At DNA Travel, we love hearing all about the luxury holidays we’ve arranged for you. We encourage our clients to let us know how they enjoyed their holidays, so we can share their experiences with you.
Our clients Alison and John Gulliver enjoyed a three-week holiday of a life time to Australia, with their 18-year-old son Tom, and their daughter Georgie, who celebrated her 21st birthday there.
As Alison tells us, they’d been dreaming of Australia for a long time, but finally the time was right, now that they don’t have to worry about short school holidays.
“We’ve always wanted to go to Australia, but we knew we needed at least 3 weeks. So, we waited until they were both at university.”
They didn’t know where to start when planning a trip of this scale, so they got in touch with us so we could make sure every detail was perfect.
“Katie [from DNA Travel] and I spent a lot of time planning this trip, and she did so much research that I really couldn’t have done. Her recommendations for hotels and restaurants were all really excellent. We had flexibility whilst we were away to do a couple of extra excursions but having most of our days planned meant that we made the best use of the time we had over there. There are so many different locations to visit in Australia that planning where to go is vital. Having Katie’s knowledge was invaluable.”
The Gulliver family flew Business Class with Qantas, which, along with the fantastic on board experience, means they had chauffeur service included, for stress-free travel and an extra touch of luxury.
How DNA Travel Created the Perfect Luxury Australian Holiday
DNA Travel created a bespoke luxury tour around Australia, ensuring the Gulliver family had the perfect amount of time to experience all the key locations. We pre-arranged several exciting excursions for them in each location, and left spaces in their itinerary for them to enjoy the beaches, and discover their own hidden gems.
First Stop: Melbourne
The family flew into Melbourne, and spent four nights at the luxurious Crown Towers. This sumptuous Art Deco-inspired hotel has been recognised as the ‘Best Hotel in Australia’ many times.
Crown Towers is perfectly located on the Yarra River, a short walk from St Kilda Road and many iconic Melbourne landmarks. It has an onsite spa, and no less than 12 restaurants and bars to choose from, including Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and Nobu.
Whilst they were there, the Gulliver family went on an excursion to Phillip Island, where they spotted Australian fur seals and the magical Penguin Parade.
Daintree Forest, Port Douglas, Noosa and Hunter Valley
Then came Alison and Georgie’s favourite hotel – the luxury boutique Silky Oaks Lodge in Daintree Rainforest– Alison describes this eco accommodation as magical, and you can see why! With a range of luxurious treehouses and an onsite spa, it’s absolutely heavenly.
Next came two nights in Port Douglas at the QT Hotel Port Douglas, which included an unforgettable catamaran trip to see the Great Barrier Reef.
Every room and villa at this contemporary, unique hotel has a garden or pool view and the tropical feel ensures every guest is completely relaxed.
They then flew to Noosa, where they relaxed for five nights at the contemporary Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort, enjoying incredible views of the Sunshine Coast. We pre-arranged an excursion to spectacular Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island, stretching over 120km. This is also where the family enjoyed their Christmas, with a delicious pre-arranged Christmas dinner.
The penultimate location was Hunter Valley, in New South Wales, where they enjoyed two nights at Spicers Vineyard Estate, a luxuriously appointed estate set amongst rolling private vineyards and native bushland.
We arranged a small group wine tour, where they soaked up stunning views of the Brokenback Mountains.
Final Destination: Sydney
The family finished their luxury Australian adventure in style, with five nights at the spectacular InterContinental Hotel, Sydney Harbour. This multi-award-winning hotel boasts unparalleled views of the world-famous Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, the Royal Botanical Gardens and out to Sydney’s North Head.
With a Health Club and Spa, stunning indoor pool with Harbour views, a beauty salon and five bars and restaurants, it can be a struggle to leave the hotel!
The Gullivers saw in New Year in Sydney, enjoying the iconic firework display over Sydney Opera House from a boat in Sydney Harbour, and saw a show there another night. They unleashed their inner adrenaline junkies, and climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which is not for the faint-hearted. One of the highlights of their holiday was a helicopter ride over Sydney, giving a whole new view of this incredible city.
The family enjoyed private transfers in each destination, and car hire for the Hunter Valley to ensure they had a thoroughly relaxing holiday, with everything taken care of by DNA Travel.
As well as arranging the travel and luxury accommodation for the Gulliver family, we were also pleased to book lots of world-class restaurants, including an incredible meal at the iconic Icebergs Dining Room and Bar at Bondi Beach.
Itinerary for a Luxury Holiday around Australia
4 nights Melbourne at the Crown Towers
2 nights in Daintree Rainforest at Silky Oaks Lodge
2 nights in Port Douglas at the QT Hotel Port Douglas
5 nights in Noosa at the Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort
2 nights in Hunter Valley at Spicers Vineyards Estate
5 nights in Sydney at the Intercontinental Hotel Sydney Harbour
So, what were their highlights?
“There were so many but Georgie and I loved Silky Oaks in the rain forest at Daintree, and Sydney also stood out for me. The helicopter ride was breathtaking, and seeing New Year in on a boat in Sydney Harbour was something I'll never forget.”
Here are a few of the family's holiday snaps.
The family had such a fantastic luxury holiday experience with DNA Travel they have already booked their next trip to The Maldives over New Year.
Thank you so much to the Gulliver family for sharing your amazing Australian holiday with us. If this has whetted your appetite to get planning your own great Australian adventure, we’d love to give you even more insider tips than we have had time to go into here. Pop us an email at info@thisisdna.co.uk or head to our Contact page.
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