Ian is an expert on all things UK, which is hardly surprising given that he was born there. Despite moving away, it remains his favourite destination. “I love that the country’s history is visible in so many ways, from the amazing museums to the landmarks and even the architecture of the buildings.”
He considers his hometown of Shrewsbury a hidden gem, far from the radar of most tour companies. Best known as the birthplace of Charles Darwin, the town is surrounded by high stone walls and filled with black and white Tudor buildings.
The UK also plays host to Ian’s favourite travel memory, where he recalls watching his children's faces as they viewed the London skyline from the full-length glass windows at the top of The Shard.
However, having travelled widely and with many years of experience, Ian can assist clients wherever they choose to travel. Indeed, he once put together a particularly off-the-beaten-track itinerary together for a client wanting to travel through Ethiopia, including a visit to the Rock churches in Lalibela.
Ian’s travel advice is second to none. Whether it’s something as simple as trying to match your travel dates with special events that might be happening in your destination to ensuring that your accommodation is perfectly suited to your needs, his helpful suggestions add value that money cannot buy.
“Accommodation is all about location, location, location”, he says. “Having the sights on your doorstep gives you more time to explore, but choosing the right room type matters too. I recently travelled to Niagara Falls and stayed at the Sheraton. I will always recommend the Falls View room to my clients, as waking up and seeing the falls first thing in the morning is just amazing.”
Testimonials
We have had the privilege and pleasure of working with Ian Carswell and the team at Travel Associates for the past seven years and they are fabulous! You can rely on their courtesy and professionalism at all times! Ian and the team have looked after our annual overseas holidays, with great advice and attention to detail, resulting in some marvellous adventures on many continents! We also consider them an integral part of our business as they have literally booked and managed thousands of international and domestic flights for us and our workers. Ian treats our travel needs as if nothing is too much trouble: cyclones, delays and rescheduling at all hours are all handled with a level of care that ensures our continued confidence! I highly recommend Ian and the team at Travel Associates to look after all your travel needs.
Ian Carswell has been our go to person for travel for over four years and there is no one we trust more. Over this time we have booked four major trips with Ian, each between four and seven weeks in length. Ian is straightforward about what can and can’t be done and has heaps of great ideas, but is not offended if you don’t take them all on board. I have found he is fast to respond even when I am overseas and nothing is too much trouble. His big smile and cheeky sense of humour makes, what could be, an onerous task a real pleasure. I would also like to say a big thank you to Ian for his help in organising my 60th birthday trip. About three weeks before travel, the cruise line for one section pulled the pin due to propulsion problems. Ian very quickly and calmly found many alternative solutions and we headed away on a new and better adventure.
We have been dealing with Ian for over 10 years now. We first met Ian when he worked at Flight Centre, followed him to Escape Travel and continue to deal with Ian today at Travel Associates, Coffs Harbour. We really appreciate that Ian is able to plan and create exciting and jam packed itineraries for us (on short notice or 12 months in advance). Ian’s knowledge of travel destinations is amazing and we appreciate his ideas and suggestions on suitable activities when completing our final itinerary. When creating our holiday we generally pop in to discuss our basic ideas with him and then we leave the rest for Ian to create and quote on. All information from Ian is exchanged in a prompt and efficient manner. We just love that Ian goes the extra mile in always gaining the best price and will call us if he finds a better deal. We would thoroughly recommend Ian. In fact, we have recommended him numerous times to family and friends due to his exceptional service and knowledge of the Industry. Thank you Ian for your continued expertise!
