Your Holiday Stories Q&A

We are proud to say that our customers rate us very highly on Trustpilot for both our service and the holidays themselves. Many of you spontaneously send us photos and feedback once you have been on holiday which we are very grateful to receive. These are usually more detailed than trip reviews and give a real life flavour of the holiday experience itself.

Below are answers to questions and top tips for some of the holidays we have featured on our Your Stories page. We hope you find them useful and can use them to plan your next adventure with us! If you would like to know more or have more questions to ask please email us at [email protected]

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Roy’s Solo Holiday to Australia

What did you do in Melbourne?
The organised tours in Melbourne set the tone for the entire holiday. The Great Ocean Road and Twelve Apostles were breathtaking, and the VIP Philip Island experience was unforgettable. Every detail was handled with such care that all I had to do was enjoy the moment.

What were your highlights in Sydney?
It was the Blue Mountains tour that truly blew me away – the range of activities included made it a standout day. The Opera House tour with dinner that followed was on another level entirely — a world‑class experience I’ll never forget.

What did you do in Cairns?
Cairns delivered the spectacular Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail, an absolute must for anyone visiting Australia. Unfortunately, due to a passing cyclone, my Great Barrier Reef trip was cancelled — but Freedom Destinations were so efficient that the refund arrived the very next day. My schedule didn’t allow for rearranging, but that simply gives me the perfect excuse to return.

What was your final stop?
The journey ended in Brisbane, a wonderful city with a beautiful river and a charming Koala tour that was the perfect finale.

Carol and Bernie’s Round the World Trip

What was it like on the AAT Kings Tour in New Zealand?
All accommodation was very good some days were a bit long on the coach but you needed them to be if you wanted to get around and see all the places that were on the itinerary. Great guides and driver with AAT Kings tour.

What were your highlights in New Zealand?
The Trans Alpine Railway is a must and Queenstown is a great place. The cable car option is well worth it, stunning views. The boat trip on the TS Earnshaw steamer across the lake to the sheep station was a great way to spend an evening. Milford Sound – what a place. We did not have very good weather for the cruise on the Sound but because of the rain the waterfalls were spectacular so we saw them at their best. Dunedin and the visit to Larnach Castle Tour was fantastic. The best highlight of the whole tour was the airplane flight over the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers and Mount Cook – great – well worth the cost. Hobbiton was well worth it, even if you are not a Lord of the Rings fan. Rotorua – Wow what a place, the Maori Centre and hot springs and geysers must be seen. The Glow Worm caves at Waitomo – magical grottos – and boat trip through the cavern.

How did you like your stay in the Cook Islands?
Sunset Beach Resort was a good place to stay on Roratonga the main island, food and accommodation were very good and friendly staff. Good beaches and some good snorkelling but you do have to watch the currents and tides can be a bit tricky around the rocks and coral. Good bus service around the island. A great place to relax during our round the world trip before we moved on to San Francisco.

What was San Francisco like?
What a wonderful city to visit. Hotel Zoe on Fisherman’s Wharf is centrally located for all the best sight-seeing visits. We felt safe walking around the area at night and lots of eating establishments on Pier 39. Highlights were the Bay cruise where we went under the Golden Gate Bridge and saw whales and dolphins in the bay and cruised around Alcatraz and the Bay Bridge. Walked up from Fisherman’s Wharf through Chinatown and Nobs Hill to Union Square and the tram ride back was brilliant. Alcatraz Audio tour is a must – very interesting and informative.

Steven’s holiday to Bangkok, New Zealand and Dubai

What were your top 3 highlights from the holiday?
The top 3 places were Milford Sound, Franz Joseph Glacier and the temples in Thailand. Milford Sound boat trip across the fiord was an amazing sight. It rained most of the time but that just made the sound better as the waterfalls were bursting with water and made an excellent scenery. The Franz Joseph Glacier was probably our most favourite experience. A helicopter and 2 snow landings, the scenery was spectacular and definitely a must do.
Kaikoura whale watching was a great experience, so too was a trip to Poor Knights Islands to scuba dive, where on the way we closed in on a Bryde’s whale (one of many) and we were joined by 2 Orcas and a massive Manta Ray. To top all of this was a visit to the Mitai Māori village (Rotorua) where we were welcomed and treated to a traditional meal and a display of Māori culture. Lovely people and an experience that I won’t forget.

The temples in Thailand were amazing, the Wat Arun Ratchawararam temples are an incredible sight to see. The detail of the decoration of the temples are mind boggling. The Thai people are very polite and friendly.

How easy was it to drive around New Zealand in a motorhome?
Driving a motorhome in New Zealand is quite easy. The Maui vans are well maintained and easy to drive. The whole Maui experience from pick up to drop off was simple. The roads around the western mountains can be challenging but mainly the roads are wide and incredibly straight. The vans are all automatic and powerful enough to handle the terrain.

What did you enjoy most about Dubai?
There are some amazing places to visit and the marina tours (night and day) are a must see. The Burj Khalifa view is amazing but it gets very busy and crowded.

Steven travelled to Thailand, New Zealand and Dubai in November and December 2025

Liz’s Holiday to Zimbabwe & Botswana

How many nights did you stay in each lodge?
I stayed at Masuwe Lodge for 3 nights, Wallow Lodge for 2 nights (both Zimbabwe) and Tlouwana Camp in Botswana for 3 nights.

What time of year would you recommend visiting Zimbabwe?
I chose to visit in early July as the daytime temperature was comfortable for me – in the mid 20s centigrade, with cooler mornings and evenings. Also, Victoria Falls is still looking spectacular, as the water level changes with the seasons.

What was it like to go on your trip as a solo traveller?
I’m a fairly seasoned solo female traveller but this was my first holiday with an itinerary arranged for me, and my first safari. I felt well prepared and everything went smoothly. All the staff I met were welcoming, friendly and professional. At no time did I feel unsafe or uncomfortable, even when I was the only guest on the game drive or river cruise. I only ate alone a few times as other guests invited me to join them and I met lovely people from around the world.

My advice to solo travellers considering a similar holiday would be to do your research, make a plan with Freedom Destinations then head off and enjoy your holiday. You’ll come back with wonderful memories, and maybe a bit of pride that you did it!

Liz travelled to Zimbabwe & Botswana in July 2025

Knight Family Holiday to California

How many hours did you drive each day to get to all the places you visited?
We drove for about 4 hours each day.

Did you think the motorhome was big enough for everyone?
We went as a family with myself and wife and daughter and took my wife’s mum and sister along. The El Monte AF33 was big enough for us all. We all loved every minute of our holiday that we are planning another one but will have to wait till my daughter has finished school.

Did you have to pre-book the camp sites well in advance and were they easy to find?
Yes we pre-booked the campsites and was easy to find.

The Knight family travelled to California in May 2025

Andrew’s Holiday to Kenya

What was it like travelling on the train in Kenya?
Kenya’s SGR (Madaraka Express) offers first class service with more spacious, reclining seats in a 2+2 configuration, unlike the 2+3 in standard class. The trains are known for their punctuality, however be prepared for stringent security checks, which may include sniffer dogs. First class was generally quiet with spacious seating. With fold-out tray tables and power sockets for charging devices.

Access to the restaurant carriage for meals and drinks served at a table with waitress service. The route goes through multiple national parks with plenty of opportunities to view the wildlife.

What animals did you see on safari and did you get very close?
Salt Lick Safari Lodge, this is a must for elephant and zebra lovers with the elephants at arms length. The backdrop of the savannah woodlands and grassland with the herbivores grazing around leisurely was picture perfect.

Animals seen on safari include, Buffalo, Baboon, Giraffe, Gazelle, Dik-Dik, Impala, Lion, Elephant, Hippo, Jackal, Hyena, Eland, Hartebeest, Mongoose, Monkey, Warthog, Waterbuck, Wildebeest, Zebra.

What was the food like?
Having Travelled to Kenya on many occasions over the last 15 years, my wife and I found the food has improved. All meals were of buffet style with plenty of choice. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all wonderful with a good selection of food.

Andrew travelled to Kenya in August 2025

Stuart’s Great American West Road Trip

What were your top 3 highlights from the holiday?
Well, I’m not sure how I will get a top 3 places that we visited as it was all good – but special mentions go to Deadwood, Cody and Yellowstone. A special mention needs to go to Mount Rushmore. We really were incredibly lucky. As part of preparations of 250 years of US independence from the UK they have been doing all sorts of things – one being flying their equivalent of our Red Arrows over Mount Rushmore – they kept it secret and we were in the right place at the right time!

Would you have changed anything in the itinerary?
So, the driving – most of the journeys were very easy and not stressful at all. Two journeys though were long so required chopping up a bit to make it easier and educational too without being boring.

Any top tips for when visiting Salt Lake City and Rapid City?
A note about Rapid City – this must rank as the best base I’ve stopped at, we could have spent 2 weeks there and not seen everything. It is in the heart of the Black Hills – so much to do from multiple National Parks to places like Mount Rushmore. Salt Lake City was a really nice big city.

Was touring around the ‘Wild West’ what you thought it would be?
As I’m of a certain age I was brought up learning about the Wild West and it led me to want to see the Little Bighorn battlefield – this meant a night in Billings Montana. The following day we were driving to Cody, so we went over Beartooth Pass and Chief Joseph Scenic Byway – this was over 2 miles in altitude and was spectacular and we got to see alpine animals such as chipmunks and marmots!

Stuart travelled to Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Utah in July 2025.