Elaine Simpson - Travel Counsellors, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire UK

03/09/2024

I'm working on a touring itinerary for New Zealand at present and came across a real Kiwi's take on what's what and where in NZ - lol!

02/09/2024

So 10 years ago I was blessed to travel to India's Golden Triangle with a group of Travel Counsellors, a trip with many highlights - the beneficence of the Golden Temple at Amritsar, the dramatic ceremonial closing of the border with Pakistan, the magnificence and chaos of Delhi - New and Old; the glory of the Taj Mahal; fabulous palaces and the Amber Fort in Jaipur: and superb historic sites and beautiful hotels throughout: so many superlatives. But also the contrasts with dire poverty and overcrowding, a truly mind-blowing experience. Here are just a few photos

01/09/2024

10 years ago I was fortunate to travel to India's Golden Triangle, I'd dig out some photos, meanwhile this is a really good article about the region

If Delhi is India’s political and cultural nucleus, then Jaipur is its royal stronghold and Agra is a rogue symbol of love. Together they offer visitors a glimpse of India through the ages

31/08/2024

We've been nominated for the Best National Travel Retailer in the British Travel Awards 2024 🙌

You can vote for us by clicking on the link below. This will mean the world to us at Travel Counsellors to be recognised for our hard work and dedication. Plus, everyone who votes is entered into the BTA prize draw which includes;

🏝️ £5,000 European villa holiday

✨ A magical family trip to Lapland

🛳️ 7-night Scandinavia Explorer Cruise

🧘 7-day yoga holiday

☀️ 8-days in Lake Garda for 2

💷 A £1,000 holiday voucher

Vote for Travel Counsellors before 29th September 2024 and enter for a chance to win! 👉 https://britishtravelawards.com/btaform.php?nomLink=156

Your vote(s) and entry into the prize draw will be recorded when you click the SUBMIT VOTES button. To vote in addition categories click the GO TO BTA WEBSITE button, make your selections and click SUBMIT VOTES at the bottom of the form.

30/08/2024

Photos from a pre-digital age - I think - -just about - or maybe just the start of digital? Anyway whatever!
First trip Down Under for Rod and me in 1996 - out via Hong Kong, back via Singapore and in between visited the National Gallery in Canberra, got married, in a friends garden in Braidwood NSW, and visited Sydney with the in-laws.
I'll save you from the wedding photos - you wouldn't know anyone on them, in fact we only knew about 8 of them! But here are a few from the trip

29/08/2024

Thinking about a trip Down Under? Give me a call to start the ball rolling to plan and book the best trip you ever had: whatever your inclination I can advise on the best places to go and the most exciting experiences along the way.
Have a look at these destinations for starters

Explore Australia's most well-being and relaxing destinations. Check out the top recommendations from real Aussies for the best in nature.

28/08/2024

It's turning a bit chilly at the moment so I'm starting to look forward to this winters trips and avoiding much of the really rough weather here.
Once the clocks go back I spend as much time as possible out of the country soaking up those precious rays and my favourite refuge is Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife.
We stay in an apartment that has kitchen and laundry faciltiies and better wifi than we have at home, so usually I just carry on working as normal. Yes, we get a bit of rain and there is sometimes snow up on the mountain but generally its warmer than most of the British summer and the gardens are fabulous: every time we go out for a walk there is something different in flower.

27/08/2024

If you’ve booked with me before, or you’re booking for the first time, I’d love to hear from you.

Plan with me and start creating your dream holiday today, with zero stress.


26/08/2024

More photos from a pre-digital age..
Our first road trip in the USA in 1990 started in L.A. with a visit to Disneyland, Long Beach to see the Queen Mary, then up the coast via the Danish town of Solvang, Morro Bay, Big Sur, Monterey and Carmel to San Francisco. Then drove up to Yosemite N.P. - very snowy there in December - via Fresno to Sequoia N.P. to visit the giant trees; down to Three Rivers on the steepest most tortuous road, then the long flat straight road back to L.A. for a visit to the Getty Museum in Malibu before coming home.
A great trip and a highly recommended route.

25/08/2024

I loved my visits to Tangalooma, gorgeous place where you get up close and personal with wild dolphins. Let me include it in your next trip Down Under, you’d love ot too.

25/08/2024

When you’re ready to hit the road just give me a call, I’ll build the best possible trip to suit your particular dreams and wishes…

Ready for that road trip of a lifetime? Discover the hidden gems of Nevada with our specially crafted itinerary inspired by Accidentally Wes Anderson. From Reno’s vibrant nightlife to the historic charm of Virginia City, and the awe-inspiring Hoover Dam, your adventure awaits!

Our Travel Counsellors care more than anyone else. Every detail of your holiday is crafted to ensure an unforgettable experience. Explore the exciting itinerary and let us plan your adventure today 👉 https://www.travelcounsellors.co.uk/Offers/The-ultimate-Nevada-road-trip-adventure

24/08/2024

Travel photos from a pre-digital age: when you didn't know what you had until the prints came back from the chemist!
Looking through and remembering places I've visited: such a fortunate life 👍😁
In 1977 I visited the south of former Jugoslavia; Kotor, Becici and Budva; this photo is one of the best, might not be particularly in focus but it's a good composition 😁

22/08/2024

Another new rail service - looks like a lovely way to travel through New South Wales - shall I add it to your next trip Down Under?

Travel in style aboard our vintage 1960s ex-Southern Aurora sleeping train, taking in the best that regional NSW has to offer.

21/08/2024

New sleeper rail service to connect the UK with Venice in 24 hours

A new sleeper rail service launching early next year will connect London with Venice via just a single change, with a potential journey time of around a day.
European Sleeper has announced twice-weekly night services from Brussels to the famous lagoon city, with trains passing through the Netherlands, Germany and Austria en route to Italy.
Travellers from the UK will be able to connect onto the new European Sleeper service at Brussels, which is served from London by Eurostar.
The seasonal service will get under way on 5 February 2025, with trains operating throughout February and March.

The 21-hour route runs via Antwerp, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Cologne, Munich, Innsbruck, Bolzano and Verona, opening up new ski rail routes to the Austrian Alps and the Dolomites, and opportunities to visit and experience the Venice carnival.
Combined with an approximately two-hour Eurostar journey from London to Brussels and a favourable connection time, a full journey from London to Venice could be completed in around 24 hours.

Ticket prices will be confirmed ahead of bookings opening on 1 September.

15/08/2024

So much to see and do in California: glad to see that my favourite U.S. city San Diego has made it onto this list, but lots more yet to do. I don't think I'll be popping an oliie anytime soon but each to their own.....

As the Olympic torch gets passed from Paris to Los Angeles, we pick some of the best active ways to explore the Golden State…

14/08/2024

Love it ….

11/08/2024

Great experiences with one of Travel Counsellors’s favourite partner operators, want to know more? Give me a call.

11/08/2024

I have, it’s awesome, you’d love it 👍

30/07/2024

One of many many fabulous islands off the Queensland Coast

Feeling the magnetic pull 🌴✨ Nestled off the coast of Visit Townsville North Queensland, you'll find – a tropical treasure trove of palm-lined beaches and endless snorkelling adventures 💙 Join Aquascene Magnetic Island to uncover hidden beaches, vibrant coral reefs, and the island’s local wildlife 🤿☀️

📍: This Is Magnetic Island, Visit Townsville North Queensland, Visit Queensland, Australia



ID: An aerial image captures people swimming beside a white, shaded boat moored in the clear, shallow waters of a stunning bay surrounded by lush greenery.

21/06/2024

Only 2 days to go before the Cragg Challenge and my Cycle Ascent of 5 miles uphill in aid of Reuben's Retreat.
I'm a lot more confident now having spent most of the last week riding my bike at every opportunity and having now cracked the most difficult bit of the climb from Turvin to Sykes Gate. I'm even looking forward to it now.
Thanks to all of you who have donated already.
Have a look at the route I'll be riding - this is the video from last years Oliver Collinge Schools Relay, starting with the tiny tots and finishing with the big kids - great effort and they beat the record - again!
https://youtu.be/R_shVal4tWg?si=VDIZu9WrHl8axkfg

03/06/2024

On Sunday 23rd June I will be cycling up the longest hill in England during the The Cragg Challenge and I’m hoping to raise some money for Reubens Retreat – which supports families who have suffered the loss of a child or have a child living with medical complexities.
https://craggchallenge.co.uk/
https://www.reubensretreat.org/
I’ll be there registering entrants for all the races and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone there, it’s always a lovely community event.
Once registration is over I’ll be hopping on my e-bike to do the Cycle Ascent just less than 2 months short of my 74th birthday!

if you can’t be there in person please consider donating: https://www.justgiving.com/page/elaine-simpson-1716563880620

Help Elaine Simpson raise money to support Reuben's Retreat

18/05/2024

Did you know…….?

𝟰𝟵 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄!
1. The Australian Alps get more snow than the Swiss Alps.
2. 90% of Australians live on the coast.
3. Tasmania has the cleanest air in the world.
4. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest ecosystem in the world. It is made up of nearly 3,000 individual reefs and can be seen from space.
5. Australia has over 60 separate wine regions.
6. Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world.
7. The Indian Pacific train has the longest straight section of train track in the world.
8. The Great Ocean Road is the world's largest war memorial.
9. 80% of Australian animals are unique to Australia.
10. 5 km of Ayers Rock (Uluru) is underground.
11. Australia has the world's longest golf course measuring more than 1,350 kms long.
12. Australia is home to 21 of the world's 25 most venomous snakes.
13. Perth is the only city in the world which can have aircraft land in its CBD.
14. Mainland Australia is bigger than we realise, it's almost the same size as mainland USA.
15. The largest cattle station in the world is located in Australia, Anna Creek Ranch in South Australia and it's bigger than Israel.
16. The first Police Force in Australia was made up of the most well-behaved convicts.
17. It would take around 29 years to visit one new Aussie beach every day – there are 10,685 of them!
18. AFL invented to keep cricketers fit in the off season, there are claims that the game may have been influenced by Indigenous Australians.
19. The world's largest rock is not actually Ayers Rock (Uluru), but Mount Augustus in Western Australia and actually twice the size of Ayers Rock.
20. Australia is the 6th largest country in the world.
21. There are 1 million camels that roam wild in Australia's deserts, the largest number of purebred camels in the world, they are exported to the Middle East.
22. You can fly from Perth to Melbourne faster than you can fly from one end of Western Australia to the other.
23. There are over 60 different types of kangaroos and a baby kangaroo when born is only about two centimeters long.
24. Aboriginal culture is the oldest on Earth – it is estimated that the continent's original inhabitants, the aboriginal people, have been in Australia for between 40,000-60,000 years.
25. Australia has 19 World Heritage Listed sites.
26. 91% of the country is covered by native vegetation.
27. 33% of Australians were born in another country.
28. Over 300 different languages and dialects are spoken in Australia including 45 Indigenous languages. In fact, 21% of Australians don't speak English at home!
29. WA is home to what is believed to be the oldest evidence of life on Earth – the Stromatolites.
30. Australia is the only continent in the world without an active volcano.
31. In Australia, sheep out number people 2.5 to 1 (in 2020).
32. Australia was the second country in the world to give women the right to vote in 1902.
33. Per capita, Australians spend more money on gambling than any other nation, with over 80 percent of Australian adults engaging in gambling of some kind.
34. Canberra was selected as the capital because Sydney and Melbourne could not stop arguing which city should be the capital.
35. Australia is home to the longest fence in the world, the Dingo Fence. Originally built to keep dingos away from fertile land, the fence is now 5,614 km long.
36. The Australian dollar is considered to be the most advanced currency in the world – its waterproof, made of polymer and notoriously hard to counterfeit.
37. Australia is the only continent covered by a single country.
38. The world's oldest fossil was discovered in Australia – 3.4 billion years old.
39. Australia has around 600 varieties of eucalypt trees.
40. Australia was one of the founding members of the United Nations.
41. Stonemasons in Australia instituted the 8-hour working day back in 1856.
42. In Aboriginal culture women are not allowed to play the didgeridoo.
43. The venom of the elusive platypus can kill a small dog.
44. Australia's most deadly marine animal is the Box Jellyfish and is responsible for more deaths per year than snakes, sharks and saltwater crocodiles.
45. The only two mammals in the world that lay eggs are found in Australia – the echidna and platypus.
46. Before the arrival of humans, Australia was home to megafauna, three-metre tall kangaroos, seven-metre long goanna's, horse-sized ducks and a marsupial lion the size of a leopard.
47. Both kangaroos and emus lack the ability to walk backwards. This was the reason they were chosen for Australia's coat of arms – to symbolise a country always moving forward.
48. The termite mounds that can be found in Australia are the tallest animal-made structures on earth.
49. Australia is home to more than 1,500 species of spiders.

18/05/2024

Wonderful

18/05/2024

Fabulous!

16/05/2024