Honeymoon’s you deserve by Travel with a Difference

Karen Gouge has travel running through her veins. Her business, Travel With A Difference, encompasses her passion for adventure and seeing the beauty the world has to offer, and assisting clients to make their holiday dreams a reality.

With numerous stamps on her own passport, Karen couples her in depth knowledge and industry experience to create memorable holidays and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Travel With a Difference set themselves apart in their offerings of honeymoon registries, pre-wedding prep packages and even bridal shower and bucks weekend getaways.

 

 

We sat down with Karen to learn all about her business and get the lowdown on some ultimate honeymoon destination ideas.

 

How did your love affair with travel begin?

Taking off overseas with a one way ticket in my early twenties and saying, “I’ll be home when I’m satisfied”.  It was on returning home after being way for three and half years, that I recall myself  saying “I want to travel for the rest of my life” and I’ve been creating and coordinating peoples travel and holiday arrangements ever since.  I suppose also, growing up with a childhood of going on month-long caravan and camping holidays and regular road trips, they hold fond memories and gave me life skills and experiences that I’m also grateful for.

 

What made you set up Travel With a Difference?

Good question. Life circumstance, I suppose.  I never had aspirations to be a business owner.  But, I did have the name ‘Travel With A Difference’ as a seed planted in my head and what it was to entail, whilst I was studying International Travel, after doing my stint overseas. I was working in travel in Geelong, staying back late creating packages and faxing them out to local businesses. Then, I spoke with a couple of travel agencies about me working independently under their license, they weren’t so sure, as back then nobody was doing that – unlike today! I stayed in the travel industry a little longer, and then an opportunity rose to work for Geelong Info Pages and Geelong Bride. It was perfect, it was what I needed. I did that for a while and then set up Travel With A Difference and have worked independently ever since and love it.

Why would you encourage couples to use your services rather than going it alone on the internet and booking themselves?

Save time and stress. A honeymoon is a special moment in a couple’s life.  It’s the moment where they get to hang-out, explore, embrace each other and do whatever they choose for the first time as husband and wife, so we want them to have that special memorable holiday.  I once received feedback from a client, whose wife did most of their booking online, he came home disappointed, he said it was like being on a holiday with a ‘tour guide’.  Because she had spent time browsing websites and booking things, she had all the detail and would explain the next step of what they were going to do or experience, instead of them both discovering and sharing their holiday together, she already knew it all.  Going it alone, most of the reservations will be instant purchase, which we can do also, but generally for accommodation and any private touring, it’s a deposit and pay closer to the departure. We work with reputable companies and offer support and love what we do. At the end of the day, we understand everyone has a different budget and desired honeymoon, we simply want the best outcome for our newlyweds.

 

Tell us more about setting up a honeymoon registry.

It’s simple to set up a ‘honeymoon registry’.  We provide the couple with the details of the ‘Honeymoon Registry’ and a booking form to complete, once we receive the form we give them our details and payment options, which they print on or enclose with their invitation.  Guests make payments into the couple’s file (our client trust account) before the given or chosen closing date, we then give the marrying couple a notice of the final amount and the names who contributed.

Now here, the couple have two options:

1. Book and pay before the wedding.  Here the couple have to make the payments for their flights, accommodation, tours etc, so they can have their honeymoon documents to take off soon after their wedding.  They will be reimbursed the cost of the honeymoon travel arrangements Travel With A Difference organised from the registry monies.

2. Book and pay after your wedding. Here the couple can wait for their honeymoon registry monies to make the payments for their honeymoon arrangements.

What would be your ultimate honeymoon destination?

That is tough, as you could have a ‘wow’ honeymoon experience on each continent.  Let’s go, a few nights in coastal town with ocean views, where strolling to restaurants is the task of the day after swimming in the ocean or lazing by the pool, then sailing on a small cruise ship skipping around the Mediterranean.  Being with others at this point  is fine, as the few nights at the start gave time alone.  The small cruise stops into remote beaches and varying towns for a little exploration. But then, Cambodia cannot be missed, straight to Song Saa Private Island just to be privately indulged, then travel up to Siem Reap to stay in one of the many wow hotels to explore Angkor Wat and the local scene. But then, Sri Lanka….

 

How can using Travel With a Difference help guide couples to determine their perfect holiday? 

Traditionally, the groom organises the honeymoon – this has been the case in the majority of honeymoons I’ve organised, but its definitely a dual desired holiday. A honeymoon is personal and each is different and unique. The honeymoon is discussed and I am a spring-board to their ideas. Also, because I’ve been co-ordinating travel for many years, the flow of an itinerary and how best it might work comes as a natural mental flow.  Once everyone is happy, Travel With A Difference then coordinates all the travel arrangements and adds any other personal touches that maybe required.  The couple get their packaged documentation and off they go, happily ever after, until we speak with them again regarding their anniversary and a babymoon!

What can a client expect when using the services of Travel With a Difference?

Privacy and confidentiality, honesty and integrity, friendliness and professionalism with a little bit of added difference.  The respect for each couple’s honeymoon and this applies to all our clients, that their holiday is different and it’s theirs, nobody else’s.

Other unique services that Travel With A Difference offer is:

Hen’s + Buck’s weekends

For the ladies it’s a two night stay with a Natalie Begg silk robe gift for the bride-to-be.

For the men it’s a two night stay and ultimate wine experience and maybe a round of gold or helicopter ride.

Pre-wedding Prep Packages

This is about the bride and/or groom retreating to an overseas spa health retreat for a week.  It is recommended to retreat two – three months before the wedding, allowing for the healthy habits picked up at the spa health retreat to flow on until the day of the wedding.  A warm climate, wholesome foods, activities and treatments, can have one looking and feeling radiant.  It’s also a nice way for a few nice friends or mum and sisters to spend some quality time together.

To chat further with Travel With A Difference and get booking your honeymoon destination click here.