Based in Morley

Steph & Eliot Clawson

It's Nice To Meet You

Hello! Thank you for taking the time to visit my webpage!

I have worked in travel for several years, initially starting my career as an overseas representative and later becoming a travel agent. These broad roles have helped me to understand what my clients want in every aspect of their holiday - from the minute that they start researching, until they return home. Since working in travel I have booked leisure holidays, tailor-made adventures, business travel, luxury honeymoons, and also specialise in group travel.

I was lucky to discover travel at a young age and have explored many cities, countries and cultures through different types of adventures. I have volunteered with children in South America, surfed in Hawaii, done voluntary work in New York, toured Eastern Mexico, competed at a World Championships in Florida, toured Australia and America, explored multiple cities across Europe, and relaxed on a beach in the Bahamas. I love exploring new places and I hope that my personal experiences will help to enhance your adventures.

As an independent Travel Counsellor, I can help you tailor make your next dream trip. Whether you are looking to relax on a beach, search for adventure, or just escape reality, let me put together your perfect holiday, hassle free. I provide a friendly personal service, offering peace of mind when booking with me, and I can save you both valuable time and money.

Working as a Travel Counsellor offers me the opportunity to get to know you personally. I am available outside of standard working hours, and always go the extra mile for my clients.

I look forward to hearing from you soon,

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Whatever your holiday needs I'm here to help you, so simply give me a call or send me an email with your contact details on and I can get things started for you:

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My Blog

I absolutely live and breathe travel and I love to write about my experiences! Please take a look through my posts - you might find your own holiday inspiration.

CheerTravelUK | Orlando Twin Centres

28 November 2019

Are you looking to combine your Worlds, Summit or ICU journey with ‘something different’? Orlando is a great hub to travel to other destinations...have a look at the examples below! BAHAMAS Fly direct to Nassau from Orlando on a daily basis with Bahamasair. The Bahamas really are holiday heaven - with excellent beaches, fantastic snorkelling, and opportunities to swim with either dolphins or pigs! Stay at the Atlantis Paradise Island to keep the children entertained around the clock with an on site waterpark, marine activities, and a wide variety of restaurants. Looking for something a bit more luxury? Sandals Royal Bahamian is perfect for a romantic few nights away. Fly home direct to London with British Airways. CLEARWATER/ST PETE One of your closest twin-centre destinations - just a 2-3 hour drive from Orlando. Clearwater is known for it’s fantastic beaches, bustling Pier 60, and great seafood! The white sands of St. Pete and Clearwater beaches are almost the very best in Florida! JAMAICA JetBlue fly from Orlando to Montego Bay direct most mornings. Jamaica is known for white sand beaches, calm waters and reggae music! There is something to suit everyone, and enough excursions to do a different one every day of the year. Negril (West coast) is known for having some of the best beaches in the Caribbean! Direct flights home are available to Manchester and London. MEXICO Several airlines have direct routes between Orlando and Cancun. Stay at Cancun’s famous hotel strip, or head south to lively Puerto Del Carmen. I highly recommend Xcaret park if you’re searching for more adventure, or visiting Chichen Itza pyramids - one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Mexico’s Riviera Maya has a hotel to suit everyone, including Woodward at Hard Rock Riviera Maya - complete with cheerleading facilities if you just can’t imagine a week without cheer! MIAMI The home of fusion Latin dining, extensive shopping, miles of beautiful beaches, and great nightlife - Miami has something for everyone! With direct flights from London, Miami is a great destination to tie in some relaxation after a week of theme parts. It is approximately a 4 hour drive from Orlando, and there are also regular buses if the drive isn’t for you. There’s plenty to do and it’s easily accessible. NEW YORK My favourite city, and under a 3 hour flight away from Orlando! With regular direct flights with Delta and JetBlue, and direct flights back to both London and Manchester in the UK - New York is (in my opinion!) one of the best twin-centre destinations to combine with Orlando. The city never sleeps, and there’s plenty to see and do! Visit the Empire State Building, shop in Times Square, or relax in Central Park. Unlikely to be your relaxing break after Orlando, but certainly one that will create lots of memories! CRUISES Miami is a popular cruise port, and cruising is definitely the easiest way to include lots of destinations as part of your post-competition relaxation package! Departing from Miami, prices start from £330 per person for a 4 night cruise visiting Miami, Key West and Cozumel. The best thing about cruising is that your food and entertainment are included! This truly is one of the best ways to see the Caribbean! You can also combine Orlando with California, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada and many many more! Interested in combining your trip across the pond with another destination? Get in touch with CheerTravelUK for more information. ~ stephanie.needley@travelcounsellors.com ~ *All flight schedules and prices are correct at time of publishing. Please enquire for live information.

Fuerteventura | Top tips, recommendations and must do's!

06 June 2019

I started my career in travel working overseas for a Tour Operator and was based in sunny Fuerteventura for the summer in 2015. My main role here was running the Kids Club, however I also worked as a Destination Representative, and was therefore lucky enough to visit many hotels on the island - which definitely came in handy when I later becoming a travel agent! Here’s my Fuerteventura top tips, recommendations and must do's! The resorts - Fuerteventura has 5 main tourist resorts; Corralejo, Costa Caleta (also known as Caleta de Fuste), Jandia, Morro Jable and Costa Calma The island is busier at the top, with Corralejo being the larger resort with more nightlife. Costa Caleta (in the middle) is a man-made resort with a beautiful beach. This resort is only a 10-minute transfer from the airport and has many English-owned bars and restaurants. Less British tourists visit the other 3 resorts, with it predominantly being a German and Russian holiday destination. During this blog I am going to focus on Corralejo, my second home, where I spent 4 incredible months. Where to stay: My favourite hotel on the whole island was the ‘Atlantis Bahia Real’. It is a beautiful hotel set on the beachfront (not very common in Fuerteventura) offering Bed and Breakfast and Half Board options. If you prefer an All Inclusive, my first recommendation would be the Atlantis Suites. This modern hotel has 7 pools and caters for all, with family entertainment and adult only sections. It is only a short walk (about 10 minutes) from the centre and Waikiki Beach. I spent my summer running the kid’s clubs in Oasis Duna and Oasis Village so I know these hotels inside and out! These are great for families with apartments in both properties and are a short walk from the top of the main street. Where to eat: Torro Bravo steakhouse - my ultimate favourite! On the right of the high street as you walk down. Di Napoli - the best pizza in Fuerteventura! Music Square - not a specific restaurant but a group of restaurants in the Spanish part of Corralejo. Visit here if you truly want to experience some of the Canarian food and culture. Bottom of the main street, keep walking past the petrol station, and you will arrive! Waikiki Bar and Restaurant - beachside restaurant by day and nightclub by night! I had an amazing pizza sat on the beach watching the World go by during one of my last days on the island! 4 Gallons - Typical English bar at the top of the high street. Great food for a great price! Where to drink: Flicks - highly recommend a visit! The British owners holidayed in Fuerteventura 20 years ago and never returned. This bar is the life and sole of Corralejo and covers everything from game nights, to karaoke, to late night chart music. It has two bars opposite each other with an outside seating area between. It may only be small, but the staff are incredible and will make you feel right at home during your visit! Waikiki Bar and Restaurant - the last stop at the end of the night, I spent many nights dancing into the early hours at Waikiki nightclub! 7 Pints - Irish bar on the left of the high street, traditional Irish pub! Banana Bar - Quirky bar on the seafront with a rooftop terrace and beanbags! Head up and watch the sun set whilst enjoying a mojito or two! What to do: Visit Flag Beach - on arrival into Corralejo you will be taken over the sand dunes by your transfer. Flag beach is the beautiful beach looking out over the sea and Los Lobos island. A taxi from Corralejo costs about €10 and will drop you off at the right location. It is also great for water-sports! Tips - take some food and a drink! There isn’t much here if you get hungry. I would also recommend arranging a return pick up time with your taxi driver as some phone operators didn’t used to pick up signal there! Jeeps and Beaches tour - an excursion tour of the island that shows you some incredible beaches! Corralejo waterpark - some great slides and a nice way to cool down but be aware that the pools are saltwater here. Boat trips - there are some great catamaran/boat tours from the harbour, and you can even get a ferry across to Lanzarote for the day! Oasis Park - a largest zoo in the canaries and great for all the family! Thank you for taking the time to read my blog on wonderful Fuerteventura. If you are visiting or thinking about going in the near future - please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Warsaw | How To Explore A City You Know Very Little About

14 May 2019

I aim to fit as many holidays/trips in a year as possible, so when I found a cheap package to Warsaw last year, I text my best friend, and an hour later we were going in a few weeks time. Poland was another country I could tick off from my scratch map - I had very little knowledge about the city! The intention of the trip was to spend some quality time with a good friend. We went through university together but now find it very hard to make arrangements together around our busy schedules in different cities. In all honesty, we would have been happy going anywhere in the world. All we wanted was a good catch up, some cocktails, and a break from the ‘real world’ for a few days. So we arrived in Poland in mid-November, checked into our apartment in Warsaw, not knowing where we were or where we needed to be. Arriving late on a Sunday night our choice of restaurants was limited, however (with a little help from Google maps) we soon found ourselves in a warm restaurant and our weekend went from there! Through asking restaurant staff, locals, Google, and other tourists for their recommendations, we had an incredible weekend break away. One waiter in particular wrote a list of restaurants/bars for us, showed us where the centre is, and pointed out some popular sightseeing spots. However always be careful when asking strangers for advice, particularly about where to go on a night. If someone only recommends one particular bar/restaurant, I probably wouldn’t go. I much prefer being given options and having a choice. If you are visiting Warsaw anytime soon, I highly recommend ‘Podkomorzanka’ a lovely crepe and pancake house in the old town. We may have visited here on 3 occasions alone… Another tip when exploring new cities, check out Instagram ‘places’. This may sound cliche coming from a millennial, however it is a great source when discovering your sightseeing spots! Our search on here led to us discover we could go up the ‘Old Town Observation Terrace’ (pictured) and also to a beautiful Italian restaurant ‘Ciao’. Both were certainly highlights of our trip. Our apartment was a taxi ride from the newer part of Warsaw, however the city uses lime scooters… if you haven’t heard of them they are communal electric scooters that are powered through an app. I would go as far to say that these made our trip. I have never laughed so much in my life. Zipping through the cobbled streets of Warsaw on our powered scooters, overtaking each other and weaving bollards, I felt like I was 10 years old again. We loved them so much that we have actually discussed basing our next holiday destination to another city that offers these scooters! Warsaw is generally a very cheap city, and there are also plenty of free things to do. We went on a great free walking tour (technically free but please do donate!) and also learnt that the Royal Castle also gave free admission on Sundays! In conclusion…visit new places, try the local food, explore, and go somewhere different than you normally would. I won’t be visiting Warsaw again in the near future (and certainly not in the winter months!) however we had a fantastic weekend and I can highly recommend it for anyone wanting a city break with a bit of difference.

CheerTravelUK | Top tips for attending Worlds

15 April 2019

If you are lucky enough to be competing or attending Worlds this year, here is our handy guide of what to pack and tips for when you touch down in Orlando! Before you go... Make sure you have completed your ESTA! And don’t get caught out on the wrong site… ~ USA Travel Advice GOV.uk > entry requirements > ESTA link > https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/ ~ You MUST complete this at least 72 hours before your flights (however the earlier the better!). This is no longer an instant application, it can take now between 24-48 hours to confirm. Travel Insurance. Ensure it covers you for whatever you are intending to do. If you will be competing (or stunting/tumbling as a spectator) you must have insurance that covers cheerleading. The average travel insurance claim for medical treatment in the US is approximately £6200! And if you need surgery for a broken leg, you could be looking at between $17,000-35,000! Without travel insurance covering cheerleading (or possibly gymnastics) you would not be covered if it was obtained through stunting/tumbling… that’s one expensive trip to the hospital! Now for the more exciting stuff – England flags! We’re proud to have one of the best crowds in the arena at ICU! England flags, face-paint, T-shirts, pins… get ready to be shouting ‘Let’s go England… red and white!’ After ICU, you can also trade your flags and T-shirts etc. with other countries - what a great way to build friendships in the international cheerleading community! Cooling spray… not a necessity but the gyms can get very hot! If you are training in Orlando, invest in a cooling spray to regenerate between full outs! ‘Magicool’ is £7 from Amazon but there’s cheaper versions available from Boots, Superdrug etc. Take a lightweight waterproof. It will rain. It will still be warm. It will probably last 10 minutes and then be brilliant sun again... Sun cream! Goes without saying, you’re going to Florida. Make sure to buy a waterproof sun cream if you’re visiting any of the waterparks during your stay. There’s nothing worse than training/competing with sunburn - trust me! When you’re there... Jet lag - you are travelling across multiple time zones, jet lag is inevitable. My biggest tip for avoiding jet lag is as soon as you get on the plane - set your phone/watch for the time it is where you are landing (so 5 hours earlier for Florida). This will help you to adjust to the time zone a little earlier! I find that jet lag travelling west (UK > Florida) isn’t too bad, but I personally always struggle on the return. If you can take a few days to rest after returning to the UK, I highly recommend! Sleep is very important during your run up to Worlds! Whilst the whole trip is very exciting, make sure you are getting enough sleep to avoid burning out. Eat properly and drink lots of water! Another obvious one, but the huge variety and portion sizes in Florida are very tempting… don’t get me wrong, make the most of this and try all the new foods that you can, but make sure you are getting your key nutrition in. There’s plenty of online research about how to fuel your body leading up to a competition, I highly recommend some research if you haven’t already looked. Stretch - there are huge physiological benefits to taking some time to stretch your muscles, especially after a day of training/competing. Team yoga in the villa anyone? Theme park tips… visiting Universal? Get there early and head straight to the ride you want to go to. It will be the quietest point in the day. I always make a beeline for the Harry Potter rides as I know they will be some of the busiest later! Take lots of pictures - you might only be at Worlds once; you will almost certainly only be at Worlds once with those athletes in your team. And you have 52 weeks’ worth of #worldswednesday hashtags to fill! Attend everything that you can - show offs, ICU, finals, Disney fireworks etc. Take everything in! Support the other UK teams. I hope this goes without saying. Whether they’re in your division or not, every athlete has worked incredibly hard to be on that Worlds floor! You never know, they could be your teammate someday. Support each other and do the UK cheerleading community proud! Learn! You are surrounded by the best athletes and coaches in the industry. Take every opportunity to learn and soak up as much knowledge as possible. Taken from the words of Gold medallist Team USA athlete Tucker Hunter - ‘there is always more to learn and room for improvement’. ~~~~~ Thank you for reading our Worlds tips! We hope that some of them are helpful for your time in Florida. Finally, good luck to every athlete taking to the Worlds stage this month. Remember to breathe, encourage each other, and perform! We look forward to supporting you all! #letsgoengland

New York | My Top Tips For Visiting My Favourite City

06 April 2019

It only seems right for my first ever blog post to be about my one of my favourite cities - New York. I was lucky to attend a summer camp here as a teenager and completely fell in love with the city. I promised myself I would return someday and managed to make my way back there in May 2018. During my recent stay (which was a camp reunion) a group of us stayed at my friend’s apartment, so whilst I can't recommend my hotel (although I would give Harold's apartment and hospitality a 5* rating!) I got to see Manhattan and Brooklyn with the locals - the true New York. My first recommendation - be conscious of the extreme weather! We all know that New York has cold winters and makes for beautiful snowy photos. I haven't experienced New York over the festive period yet (it's on my list!) but be wary that it is extremely cold, and this could have an effect on your sightseeing if you are wanting to fit lots in but you're too cold to leave the cafes. However, New York in the height of Summer is very hot with temperatures nearing 30 degrees Celsius. Which is fine if you're by a pool, sipping margaritas all day, but if you're walking 20,000 steps a day, sightseeing, and shopping with the sun reflecting down from every panel of glass (and there's a lot of glass windows in Manhattan) - it certainly makes for hot work! My recent trip in May was perfect weather, with an average of about 15-20 degrees. Warm enough for a snow cone in central park, but cool enough to be walking lots! Smorgasburg - if you are planning a visit to New York, you must arrange it over a Saturday (open 11am-6pm) to experience Smorgasburg open-air food market in Brooklyn. They sell everything foody that you could ever dream of - raclette cheese baguettes and the freshest pineapple juice served inside its own pineapple skin being my favourites! Easy to get to using the Metro, with an incredible view of the Manhattan skyline too. The High Line is a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. A nice walk where visitors experience nature, art, and design. There’s also some great photo opportunities of Manhattan's busy roads and contrasting artwork. My favourite free sight/experience in the city! Joe's pizza - 'the best pizza in Manhattan'. I can believe this statement. (A lot of my recommendations will likely involve food...) Rockefeller - I personally recommend the Rockefeller Center over the Empire state building, as here you get a clear view over Central Park, and the opposite view of the skyline with the Empire State in the middle of it. Top tip – pre-book your tickets or buy them very first thing in a morning to get the best time. I would suggest researching what time sunset is and booking your time slot to go up about 45 minutes before this. By doing this, you can experience early evening, sunset (my favourite time of day up there) and night - all for the price of one ticket! 9/11 memorial and museum - an incredibly moving museum. Ensure you give yourself enough time to go around it, we spent 4 hours here but could have spent much longer. Travel - use the Metro, it's the fastest way to get around for sure! You can buy a week-long unlimited pass, which I would recommend even if you are just staying for a few days as the trips can add up and this is the cheapest way to do it. Be wary of the 'express lines' as these only stop at every 3rd or so station - something we hadn't still mastered by day 3 when our local guides were at work! Sunday brunch - a full brunch/lunch and unlimited Mimosas (bucks fizz) for a 2 hour duration - need I say more (I assume this varies per restaurant). I could talk about New York all day! If you are planning a trip anytime soon, please get in touch with me. I'd love to help you plan your adventure here and book a memorable trip of a lifetime.

My customer stories

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Steph has been extremely helpful and in booking our flights and finding the best option for my group of 22 travelling to Orlando Florida her replies have been very quick and clear.

Sent by Anya Whincup

Steph was very helpful with providing information and arranging our holiday quickly and efficiently. She also arranged a special dietary requirement for one of our party. Would highly recommend Steph and would definitely book another holiday with her.

Sent by Ruth Hayes

The holiday was a great offer and Steph was very helpful with any queries I had. It’s a very stress free way to book our holiday and I’m very happy with the service. Steph has been great and I would definitely booked with her again!

Sent by Michelle Chapman

Steph went over and above to help us with our long Xmas trip, I would highly recommend her for all tailor made holidays and will be using her again as she was a great help with ideas and itinerary we are so looking forward to our upcoming trip in December. Many thanks to Steph for her patience as it was changed quite a few times due to unforeseen circumstances but we got there in the end. Mr and Mrs Chapman

Sent by Kristy Leslie

Went above and beyond to help me out and plan a comfortable and complex trip from Berlin to Sydney and back.

Sent by Denis Healy

We have just returned from a perfect family break in Budapest which Stephanie has organised for us. Stephanie’s organisation was meticulous and everything ran like clockwork. Stephanie organised the airport car parking, the flights, the transfers, the hotel and also booked some activities. Nothing was too much trouble for her, even when we added in an extra piece of luggage the day before departure. Stephanie is so professional in all that she does, and has a first class attitude to customer service. Her involvement took all the hassle out of organising a holiday, and there is no doubt that we will be using her services again. Thanks Stephanie for planning and organising a great holiday.

Sent by Ellie Noyce

Steph made it very quick and simple to find the right deal for my holiday, and was very specific in the questions she asked to meet my needs. I really appreciate the time she took to help me find my perfect holiday

Sent by Lewis Pennicott

Booking our holiday with Steph couldn't have been easier, from initial message to booking couldn't have been more than 30 minutes. Competitive pricing, professional quotes, easy booking process. I will be recommending Steph and Travel Counsellors to all my friends and family. Will be using again in the near future for sure.