What travellers say when they are home

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Emirati couple travelling in summer. Elena arranged private transfers throughout, handled the Schengen applications and gave us a list of halal-friendly restaurants in each city. The Rigi trip and the Chapel Bridge in Lucerne at dusk were superb.

Five nights in the Masai Mara and we saw the big five, including a leopard draped over a tree on our second game drive. Tented camp looking over the river, hippos grunting at night. Daniel sent a packing list that was spot on, down to the soft bags for the light aircraft.

Emirati family, three generations, eleven of us in total. Layla arranged two vans, halal food at every stop and a schedule that left time for prayers without us having to ask twice. The children still talk about sledging in Gudauri and the churchkhela from the roadside stalls.

Egyptian couple living in Sharjah. We paid in instalments over three months and every reminder came on WhatsApp, polite and clear. Snorkelling at Anse Lazio and a sunset catamaran were the highlights. Seven nights, three islands, no hassle at all.

Booked this for six Russian-speaking friends and the guide switched between Russian and English without missing a beat. The Gobustan petroglyphs and the mud volcanoes made for a strange, brilliant morning. Late checkout on the last day was added for free because our flight home was in the evening.

Seven nights split between Phuket and Krabi with two kids, and the ferry across turned out to be part of the fun. Phi Phi day trip, an elephant sanctuary where they wash the elephants rather than ride them, and pad thai every single day for my daughter. Ferry times arrived on WhatsApp the night before each move.

Fabulous trip overall. Our Interlaken room faced the station car park rather than the mountains, which was a shame given the setting. The Lake Brienz boat and sunset from Harder Kulm were unforgettable, and the kids loved the playground at the top.

Wonderful villas in both places. The transfer from Ubud down to Uluwatu took over two hours in traffic, which we had not expected for such a short distance on the map. The Kecak dance and the seafood dinner on the sand at Jimbaran were special.

Beautiful beach and genuinely warm staff. The drive from the airport to our resort took about an hour and a half after a long flight, more than we had pictured. Catamaran day to Île aux Cerfs was superb, and so was the dholl puri from a roadside stall in Port Louis.

My husband and I hold Pakistani passports and were nervous about the paperwork. The e-visa was handled for us and in our inbox two days later. Plov in a family restaurant in Gabala, Nohur lake at sunrise, and a driver who played old Azeri songs all the way. Four nights, zero stress.

Six nights on the east coast with a day trip to Chamarel and the Seven Coloured Earth. We were upgraded to half board at no extra cost during a promotion. Île aux Cerfs by speedboat, then lunch with our feet in the sand. Exactly the rest we needed.

Great itinerary, and the internal flight to Kayseri saved us a very long bus ride. Dinner on the Istanbul evening tour was late, nearly ten o'clock, which was hard going with two jet-lagged teenagers. Otherwise smooth, and the underground city at Derinkuyu was a big hit with them.

The hot air balloon was cancelled once for wind, and Omar had it rebooked for the next dawn before we had finished breakfast. Floating over Love Valley with a hundred other balloons was the best hour of our honeymoon. Istanbul was lovely too, especially the fish sandwiches by Galata Bridge.

Two nurses who finally took a proper honeymoon a year after the wedding. We paid in four instalments over five months and it was worth every shift. Sorrento, Positano and Capri, and an upgrade to a terrace room at the last hotel.

South African family of four, first time in the Maldives. The resort let the kids help feed the stingrays at sunset, and our son spotted a manta from the dhoni. There was even an early check-in after the night flight. Value was much better than we had feared.

Beautiful hotels and seamless transfers. Lunch on the panoramic train was underwhelming for the price, and dinner in Montreux was booked rather late for us at 9pm. Mount Pilatus on the cogwheel railway was a definite highlight.

Excellent planning, and the townhouse stay in Kyoto was charming. Our Tokyo room faced a concrete wall rather than the city, and the hotel could not move us. Breakfast at Tsukiji outer market and Shibuya crossing at night were still memorable.

South African group of friends, six of us. Balloon over the West Bank of Luxor, the temples at Edfu and Kom Ombo from the cruise, and koshari in Cairo on our last day. The visa formalities were handled for all of us.

Honestly expected the mountain roads to make the children sick, but the driver stopped whenever we asked and carried a bag of snacks for them. Our hotel in Kazbegi had the mountain right outside the breakfast window. Omar also checked the entry rules for our Indian passports, which saved me an evening of reading forums.

Luxury done properly. Private plunge pool, a spa credit we did not have to ask for, and a chef's table dinner on our last night. Daniel arranged a private car for the Port Louis market so we could take our time instead of following a group. Worth every dirham.

Indian couple on honeymoon. Hot air balloon over the Mara at sunrise, a bush breakfast where it landed, and sundowners on a hill. Daniel reminded us about the yellow fever certificate and malaria tablets well in advance.

Lucerne, Montreux and a final night in Zurich. Lake-view suite in Lucerne, panoramic first-class train seats across the Alps, and a cheese fondue in Gruyères after visiting the castle. Elena had a car waiting at every station, so we never touched a suitcase.

Pakistani couple on our honeymoon and our first time in Europe. Elena prepared the Schengen file and briefed us on everything from ferries to tipping. The Path of the Gods hike and dinner in Ravello with the whole coast below us were perfect.

Beautiful, but the drive from Naples airport along the coast took far longer than expected, nearly two and a half hours in July traffic. Our room in Positano was worth it once we arrived. The limoncello tasting in Amalfi town was a nice touch.

Solo trip, my first ever, and Joanna made me feel looked after the whole way. Hotel close to the skytrain, a tuk-tuk food tour at night and the Ayutthaya temples on a day trip. Every voucher was in one PDF on my phone, which I loved.

Took my parents, who were visiting from Kerala and are both in their late sixties. Elena asked about Dad's knees before booking, made sure the Kazbegi transfer was a proper van with a step and that the Tbilisi hotel had a lift. He is still talking about the bread from the clay oven in the old town.

British parents, both seventy, visiting me in Dubai, so I took them to Italy. Elena booked first-class train seats and arranged wheelchair assistance at the Vatican Museums. Mum cried in the Sistine Chapel and Dad found his favourite trattoria in Trastevere.

Three nights in Ubud and four in Uluwatu was the perfect balance. Private pool villa above the jungle, Tegallalang rice terraces at sunrise, then cliff-top sunsets and the Kecak dance at Uluwatu temple. Joanna planned our honeymoon right down to the flower bath on the first evening.

Six nights split between Sultanahmet and Göreme was ideal. Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque came with a guide who knew how to dodge the crowds, and the Bosphorus boat was at golden hour. In Cappadocia our cave room had a terrace over the valley, and Omar booked the balloon for the first morning so there was a backup day.

Mahé, Praslin and La Digue in seven nights, with every ferry ticket printed before we left Dubai. Cycling to Anse Source d'Argent was exactly the postcard. The plan used small, quiet hotels with character instead of big resorts, and the coco de mer palms in Vallée de Mai were pure magic.

Tenth anniversary, and we wanted something different from the Maldives. Granite boulders, empty beaches, giant tortoises on Curieuse. Our hotel on Praslin upgraded us to a sea-view room after Joanna mentioned the occasion. Faultless from start to finish.

Sri Lankan born but raised in Leeds, so it was my husband's first time and my first in twenty years. Arjun found a driver-guide who spoke Sinhala and English and knew where to get proper egg hoppers. Nine Arches Bridge at sunrise and the tea factory in Nuwara Eliya were lovely.

Perfect long weekend for a UAE public holiday. Short direct flight from Dubai, two nights in Baku near the boulevard, then Gabala for the cable car and the forest walks. Our evening in the Old City was timed so we watched the Flame Towers light up from the walls.

Very good trip with boutique hotels throughout. The drive from Kandy up to Nuwara Eliya was slow and winding, and my daughter was carsick most of the way. Seeing a leopard on the morning safari made up for all of it.