Sarah Martin
I'm based in
Dinas Powys
Looking for help with your business travel? Find out how I can help here
From the first hello to your return home, I'm here to look after you
Hello, thanks for taking the time to visit my webpage. If you are looking for a friendly, experienced travel professional to guide you in creating the perfect trip, you are in exactly the right place.
I have been a Travel Counsellor since 2012 but my love for travel goes back much further. My first big backpacking adventure was in my early 20s, exploring the West Coast and Mid-West USA during my university summer break. After graduating, I had a gap year working and travelling across Australia and New Zealand, and with a yearning to travel more, working in the travel industry felt like an obvious choice. Fast forward 30 years or so and I still love exploring new countries and destinations: the different sounds, smells, culture and food are fascinating. Travel rarely fails to put a smile on my face. Planning a new trip is the start of the fun, and it's a privilege to be able to inspire and help so many others find their next perfect trip. It's nearly as good as getting away myself... nearly!
I have been very fortunate to have visited over 40 countries across six continents. My travels have extended to the following countries so far, but don't worry if your destination isn't listed. I'm well informed about many more, and if there's something I don't know, the incredible Travel Counsellors' community and specialised travel partners will be able to fill any gaps.
* Australia * New Zealand * Fiji * Thailand * Malaysia * Cambodia * Indonesia * Singapore * Hong Kong * Japan *
* USA * Mexico * Belize * Costa Rica * Guatemala * Cuba * St Lucia * Antigua * Dominican Republic *
* Europe * Morocco * Egypt * Jordan * Kenya * Uganda * South Africa * Namibia * Mauritius * Maldives * Seychelles * Sri Lanka * India *
Choosing me as your personal Travel Counsellor means you have one dedicated point of contact who will really get to know you, your travel style and what matters most to you. Whether you're looking for a multi-centre adventure, a well‑earned beach escape, a special celebration, or an important business trip, your needs and peace of mind are always my priority.
Travel should be enjoyable from the moment you start planning; my job is to take away any stress and bring ideas, reassurance and personal touches that make all the difference. I use my experience and knowledge to design trips that feel truly “you”, whether that means thoughtful little details, carefully chosen hotels or smooth, seamless arrangements from start to finish.
Travel Counsellors provides the reassurance of 24/7 Duty Office support, so you are never alone when you travel, and all bookings are 100% financially protected for complete peace of mind.
I would love to help you with your next trip and become your go‑to person for all things travel. I look forward to hearing from you.
Travel guides
Explore my guides and blogs
Slovenia: Step into a fairytale
As one of Europe’s smaller countries, you could be forgiven for thinking it’s best to zip through Slovenia in just a few days and many tour operators design trips doing just that. With charming rustic culture and an abundance of natural treasures on offer, I recommend finding the time to stay longer - you won't regret it. The capital, Ljubljana (lyoob-lyah-nah), makes a great starting point what
18 Sept 2023 6 min read
Pura Vida in Costa Rica
As a Travel Agent I’m often asked my favourite holiday destination and it’s a question I always struggle to answer. I’m lucky to have been to many lovely places so it’s impossible to choose just one, but more importantly many of my favourite holiday memories involve specific people or events, so while the destination is important it’s not always the key to a great holiday. With that said, a holi
18 May 2022 5 min read
A quick taste of Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast: Omis and Trogir
Lonely Planet writes: “The legendary pirates' lair of Omiš has one of the most dramatic locations of any town on the Dalmatian coast. Situated at the mouth of the Cetina River, at the end of a picturesque canyon, it's backed by sheer walls of mottled grey rock topped with craggy peaks.” With such a great review and knowing Omis is less than two hours drive from Split airport, I couldn’t resist in
26 Aug 2021 4 min read
I'm still standing
I hope you are keeping well. To say we’re living through strange times would be somewhat of an understatement! As the world slowly re-opens, I thought I would take the opportunity for a quick catch up and update. The last time I was in touch en masse was to share my Siena travel blog – well, hasn’t a lot changed since then? Please read on for my account of how lockdown has been for me and how T
14 Jul 2020 5 min read
A weekend in Siena, Tuscany
With beautiful piazzas, historical monuments and a wide selection of restaurants, bars and cafes, and just two hours by train from Pisa Airport (at an affordable EUR15 each way), Siena is an ideal choice for a weekend getaway Our early afternoon arrival at Pisa allowed time for a quick detour to visit the famous tower (and to attempt and fail badly at the classic leaning stance photo!). Beauti
05 Mar 2020 3 min read
Luxury aboard Regent Seven Seas Splendor
On Friday 31 January 2020 Regent Seven Seas’ brand new, ultra-luxury Seven Seas Splendor took to the high seas for the very first time and I was incredibly privileged to be one of the lucky few on board. Regent represents absolute luxury at sea and that’s exactly what we were treated to throughout our stay. All suites are spacious with good-sized balcony, walk in wardrobe, double vanity bath
11 Feb 2020 4 min read
Iceland is breathtaking
When I mentioned I was heading to Iceland last week, most people wished me luck with seeing the Northern Lights, and the tour I was joining was called “Northern Lights Escape” – when did Iceland become all about the lights, I wonder? Don’t get me wrong, the lights are incredible if you’re lucky enough to experience them but in my humble opinion if you’re only going to Iceland to see the lights, yo
09 Dec 2019 3 min read
The Big Easy
New Orleans in July is hot and humid, so it’s best to make like a local and take it slow! The people are just one of the things that makes the Big Easy the fabulous destination it is. You’ll find smiles a plenty, wonderful story-telling and plenty of laughter everywhere you go. This trip was just a taster at four nights, but I loved every minute and we packed in plenty. With a direct service fr
14 Jan 2019 5 min read
That time I met Santa
Lapland in December is just beautiful. There wasn't as much snow as there would usually be at this time of year but there was still enough to create picture postcard views at every turn - frozen lakes, snow dusted trees and crisp landscapes. The short daylight hours and low light make for the most incredible sunrises and sunsets, with stunning colours - gorgeous! The small alpine town of Levi
14 Jan 2019 2 min read
Arctic Highlights with Hurtigruten Cruises
The incredible spectacle of the Northern Lights dancing around the sky has been high on my wish list for some time so I snapped up the chance of a place on a Hurtigruten Seminar at Sea. Along with the incredible opportunity to see the Lights I would enjoy a taster of Norway’s beautiful coastline and learn more about the Hurtigruten product. Alongside operating as a daily ferry and freight ship
01 Sept 2017 5 min read
Switzerland - Andermatt and Lake Lucerne
My lovely mum celebrated her 80th birthday earlier this year and we wanted to round off the celebrations with a weekend away. I’ve inherited her love of nature’s scenery so the Swiss Alps were our choice. Having stayed at Chedi Chiang Mai (now Anantara) and visited Chedi Muscat, I was confident Chedi Andermatt would be just the treat we were after and it more than matched expectations. At the
28 Jun 2017 3 min read
Marrakech and Essaouira
My previous visit to Marrakech included a lot of eating (I do love a tagine!), enthusiastic bartering and shopping within the souks, a fair bit of getting lost within the winding alleys of said souks, and a spot of sightseeing in and around the walled city of the Medina. I had such a lovely time that I promised I would be back, and I was lucky enough to return this year. The Moroccan Tourist
04 May 2017 5 min read
Guatemala: Antigua and Volcan Acatenango
Guatemala is a beautiful country and these pictures of Antigua City and Volcan Acatenango are from the first week of my holiday. Hiking the latter was so very hard but with the reward of Volcan Fuego erupting next door it was worth all the pain! There are no direct flights to Guatemala from the UK so we connected via Atlanta to Guatemala City with Virgin and Delta. An hour's shuttle on arrival
22 Mar 2016 4 min read
Lakes and Mountains - One Woman and a Dog
A promised visit to a friend living near Edinburgh gave me a good excuse to see a bit of Scotland having never been before, and a chance to stop off at the Lake District to break the long drive. Having had a bit of a wash out summer so far, the thought of camping was a little daunting, but thankfully the British weather held up for the most part and it was a fabulous trip. It's sometimes easy to
21 Aug 2015 4 min read
Southern Cypriot Charms
Southern Cypriot Charms with Cyprus Tourism Cyprus Tourism were keen to prove on this trip that there is more to Cyprus than lazy sun-drenched beaches and I’m pleased to report they succeeded! In fact, Cyprus is brimming with history and culture, stunning landscapes and coastal scenery, delicious culinary delights and friendly and hospitable locals everywhere you go. We had three bases for
23 Jun 2015 5 min read
A Ski Taster
I first tried skiing in my early 20s and I loved it - but I was pretty rubbish! Naturally a wimp, it took me a long time to feel comfortable sliding on two planks and progress was slow. I’ve toyed with the idea of skiing trips since, but the potential cost combined with the thought of starting from scratch has held me back. When an opportunity arose to sample a Mark Warner “Learn to Ski” holida
08 Dec 2014 2 min read
A Taste of the Mediterranean aboard Celebrity Infinity
My first cruise, and what a fabulous experience Celebrity provided! I was lucky to be one of twenty Travel Counsellors invited to enjoy the first half of Celebrity’s 12 night Mediterranean Cruise. Alongside the chance to enjoy the facilities of this lovely ship, with stops in Le Havre and La Rochelle, Celebrity provided an On Board Seminar with training exercises most days offering us a full
01 Oct 2014 2 min read
Marrakech and the High Atlas
After a night in Marrakech I joined an Exodus small group tour (Atlas Panorama) and headed for the hills! This part of romantic Morocco is the ideal place to get away from it all. Hidden deep in the High Atlas Mountains are the crumbling remains of the great fortress-palace of Telouet, where we stopped for the most delicious tagine lunch. No time for a siesta, we continued our drive through t
09 Aug 2014 2 min read
Thai beaches
A relaxing break in the sun before the hustle and bustle of Christmas was just what the doctor ordered. Shame no-one got the message about the sun! A late southern monsoon hit Thailand for almost the duration of my trip but I'm happy to report spirits weren't dampened too much - massages, great food and a few sundowners definitely helped! I had visited Bangkok, Chiang Mai and the Eastern islan
06 Mar 2014 4 min read
Five days in Antigua
From Dom Rep to Antigua for a contrasting experience of the Caribbean. Where Dom Rep had more of a Spanish feel, the British influence is all around in Antigua. Antigua is also one of the Caribbean's smaller islands and it feels like everyone knows everyone here. With its economy so reliant on tourism you can be sure you'll be well looked after, albeit in Caribbean time! The island itself
17 Sept 2012 2 min read
Four days in Dominican Republic
Just a quick working visit but we certainly packed a lot in! We visited plenty of hotels, mainly larger resorts with lots of activities available, lovely palm fringed beaches and all inclusive deals to tempt you to stay put for the duration of your stay. The food wasn't great but for location and value for money, you can't go far wrong. It's worth forcing yourself off that sun lounger to leav
02 Jul 2012 2 min read
Kota Kinabalu - Shangri La Rasa Ria
After trekking through the jungle of Sarawak for a fortnight, a little R&R was needed! A stay at the Shangri La Rasa Ria was just what the doctor ordered. The Shangri-La Rasa Ria is an exclusive resort set on Pantai Dalit beach, surrounded by 400 acres of lush tropical vegetation and its location ensures you retain a feeling of where you are, albeit with the advantages of the numerous facili
24 Jan 2012 1 min read
Discovering Sarawak
I love Borneo! Split into two areas: Sabah and Sarawak, with Brunei in between, Borneo is a part of Malaysia that focuses on wildlife and nature in its many national parks, offering beautiful beaches and an opportunity to relax. The people are lovely, the scenery is beautiful and nature is all around you. After a wonderful trip to Sabah in 2003, I couldn't resist the temptation to go back
24 Jan 2012 2 min read
Lovely St Lucia
A lovely week of rest and relaxation. I arrived in style, taking a helicopter transfer to the North of the island before a short road transfer to the BodyHoliday Le Sport, home for the next five days. If budget allows I would highly recommend cutting your journey time with a helicopter transfer. The views are spectacular, the ride's exhilarating and it's the perfect pick me up after an exha
24 Jan 2012 2 min read
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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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