Based In Swindon
About Me and My Business
Hi, I’m Dean, thanks for stopping by! I’m an independent travel adviser with Travel Counsellors, running my own business here in Swindon. What that means for you is simple: a proper one-to-one service, where I work around your schedule (not the other way round).
Everything you book with me is 100% financially protected by either the Travel Counsellors Financial Trust or ATOL, giving you the very best protection in the industry.
I’ve been in travel for over 15 years and I love nothing more than creating holidays that feel truly special. Whether it’s weddings, group trips, sporting events, car hire, package deals, tailor-made escapes, cruises or long-haul adventures, I can take care of it all. I can also book TUI, Jet2 and easyJet holidays, so you get the best of both worlds: trusted brands and a personal service.
I know Dubai and Australia particularly well, having visited many times, and I have a real passion for designing cruise holidays. But whether you’re after a laid-back escape or a full-on action-packed adventure, I’ll go the extra mile to make sure you and your family get exactly the holiday you’re dreaming of.
By letting me take the stress out of planning, you can relax knowing everything’s sorted. All you need to think about is what to pack (and sadly, I’m not legally allowed to do that part for you).
I’d love to help plan your next trip, so whenever you’re ready, just get in touch.
Swindon 13/12/2023
Swindon 13/12/2023
swindon 27/09/2022
Swindon 27/09/2022
Wiltshire 23/05/2022
Swindon 26/10/2021
SWINDON 26/10/2021
Reading 26/10/2021
FARINGDON 26/10/2021
Swindon 26/10/2021
Wiltshire 01/03/2021
Swindon 22/02/2021
Swindon 20/11/2020
Swindon 20/11/2020
SWINDON 17/07/2020
Swindon 17/07/2020
SWINDON 17/07/2020
Hungerford 08/04/2020
Based in
25/05/2021
The amazing Tanzania is ideal for a Safari finished off with a 7 night beach stay
05/11/2020
A clients video of South Africa. Safari really is on most peoples bucket list. Get in touch if you would like me to create a once in a lifetime trip
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.
10 October 2025
Exploring Sri Lanka: A Trip I’ll Never Forget Sri Lanka has been an absolute blast. From the busy streets of Colombo to the tea hills of Nuwara Eliya and the beaches of Bentota, there’s so much to see and do. I want to say a huge thank you to Chanaka and Priyal, our guides for the week .Funny, super knowledgeable, and just great people. And to PulA from Colombus, honestly one of the nicest, humbl
10 October 2025
Our final day in Sri Lanka began with breakfast and one last look at the misty hills of Nuwara Eliya before we set off for the coast. The journey took us from the cool mountain air down to the warm, sunny beaches of Bentota — it felt like the perfect way to end the trip, by the sea. When we arrived, we checked into the Thaala Bentota Hotel, a lovely beachfront spot with a calm, laid-back feel. Af
10 October 2025
This is possibly the best day I’ve had on a FAM trip! It started with a jeep safari in Yala National Park and what a morning it was. We spotted not one, not two, but three leopards. Seeing a leopard in the wild has been on my bucket list for years, and today it finally happened. To see them so close, in their own space, was something I’ll never forget. Yala is a brilliant place, full of life. We
10 October 2025
After getting up early and having a proper look around the Heritance Tea Factory Hotel, which used to be an old tea plantation and factory, we ended up switching things up a bit. Our safari got pushed back to tomorrow, so instead we decided to leave Nuwara Eliya and make our way towards Ella. And as usual, the best days seem to be the ones that aren’t planned at all. We stopped off at the famous
10 October 2025
Today we set off from Sigiriya and made our way to Nuwara Eliya, a hill country town known for its cooler weather and old colonial charm. The drive itself was brilliant — winding roads, rolling green hills covered in tea bushes, and small villages dotted along the way. It was amazing how quickly the scenery changed Our first stop was the Labookellie Tea Estate, one of the most famous plantations
10 October 2025
Sigiriya, Dambulla & Kandy We started the day with a visit to Sigiriya, the famous Lion Rock, and one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic landmarks. It’s the kind of place that photos just don’t do justice .Seeing it rise up out of the jungle is an incredible sight. The climb to the top is around 1,200 steps, but it’s very manageable if you set off early before the heat builds. The route winds through an
10 October 2025
After breakfast at The Kingsbury Colombo, it was time to say goodbye to this beautiful hotel. The Kingsbury has a lovely classic feel to it, with brilliant service. It is definitely one I’d suggest to my customers for a stay in Colombo. We then set off on our journey towards Sigiriya, a four hour transfer with a stop for lunch at Lora Café. The food here was brilliant with a superb choice for eve
01 October 2025
After a smooth flight with SriLankan Airlines we arrived in Colombo to a lovely welcome from our hosts, Colombia Tours. The flight went very quickly with a great range of entertainment and food. It was a late flight so I skipped dinner and waited for the breakfast omelette, which was a good choice. Immigration was smooth and took no longer than 15 minutes which was fantastic. After the welcome
25 September 2025
Coming soon- Daily live blogs and updates regarding my upcoming trip to Sri Lanka. Follow myself and 13 other Travel Counsellors as we showcase what this amazing country has to offer
31 May 2025
Embarkation in Liverpool was stress-free, with plenty of welcoming staff on hand to make the process easy. Alongside over 20 fellow Travel Counsellors, we toured the ship’s key areas, including restaurants, bars, the gym, and public lounges. Despite its smaller size, the Ambition felt spacious and well designed. The relaxed atmosphere, free from the crowds often found on larger ships, was a welco
30 May 2025
Day 2 – Onboard Ambassador Ambition Up early to check a few customers in and then concentrate on day 2 onboard the Ambassador Ambition. An early start meant a visit to the gym and like everything else so far, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s spacious, modern, and far better equipped than I expected. After a good workout, I wandered through to the spa and treatment area. Again, absolutely superb.
29 May 2025
As a Cruise Ambassador for Travel Counsellors, I’ve been invited onboard Ambassador Ambition for a short sailing from Liverpool to Bristol. Over the next few days, I’ll be exploring everything this ship has to offer and so far, it’s already full of pleasant surprises. Having spent most of my time on larger cruise ships, this is my first real experience of a smaller vessel and honestly, I’m impres
01 April 2025
Norwegian Aqua: A Fun New Cruise Option I just got back from an awesome 3-night sailing on Norwegian Aqua, NCL’s brand-new ship and the first in their Prima Plus Class. I was lucky enough to hop on board for its inaugural sailing from Southampton, and if you’re looking for flexibility, great food, and a fun vibe, Aqua is definitely worth checking out. She’s off to the Caribbean now, but this qui
11 March 2025
Halfway Through Cambodia: A Journey of Culture, Adventure & Unexpected Surprises My familiarisation trip to Cambodia has been nothing short of incredible so far. From jungle bike rides to luxury hotels, candlelit ceremonies to Marmite at sunrise, every day has brought something new. Here’s a look at what I’ve been up to so far. ? Touchdown in Siem Reap The journey started in style—with generou
29 September 2024
With the number of new-to-cruise passengers increasing – 27% of cruisers over the past two years are new-to-cruise, that's an increase of 12% over the past year i thought it would be great to speak with someone about what makes Cruising so special for them This week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with cruise blogger Andy who runs the website https://mycruiseblog.co.uk/, his passion for the
20 April 2024
The Other Side of Being a Travel Agent: Ever since I started working in travel nearly 20 years ago, I’ve always loved putting together peoples holidays whether it’s an hour away or the other side of the world. Since i launched my own business 4 years ago the travel industry has had to navigate Airport Strikes Volcanic eruptions Oh and a Global pandemic Recent events in Dubai have shed light o
27 April 2023
Dean around the world.... I bet you read that to the tune of Lisa Stansfields song didn't You :-) Every month i will be bringing you this feauture from travellers. This month I sat down with Bianca Austin and her Husband Charlie to discuss their favourite and not so favourite holiday locations this week with some brilliant answers from them that will hopefully give you a few ideas of where you'd
10 April 2023
Dean around the world.... I bet you read that to the tune of Lisa Stansfields song didn't You :-) Every month i will be bringing you this feauture from travellers who are either famous or not. I start with Martin this month... He is not ?? Dean around the world with Martin Peters Do you remember your first holiday either home or abroad? My first holiday was to Disneyland Paris with my sister
27 September 2022
I was lucky enough to sail on the Norwegian Prima last week and I think I have a new favourite. The Norwegian Cruise Line’s 18th cruise ship set sail from Reykjavik, Iceland in August and I watched on as Katie Perry set sail on her and to say I was jealous is a understatement so to be invited a month later was an absolute honour. . Prima is the first ship in an entirely new class for Norwegian, a
09 May 2020
Costa Rica It’s been 9 months since I visited Costa Rica as part of a 9 week trip of Central and South America. Including where I went on this trip, I have been fortunate enough to visit 43 countries and have lived/worked in 4. Travelling has been a huge part of my life for about 7 years now and I really hope that this blog will make you consider adding Costa Rica to your bucket list. It’s a pla
20 April 2020
That’s me! Those that know me will tell you that during my life I have made a few wrong decisions and at the time of writing this I have no doubt a few of you are thinking he’s done it again but it’s strange that during these crazy times that I am strangely optimistic. Am I worried? Too right I am but the reason I took the plunge and decided to do this was that I simply love travel and so do most
08 April 2020
Hello It seems very strange to be writing a blog in these extraordinary times but for my own sanity, I thought, why not? So why not start with the one place our family call our happy place, Dubai As a family we have now visited Dubai numerous times, in fact, our first time was as a couple where my wife simply fell in love with the place and I wouldn’t be exaggerating by saying she fell in love w
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: