Melina - Independent Travel Experts

Sorry everyone, it becomes apparent that Facebook did link back to my general page instead of my event yesterday. It didn't appear like that on my timeline. Let's try the correct link again: https://www.facebook.com/events/255679841 749546/
If you live in or near Thanet, save this date and pay our travel themed exhibition a visit on any of our 6 opening days! Admire or buy works of our artists, win a price in our charity tombola and chat about your next travel adventure. If you come on our opening evening, you'll even get a free drink. It would be lovely to see you! 🙂

If you live in or near Thanet, save this date and pay our travel themed exhibition a visit on any of our 6 opening days! Admire or buy works of our artists, win a price in our charity tombola and chat about your next travel adventure. If you come on our opening evening, you'll even get a free drink 🙂. It would be lovely to see you!

Just got some really nice short breaks to UK Christmas markets at great prices coming through! Some lovely extras are included too. Have a look below and contact me for booking or more info at melina.eisersdorff@ite.travel

Are you up for a spontaneous Australia adventure? I have a nice package offer for you that includes return flights with Cathay Pacific, 1 night 4* accommodation in Adelaide and 10 nights Apollo Euro Tourer 2 Berth S/T campervan rental from only £1379 p.p! Departure is in November 2018.

I have recently been asked a lot about houseboat holidays. It’s a great way to try something different and enjoy some peace away from the crowds.
You can rent houseboats without a boating licence at several European destinations. But why not start with a UK trip to see how you like it? Below are some good ideas to get started.
I’ll gladly help you organise your trip and rent a boat: melina.eisersdorff@ite.travel

Although weather is set to be hot again, it is about time to secure your Christmas break! Why book that with me? Well, because I'm German and thus know all about gluehwein, stollen and sausage and the best markets to visit! 🙂
Of course I can also book any other winter-wonderland trip for you, from horse-drawn carriage rides through the Austrian Alps to Lapland adventures and Northern Lights trips. Send me a message to melina.eisersdorff@ite.travel

Summer holidays are coming to an end and it's time to think how to escape the winter months. How about some proper luxury in the Caribbean? Sandals Resorts are having their autumn sale on and you can save up to 45% on luxury all inclusive holidays!
Travel dates are available until August 2020, so you could even secure your winter escape for next year! Contact me for details: melina.eisersdorff@ite.travel

This week, after the Genoa bridge incident, I felt inspired to write something on security on travels. It is one of my favourite topics, some of you might know that 😉. You may have read that I have just returned from Genoa 10 days ago. It is a strange feeling to think that if we had departed 10 days later, our holiday would have been a quite different experience…
To be honest, it is a re-occurring theme to me – I keep missing incidents by a few days. I have missed bombings at...
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Why Peru ranks high on my bucket list? When you think of Peru, the first that springs into mind is Machu Picchu. But do you also think of hiking rainbow mountains, sandboarding around an oasis, flying over ancient geoglyphs or staying at amazon jungle lodges? There is so much more to the country! 😊
I'll gladly help you put together an unforgettable itinerary: melina.eisersdorff@ite.travel

--- What I have learned from my family holiday in Italy ---
My recent holiday in Italy has taught me a lesson. I’ve come back feeling like now I know better… I know better how important it is to plan around your children. And only your children. That you will have a great holiday really only if your kids have.
So far, I have planned my holidays according to the needs and interests of everyone in the family. So that everyone gets their bits out of the holiday. Fair share. Bu...t I have become aware that I am in a lucky position. My son is a naturally born globetrotter. He is the most curious little nature who enjoys being on planes, walking, sightseeing. He is fine in a city, at the beach, in nature – wherever there is something new to discover. In summary: He is easy to plan for.
This year, my daughter who lives in Germany, joined us. And she is the opposite. There is not much that would interest her other than water to swim in. And any form of transportation is torture for her. Yes, that does collide massively with the sort of travelling me and my family usually do. We are explorers. She is not.
To combine these different wishes into something that is enjoyable for everyone is – well, rather difficult. And honestly? I ended up being stressed out most of the time. I actually wished I had just booked this nice resort type of holiday. That is very unusual for me. But I found myself no longer wishing to see all the sights I had been looking forward to but just wanting my peace. For the first time in my life I could thoroughly understand why so many people do ever just lay in the water during their holidays.
From now on I think I will change the questions I ask customers when they come to me for a family holiday booking. It will no longer be: What do you like to do in your holidays? It will be: What types of personalities are your children?
One never stops learning.
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So here come, as promised, some impressions of Liguria. I have to admit I wish it would be more I have to show. But after we went on a day long trip along the coast from Santa Margherita Ligure to Portofino and on to San Fruttuoso, we noticed that the intense heat here makes it near impossible to enjoy day trips with children. Even though it's beautiful! For the rest of the holiday we may have to retreat to swimming and ice cream. Could be worse tough I suppose 😉. But in all honesty, I can't believe I'm missing out on the Cinque Terre. I wanted to go there for so long and now I'm right next door and can't see it! Well, that's what holidays with kids are like. It doesn't always go to plan. If a heat wave knocks them out, you have to respond accordingly. Even if that place on your bucket list will remain un-ticked.

I can say that the impossible happened: I found a place at the Mediterranean that is not entirely overcrowded in August! Whilst there might be little down sides like a stoney beach and hilly walks, I have not seen a single English face around here. All Italian with the odd foreigner here and there. Quite unique!

A very nice, but incredibly hot first day in Genova. It's often called Italy's most underrated city. I see why. Sights like these in the UK in summer holidays would be massively crowded. But no, we had it all to ourselves! Off to the beach tomorrow :)

I've been a bit quiet in the past week and that has a good reason: I'm on a holiday myself! I have spent a nice week off with all the family around my hometown and will be heading off to Italy on Tuesday 😀!
Therefore, there won't be any offers posts for the time I'm abroad, but I hope to keep you posted with some impressions of my time in Liguria. As much as I can, as I won't have internet access in my holiday home. And I have a daughter who basically lives on what's app, so that will be a challenge 😱...
Anyway, I will try to manage and if nothing works, you can be sure I'll provide you with some impressions afterwards. Off I go packing - can't wait 😊.

For all those of you who have been thinking of a big Asia adventure with different destinations in one trip: Now is the time to book. Air Asia have their flash sale on again with prices for flights across Asia at crazy cheap rates! You can get from Kuala Lumpur to Phuket for £9 for example. To China you get from £33 and even a flight to Australia could cost you only £60!
Ok, it takes a bit of searching and co-ordinating, but it quite often does work out really cheap. I know that very well, because I have tried it myself 2 years ago. We have booked 4 flights within Asia for our own holiday and paid less than £150 for it.
If all the thinking and planning is a bit much for you, I’ll gladly help you work out a plan. Not only during the flash sale of course 😊. melina.eisersdorff@ite.travel

Do you enjoy fireworks? Then here comes an idea for a rather unusual October holiday (which also coincides with school half-term!): Head to Busan in South Korea!
Busan is South Korea’s second largest city and it enjoys a prime beach location. On one of those beaches, a stunning fireworks festival is held every October (this year on the 27th). Yes, the water has nice swimming temperature in October😊. In the hinterland of Busan you find mountains with great hiking opportunities and of course a range of beautiful traditional temples in the whole area.
Sounds like you want to go? Let me help you to get there! Drop me a line at melina.eisersdorff@ite.travel and let’s get organising 😊

Summer holidays without the crowds? If you can’t stand the masses of tourists populating Mediterranean beaches in high season, why not try one of these five holiday ideas?
1. Rent a holiday home at a Scandinavian lake, surrounded by nature only and with your own canoe anchoring right at the front door.
2. Head to the mountains. The majority of people run off towards the coast, so why not head into the opposite direction and rent a lovely mountain hut in the Alps?
... 3. Choose an island without an airport. Any island in the Mediterranean will see visitors in the summer months, but those without an (international) airport which require you to catch a ferry or add a stop-over in order to reach them, will be way less crowded.
4. Fly long-haul. Summer holidays leave you enough time to explore further afield and with most Europeans flying to the Mediterranean, you’ll be out of the crowds too. Plus, with prices soaring in Southern Europe over summer, long-haul destinations are not as much more expensive as you might expect!
5. Rent a houseboat. Haver you ever thought of the option of renting your own boat? There are several destinations in Europe which do not require you to have a boat license, you can head off after an introduction by your rental company and go wherever you please at your own pace.
I'd be more than happy to help you organising your holiday :)! Just drop me a line right here or at melina.eisersdorff@ite.travel
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What an amazing last-minute cruise offer 😍! Flights, transfers, cruise, full-board - all included for less than £72 pp per day. Off you go discover the Orient 🙂!
For bookings and other questions contact me at melina.eisersdorff@ite.travel or drop me a line right here.

About me & my services
Welcome to my travel page! I hope you will get a lot of holiday inspiration and useful tips for your upcoming vacation by following my posts.
So who am I and what can I do for you? My name is Melina and I'm the person to go to when you want to book a holiday! I am running an officially accredited and licensed home-based travel agency through which I can book all the well-known (as well as more niche) brands of the travel industry for you.
... I am part of the team of the Independent Travel Experts, a well established travel company which works in partnership with The Travel Network Group. All holidays we book for you are 100% financially protected in accordance with the ATOL regulations.
What I can book for you: *Ready made holiday packages via tour operators *Tailor-made holiday packages which I can create for you individually *Single services such as hotel only, rental car, holiday home, etc. *Guided tours around the world *Cruises *Tailor-made cruise packages including flights, cruise and accommodation *Big group vacations
About me/family holiday expertise: I have been a travel addict all my life and am in the lucky position to have made my passion my job. I never let an opportunity for adventure pass in my life. These days I travel mainly with my family though. As a mum of two I know about the needs, worries and wishes that you go through when choosing a family holiday.
To date I have travelled with my kids on 3 continents (as a family and as a single mum) by plane, train, car, bus and ship. There have been glorious times and there has been disaster. We have gone through it all: The picture perfect beach scenes, the curious exploring of new cultures, the joy of adventure. And also the illnesses, flight delays and other unexpected catastrophes!
I have learned a lot during those travels and I would like to hand that knowledge over to you when planning and booking your family vacation! I'll be there for you, all the way long, to make your holiday a truly unforgettable experience.
What you get when booking with me: You get time, you get dedication and you get quality. I won't come up with just the next best quote I can find on my systems. I want you to have the time of your life. For most people, their annual vacation is the time of the year they are looking most forward to. And spend a lot of money on. Therefore, it should be more than just the choice between option a or option b on the search engine list.
I will listen to you and try to find the right destination, accommodation and/or experience together with you. The holidays you will book with me will be of quality, tailored to your dreams and will bring memories that last a lifetime.
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