Gina van Reenen - Independent Travel Adviser

I have been in love with tourism since I was at school. I worked first as a tour operator and itinerary planner, then in cruise sales, and now a travel agent.

My favourite continent is Africa – I even got married just outside Kruger National Park. Once I did a three-month camping trip, starting off easy in Cape Town, continuing into Stellenbosch wine country, then heading into the African savannah, and through to some of Africa’s most iconic destinations, such as Namibia’s sand dunes, the thundering Victoria Falls, and then encounters with endangered wildlife. I've also travelled at the top of Africa, through Egypt’s magnificent temples and pyramids and stunning snorkeling in Dahab!.

Some my stand-out memories include meeting children in various African villages, being smitten by their enthusiasm and wonder, and some magical encounters with animals I’d only seen before on TV – even getting bitten by fire ants trekking to see gorillas!

One of my most exciting recent experiences was helping a repeat client plan a 60th birthday safari trip through eastern and southern Africa. It brought back so many amazing memories of my own travel, and my own experiences meant I could recommend the best time of year to travel and best places to see animals.

I'm also an avid fan of cruise ships, my husband was sceptical about our first cruise; he thought he’d be ‘stuck’ on a ship with nothing to do. But he was proven wrong! I love being able to just unpack once and wake up in a different port/place each day, or just enjoy the ship activities on a sea day. And of course, now cruises can take you to so many different worldwide destinations! Among the amazing places I've cruised was Italy’s famous Cinque Terre, I loved Vernazza, with its painted houses and cobbled streets. Just walk out from the train station, down the street and you come across a small harbour with a sea wall. Grab a pizza from the little cafe, sit down at the waterfront, and just watch the world go by. Pure bliss.

After having children my travel hasn't stopped, I've taken small children to Fiji, Australia and on a Carnival Cruise to the Great Barrier Reef. I had even planned a cruise in 2020 through the Panama Canal along with F1 Grand Prix, Space Centre Houston and Orlando. Unfortunately this was not possible so instead we focused on trips around our own backyard. Napier, Taupo, Turangi, Mt Ruapehu just to name a few. We even enjoyed glamping in Waikanae at Dreamscape right here in Kapiti, a little piece of Africa on the Kapiti Coast!

What last year taught me was that there are more important things in life than work. I now have the benefit of working for myself from home, allowing time with loved ones and to help with various clubs and events without the hassle of a commute and lack of time.

I would love to help you plan your next trip, our options are getting wider, so please get in touch.