Having been in the travel industry for too long to mention, with very little “formal” training as a traditional travel agent, my husband and I operated a tour company called San Michele Travel from 1974 for 30 years. Early days were sending clients overland from Darwin to London travelling individually by public transport through S.E. Asia and India ,Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran onto Turkey and Greece ending up in London. This was before The Lonely Planet let alone the internet. Since then, my passion has been South East Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Indochina and I’ve seen countries transform their tourism infrastructures from basic to comfortable to 5 star. My expertise is designing an itinerary to suit your special needs, likes and dislikes and allow you to see the country from a traveller’s perspective rather than a tourist. In 2007 I joined TravelManagers to be able to offer Asia travel “San Michele” style. Since then, I have received awards and accolades in regard to travel sales and Asia knowledge. I have enjoyed sending my repeat clientele and referrals to their favourite parts of Asia but have also expanded my travel services to other parts of the world.
With my long history of travel through Asia and drawing on a wealth of knowledge of hotels and tours, I make sure clients get the most out of their holidays in regard to content and price. I prefer to tailor-make itineraries to your specific requirements and have an advantage in often dealing direct with my network of trusted and experienced overseas operators. Be it a week’s stay in Bali in a hotel or villa or 4 weeks through Indochina or India, you always benefit dealing with a specialist with an intimate knowledge of the destination. As your Personal Travel Manager I’m available after-hours and week-ends to answer emails or phone calls or to deal with any problem which may arise. My clients are Australia-wide so being in Queensland doesn’t hinder any contact with the use of my toll-free phone and email monitored 24 hrs a day. Many clients become friends as we often develop a close bond when planning holidays – I like to get as much background information as possible as to your likes and dislikes in travel so that when I personalise your itinerary I get it just right!
I was saying to my travelling companion Helen who had not spent serious time in India since 1979 that one of its assets is the delightful speaking voice of an educated Indian. Adi, our ‘Mumbai by Dawn’ guide who had absolutely no right to be so fresh and chirpy at five in the morning, soon displayed this from the very first ‘Hello Ladies’!
Read about my discovery of the real India, genuine experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.
Read my blog
