South Africa

As the proud Owner Operator of House of Travel Nelson, I lead a small but passionate team dedicated to taking care of all your travel needs.

I primarily work on the Orbit World Travel side of our business, specialising in business and group travel. But as a traveller myself, I love chatting with customers and the team about their upcoming adventures — there’s nothing better than sharing in the excitement of a great trip!

Travel has played a huge role in my life. From years of family holidays to the Gold Coast and Fiji, where the kids spent hours in the pool or on the playground, to unforgettable highlights like Disneyland (they were 10 and 12 — the perfect age!), followed by a relaxing week in Mexico. These days, with older kids, we’re seeking more adventure. Our recent trip to Vietnam was a standout — from the vibrant energy of Ho Chi Minh City to the peaceful beauty of Hoi An's lanterns and Halong Bay. If you haven’t been, it’s a must! 

Next on my list? Europe. While I’ve done a couple of quick trips in the past, I’m keen to take the time to explore the diverse cultures and rich history of the places I’ve spent years helping others discover.

Whether your trip is big or small, come in and see us at House of Travel Nelson — we’ll make sure it’s your best one yet.

Jason

Kyla spent over 6 years crewing on luxury super yachts throughout the Mediterranean, Baltic, Adriatic, Caribbean, Pacific and North Seas; along with several Atlantic Ocean crossings. Moving to more adventure land travel Kyla has experienced India, South America and South Africa as a part of the whopping 57 countries she has explored!

"Whether it be cruising, OE's or travelling with a young family my first-hand knowledge will certainly be an asset when planning your winter break, European adventure, or once in a life time dream holiday!" 

"Life is short and the world is wide, the sooner you start exploring it, the better." - Simon Raven

Why I love travel: 

Travelling takes us out of our comfort zone and inspires us to experience new things that we otherwise wouldn't in our normal day to day lives. It enriches your life from meeting new people from all walks of life, trying new food from different corners of the world, and humbles you to appreciate the small things in life. 

My travel tips: 

• Always have travel insurance
• Wake up early - whether it be to see the sunrise, or to skip a queue, or get a coffee at the local café. 
• Make a list of the things you want to experience and pre book as much as you can. 
• Stay local with everything easily accessible on foot. 

My top 5 favourite destinations: 

• Italy - rolling hills and crystal blue waters, stunning villages and cathedrals, amazing food and wine. 
• South Africa - rich cultural experiences, amazing wildlife on safari, breath-taking landscapes. 
• Croatia - stunning beaches and unbelievable landscapes from the islands in the Adriatic to the Krka National Park. 
• Mexico - amazing food, fascinating Mayan culture, stunning beaches, and fabulous architecture from ancient temples to the colonial cathedrals. 
• Canada - my birth land! The people, the rich forests, lakes, mountains and wildlife. 

What's in my suitcase: 

• First Aid kit as you can never be too prepared. 
• Travel Diary - make an effort to write down the highlights of your day, you will look back in appreciation. 
• Sarong or thin, long scarf - will come in handy as a towel or to cover your shoulders when need be. 
• Small change of local currency - whether it be to buy a bottle of water or a quick snack or to leave a tip. 

Kyla

I have been in the travel industry since 1987 as a tour leader, travel advisor, traveler visiting the globe, and now Owner Operator of House of Travel Dunedin City. 

My travels have encompassed 105 countries initially using all forms of transport from a double decker bus around Europe to rickshaws in Asia to horses in the Middle East and dugout canoes in Central Africa with camels, elephants, donkeys and bicycles in-between. 

I am more than willing to travel in a lot more comfort these days visiting the Pacific, Myanmar, India, Vietnam, Ireland, China, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, USA, Cayman Islands, Zimbabwe, Turkiye and Malta in recent years. 

I believe the transition is similar for people of my generation who still yearn to visit anywhere and everywhere but enjoy a bit, or a lot, more luxury. As such I have developed an in-depth knowledge of the whole spectrum of travel options and regularly come up with solutions to the most complex of travel plans.

Tony

Travel really is my passion and I perhaps love organising it just as much as the actual travelling. Being able to open up options for people they had no idea they could accomplish is truly exciting. I love the scope of what we can accomplish as a travel agent; our systems, knowledge and relationships with the right people all add up to being able to organise a truly memorable trip. I’ve done it all from tours, safaris, ocean and river cruises, adventure travel, self-drives, rail journeys, family travel specialising in all things Disney and I love to share my knowledge to help you achieve the trip of your lifetime.

Outside of the office I like to spend my time skiing, horse riding, tramping, scuba diving, getting outside on our lifestyle block with my two little girls or enjoying a glass of pinot with a side order of chocolate mousse.

Years in the Industry: over 20

No. of countries visited: 50+

Favourite place to visit: Niue, no wait Cuba, hmm no maybe it’s Egypt….. Or Italy….

Next place on the list to visit: Disneyworld

·       “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – Augustine of Hippo

Why I love travel?

Travel gives us our greatest stories, our most cherished memories and countless irreplaceable learnings that we can choose to pay forward to others. It teaches us about ourselves and each other, it broadens our horizons and, just like a reset button, it forces us to refocus on what really matters.

My travel tips:

• Pack your patient pants; Don’t sweat the stuff you can’t control. Your trip is much too short to stress. Did you miss your bus? No worries, there will be another one.. ATM out of money? Great! Take an unplanned road trip over to the next town and explore. I know it can be hard sometimes, but just take a deep breath and remind yourself that it could be worse.
• Focus on value over deals. It’s so easy to not look past the initial $ signs when organising your trip but how much extra will there be in added costs once you are at your destination, lost time or enjoyment is that initial saving really going to cost you once you are there.
• Wake Up Early To Avoid Crowds. Rise before sunrise to have the best attractions all to yourself while avoiding large tourist crowds. It’s also a magical time for photos due to the softer light and often providing great opportunities to interact with locals getting ready for their day. Sketchy areas are less dangerous in the morning too. Honest hardworking people wake up early; scammers and criminals sleep in…

My top 5 favourite destinations:

• Rio De Janeiro – Such an incredibly vibrant city. Imagine, having dinner in a local favela, no other tourists in sight and locals from ages 1-99 all together, laughing, dancing to the live music, everyone talking to everyone. A local group of young people came down the street performing the traditional capoeira martial art/dance and everyone heads outside to watch and cheer them on. It is always the people that make the place and Brazil’s people are very bit as colourful as this amazing city.
• Europe River cruise – A true holiday. Pull up each day in a different location, right in the heart of things, wander off the boat and go for it. Return when you feel like it to every luxury you could want, top class food and drink and every room has a front row view. No crowds, most ships have under 200 passengers and a great option for both first time travellers and more experienced as you tend to visit many of the smaller and often less visited towns.
• Rocky Mountaineer train journey – Starting in Banff, which really feels like the Queenstown of Canada and ending in Vancouver, a stunning city just a few minutes’ drive and from the beautiful redwood forests this train journey is must do travel experience. Seeing the spectacular scenery of the Rockies from the comfort of your warmed up spacious leather seat, the mountains are not just to either side but also above you through the glass roof of the train.
• Borneo – Here you can combine stunningly beautiful beach resorts with a visit to the jungle; see the Proboscis monkeys, baby turtles being released into the ocean and one of the only places in the world to see Orangutans in their native habitat. One of the least explored areas on the planet with many adventures to be had but you don’t need to skimp on luxury.
• East Africa Safari – It is a strangely exciting experience to be told not to wander too far from your tent at night because wild animals are really all around you. From elephants wandering through our camp one evening, to hearing bison grazing in the grass around us while sleeping, Africa really is as wild as you hope it will be. So many travel experiences these days are replicas – shows put together for your enjoyment. Africa definitely is not; it could not get much more real. Seeing orphaned baby elephants playing football with each other, wandering over to you reaching out their trunk so smell you as you stand behind only a rope fence watching their antics is just one of the incredible experiences on offer in this amazing location.

What’s in my suitcase?

• A dog bed. I kid you not. These days I’m travelling with two little ones in tow and as strange as this sounds it’s a life saver on long haul flights-pair it with one of those big inflatable pillows that go where your legs usually do and you have a comfortable bed for the little ones to curl up in.
• A dirty laundry bag. One easy spot to place all the worn things and easy to take to the laundry with you while travelling or dump in the machine when home.
• Earplugs. I need a good nights sleep be ready to do everything I have planned for the next day on my holiday and you just never know what noises you might want to shut out while travelling.

Melissa