Based In Chartham Downs

Annabel Wilshaw

Available for new enquiries

Looking for help with your business travel? Find out how I can help here

It's Nice To Meet You

Hello, I'm Annabel Wilshaw, a Travel Counsellor based in Chartham Downs, Canterbury, Kent, thanks for visiting my webpage!

I love travelling myself and have worked in the travel industry for nearly 30 years, arranging holidays and trips, often tailor made for my leisure and business clients.

Focussed on personalised customer service and specialising in long haul tailor made holidays, flight only, city breaks, ski & cruise holidays, I can plan and book your next trip using award winning technology, a vast range of suppliers and my own travel experiences.

Ease the stress involved in planning and booking your next trip and avoid 'analysis paralysis' and uncertainty of the Internet and speak with a professional! I'm proud to be recommended by many of my clients to their friends and family which has led to me building a successful business.

So if you are thinking about your next break or would like to know more about Travel Counsellors, I look forward to hearing from you soon!

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My customer stories

Sent by D Judson

Comprehensive and friendly service. Outstanding quality

Sent by Hayley Jones

We gave Annabel the details of a holiday we were interested in and she very promptly responded with various suggestions and alternative packages for us to consider. She has organised everything for us so far. We are able to communicate directly with her at all times which makes the whole process of booking a holiday so much easier. Thanks Annabel.

Sent by J Mustafa

Annabel is inspirational and so reliable. A pleasure to deal with and nothing is too much for her. Thank you

Sent by Nicola P

Annabel has been instrumental in organising the most perfect trip for my daughter and myself. She listened carefully to what we wanted, and researched the best options. Annabel went above and beyond with time and effort to meet out requirements. I have already recommended her to friends! And will continue to do so!

Sent by Ann C

Great advice and suggestions of travel options and ideas for my travel adventures. Would certainly recommend Annabel to assist in the planning and booking of any travel.

Sent by Robin G

Always provides a thorough and professional service

Sent by Melanie Walton

We’ve had the most amazing holidays over the years all thanks to Annabel and have recommended her to all our family & friends. We’d be lost without her!

Sent by Tim K

Always been amazing thanks so much.

Sent by Mr G

Excellent

Sent by Miss M

Excellent service , would 100% recommend . So patient with a very indecisive customer.

Sent by Amanda H

We recently returned from a 4 day trip to Krakow booked by Annabel taking in the breath-taking Wieliczka Salt Mines and the chilling concentration camps of Auschwitz – Birkenau. We have been continually impressed and reassured by Annabel’s extreme attention to detail especially in these very unpredictable times and she is always on-hand to answer last minute queries however trivial they might seem in a friendly and efficient manner. Thank you Annabel!

Sent by Rebecca H

Annabel swiftly found us some fabulous itineraries and gave suggestions to make the trip (to Utah) even more exciting. We quickly booked through her and my husband was extremely impressed with her service and knowledge too. Would highly recommend her.

Sent by Claire L

We cannot recommend Annabel highly enough. She has arranged 4 incredible and memorable holidays for our family of 5 to Orlando, Tenerife, Lapland and Florida – taking in Miami, Sanibel and Palm Beach. What really stands Annabel apart from anyone else is her professionalism, extensive knowledge, attention to detail, dedication to ensuring that each and every holiday which she books is perfect and is of the highest standard and her very personal service. Annabel not only offers advice on suitable holidays, she takes care of all of the bookings and arrangements and ensures all documents are delivered on time and seats are booked etc. Unlike any other agent, Annabel is also on hand during the holiday to deal with any queries, change bookings or assist in anyway. We wouldn’t book any holiday without Annabel. We have been very impressed

Sent by Mary M

We have had the best holidays since we started booking through you. Our honeymoon was the best yet! Thank you Annabel

Sent by Karen Baldwin

Annabel is so helpful, knowledgeable and provides a fantastic service. Always so quick to help and thinks of things I don't! Couldn't be better and highly recommended! Thank you Annabel!

Sent by Mary O'Leary

What a fantastic holiday we have had in New York arranged by Annabel The entire booking was done thru Annabel from start to finish, from the air flight, hotel, excursions and transport and everything just ran like clockwork. Annabel's knowledge and expertise as a travel counselor is supreme and I would not hesitate to use her services again or recommend her to my friends. Thank you Annabel!

Sent by C G

Your knowledge of the locations and accommodation where invaluable and your help in checking us in for the flights, welcome cards on arrival in Miami and Barbados and just knowing that you were on the other end of an email or phone in case of any issues was very reassuring and above and beyond what we have experienced before.

Sent by John Oliver

We had a fantastic time and your choice of hotels was spot on they were superb. (Tuscany twin centre)

Sent by M Walton

Annabel’s organised all our holidays for a number of years now and we’ve always had amazing experiences - perfect hotels and locations, great recommendations for things to do and places to eat. From booking flights and accommodation to restaurant reservations, Annabel arranges it all including coming to the rescue when things like flights don’t go quite according to plan ! We’ve recommended Annabel to family and friends too who have all had great experiences. Everybody needs an Annabel !

Sent by jason knight

We chose Annabel as she was highly recommeded to us by a friend. Her level of service, knowledge and attention to detail were first class. She knew I wanted to dive so researched dive facilities as well at the hotels. Annabel's communication was excellent as was her admin. I will highly recommend Annabel to my friends and always use her for future holidays.

Sent by Neil & Tina Callingham-Carter

Annabel was a tremendous help when planning our honeymoon to the Maldives. When getting married in February we wanted to relax after the big day in the tropical Indian Ocean as the best place to go for that time of year. We searched various websites and travel companies ourselves looking for something suitable but to no avail and with time taken up with other preparations things were getting tight. We then heard about Travel Counsellors from a friend and made contact with Annabel who came to our home to discuss what we were looking for and our budget. After a few more phone calls and e mails, Annabel found exactly what we were looking for. The result was the perfect combination for us; an all inclusive holiday in Velidhu in the Maldives, a most beautiful Island, and direct flights from British Airways to cut down on travelling time and to fly on the right dates for us. And within our budget !! Well done Annabel and thank you so much !

Sent by Claire Cardoo

Annabel booked our honeymoon skiing and sightseeing in Canada for us. She listened carefully to what we wanted and booked us a fabulous holiday at a competitive price! We would definitely use her again and loved her personal touch! Thank you!

Sent by Lynne Murphy

Annabel went above and beyond any other travel agent we have previously used, even writing our luggage labels for us! Throughout the lead up to our holiday to Mexico, she was constantly available to respond to my often puerile questions and I would have no hesitation in recommending her to others.

Sent by Tim Kidd

It’s always a great pleasure dealing with you. Thank you for your excellent attention to detail, help and advice.

Sent by Graham Smith

Annabel has been organising our holidays since 2005. We have booked via Annabel, a broad range of trips from packages to cruises, flights and hotels. Each time we have been given lots of very helpful advice and options to choose from so that our trips become tailor made to meet our requirements. Service received has always been efficient and friendly - the phrase "nothing is too much trouble" really applies. Everything always goes according to plan. Annabel is only a phone call away to offer advice. To sum up - thanks Annabel.

Sent by Mike & Mary Appleby

We have enjoyed several holidays organised for us by Annabel, and always very much appreciated the way in which she sorts out our preferences regarding the details of the itinerary; resulting in a tailor made trip. Her suggestions regarding accommodation, based on her experience and knowledge, have also been invaluable. Nothing seems too much trouble for her, and she is always a delight to deal with!

Sent by Alan Duke

Nothing is too much trouble for Annabel. She puts together the travel arrangements accurately and without fuss. At every stage she checks that everything is in place and gives important information (e.g. visa requirements) that could be overlooked. She follows up enquiries promptly without pushing. She is a delight to deal with and one feels treated like a friend.

Sent by Harold and Rosemarie Hoad

We have said it before and we are more than pleased to say it again ,Annabel is the counsellor to follow. We have enjoyed great holidays courtesy of Annabel's excellent organisation and administration skills. She always provides service beyond the call and with a ready smile.

Sent by Margaret Hill

Annabel was absolutely brilliant helping us with our trip to the west coast of America. We wouldn't have had such a great time without her suggestions of where to stay and what to do. Nothing is too much trouble or her.

Sent by Pamela Shaw

Thank you so much for all your help organizing our honeymoon. We really appreciated all the time you put in to help set up our honeymoon fund and the advice you gave us to help us choose our holiday. We would highly recommend your services to others.

Sent by Nicholas Hill

The first time I have used Annabel was my recent trip to Singapore just after I retired. My tickets were sorted out extremely efficiently and arrived in plenty of time. My seat reservation also was confirmed and all in all the service given was first class. Thank you.

Sent by Philippa Robinson

Annabel arranged the trip of a lifetime to California this summer for us, identifying our choices and preferences and recommending places and modes of transport to meet our needs. She will be our go to travel expert in the future!

Sent by Kristy Hazlehurst

I have booked several trips with Annabel now and have never been disapointed by the service I have received. I have recommended her time and again to people and many friends and family now share 'my travel agent'. She has loads of great ideas and advice and amazing attention to detail, she's superb and I can't fault any aspect of the service I have received over the years. Keep it up!

Sent by Alison Robinson

Annabel has organised two family holidays for us. She is always very helpful and prepared to taylor the trips to suit our requirements. She researched the places we wanted to go and talked to local guides to work out the best options for us. In Bangkok she found us a hotel where we could hire a small suite with two bedrooms and a lounge so that we could all be together. She also researched the best locations for diving and suggested we stay on Koh Tao instead of Koh Samui as this cut the time needed to travel to dive sites. On both holidays she made sure that there were always local guides to meet us and help with our connections. We have recommended Annabel to friends and relatives and would always use her for our holidays.

Sent by Nigel Harradine

My dealings with Annabel have been always very friendly and professional. Our holiday, that Annabel organised was to say the least,complicated and involved many flights and destinations. If we changed our itinerary Annabel would say "no problem" and then come up with an alternative. I can without worry recommend Annabel to sort your holiday requirements.

Sent by Brian & Wendy Sanders

Just a word of thanks for organising our tailormade trip to South Africa. It was excellent and a really enjoyable holiday for us.

Sent by Melanie Walton

Thanks for organising our trip to South Africa - it was a holiday to remember!

Sent by Harold ( Harry ) and Rosemarie Hoad

Never travel anywhere without consulting Annabel. Rosemarie had serious medical problems whilst we were on the other side of the world on holiday this year and Annabel provided first class help and assistance at a difficult time for us. Annabel has the personality, the patience, the experience and the knowledge to make a holiday truly memorable. Why approach anyone else?

Sent by Linda Loe

Annabel's standard of service always exceeds my expectations. Her personal touch makes me feel a most valued customer.

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.

Sri Lanka - A Journey Full of Colour, Chaos, and Kindness

02 September 2025

From the moment we arrived, Sri Lanka was a feast for the senses, I felt like I needed widescreen vision just to take in all the incredible sights and sounds that surrounded us. We spent our time exploring Sri Lanka’s Southern Province, soaking up the beauty of the south and west coast beaches, wandering the café and boutique-lined streets of historic Galle Fort, and experiencing the vibrant ener

Staycation in South East Kent

23 June 2020

South East Kent, also known as the Garden of England is nestled perfectly between the bustle of London and the English channel leading to the continent. But as well as providing access to both of these, it has much to offer visitors looking for a staycation break in the UK with often favourable weather conditions compared to the rest of the country. Canterbury is the main city and being fairly c

Colourful Miami

04 June 2019

Miami has been on my wish list for ages and we were all very excited to travel as a family to visit this iconic city recently. Top Tips – take sun lotion and use lots of it, the sun is very strong, we saw lots of very pink people and nobody wants their holiday ruined by sunburn – ouch! Hat and sunglasses are also a good idea Early morning is fresher and a great time to fit with a run along the

Cultural Spain

24 April 2019

We recently spent a week in the Murcia region of Spain and took advantage of the warm, sunny days to do some exploring around the area, as in the summer heat only the pool or beach beckons! The new Murcia airport is situated at Corvera, south east of the city of Murcia and only 35 mins from the coast where you will find several Spanish resorts and fishing towns along the coast and golf resorts i

Extra Easter Break

05 February 2019

For a family or group of friends, accommodation on a holiday park can offer really good value for money. The Isle of Wight has several holiday parks and as an extra break over Easter, it was perfect for our family of 4. There is a range of accommodation on each park, often from lead-in standard category up to the newest modern designer styled unit which makes it hard to imagine you are in stat

Family Fun in Abu Dhabi

05 February 2019

This short trip to Abu Dhabi was all about family fun in the sun! With temperatures in March around 28C, this is a great time to visit and enjoy all that there is to do and see. First of all, we had the pleasure of staying at the amazing Emirates Palace hotel. This 7* luxury hotel was built as a 'Palace for the People' and reflects the heritage and style of the Emirati. With a breath-taking ce

Eager for Riga

05 February 2018

If you want a city break and to visit somewhere new, Riga has a lot to offer visitors and represents great value despite being in the Eurozone. Cheap flights and a short transfer into the centre makes it an ideal weekend destination! We spent 36 hours in Riga over Independence Weekend in November. The city centre is fairly compact and easy to explore with mostly cobbled streets (comfy shoes req

Skiing inside the Arctic Circle

09 January 2018

SSkiing in Finland is a different experience to our previous trips to the French Alps and we loved it! There is not a range of mountains in Lapland, just individual fells with a range of pistes. We stayed in Levi which is the largest of the Finnish ski resorts and where the World Cup slalom kicks off the season every November. The town has a few different equipment hire shops and places to

A Warm Welcome from Cool Finnair

08 January 2018

We recently travelled with Finnair from Heathrow to Helsinki on their morning service which is operated by their largest and newest aircraft, the Airbus A330. After Helsinki, this aircraft was going onwards to Tokyo. Having checked in online, we collected our boarding passes from one of the kiosks at T3, similar to using a cashpoint. Many airlines use this method and it was easy as we only had

Anthem of the Seas

10 June 2015

This is the latest super ship from Royal Caribbean and sailing out of Southampton for Summer 2015, this is everything you would expect….and more! With dodgems, rock climbing, Flowrider, indoor skydiving and the North Star viewing platform, this ship really does offer some great facilities. And this is just the start. The ship has 18 food outlets including the favourites such as Chops Grill and

Rule Britannia!

10 June 2015

P&Os newest ship to their fleet is Britannia which was launched by the Queen in March 2015. Along with other Travel Counsellors, I was fortunate to visit as part of the launch celebrations. The ship is instantly recognisable with the union jack paint work on the exterior and inside, the décor is also beautiful. In classic tones of cream, taupe and navy, the colour theme is carried out through m

For a Family of All Ages!

10 June 2015

Royal Caribbean is a familiar brand to many with a variety of ships located worldwide visiting many ports of call. The Independence of the Seas is currently located out of Southampton which is really convenient for a no-fly family holiday. With so much going on, the ship does tend to attract many families especially during the school holidays which is when we travelled. So this is a considerati

Arabic Charms - Abu Dhabi & Etihad

10 June 2015

We visited Abu Dhabi in the Easter holidays and found this was a great time to take advantage of some sunshine and heat when it was still cool at home and only a 7 hour flight. Etihad’s new A380 was a great experience, the inflight entertainment was extensive with many current films and music as well as some classic TV and favourite movies. There is also a whole listing for children too includ

Lesser Known Ski Resorts

31 March 2014

Our trip to the two lesser known ski resorts of Valloire and La Toussuire began at St Pancras as we travelled to the Alps by train, first by the Eurostar to Paris and then the TGV service to St Jean Maurienne. The journey whilst long, was very smooth and felt relaxing as the train sped through the French countryside. Quite a contrast to the usual hustle and bustle of an airport. As a group of adul

A White Christmas

24 January 2014

There are many ways of visiting Lapland, we decided to spend our family White Christmas in a log cabin in the woods, complete with open fire and a Christmas tree! Our chosen resort of Levi was very festive and offers plenty of facilities and activities, both outdoor and indoor, important as it can be very cold at times inside the Arctic Circle. In fact, we were lucky with the weather, it was mild

Family Ski

30 May 2012

Antares Meribel is located in the extensive ski area of 3 Valleys which includes Meribel, Courcheval, Val Thorens and some smaller villages at lower altitude. It has a great position at 1700ft altitude and therefore generally has great ski conditions through to the end of the season. It is also located close to the Rond Point and near to a gondola station. It is comfortable and has a welcomin

Walt Disney World Florida & The Bahamas

26 May 2011

Having planned a fortnight in November to visit Walt Disney World Florida, we decided to include a 4 night mini cruise around the Bahamas in order to have a break from the theme parks. First of all, we agreed we could have stayed longer, we loved Disney so much, adults and children alike! However, the short cruise was wonderful and a great way to visit this part of the Caribbean which can be pr

Dubai

26 May 2011

Dubai was a place I had wanted to visit for several years and so I was very excited to travel there in February 2010. The flight with Emirates was excellent and with it only being 6 hours, it is an easy distance with youngsters in tow. Dubai airport was amazing, clean and well signposted and we received our first taste of the exceptionally high customer service levels visitors receive in Dubai

St Lucia

20 April 2011

St Lucia Hewanorra Airport is located in the south of the island so to reach the many resorts along the north west coast, the transfer by road isf between approx. 1 hour 15 – 1 hour 45 mins. The road has been vastly improved over recent years and now has tarmac the whole way and it offers stunning views of the lush rainforest, banana plantations and numerous towns and villages. We opted to ta

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