01/11/2021
Well it’s been a challenging 20 months for the travel industry in New Zealand. Hundreds of agencies across the country have closed but we’re still here.
Here’s a quick Q&A with Jo Drum who has relocated to our store in St Heliers. Her contact details are all the same if you need her expert advise.
1. What’s your favourite holiday spot and why?
Europe! All of it. I love the history, the architecture, the food, the wine, and that fact that you can see so many different countries in one trip so easily. I’ve visited Europe multiple times, and there’s still so much I haven’t seen – plus the list of places I want to go back to grows after each trip.
2. What was your most exciting holiday? & Why?
Egypt, Jordan and Syria (2008). I’d always dreamed of seeing the pyramids in Egypt, but this trip was so much more than that. I cruised on the Nile, snorkelled in the Red Sea, floated in the Dead Sea, rode a camel, and had a private day tour in Petra with Marguerite van Geldermalsen, watched a Gladiator show in Jerash, and spent hours combing the crusader castle at Krak des Chevaliers in Syria. I’ll never forget walking through the Siq in Petra (both the first time during the day, and later after dark when it was lit by candles), wandering the cobbled streets of the Old Town in Damascus (just as well, as they certainly won’t ever be the same again), and the gloriously beautiful historical hotel my friends and I stayed in there, or the thunderstorm we drove through on the way in. The history was hard to comprehend, the traffic in Cairo was pure chaos, the weather was hot. This trip was exciting and magical and exceeded all my expectations.
3. Where on earth do you still want to go?
So many places! I’ve done a lot of travelling already, but my thirst for it never abates. My most immediate travel desire is Europe in winter, I want to spend Christmas in Salzburg, visit Christmas Markets in Germany and cross into the Arctic Circle and see the Northern Lights in Norway. This trip was supposed to occur in Dec 2020, but it’s been delayed thanks to covid. Hoping to get there in Dec 2022.
4. What do you always take with you when you travel overseas?
My sense of adventure, and my kindle.
5. The way we travel has changed dramatically in the last 18 months. What is the most important thing you can offer your clients now?
My knowledge, and the surety that I’m here to help if needed. I can help you plan your dream trip and navigate the way through all the restrictions and extra requirements that are now in place for travellers, saving you time and stress.
6. What do you specialise in?
Cruising. I’ve done over 30 myself, which should tell you how much I love it. I love the ‘at sea’ days, when you can fully experience shipboard life, I love ease of visiting multiple countries on one cruise and only unpacking once to do so. I love the food and the fact that I don’t have to cook or think too hard about where to go for dinner, I love the evening entertainment, and I love that when I want some quiet time it’s never difficult to find a quiet spot to curl up with my kindle (or the ease of getting a cocktail while doing so).
[email protected]
☎️09 630 9163
