New Zealand
After a fantastic trip last year visiting South Island New Zealand, ( see separate blog) we decided to return and explore the Central and Eastern areas of North Island. Scenically very beautiful, with more Maori culture than on South Island. On arrival in Auckland we picked up our hire car and headed straight to Mt Eden, which gives a great view of downtown Auckland. From there we crossed Auckla
05 Dec 2019 6 min read
Road trip around South Island New Zealand NOV18
Having explored New Zealand back in 1984, we promised one day we would return, and cover the parts we missed and revisit our favourite areas. Arriving at Christchurch airport we spent the night at a local motel before collecting the car for the start of our adventure. We didn't explore the city but wanted to get on the road, first heading to Lake Tekapo for our first stop. Somewhat larger than i
04 Jun 2019 6 min read
Patagonian Adventure Part 2 - Argentina
We had arrived in Argentina and woke in El Calafate to see another highlight of our trip the Perito Moreno Glacier. Another place high on my wish list, we took a well-organized excursion, picking up others on the way and were driven about an hour around the lake towards the mountains. First stop, we travelled across the lake to our first view of the 4km wide glacier. All the time we could hear the
09 Apr 2018 6 min read
Patagonian Adventure Part 1 Chile
For many years I have yearned to explore the southernmost region of South America, so was extremely excited to be able to plan my dream holiday. We flew direct to Santiago with BA overnight in comfort in business class, which allowed us to get some good hours of sleep, so we would feel refreshed to start our adventure. We arrived at a glorious sunny Santiago and were met by our driver who took us
08 Apr 2018 6 min read
Winter sunshine in The Gambia
The Gambia is a country I've never considered visiting, so leaving the UK on a bitterly cold January morning, I had no preconceived idea of what to expect on my arrival. The six-hour nonstop charter flight arrived mid-afternoon. It’s the same time as Britain so no need to adjust. It was lovely stepping out in the warm air, dressed in summer clothing. Immigration was a breeze, but slightly chaot
31 Jan 2018 4 min read
Cultural Far Eastern Experience
I have just spent a very enlightening and educational time exploring Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Vietnam and Siem Reap in Cambodia. All 4 countries have something different to offer, culturally, historically and socially. It has been a real eye opener, and I have learned much on my travels. First stop , we arrived in a spotless Singapore, with gleaming high rise buildings, great restaurants, and a
25 Sept 2017 5 min read
Cruising the Baltics
For some years my family have enjoyed the cruising experience and we have covered the Med, Alaska, Norway and Iceland, but this year felt we should try a more grown up experience and booked on Celebrity Silhouette with a group of likeminded friends. As we had booked some months ahead, we were able to take advantage of the many enticing offers Celebrity offered such as the free drinks package,
21 Sept 2017 4 min read
Long weekend in New York
We decided it was time for a return visit to New York, so in June 2016, we set off for a weekend exploring. Interesting to compare our experiences at immigration. 2 of us arrived at JFK, and the immigration queue was very long, taking about 2hrs to get through. 2 people flew to Newark and got through immigration quickly, so they arrived at our hotel some time before we did. Our 1st day, we had
08 Feb 2017 5 min read
Australian roadtrip
Arriving in Perth in the dead of night, we whizzed through immigration and found ourselves in our city hotel room within an hour of landing. Our first day was spent exploring all that Perth has to offer, our favourite area being Kings Park, with its fabulous views of the city skyline and beautiful flora and fauna. Perth is a mix of old and new, and is quite provincial. We got a train to Fremant
05 Dec 2016 5 min read
Adventures in Brazil
As Brazil was an unknown entity to me, I thought it was time to explore much of what the country has to offer. Flying into Rio de Janeiro, watching the most amazing sunset below, we were met by our English speaking guide and transferred to our hotel for the night. Next morning we were collected by a local transfer company by coach for a very long drive to Buzios. The journey is actually 3hrs, b
03 Aug 2015 6 min read
Java & Bali
Garuda Airlines hosted a trip to visit Yogyakarta and Bali, where we visited temples, rainforests, beaches and hotels. The airline offers an excellent service and after a long flight we arrived in Yogyakarta, where we stayed at the Hyatt Regency for a couple of nights. The city was once the capital and is a busy, thriving place where you can visit the Sultan's Palace. A good range of hotels are on
27 May 2015 5 min read
Cape Town and the Garden Route
I have just returned from a fabulous few days away exploring the Garden Route and Cape Town. We flew into George, midway along the Garden Route, via Johannesburg and transferred to the Fancourt Manor House and Hotel, which is a beautiful hotel with a championship 18 hole golf course. The staff couldn't do enough for us, and added plenty of homely touches to our stay. It is ideally placed to spend
28 Oct 2013 4 min read
Long weekend in Abu Dhabi
Along with over 100 Gold Travel Counsellors, I was invited to spend a few days sampling all that Abu Dhabi has to offer. My first impression is that the city is clean, and gradually developing. It is not as high rise as Dubai, which is only 90 minutes away by car. It is quite a spread out city, and not a place that is structured for pedestrians. There are some lovely hotels, which would be su
05 Jun 2013 3 min read
Luxury in Verbier
I was fortunate to visit this beautiful part of the world, and had heard a lot about The Lodge, which is one of the luxury properties in the Virgin Limited Edition brand. The Lodge is a 15 minute stroll downhill to the centre of Verbier, in Switzerland, and offers comfortable luxury, yet with a really relaxing vibe. The whole concept is to make guests feel at home with shoes off at the entrance, c
26 Apr 2013 3 min read
Gold Coast and Sydney Australia
Gold Coast Tourism pulled out all the stops and planned a fabulous varied few days on the Gold Coast, showing all that this region has.This area south of Brisbane has a number of resorts merging along a large stretch of beach. we stayed at Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise. Pristine sands, high rise accommodation and surf is only part of what is on offer here. We had a surf lesson, a gentle boat
18 Jun 2012 2 min read
Rendezvous in Russia
I decided to take advantage of the fact that my daughter was spending time studying in Moscow to visit both St Petersburg and Moscow, as we would have our own personal guide to take us around the popular sites in both cities. On arrival at St Petersburg, we transferred to our hotel the Novotel Centrum, in a quiet spot, just off Nevsky Prospekt , which is the main shopping street in St Petersbur
23 Nov 2011 4 min read
Resort Inspection to Kalkan & Kas
I was recently invited to Kalkan and Kas in Western Turkey to inspect a number of holiday properties. I was pleasantly surprised by the standard of accommodation and prettiness of both resorts. We flew on a charter flight to Dalaman and transferred by mini bus to Kalkan, which took about ninety minutes. In 2012, the transfer will take 10 minutes less because there are new road improvements as I wr
27 Oct 2011 3 min read
Road trip around the Rockies
I have a number of places on my ‘Bucket List’ I wish to visit, and right at the top is to see the Rockies. Luckily my wish came true this year. It was just my husband and I this time; we flew into Seattle and spent the night at the Fairmont Seattle before an early start the next day, taking the ferry across to Vancouver Island. On board we booked a trip to Butchart Gardens, which is a must with st
26 Oct 2011 4 min read
Dubai
I have recently returned from a short trip to Dubai to see how the city has developed. Dubai is continually developing with many ongoing projects. What struck me was how unusual and striking the architecture is. We saw the tallest building, the Burj Dubai, opening in Sept 09, adjacent to the largest shopping mall, the Dubai Mall. Ten minutes from there we witnessed skiers and snowboarders enjoyin
31 Mar 2009 3 min read
Reviews
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Videos
Discover the world with me
Neko Harbour, Antarctic Peninsular
Stepping ashore in Antarctica..there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad attire!
11 Apr 2022
Damoy Point, Antarctica
Shelters, penguins and penguins!
11 Apr 2022
Deception Island Antarctica
A live volcano, orcas, a leopard seal kill and a million penguins
11 Apr 2022
Fournier Bay Antarctica
First day on the Antarctic Peninsular in search of whales, seals and icebergs
11 Apr 2022
Lemaire Channels and Petermann Island, Antarctica
Discovering old shelters, a friendly skewer, and penguins.
11 Apr 2022
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Why use a Travel Counsellor
Let's plan your dream trip together
Tailor-made for you
Your holiday isn’t just a trip away. It’s a longed-for escape, time to reconnect with loved ones, or a dream adventure you never thought possible. That’s why I take the time to truly get to know you and understand your hopes and expectations, then use my experience, connections and passion for the destination to create a trip that makes those dreams a reality.
Personalised service. Always
When you plan a holiday with me, you’ll be given my personal mobile number from the very first call. I’ll listen to your thoughts and ideas like I would a friend and arrange accommodation, activities, and flights that are all personalised to you. And I’ll share my personal tips and recommendations, so you can experience the true beauty of each destination.
Stress-free travel, and more time for what matters most
I believe your time away should be stress-free, easy, and seamless from start to finish. So, I take care of all the details for you - from ATOL protection, insurance, and flexible payments to access to the myTC app, which keeps everything in one place.
Support when it matters most
If the unexpected happens, you can rest easy, knowing that I’ll handle any last-minute changes, flight cancellations, or disruptions before you even pick up the phone. So you always feel happy, carefree, and ready to make the most of every moment.
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