What travellers say when they are home

Applied for the electronic travel authorisation for our safari. Imran spotted that my son's passport had less than six months' validity and warned us in time to renew it. That alone saved the trip.

Quick reward trip for our team of eight after a heavy quarter. Private van, a Thai cooking class and a rooftop dinner were all arranged before we landed. Chatuchak on Saturday was chaos in the best way. Back at our desks on Sunday morning without feeling wrecked.

Visited with my in-laws from Sheffield on one of the rare drizzly mornings of their stay. Kevin found a bench for my father-in-law on every floor and slowed the pace without making a fuss. A beautiful building inside and out.

Kevin gave the best history of Dubai I have heard: Al Fahidi, the abra across the creek, spice and gold souks, then Jumeirah Mosque and a beach photo stop facing the sail-shaped hotel. Every stop had a story.

Did it for my sixtieth, much to my children's horror. Viktor made sure the medical form was sorted in advance and kept me calm during the wait. Landing on the beach with my grandchildren cheering was the best birthday present I have ever given myself.

The jet ski instructor was excellent with first-timers, gave a proper safety talk and rode alongside us until we were confident. Then we raced out to the sail-shaped hotel for photos, which he took on our phones. Thirty minutes of pure fun.

The camp was crowded on a Friday night, with a large group playing loud music until late. When we complained, they moved us to a tent further away, which helped somewhat. Sunrise over the dunes was beautiful, but a quiet night it was not.

Kayaking on the turquoise water of Hatta Dam, a walk up to the heritage village with its old watchtowers, and lunch beside the wadi. Fatima knew every trail and the best spot for photos of the Hajar mountains. A real change from the city.

Two children under ten, and the First cliff walk above Grindelwald plus the mountain carts were the best things they have ever done. Seat reservations on the busy trains meant we never scrambled. Elena also prepared our Schengen visa file and booked the appointment for us.

Lovely views of the Marina skyline and a relaxed atmosphere. Dinner was served quite late, after nine, and the kids were hungry and grumpy by then. The food was tasty when it came and there was plenty of it.

The sights were incredible, but our Nile cruise was changed to a sister ship three days before departure and our cabin ended up on a lower deck than booked. Part of the difference was refunded after we complained. Valley of the Kings and Karnak were unforgettable regardless.

Pickup was 40 minutes late and we missed most of the sunset from the dunes. The office called to apologise and refunded part of the price, but the evening felt rushed. The camp and food were good, and the driver was careful on the dunes.

Our first booking was cancelled for weather on the morning itself, which is understandable. We chose a refund rather than another date, and it took two weeks and a couple of reminders to arrive. When we did fly a month later the views were incredible, but the refund should have been faster.

Lovely trip overall and our driver knew every bend of the Military Highway. The Kazbegi day was mostly rain, so the church sat in cloud and we only had the view for about ten minutes. Nobody's fault, but a spare half day in the plan would have helped. The Tbilisi hotel was spot on.

Travelling alone for a conference, I wanted one afternoon of the real city. Small group of seven, stories about the pearl divers and the old wind towers, and a taste of camel milk ice cream that I did not expect to like. Excellent value for the price.

Married in Hyderabad two weeks before flying out. We are vegetarian and Joanna had told the resort in advance, so the chef made proper dal and fresh roti every evening, which my husband insisted on. I read three books in the overwater hammock and regret nothing.

Lovely island, and the children learned to snorkel with an instructor who was endlessly patient. The domestic flight plus speedboat was long though, close to three hours door to door with kids, which was not quite how it read on paper. Food was excellent from the first meal to the last.

Good package and the Krabi hotel was excellent. In Phuket our room overlooked the car park and the street noise started early every morning. The Hong island tour and the night market at Ao Nang more than made up for it.

The flight itself was beautiful and the pilot was calm and funny. The 4am hotel pickup was brutal though, and with a long drive out to the launch site we were tired before we started. Worth it for the view of the sun coming up over the sand.

Gorgeous islands. The ferry from Mahé to Praslin was choppy and quite a few people were ill, us included, so take tablets. To be fair, we had been warned about it in the travel notes. The Creole fish curry at a tiny place on La Digue was the best meal of the trip.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was breathtaking, and Saeed explained the marble inlay, the carpet and the chandeliers in a way that made us look properly. Then Qasr Al Watan, the Louvre Abu Dhabi from outside and a drive along the Corniche. Abayas were provided for my wife at the mosque.

We wanted Japan in autumn without the standard route. Joanna built twelve days around the Kiso Valley post towns, Takayama and Kanazawa before ending in Kyoto for the maple colours. Every ryokan was different, every train connection worked, and the plan arrived as one clear document.

Colleagues from our Bangalore office visiting Dubai for a week. The team was split into two cars, one for the brave and one for the cautious, which was clever. Morning light on the dunes was stunning, and hotel pickup was at 7am sharp.

British couple living in JLT. We were offered a half-board deal that beat everything we had seen online once transfers were added. Sunset dolphin cruise, turtles on the house reef and a candlelit dinner out on the sandbank. We have already asked about going back for our first anniversary.

We married in Lahore and flew out via Dubai a week later. Joanna sent our food requirements to both villas ahead of time and arranged one private driver for the whole stay. The Mount Batur sunrise trek was hard work at 2am, but standing above the clouds made it worth it.

Family of four with kids of 10 and 13. Lions on a kill, a cheetah with three cubs and a river crossing in August. The short flight from Nairobi was booked so we avoided the long road. Our visit to a Maasai village was moving and very respectful.

The Ella train seats were reserved on the right side as promised, and the views over the tea estates were unreal. Sigiriya, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, then three lazy nights in Mirissa. Whale watching off the south coast was a bonus we had not counted on.

Engineers by profession, my husband and I expected a gimmick and were wrong. The healing and wellbeing floor was calming, and the climate section genuinely made us think. Booking the morning slot on a weekday was the right advice; it was quiet.

Indian passport, first time visiting Georgia. Imran checked whether my UAE residence visa made me eligible for entry without a separate visa, confirmed the current rules and gave me a checklist for the airport. Took ten minutes of my time.

Four nights in Bangkok with my sister. Grand Palace and Wat Pho with a guide on day one, then the floating market at Damnoen Saduak. Our hotel was on the river so we used the boats instead of sitting in traffic. Mango sticky rice at every opportunity.

A great day with a knowledgeable guide. The drive from Dubai is long though, around ninety minutes each way, and with traffic on the way back it was closer to two hours. The mosque at golden hour and the library inside Qasr Al Watan made it worthwhile.

Hotel and tours were good, but the airport pickup was 40 minutes late at midnight, and the emergency number did not answer for the first twenty minutes. The driver apologised and the office later sent a voucher for a river dinner cruise, which we used. Just not the start we wanted.

The Japan visa went through without a hitch in the end. We had to provide an extra three months of bank statements after the first check, which delayed the submission by a week. Ana explained why and kept us posted at every step.

Pakistani family with two teenagers. Arjun checked halal options at both hotels before we booked, and both had a proper choice every day. The boys did a snorkelling session off Phi Phi and still talk about Monkey Beach. Transfers were smooth every single time.

A retreat for our design studio, sixteen people, with workshops in the mornings and free afternoons. Joanna found a villa compound in Canggu with a meeting room, arranged a temple visit and a cooking class, and handled every flight change when two colleagues joined late.

Eight nights in Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto, travelling independently but planned to the minute. Hana gave us a rail pass guide, a list of small local restaurants and a night in a ryokan with its own onsen in Hakone, where we woke to Mount Fuji on a clear morning.

Our flight was cancelled once for wind, which we were told can happen, and Viktor rebooked us for two days later with a message the same evening. The second morning was perfect: drifting over the dunes at sunrise with oryx and gazelles below, then a falcon show and breakfast in the desert.

With a four-year-old and a seven-year-old, the kids' club made this holiday. Joanna chose an island with a shallow lagoon and a beach villa instead of a water villa, which was the right call for safety. All-inclusive for six nights meant no bill anxiety at all.

The paperwork was handled well and the cover letter was excellent. However, the earliest appointment slot was five weeks away in peak season, and we were not told about it until after paying the service fee. We got the visa with two days to spare, but earlier warning would have been better.

Tailor-made Ayurveda week followed by a few days in Galle Fort. Treatments were excellent and the doctor took time with each of us. Our Galle hotel room faced the inner courtyard rather than the ramparts, which was a pity, but walking the fort walls at sunset was lovely.

Filipino passport, travelling with my Lebanese husband, and the rules were different for each of us. Imran explained both clearly, confirmed the current requirements before we applied and sent one checklist per passport. Stress-free.

Bilal drove the dunes just hard enough for my kids to scream with joy without anyone feeling sick. Sunset photo stop on a high ridge, a camel ride, henna for my daughter. Dinner was grilled chicken and lamb with plenty of vegetarian options. Pickup from our Deira hotel was exactly on time.

Eight nights, three cities, fast trains between them all. Colosseum with an early-entry guide, the Uffizi without a queue and a gondola in Venice at dusk. The hotels were within walking distance of the main sights, which made all the difference with our step counts.

Very well organised for a family of five. The only niggle was the long transfer from Tbilisi to Bakuriani, about three and a half hours with a toddler, and I would have asked for a lunch stop in the middle had I known. Ski school there was brilliant and very patient with our middle one.

Filipino family of five and our first proper holiday together abroad. Arjun found interconnecting rooms in both hotels, which meant the teenagers had their own space. James Bond Island by long-tail boat and Railay beach were amazing. The payment plan over four months is what made it possible.

Two kids aged 6 and 9 and not one boring day. Cable car at Gudauri, a pony ride near Stepantsminda, a cheese tasting the children actually enjoyed. We had family rooms with a proper sofa bed so nobody was squashed, and the six nights flew by.

We wanted a diving trip, not just a beach. Joanna found a resort with a proper dive centre in Baa Atoll and timed it for the manta season at Hanifaru Bay. Five dives, dozens of mantas and a whale shark on the last day.

A tailored trip to Kakheti and Svaneti for our anniversary. The planning was meticulous and the guesthouse in Mestia was charming. The drive to Svaneti was very long, around eight hours with stops, and I would split it next time. Otherwise a beautiful, unusual trip.

Beautiful scenery and calm sea. The wait at the border crossing took longer than expected, nearly an hour on a busy Friday, which ate into the morning. Once on the water it was perfect, and the snorkelling stop was the best I have done in the region.

British family with two teenagers who are hard to impress. Akihabara, a morning watching sumo practice, the Nara deer and Osaka street food in Dotonbori. Hana arranged luggage forwarding between cities so we only carried backpacks on the trains. Best family holiday we have had.

A combined safari for our photography club, twelve people with heavy camera bags. Daniel arranged two open-sided vehicles with beanbags, extra luggage allowance on the light aircraft and long game drives at dawn. The Amboseli elephants with Kilimanjaro behind were the shot of a lifetime.

Tamar led us through the textile souk, the spice souk and the gold souk, letting us smell saffron and dried lemons along the way, then onto an abra across the creek. Karak chai and luqaimat in a little courtyard café in Al Fahidi. Two hours of genuine history rather than a shopping trip.

Booked the intense option and it delivered. Mohammed took the big red dunes with real skill and kept checking we were all fine. Quad biking afterwards and back in the city by noon. Exactly the adrenaline hit we wanted before brunch.

My husband is a railway enthusiast and Hana built the trip around it: shinkansen seats on the correct side for Fuji, the little mountain train in Hakone, even a rail museum afternoon. I got Arashiyama bamboo grove at seven in the morning before the coaches arrived, so we were both happy.

Parents from Kerala visiting. Saeed was patient with my parents, slowed down at every stop and found shade for them. Dubai Frame and Al Shindagha were their favourite parts.

Interlaken first, then Zermatt, seven nights with the rail pass covering every train and lake boat. Jungfraujoch with the kids, then the Matterhorn from Gornergrat. We had a family apartment in Zermatt so we could cook a couple of evenings and save on dinners.

Our water villa had steps straight down into the lagoon and we watched a reef shark from the deck on day two. Joanna let the resort know it was our honeymoon, so there was a floating breakfast and a cake waiting. Five nights felt like ten, and every transfer ran to the minute.

Took my nephews, who are visiting from Karachi, for their first trip up. The lift ride alone had them shrieking. From the top you can see the desert on one side and the sea on the other, which my sister found the most surprising thing of all. Easy and well organised.

My parents were visiting from Cairo and the Grand Mosque was the one thing they asked for. Fatima found my mother a quiet corner to pray and walked slowly with my father the whole day. Heritage Village, fresh dates and a long look at the Corniche from the breakwater.

Positano, Ravello and a day on Capri. Sea-view room with lemon trees on the terrace and a private boat to the Blue Grotto. Elena even arranged a photographer for an hour in Positano, and those pictures are now on every wall of our flat.