Travels With Thea - Travel Counsellors

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Travels With Thea - Travel Counsellors I’m Thea, a Bristol & Bath based Travel Counsellor creating tailor-made holidays worldwide.

From honeymoons and family adventures to cruises, safaris and bucket-list escapes, I make travel feel seamless, personal and stress-free.

👩🏼‍⚖️ Judging hat firmly ON today!Email responses may be slightly delayed today as I’m incredibly privileged to have bee...
10/09/2026

👩🏼‍⚖️ Judging hat firmly ON today!

Email responses may be slightly delayed today as I’m incredibly privileged to have been asked, for the second year in a row, to join the judging panel for the Aspire Luxury Awards 2026.

Today I’ll be joining the rest of the judging panel for my categories to discuss our thoughts, deliberate and ultimately help decide this year’s winners.

I never take opportunities like this for granted and feel incredibly lucky to have been entrusted with the responsibility again this year.

A huge good luck to all of the candidates! I’m very much looking forward to seeing everyone and celebrating the very best of the luxury travel industry at the awards ceremony later this year 🥂

📸 Client Postcards from the Algarve 📸Last year, I had the privilege of sending Family B off on their honeymoon, and afte...
09/09/2026

📸 Client Postcards from the Algarve 📸

Last year, I had the privilege of sending Family B off on their honeymoon, and after returning home, they entrusted me once again with their next trip. This time, it was eight of their nearest and dearest heading over to the Algarve for five nights, staying at the lovely 3HB Guaraná.

And I’ve just had these fantastic photos through!

The Algarve is somewhere I absolutely adore, especially for a shorter break. Whilst they did have a couple of cloudier days, it was probably a welcome break from some of the extreme heat Portugal has seen recently, and it certainly didn’t stop everyone from having a relaxing and enjoyable time.

With a real mix of ages travelling, it was lovely to hear that the holiday worked so well for everyone. ☀️

A huge thank you to Family B for entrusting me once again. It’s always an absolute privilege to look after you, and I can’t wait to see where 2027 takes you in the world!

📸 Client postcards from Indonesia 📸Just as I was landing back from my own honeymoon, my clients were flying over to Bali...
08/09/2026

📸 Client postcards from Indonesia 📸

Just as I was landing back from my own honeymoon, my clients were flying over to Bali to embark on an incredible two week tailor made itinerary of their own.

Their trip took them from Ubud, across by ferry to beautiful Nusa Lembongan, then back over to East Bali for a stay at Candi Beach Resort, before finishing at the gorgeous Royal Purnama, where I also stayed during my honeymoon.

This was an absolute pleasure of an itinerary to create because M and E’s interests aligned so closely with my own and how I personally love to travel. Boutique accommodation, beautiful locations, private touring, plenty of time to actually enjoy each stop, plus experiences including a coral restoration snorkelling tour.

And I think the photos speak for themselves 😍

Even better was receiving this message when they got home:

“Hello Thea! Thank you so much for the card, that was such a nice touch❤️ the holiday was absolutely amazing, the hotels were splendid absolutely I could have not asked for a better one!”

Happy clients, happy Thea!

I’m also so pleased they embraced the east coast of Bali, just as I did, and got to experience a completely different side of the island away from some of the more typical tourist trail.

A huge thank you to M and E for sharing these beautiful pictures with me, and for entrusting me to design such a special tailor made Indonesian adventure.

This week I heard the very sad news that Wayfairer Travel, the company I worked for before starting my own business, had...
04/09/2026

This week I heard the very sad news that Wayfairer Travel, the company I worked for before starting my own business, had ceased trading.

It is always hard hearing news like this, particularly about a company that played such an important part in my journey. I will forever be grateful for the opportunities Wayfairer gave me and how much my time there shaped the Travel Counsellor I am today.

I joined after several years in a high street travel agency, hired as their Asia specialist. My first assignment was heading out to Thailand and Cambodia for a month to experience the product first hand.

When I came back, Asia enquiries were quieter, so within a few weeks I was cross trained into Africa too. That was when I fell in love with the continent, training across Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa, and later travelling to Kenya on one of the best trips of my life.

As the business grew, I moved into the role of UK Sales and Service Manager, becoming more involved in product development and helping launch Sri Lanka and Japan. I spent two weeks travelling around Japan, helping shape what we would go on to offer clients.

But Wayfairer taught me far more than destination knowledge. It taught me how the smallest considerations within an itinerary can elevate a trip to specialist level and create memories that last for years. It is probably also why I nearly always refer to people I look after as clients rather than customers. There is a relationship and trust involved that goes beyond simply selling a holiday.

It also taught me about responsible travel, industry relationships and what luxury travel can mean beyond choosing a five star hotel. Working closely with the founders gave me an insight into growing a business that I later carried into my own. I also came away with wonderful friendships that continue today.

My thoughts are with the team and everyone affected by the closure.

Wayfairer was a relatively small chapter of my career in years, but a hugely important one in where it led me.

I’ll always be thankful for the adventures, opportunities, people and everything I learned along the way. 💙

Disney Wish is coming to Southampton ✨And this is one I’m particularly excited about because last May, while she was doc...
04/09/2026

Disney Wish is coming to Southampton ✨

And this is one I’m particularly excited about because last May, while she was docked at Port Canaveral, I had the chance to step onboard and properly explore Disney Wish for myself.

My biggest takeaway? Disney Cruise Line is about so much more than simply putting Disney characters on a cruise ship.

Disney Wish is genuinely impressive. The attention to detail is incredible, the restaurants feel like experiences in their own right, the entertainment is big-budget Disney, and there is a surprising amount designed specifically for adults too.

And for the first time, Summer 2027, Disney Wish will be sailing in Europe, with 3, 4 and 5-night cruises departing directly from Southampton. 🚢

Onboard you’ll find:
✨ Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure, combining dinner with live entertainment
✨ Worlds of Marvel, with an interactive Marvel dining experience
✨ 1923, a much more elegant restaurant celebrating Disney’s history
✨ AquaMouse, Disney’s attraction at sea
✨ Huge kids’ spaces including Marvel Super Hero Academy, Star Wars: Cargo Bay and the Imagineering Lab
✨ Dedicated clubs for tweens and teenagers

And this is the bit people sometimes overlook...

There is plenty for the grown-ups too. Palo Steakhouse and Enchanté for speciality dining, Senses Spa, adult-only spaces and the Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge all make this a very different proposition to simply spending a few days in a theme park.

The new Southampton itineraries include shorter 3-night sailings towards Bruges or Rotterdam, alongside 4 and 5-night European itineraries, making them a really easy way to try Disney Cruise Line without committing to a longer cruise or transatlantic flights.

If Disney Wish has been sitting on your travel wish list, summer 2027 might just be the perfect time to make it happen.

Get in contact and let me help plan your next Disney Cruise!

📸 Client Postcards from Norway 🇳🇴Family E jetted off to Norway in August and very kindly sent me these incredible photos...
03/09/2026

📸 Client Postcards from Norway 🇳🇴

Family E jetted off to Norway in August and very kindly sent me these incredible photos from their adventure.

This was such an interesting itinerary to design, combining the dramatic landscapes of the Lofoten Islands with some of Norway’s most iconic rail journeys and cities.

Their trip included a sea facing cabin in Nyvågar in the Lofoten Islands, before cruising south through Norway’s spectacular coastline to Bergen. From there, they had time to explore Bergen before continuing via the famous Flåm Railway and onwards to Oslo.

What a journey!

Norway is so often thought of purely as a cruising destination, but there is SO much to experience on land too. Combining the two gives you the best of both worlds, with incredible scenery, beautiful cities and some seriously memorable journeys along the way.

A huge thank you to Family E for sharing these beautiful photos with me. As always, it was an absolute delight working with you to tailor make an itinerary that was completely your own. ✨

Have you ever finished a book and immediately wanted to book a flight? 📚✈️You’re definitely not alone. 47% of travellers...
02/09/2026

Have you ever finished a book and immediately wanted to book a flight? 📚✈️

You’re definitely not alone. 47% of travellers have either booked or would consider booking a trip inspired by literature, so literary tourism is having a real moment.

From the Canadian Rockies and Cork to Tokyo, Naples and Croatia, some of the books taking over our TBR lists are now inspiring very real travel wish lists too.

And I completely get it. There’s something extra special about visiting a place you already feel connected to before you’ve even arrived.

So, which book has made YOU want to travel somewhere?

SAVE this for your future travel inspiration and SHARE it with the book lover you’d happily disappear on a literary adventure with. 📖

And if one of these destinations has made it onto your list, message me and I can help turn the inspiration into an itinerary that actually works.

And just like that, we’re flying into the ‘ber months’ 🍂✈️I’ll let you into a little secret. September is actually one o...
01/09/2026

And just like that, we’re flying into the ‘ber months’ 🍂✈️

I’ll let you into a little secret. September is actually one of my favourite times of year.

But it’s also the time of year when quite a few people suddenly have the same thought:

“Crap. I haven’t booked October half term.”

If that’s you, you are definitely not alone. I’ve had a real surge of October half term enquiries recently, but we are getting very close to departure now, so the best flight times, family rooms and really good hotels will not hang around for long.

So if it’s still on your list, get in touch sooner rather than later.

I also had a brilliant surge of new quote requests over the weekend, which I’m genuinely so grateful for.

And one little favour... if you hear friends, family or colleagues talking about holidays or even just mentioning somewhere they fancy going, please feel free to share my page or pass on my business card.

Referrals really do make such a difference to my business and I’m forever grateful for every single one.

If you’d like a digital copy of my business card to forward on, just let me know. 💛

SAVE this for your festive planning or SHARE it with the person you’d love to wander the markets with...Christmas market...
29/08/2026

SAVE this for your festive planning or SHARE it with the person you’d love to wander the markets with...

Christmas market season might still feel a little way off, but if you’re already dreaming of twinkly lights, mulled wine and wrapping up warm somewhere in Europe… this one’s for you 🎄✨

I’ve pulled together 15 of Europe’s best Christmas markets and their 2026 dates to make planning that little bit easier.

City break, rail journey or river cruise, there are so many lovely ways to experience them. And river cruising is an incredible option if you want to tick off multiple markets in one trip, but the best sailings do sell out well in advance.

I currently have a gorgeous 4-night all-inclusive river cruise through Germany, including flights, from £925 per person.

Get in touch if you’d like more details 🎅🏼

Both have sales on at the moment, so if you are even half-thinking about a long-haul trip next year, now is a very good ...
28/08/2026

Both have sales on at the moment, so if you are even half-thinking about a long-haul trip next year, now is a very good time to get something priced up.

I was looking at a Jamaica holiday for February and the price had dropped by hundreds per person compared with what I had seen previously.

Will that happen on every route, date or hotel? Absolutely not.

But this is exactly why it is worth checking.

Whether you are dreaming of a week in the Caribbean, flying to Miami before heading off on a cruise, looking at the Maldives, or considering one of the newer direct routes such as South Korea, both BA and Virgin Atlantic have some really attractive long-haul options.

There is no obligation to book, and I do not charge for quoting. So if long haul is even vaguely on your radar for next year, get in touch and I can take a look at what is available for you ✈️

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