Swain Destinations Avis 224

George did a fantastic job. Everything went extremely smooth. I would highly recommend Swain.

George was truly a great source for us while in Australia and New Zealand. At every turn he guided us through our trip and we felt totally safe and secure. Major kudos to Swain.

We had an amazing trip to Australia. Every detail was perfect. All of our transfers were spot on and on time. All of our tours were top notch and our guides were so friendly and knowledgeable. Our accommodations were amazing and centrally located to everything. George and Jan could not have been more helpful. I would use Swain destinations again in a heartbeat.

We just returned from 3 weeks in Australia where we had an absolutely wonderful experience thanks to great planning and execution by our team at Swain. We would never have known on our own to visit wonders like the Penguin Parade and Cradle Mountain. Other tours they arranged such as the Sydney Harbour Cruise, Lanes and Arcades Walk, and Hudson River Cruise were just delightful. The detailed itinerary developed by Swain provided for an amazing adventure and excellent lodging.

Swain destinations did a fabulous job for my sister in law and myself on a week long trip to the North and South Island of New Zealnd. The flights were timely, transportation upon arrival great as well as all communication. They coupled adventure, culture, wine tasting, restaurant suggestions, hotel , hikes, tours and great itinearies. I would highly recommend;the recommend this travel company.

Having never used a travel agency and traveled over 10 million air miles, we chose Swain since we had never been “down under”. The visit to New Zealand & Australia were planned very well and we had excellent guides with a special thanks to Maureen from Canterbury Trails who found alternative activities and kept us entertained when our Akaroa harbor cruise was cancelled. Mt. Cook, including accommodations, food & star gazing were magnificent. The Sydney harbor cruise with Sydney Princess Cruises was with picturesque stops, great seaside tables & food. Thank you to Amy who made it all happen. My only misgivings: I wish we had made our trip longer!

With Guidance from Swain we developed a month-long trip to Australia and New Zealand with lots of adventures, stops, and logistical challenges. We couldn't have been more pleased with the results.

Background - We are a family of six including a 2 year old. We needed transportation, accomodations and schedule to please everyone. We did 4 cities/areas in Australia and then my husband and I headed to New Zealand where we explored the South and North Island.

Highlights:
- All logistics were smooth and nearly flawless. Issues were quickly addressed and fixed
- Swain was in constant communication to confirm all arrangements and keep us on schedule - Loved this - Thanks George!
- Most of the tours were extraordinary..a few so so and the weather had some impact.

Spectacular New Year's Eve Cruise in Sydney - WOW (adults only)
Sydney Bridge Climb
New Zealand Dart River Speed Boat - Amazing
Glow Worm Caving and Tubing spectacular
Hobbiton Movie set was tons of fun even for non-Hobbit types
Various hikes in NZ and around Australia - especially our hikes around Sydney and Manly Beach

We didn't want to drive so we had drivers everywhere - most superb even is a few overly chatty and all on time. They also had great vehciles that could handle all our luggage

All hotels were in great locations so we could easily walk to locations and get around.

I would highly recommend working with SWAIN for Australia and New Zealand travels and might explore other locations with them in the future

Swain Destinations assisted with our travels though Australia and New Zealand. Everything went very smoothly and as scheduled. I was very happy we used them.

Transportation & Tours 5/5 - Pickups were always on-time, with knowledgeable guides, and easy to tailor the day.

Selection of Tours 5/5 - Great selection of North Island & South Island and city / nature & unique experiences

What could be better?
Scheduled a day of wine tastings and 4 were pre-scheduled. 4/5 Rating. It would have been better to spread them across 3 days. The day before had transportations without a wine tasting. For us, 4 in one day was too much. The following day also have no wine tasting and only transportation. Would have been better to have 1 tasting with transportation, next day with 2, and following day with transportation to new area with 4th tasting from a different region.

Great White Shark Experience in Bluff -- Cancelled due to weather. Huge bummer. Obviously no one can control this, but I would have preferred maybe 3 days in Bluff to increase our odds for an Experience.

Overall - Would definitely recommend New Zealand as well as Swain!!

A happy repeat customer here! For the 3rd (maybe 4th?) time Swain arranged a great vacation on extremely short notice. Special thanks to Garry!

We went on a two week vacation to South Africa- three locations with 5 family members. Swains attention to detail and customer service is excellent. We ran into a glitch and they took care of It immediately- professionally and efficiently with care. I would highly recommend them! They go above and beyond.

Swain packed an amazing itinerary into a short two week trip for four to Australia over the holidays. George was super communicative with daily texts of our agenda, including times, drivers, and contact information. Our itinerary included four locations with drivers and guides every step of the way. I will absolutely use Swain in the future if I am traveling to countries they service.

The trip was perfectly planned, with all aspects absolutely top rate. All tour guides were top notch, everything was perfectly on time.

Anniversary Trip
We had an amazing 3 week anniversary trip to Australia thanks to Swain Destinations. We got a taste of cities and nature, and I fulfilled my dream of scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Getting a personalized trip plan made sure I wouldn't miss out on the most important part of the trip for me.

Swain planned out every detail for us, so we did not have to worry about drivers, where to go, or what activities to do at all. Every location helped us celebrate as well. This made the entire experience nothing but enjoyable. While we were in-country, we got text messages a day ahead of anything we needed to know - departures, tours, drivers, etc.

Nina, our trip consultant, selected some of the most amazing stays for us and managed to balance a variety of interests with relaxation as well. I never would have been able to pull this off without her knowledge and assistance.

Swain came recommended by a friend, and I whole-heartedly pass that recommendation on to anyone looking to travel to Australia or New Zealand (our next trip with Swain, fingers crossed).

We had a fantastic 4 weeks in Australia, designed by Swain! All of the arrangements went off without a hitch and were perfect! We were never left hanging or wondering if we would be picked up, met, etc.

Many thanks to George and the team of folks who made this trip possible. This was a trip of a lifetime and is at the top of our list for experiences.

We can't wait to return!

Everything was perfect. Wouldn’t change a thing!

Gary at Swain worked diligently with us to provide the itinerary we requested, and George and Jan followed up with fabulous communications during our trip. Some of the hotels selected were absolutely amazing, while a few seemed less than anticipated (quality, location, views, sound levels, amenities, customer service). Tours were mostly as expected. Transfers were spot on, with George coordinating when we had flight delays. We never felt alone!

I just spent two delightful weeks in Australia and George and the Swain team was on top of everything! Hotels, flights, tours … all great!
I will be back and most definitely will use the Swain team again! Thank you for the best experience ever!

All of our thanks to George and the Swain Destinations team! We've just returned from just short of 4 weeks in Australia and New Zealand, and the trip was fantastic! The tour was constructed by Swain working closely with my travel consultant in the states, and the tour operators selected for each day were flexible, knowledgable and fantastic!
There were a couple of instances where there were glitches, and George was there with help, humor and flexibility.
Strongly reccomended, and we'll use them again when we return.

I would give 10 stars if it was available. Swain Destinations planned and executed perfectly our 3 week trip to New Zealand. Everything coalesced to make a memorable vacation. The Itinerary had a variety of experiences and also allowed a perfect amount of personal exploration. We flew to each destination city, with specific communication from George Swain, and everything went so smoothly. We were notified daily of our excursions or flights, and the drivers names to look out for. No one missed a beat! It worked like a Swiss clock… (we had all morning flights, so we could arrive at a new city, with plenty of time to explore.)
The guides that were chosen for us, for each city, actually made the trip. They each brought New Zealand to life. We are a very curious couple, so the guides responded so well to our enthusiasm.
We had one possible glitch for a flight due to weather. It ended up being fine, and it was then that we realized how conscientious George is. We felt very taken care of, in all aspects… Which allowed us to fully embrace the beauty of New Zealand.
I must give a shout out to the St Moritz (Queenstown) and their daily breakfasts… Heavenly…..
Mahalo Nui Loa to George Swain and Linda Lewis at The Travel store - Brentwood,
Claudia and John Wright