Sonia Murray-Smith - Travel Counsellors

Sonia Murray-Smith - Travel Counsellors Curated adventures. Global destinations. One personal travel expert. โœˆ๏ธ๐ŸŒ

29/07/2026

๐Ÿ›ณ๏ธ Antarctica in My Bones: Returning to the Ship That Changed Everything โค๏ธ

Our first ship visit at the expedition conference felt a bit like coming home. I was lucky enough to spend two unforgettable weeks on this incredible vessel in Antarctica last December โ€” a journey that changed the way I see remote places and the responsibility we carry when exploring them.

The Greg Mortimer is purpose-built for remote exploration, featuring the innovative X-Bow that glides through the waves for a smoother, more comfortable journey (especially across the Drake Passage!). With space for just around 130 guests, it offers an intimate, personalised experience and quick Zodiac access for landings - perfect for travellers who want to get off the ship and into nature as often as possible.

She sails to some of the most extraordinary places on Earth:
โ€ข Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falklands
โ€ข The Arctic including Svalbard, Greenland & Iceland
โ€ข Patagonia and the Chilean fjords
โ€ข Wildlife-rich Sub-Antarctic islands
On board, guests enjoy panoramic lounges, modern cabins, expert guides, immersive activities and a true sense of connection to the landscapes outside - all without sacrificing comfort.

But what inspires me most is why they travel. As a Certified B Corp, AE Expeditions proves that bold adventure and meaningful sustainability can go hand in hand. Exploration with purpose โ€” and Iโ€™m grateful to have experienced it firsthand.

If youโ€™re dreaming of a bucketโ€‘list polar journey โ€” the kind that stays with you forever โ€” feel free to get in touch. Iโ€™d love to help you experience this extraordinary adventure for yourself โ€ฆ

๐Ÿซ๐Ÿ›ณ๏ธ๐Ÿง Expedition Cruise Showcase! ๐Ÿปโ€โ„๏ธ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ดJust returning from the CLIA Expedition Showcase 2026 in Svalbard, deep in the Ar...
28/07/2026

๐Ÿซ๐Ÿ›ณ๏ธ๐Ÿง Expedition Cruise Showcase! ๐Ÿปโ€โ„๏ธ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ด

Just returning from the CLIA Expedition Showcase 2026 in Svalbard, deep in the Arctic!

What an unforgettable few days immersed in the world of expedition cruising in one of the most remote and spectacular places on Earth.

During the showcase we -

๐Ÿ›ณ๏ธ Explored expedition ships including:

* Silver Endeavour (Silversea)
* Le Commandant Charcot (Ponant)
* Greg Mortimer (AE Expeditions)
* SH Vega (Swan Hellenic)
* MS Spitsbergen (HX Expedtions)

๐Ÿ‘จ๐Ÿปโ€๐ŸซJoined industry sessions with leading expedition cruise operators, diving into destinations like the Arctic, Antarctica, Greenland, the Galรกpagos, The Kimberley, West Africa and more โ€” gaining invaluable insights, trends and insider knowledge.

๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ดWe also got to experience Svalbard firsthand with a guided fossil hike, a coastal boat tour, a cultural and historical walk through Longyearbyen, and even a visit to the worldโ€™s northernmost brewery!

๐Ÿ’ช Trips like this are essential for my work. Firsthand experience means better guidance for clients planning those onceโ€‘inโ€‘aโ€‘lifetime adventures.

โค๏ธ Expedition cruising is a completely different style of travel, and seeing it from the inside has only deepened my passion for it!

Iโ€™ll be sharing information, photos, videos and behindโ€‘theโ€‘scenes moments over the next few days.

โšฝ๐‚๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐„๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐š๐ง๐ ๐Ÿ๐š๐ง๐ฌ! โšฝ๐†๐ž๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ข๐œ๐ค๐ž๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐–๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐ ๐‚๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐’๐ž๐ฆ๐ขโ€™๐ฌ ๐Ÿ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ยฃ๐Ÿ”,๐ŸŽ๐Ÿ”๐Ÿ“ ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐งPrice includes:โœ” 3 nights at ๐“...
12/07/2026

โšฝ๐‚๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐„๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐š๐ง๐ ๐Ÿ๐š๐ง๐ฌ! โšฝ

๐†๐ž๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ข๐œ๐ค๐ž๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐–๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐ ๐‚๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐’๐ž๐ฆ๐ขโ€™๐ฌ ๐Ÿ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ยฃ๐Ÿ”,๐ŸŽ๐Ÿ”๐Ÿ“ ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง

Price includes:
โœ” 3 nights at ๐“๐ก๐ž ๐‚๐š๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ž๐ซ ๐‡๐จ๐ญ๐ž๐ฅ ๐€๐ญ๐ฅ๐š๐ง๐ญ๐š in a Signature King Room
โœ” Room Only Basis
โœ” Return flights with United Airlines
โœ” Private return airport transfers
Highlights include:
โœ” Official suite-level seating for Wednesday 15th July, Atlanta Stadium

Departure airports:
โœ” ๐‹๐จ๐ง๐๐จ๐ง ๐‡๐ž๐š๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ ๐Ÿ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ยฃ๐Ÿ”,๐ŸŽ๐Ÿ”๐Ÿ“ ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง
๐Ÿ“Contact your local travel agent to book!

๐Ÿš†๐Ÿšˆ๐Ÿš„ Rail Holidays! ๐Ÿš…๐Ÿ›ค๏ธ๐Ÿš‡Rail holidays are having a real moment. More of us are choosing to slow the pace, skip airport qu...
11/07/2026

๐Ÿš†๐Ÿšˆ๐Ÿš„ Rail Holidays! ๐Ÿš…๐Ÿ›ค๏ธ๐Ÿš‡

Rail holidays are having a real moment. More of us are choosing to slow the pace, skip airport queues and simply sit back as the scenery glides past the window. From alpine passes to coastline-hugging routes, travelling by train turns the journey into part of the holiday.

There are so many advantages: extra legroom, space to move around, no long security lines and stations that drop you right into the heart of the city. It is also a relaxed and more sustainable way to explore several destinations in one trip.

I can create a tailor-made rail itinerary for you, pairing the most scenic routes with handpicked hotels, transfers and special experiences along the way.

Hereโ€™s some popular journeys still available this year..

10/07/2026

๐Ÿ‘‘๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡งIโ€™m proud to be part of Travel Counsellors, which has received a Kingโ€™s Award for Enterprise 2026 in Innovation.
๏ปฟ
Our unique approach helps us collaborate, share expertise and give our customers incredible holidays โ€“ all driven by care, community, and personalised service.
๏ปฟ
Award-winning innovation. Powered by people. โค๏ธ

๐ŸŒŽI know Iโ€™ve been a little quiet on here recently, so apologies for the radio silence. ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ชThe last couple of weeks have b...
09/07/2026

๐ŸŒŽI know Iโ€™ve been a little quiet on here recently, so apologies for the radio silence.

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ชThe last couple of weeks have been wonderfully busy creating new itineraries for adventures in New Zealand, Costa Rica, Argentina, Sri Lanka and Sardinia to name a few. I also squeezed in an inspiring Travel Counsellors Adventure & Touring event, hearing directly from many of our incredible touring and adventure partners about whatโ€™s new and seeing other TC friends.

๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿฆ’But I just had to pop back on to share these fabulous photos from clients currently on safari in Kenya, finishing their trip with five dreamy days on the beach in Mombasa. I absolutely love receiving pictures like this and seeing those holiday memories being made. ๐Ÿฆ

If these snapshots are giving you the travel itch, I would love to help you plan your next adventure.

โ€ผ๏ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ช Breaking travel update ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ชโ€ผ๏ธFantastic news for travellers and the wider travel industry: the FCDO has lifted its adv...
18/06/2026

โ€ผ๏ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ช Breaking travel update ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ชโ€ผ๏ธ

Fantastic news for travellers and the wider travel industry: the FCDO has lifted its advice against all but essential travel to the UAE.

This is a very welcome development. The Middle East is a key global transit hub, linking the UK to countless destinations around the world, and the previous guidance had a real impact on airlines, tour operators and holidaymakers.

It is genuinely encouraging to see confidence returning to such an important gateway for longโ€‘haul travel.

Thinking about your next escape? I am here to help you explore your options with calm, expert guidance and complete peace of mind. From tailored destination ideas to upโ€‘toโ€‘date travel information, I will make sure you have the support you need to book and travel with confidence. Get in touch any time if you would like to talk through your plans.

๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡น โค๏ธ๐Ÿ”๏ธ. BHUTAN ๐Ÿ”๏ธโค๏ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡นThinking about somewhere truly different for your next adventure?I have just written a new blog al...
01/06/2026

๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡น โค๏ธ๐Ÿ”๏ธ. BHUTAN ๐Ÿ”๏ธโค๏ธ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡น

Thinking about somewhere truly different for your next adventure?

I have just written a new blog all about my journey through Bhutan: a Himalayan kingdom of ancient monasteries, dramatic mountain passes and warm, welcoming people. In it I share what it is really like to travel there, my favourite moments, and ideas for how you could experience Bhutan for yourself.

If you are curious about a trip that combines culture, scenery and a real sense of escape, have a read and see if Bhutan might be your next dream destination.
Contact me if you would like to chat through ideas for your own bespoke Bhutan itinerary.

https://www.travelcounsellors.co.uk/sonia.murray-smith/BhutanAJourneyofPrayerFlagsMountainPassesandPureHappiness

Dreaming of endless sunny days? ๐ŸŒž Make the sun last longer by booking your dream holiday today. Get in touch with your T...
26/05/2026

Dreaming of endless sunny days? ๐ŸŒž Make the sun last longer by booking your dream holiday today. Get in touch with your Travel Counsellor and letโ€™s make it happen!

Check out our latest offers on the link below -
https://brnw.ch/TravelCounsellorsOffers

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง๐ŸฆSouth West Coast Path ๐Ÿฅพ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡งFor a while now, Mr Mโ€‘S and I have been nibbling away at the South West Coast Path โ€” and in ...
24/05/2026

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง๐ŸฆSouth West Coast Path ๐Ÿฅพ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง

For a while now, Mr Mโ€‘S and I have been nibbling away at the South West Coast Path โ€” and in true usโ€‘fashion, weโ€™re doing it backwards! This weekendโ€™s chapter took us from Fowey to St Mawes, and Cornwall absolutely spoiled us with glorious sunshine and big blue skies.

It turned into a stunning โ€” and rather epic โ€” 43.5โ€‘mile stretch, our longest section yet. The countryside was bursting with wildflowers, and we wandered past ponies, grazing cows, and spotted quite a few grey seals bobbing in the coves. We even stumbled across a hotel Iโ€™d booked for a client just last week on her twoโ€‘centre UK break โ€” so of course I couldnโ€™t resist popping in for a quick reccy for her!

By the time we reached St Mawes, our feet were definitely feeling every mileโ€ฆ but our hearts were full. That brings us to 317.5 miles out of 650 โ€” almost halfway along this incredible path.Feet aching, spirits soaring ๐Ÿคช๐Ÿ˜‚

Wonderful UK break with breathtakingly scenery - one minute rugged cliffs, the next quiet coves, then wide sandy baysโ€ฆโค๏ธ

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