Down Under Endeavours

Fantastic experience: We can not say enough about Vanessa and Down Under Endeavours. My wife and I had always talked about an Australia adventure for our 25th wedding anniversary. 25 years snuck up on us quickly and when it came time to book we realized that we just didn't know where to start. As a family (kids 12 and 17) we all picked a dream experience. My wife LOVES roo's. Kids were penguins and koala's. Mine was NYE at Sydney. We reached out to a few travel agents to see what was possible. Vanessa nailed it on our first phone call. She was respectful of our budget, and presented choices to fulfill our 2 week adventure. And an adventure it was! Snorkling on the coral reef, a dedicated day hike in the Daintree Rainforest, Christmas Day in Adelaide, wildlife tours at Kangaroo Island, a night in Melbourne and an evening with a Park Ranger at Phillips Island to see the penguins! All to end in Sydney for NYE and cap it off with a day cruise in Sydney Harbor and a tour and show at the Sydney Opera House. Everything was thought out from air travel to car transports. The hotels were amazing. Overall there is not a single thing we would have changed and it all happened where we could enjoy each other with very little mental load added. The adventures surprised us with private tours and outdoor lunch adventures. It hit every note. My wife and I are event planners by day and one of our wishes was to be able to enjoy this adventure with very little stress. Mission accomplished. Vanessa thought of everything. Highly recommend.

Fantastic experience: Down Under Endeavours did a wonderful job of planning and following through on our three week trip to Australia and New Zealand. We worked with Amanda and she was incredibly patient and helpful in working with us to put together an awesome trip. We highly recommend Down Under Endeavors!

Fantastic experience: Amanda worked with us to create a memorable trip to experience Australia and New Zealand. It was a month long and overwhelming to consider handling myself. Hotels, tours and guides were great. We had a few unexpected pleasures along the way including animal encounters. Only one tour cancellation due to weather, but we quickly rebooked and felt the new option was better than what we originally planned. Very professionally handled and I can't think of anything that would have made it any better. We learned so much about the countries along the way, thanks to the personable and knowledgeable tour guides who really know their country, history and geography. We experienced what we like to do, because it was a custom trip. I would highly recommend using Down Under Endeavours.

Fantastic experience: Even though it’s been more than a year since we traveled to Croatia for our honeymoon, we still think and talk about our our trip at least once a week and we are always sharing how awesome working with Amanda was and how she took such great care of us! We couldn't recommend her highly enough - she's the best!!!!! She helped us create some amazing amazing memories

Fantastic experience: We worked with Candace and were so fortunate to have her expertise. She spent time getting to know us, how we like to travel and our areas of interest. In sum, she created a wonderful itinerary filled with unique adventures and it was a trip of a lifetime.

Fantastic experience: Vanessa and the rest of the team planned a memorable vacation for my wife and I. We experienced the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney Opera House, and the Taronga Zoo in Australia. We then spent several days in New Zealand exploring the greater Queenstown area, which was absolutely gorgeous. Our final destination was Rotorua, which enabled us to see a haka dance and do some rafting. It was an amazing vacation and we’re very grateful to the team for their hard work.

Fantastic experience: Down Under handled 95% of our trip to Australia and New Zealand. We HIGHLY recommend them. They spent time to find out what our interests would be and detailed the itinerary accordingly. Every tour company engaged by Down Under was organized and prompt. The various tour companies' guides were the best we've experienced in our travels. Our hotels were great choices for locations and requested interests. We enjoyed Down Under's staff and hope to travel on another trip designed by them!

Fantastic experience: We could not be more thrilled with our experience working with Amanda from Down Under Endeavours. The whole process - from the initial meeting, to confirming itinerary to the whole trip, was seamless. Everything was booked for us and organized on the Travel App. We just had to show up! We were looking for an outdoor adventure trip throughout Australia and New Zealand and boy did we get it! We hiked, biked, snorkeled, surfed, jet boated and kayaked our way through both countries and truly couldn't be happier with our experience. I will recommend working with Amanda to our family and friends.

Fantastic experience: Down Under Endeavors made our trip to New Zealand the trip of a lifetime! Every detail was well thought out and the trip was perfectly tailored to meet our needs. The hotels, activities, and all aspects of the trip were spectacular. Special shoutout to Shannon for making our trip as fantastic as possible!

Fantastic experience: Shannon was AMAZING in planning our trip to Australia. She was able to make recommendations and made sure we were doing enough, but not too much on our trip. Flights, transfers and accommodations were great and hassle-free. We would recommend her to anyone!

Fantastic experience: I look back at our trip to New Zealand as one of the best trips we've ever taken. They scheduled a phenomenal itinerary.

Fantastic experience: My husband Ken and I had a wonderful private tour with a Maori guide, Donna. She was great. She gave us explanations of culture as we drove around Auckland. We went to Beastion Point, Achilles, Pt, Ocahu Bay, Mission Bay, Mt. Eden, to name a few. We had beautiful 360 degr views of the city. She took us to many other sites as well. Beautiful places. The tour went at our pace and she was extremely knowledgeable. We highly recommend this tour and especially this guide.

Fantastic experience: We just got back from a two week trip in Australia that Down Under Endeavours' Shannon Bradley arranged for us. It was our sixth time working with Shannon and DUE, going back to our first trip to the Cook Islands in 2012, using a Groupon! That should say volumes about the reliability and quality of experience that Shannon and the staff at DUE and their in-country partners deliver to travelers and experience seekers. Besides the South Pacific, Shannon has put together trips for us to Baja Sur in Mexico, and a four-country tour of southern Africa. Working with Shannon over the years has also helped us to figure out how to put together our own trips to incorporate a mix of ease of travel to, from, and within countries with adventure, and authentic cultural and culinary experienes. We look forward to working with Shannon and DUE again!

Fantastic experience: Until you start trying to plan a trip to Australia, most people don't realize how incredibly large the country is! We had so many goals for an 11-day trip -- scuba at the great barrier reef, see australia's wildlife, take surfing lessons, go hiking, see sydney. Trying to figure out how long to spend where, how much time to a lot for travel, where to stay -- I was completely overwhelmed and the demands of work didn't allow me the time to plan properly. I turned all my goals over to Shannon at Down Under Endeavors and she made all my stress and worries disappear. She made all of the arrangements -- where to stay, where to eat, who to tour with. Every choice was excellent. With all her careful planning, it allowed me time to plan the little side excursions I would have otherwise overlooked. We particularly appreciated the transport services from the airport when we were incredibly jet-lagged. And we LOVED the full-day custom private tours they arranged for us through a local tour service -- a shopping guide for Australian-specific brands and a Bondi local to show us around Bondi and Bronte. It made a trip-of-a-lifetime painless and so memorable. I can't recommend this company enough! I will definitely be working with them again in the future!

Fantastic experience: We love Down Under Endeavors! We’ve worked with Corinne, Loukas and Shannon. We’ve traveled to Africa, Europe and St. Lucia. We just got back from a family trip to London and Paris. It was amazing! The team is exceptional at listening to what you want from your trip and translating that into incredible adventures! They are so easy to work with and provide so much insight. They’re the best! Next year - Australia!

Fantastic experience: Down Under did a splendid job setting up our trip to Australia. A great mix of ecology, animal watching, cities and culture. Included a few truly unique experiences, like direct contact with kangaroos and excellent snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. Tasmania was particularly enjoyable since instead of typical tourist places they booked us staying on a farm with trips to unique eco spots.

Fantastic experience: Just returned back from an almost 3 week trip to Australia on Friday. DUE was fabulous, everything was expertly and perfectly planned down to what seemed like the minute by minute of my trip. While there was some changes to my itinerary - the team was able to give me plenty of advanced notice to ensure I showed up at the right time and right place for my adventures. I highly recommend DUE for your Australia travel needs. Request Shannon Bradley to be specific!

Fantastic experience: We just returned from a 2-week trip in Australia and want to thank Shannon for all of her help! We worked with Shannon to design a trip with multiple stops along the east coast and she listened to our input, asked the right questions and put together the PERFECT itinerary. Five days before we were all set to depart, Hurricane Milton rolled across our house and we didn't know if we would be able to go. Shannon was on top of it, coming up with contingency plans and talking us off the ledge. We were able to go and had the best time! We have already decided to use Shannon and Down Under for our trip to New Zealand!

Fantastic experience: A few words I would use to describe our experience with Shannon and the Down Under Endeavours team: Easy, reliable, straightforward, communicative, knowledgeable, organized. This crew did an amazing job planning our month-long trip to New Zealand which wrapped up with a few days in Fiji. We had been talking about this trip for over a decade and wanted to make sure everything went as smoothly as possible. Shannon delivered in a huge way! She asked key questions about our personalities and travel preferences to be able to cater an ideal itinerary full of wonderful activities that we wouldn't have found or known about otherwise. Her insight into the places we went to was invaluable. They also provide overseas support while you're traveling - this is so helpful since any traveler knows that there's no such thing as a perfect travel experience! Not to worry - when things happen outside of your control, Down Under and their network is ready to help so that you don't have to spend vacation time trying to fix issues. We were so grateful to have dynamic conversations with Shannon leading up to our trip that ultimately eliminated all analysis paralysis trying to book travel by ourselves (where to stay, what to do, how to pack, and pouring through hundreds of reviews on everything along the way). Thank you to Shannon and the team!

Fantastic experience: We booked with Vanessa. She was great. We began talking with her nearly four years before we left for our trip. She was patient and understood our wait and planned accordingly. We had a jam-packed two weeks in New Zealand followed by a few days in Fiji to relax. Vanessa gave us tons of options to pick from and helped us custom design our trip. There was not a single issue along the way all of the info we needed was easily available and was accurate. We appreciate the knowledge that Vanessa has, and when she didn’t know an answer, she reached out to someone that did. We would definitely use Down Under Endeavours again! My only suggestion: I think that there could be a better calendar system for the events that are planned- rather than a list, a calendar that follows along based on the actual time. (similar to Google calendar).

Fantastic experience: If you are like me, someone who wanted to visit Australia but had no idea how to start, where to go, and what to do, please trust me and reach out to down under endeavours. I worked with Shannon Bradley who was absolutely incredible. Flights, hotels, itinerary and everything in between, all exactly what I could have hoped for and more (and below budget too which is always nice). Also, the communication was excellent before, during, and after the trip. The biggest thank you to Shannon and the rest of the team at Endeavours for delivering the honeymoon of a lifetime.

Fantastic experience: If I could rate my experience with Down Under Endeavours with 10 stars, I would! We had the adventure of a lifetime when my husband and I traveled to Australia and New Zealand last October and November. It was the much-anticipated journey planned with great care and attention to detail that was to have happened in April of 2020, but had to be canceled just a few weeks before our departure due to the pandemic. The trip was postponed many times, and each time our travel planning team contacted every hotel, tour operator, driver etc. to reschedule. We worked with Katie, Audra and Corinne over 3 ½ years. Their commitment to us was extraordinary from the first moment we contacted them. Before any itinerary was put together we were asked all the right questions, both in questionnaire form and during lengthy conversations. They really wanted to understand the type of travelers we are, our preferences in accommodations, the kinds of activities we enjoy most, and many other things we hadn’t even realized were important. They made many suggestions for things we might like to experience that we didn’t even know existed. Many of those experiences ended up being the most memorable days of our trip. The kind, caring and thoroughly awesome travel experts at DUE (who we now count as friends) are the reason we never gave up hope of being able to experience our dream trip, which ended up exceeding our expectations in so many ways. We will forever be grateful!

Fantastic experience: Worked with Shannon for our honeymoon to Fiji and New Zealand. It was an unforgettable adventure. Wonderful experience from beginning to end and highly recommend this company!

Fantastic experience: Wonderful experience working with Candice and Maloo. Our trip was an amazing adventure in New Zealand. It was perfectly designed for us to see as many places as we could in 18 days yet still have down time to enjoy the beauty. Highly recommend the unique personal touch we experienced with Down Under Endeavors.

Fantastic experience: My husband, son and I just got back from a 3 week trip to New Zealand. It was the most amazing trip, thanks to Laura, Annie and the Down Under team. Every detail was taken care of and was thought out perfectly — from lodging to logistics to attractions. If you are thinking of making a trip to NZ, do not hesitate to call DUE. They are so knowledgeable about the area that it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to have duplicated the impressive itinerary they made for us. Thank you, truly the trip of a lifetime!

Fantastic experience: Shannon was able to create an itinerary for my trip to Australia and included everything I asked for along with things I didn't know were options. Everything was well curated, planned, and communicated. Communication was timely and the whole trip was very well planned and timed. Would highly recommend.

Fantastic experience: After lots of research to find the right travel agency to help plan our honeymoon to Australia, we chose Down Under Endeavors based on the positive reviews and the fact that they are US-based but employ Australian natives. We are so glad we did! This was our first time using a travel agency and as someone who is detail oriented and tries to get maximum value from what we spend on our trips, I was a bit nervous that we would end up paying more and not get additional value from a recommendations perspective above what we could research on google. But I was really happy with the value we got from our experience working with DUE. Vanessa was so great to work with. She was super communicative, patient, and willing to iterate on the itinerary with us until we got everything we wanted. I’m sure we were not her easiest clients to work with and she did such a great job! Everything she recommended was a hit, and I appreciated that she shared why she thought we would enjoy something based on her own experience and what we told her our interests were. I recommend DUE and Vanessa to anyone who doesn’t have a lot of time to plan their own trip to Australia or just wants help from people who know Australia really well. Thanks DUE!

Fantastic experience: Shannon helped to curate the most perfect 10 day trip to Australia for my husband and I. All accommodations, excursions and transportation were in place and exceeded expectations. We are so grateful for this incredible service and the trip that created a lifetime of memories.

Fantastic experience: Laura pieced together a NZ itinerary that was the PERFECT fit for us. Thanks to her, the traveling and excursions were stress free. We can’t wait to plan our next trip with Down Under Endeavours. Cheers!

Fantastic experience: Down Under was so great to work with! Over the course of 2+ years (we had to postpone once due to COVID travel restrictions and then due to a health issue in our group), Shannon helped us create an amazing itinerary for our 2-week trip to Australia. She found us great hotels and, most importantly, signed up our group of 7 (ranging in ages from 8 to 80+) with some amazing private tour operators along the Outback / Uluru regions and along the Great Barrier Reef. She was patient throughout the process and never batted an eye over the main adjustments and changes we had to make. Once we were in Australia, we had a local DUE contact who was there to help take care of any issues that might come up. We would highly recommend DUE and would not hesitate to utilize their services again!

Fantastic experience: Our April 2023 trip to New Zealand and Australia was a long time coming. Finally we decided to use a travel agency rather than trying to schedule everything ourselves. Our referral from a friend to DUE proved to make this a very special trip! Vanessa zigzagged amiably with us as we worked out the itinerary: a 26 day journey from Chicago-Auckland-Queenstown-Melbourne-Uluru-Cairns-Sydney-Auckland-Chicago. Overall the accommodations, limo service to-from airports to hotels, flight schedule, and excursions worked out very well. We were amazed that with 10 flights there was only one hiccup, caused by the airline. While we normally do our own travel planning we wouldn’t hesitate to use DUE again should the destination warrant a travel agent. Highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: Down Under Endeavours is AMAZING. After 3 long years planning this trip due to COVID delays, my family and I had the most wonderful experience. Laura was great about adjusting the trip to our travel needs, budget, timing, etc and the actual experience was even better than we could have ever imagined. I can't wait to plan my next trip with them.

Fantastic experience: I cannot speak highly enough of my family’s experience with Laura from Down Under Endeavors and our recent trip to Australia and New Zealand! Laura was so great to work with - giving us a couple of different itinerary options after we’d talked through things. She was spot-on with her recommendations! We took our 3 kids (ages 11,8 and 3) and she provided really great excursions and ideas that were very family friendly. Our 2.5 week trip was action-packed, but I felt like we got to see so much in the different areas we visited. Thank you, Laura and Down Under Endeavors for helping us to plan the trip of a lifetime!!

Fantastic experience: Down Under Endeavours arranged a fantastic trip to New Zealand, Australia and Fiji for us. Vanessa and Audra listened to what we wanted in our journey and provided an itinerary which exceeded our expectations. We will never forget this trip which include a heli-hike on the Franz Josef glacier, a ride on the Ghan, hiking over the Sydney Harbor Bridge and touring Hobbiton (see photos). The hotels they arranged for us were wonderful, cozy and very near the sites we visited. There were a few snags during our trip including New Zealand Rail canceling our journey on the Tranzalpine Train. For each snag Down Under Endeavours did a marvelous job of providing a timely solution which allowed to continue enjoying our journey. My wife, Ann, and I were so impressed by Down Under Endeavours that we plan on using them for a trip to Asia. It was a pleasure working with everyone at Down Under Endeavours. Without reservation we can recommend Down Under Endeavours.

Fantastic experience: Vanessa planned our month-long trip to Japan with her office in Tokyo. She kept us informed throughout the process and worked within our budget, particularly as the itinerary and details changed several times when Japan closed its borders due to Covid. Everything was planned very well, and we had the trip of a lifetime, thanks in part to Vanessa's destination suggestions, meticulous planning and the very helpful people working on the ground in Japan who arranged transportation, lodging, guest hosts and many other details at our various destinations. We couldn't have been more pleased.

Positive experience: My husband and I worked with Vanessa at Down Under Endeavours to plan our honeymoon to Australia. Vanessa made sure that all of our must-do activities made it into our itinerary. She was also able to suggest some additional activities/tours/etc that we likely would not have found or known about on our own. The places we stayed at were unique and the things we did felt catered to us. Every part of our trip was really excellent until our last stop in Sydney. We had some activities that were canceled in advance of our travel and rather than replacing them with other opportunities we just received a refund when we returned home. We felt that took away from our experience. The transportation to and from Sydney's airport was also unreliable and we ended up needing to find a ride ourselves. Although Down Under Endeavours secured a refund of that ride for us, the taxi ride was far more expensive than the originally scheduled ride would have been. Overall, though, working with Down Under Endeavours was a great experience with very prompt communication during the planning process!

Fantastic experience: Laura was so helpful in planning our honeymoon to Fiji and New Zealand! It was exactly what we asked for

Fantastic experience: We worked with Vanessa from Down Under Endeavors to plan our honeymoon to Australia in January 2022. We were drawn to DUE because they specialize in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, and had great reviews. We’re so glad to add another positive review. From the first conversation, Down Under Endeavors were incredibly easy to work with, listened to our priorities and goals for the trip, and made suggestions to make our trip even better. They also were incredibly responsive and flexible to our budget, and scaled up the things that were important to us, and scaled back the things that weren’t. They were also very clear and pragmatic from the outset about what was included or not each day of the trip. Before finding DUE, we were working with another tour company that was not communicative in this way and kept trying to upsell us, which we found very frustrating. Down Under Endeavors was upfront about what meals and services were and were not included, which helped us understand what else we need to factor into our trip planning. The trip itself was AMAZING and went off without a hitch. There was one minor issue with tickets for going out to the Great Barrier Reef (vendor issue, not DUE), but they responded immediately and very quickly resolved it. Highlights include: the best guided tour we’ve ever been on at Kangaroo Island (a must see!), a guided scuba dive at the Great Barrier Reef (we aren’t certified, and DUE worked to find us a boat that could accommodate), and a wonderful, romantic boat ride on the Sydney Harbour.

Fantastic experience: My husband and I had an amazing honeymoon in New Zealand and Fiji booked with Shannon and her team. Shannon was awesome and suggested amazing activities based on our interests, booked all tours, flights, transportation, and lodging. She was also very responsive and helpful when we had questions or issues. It was so nice to have the help and to not to have to worry about planning the details of the honeymoon after investing so much time and energy into wedding planning. Would 10/10 recommend.

Fantastic experience: Laura booked my family THE most fantastic trip to Australia and New Zealand. Every activity, every accommodation was perfect. The local NZ agent proactively intervened when weather threatened what turned out to be the most fabulous of our fabulous NZ adventures. Australia plans were so seamless that we never even spoke to our local contact. Six family members, aged 52-11, agree that it was the best trip of our lives.

Fantastic experience: We pretty much exclusively travel custom now as we're not big fans of crowds, cruises, and "doing the normal thing". We've traveled the world extensively over the last 25 years using various services and have used bespoke services for last 7-8 years. Candace and the Down Under team have been excellent, probably better than the other firms. We rank them high for: - listening to what we want to do, - their iterative process for finalizing an itinerary, and - their in-country firms' familiarity with the regions we traveled to. They are south of the equator specialists, especially Australia and New Zealand. Their owners, a husband and wife team, are Aussies and are well-connected in country so during the pandemic we felt like we were getting pretty current information on what was likely to happen. We had to replan our New Zealand trip twice due to travel restrictions in place there, and Candace was always positive in tweaking things to work based upon our schedule preferences. We returned from our New Zealand trip just a few weeks ago and it was, start to finish, very well planned and the trip exceeded our expectations. We prefer higher-end/service-centric properties with local tour guides and we were not disappointed, but one of the first questions you'll get from them is 'what's your travel style and what are you interested in doing' so they'll work within most budgets.

Fantastic experience: We started working with Laura at DUE in 2020 to plan an epic Anniversary trip to Australia and New Zealand in 2021. The world had different plans, and our trip was pushed to 2022, DUE managed everything seamlessly. Though Laura was our primary POC, I know that it takes an entire team (both in the US and AUS/NZ) to plan such a wonderful trip. This was our first time working with a travel agent, and we couldn't be more pleased from start to finish. Our 2 weeks in AUS and NZ was truly the trip of a lifetime, and Laura and DUE made it all possible.

Fantastic experience: We had a fabulous trip to New Zealand thanks to Shannon. She inherited us when a colleague left the company, but she didn't miss a beat. She was easy to connect with and gave us good counsel on her preferences for locations and activities. Her own experiences and knowledge of New Zealand were invaluable. There was no way we could have planned this trip on our own and done half as good a job!

Fantastic experience: I had never been to Australia or New Zealand and wanted to take a trip to see some sights AND play a lot of golf in both countries. I did some looking around online to see if there were any travel companies that had connections with local golf courses and landed on Down Under Endeavors. If you're interested in playing a variety of TOP golf courses in these countries, I'd highly recommended working with DUE. In Sydney, I was able to play The Lakes and New South Wales Golf Club. In Melbourne, I played Victoria Golf Club, Kingston Heath, and Royal Melbourne's West Course. In New Zealand, I played Kauri Cliffs. I had a tee time at Cape Kidnappers too, but it got rained out (just means I'll have to come back soon to play) All the Australian courses are technically top private clubs, but if you keep a handicap and get a letter of introduction the travel agency will be able to get you a tee time. As an American this concept was a little strange to me, but I just emailed a representative at my local golf association and they were able to get me a template letter of introduction rather quickly. For reference, I keep a handicap with the Southern California Golf Association and did it through them. The courses are definitely pricey for an international player, but they're definitely worth it for a once in a lifetime trip. The trip overall was excellent. My agent, Vanessa, was able to strike a good balance of golf, outdoor/nature activities, and getting to know the cities I was staying in. Having all accommodations taken care of made sure I could just focus on enjoying my trip. While I was in Australia, having direct contact with a travel representative through Whatsapp (Sue) was really important since she was very responsive and helpful. For the couple of times when activities needed to be switched around, she handled everything so I didn't have to worry (e.g., changing my Sydney bike tour to another day because my flight was a little late, making sure I could still attend the Penguin Parade in Melbourne when my flight/baggage were delayed). The overall planning experience was pretty smooth as well. I thought the travel agent was very responsive and helpful from initial contact through final payment. I felt pretty confident that I was getting to choose from the best activities and experiences in each city, and as I was nearing a final itinerary I was able to make small changes here and there and have them accommodated. I think for most Americans, a trip this far away from home doesn't happen very often, so you might as well make the most of it. And if you love golf, you can experience some of the most iconic courses while exploring all the food and activities the local cities have to offer.

Fantastic experience: I can't say enough how happy I was with my trip to Australia planned by down under Endeavors. Vanessa Massey/Bowden worked with me for over a year to plan my dream vacation. Initially I was traveling with a friend but after COVID they could not attend and Vanessa worked to adjust my plans to be in budget with me traveling by myself. I will definitely use them again as I will plan on returning in a year or two because there is so much more for me to see. I had an amazing time and all my needs were me. Thanks to Down Under Endeavors for making my 50th bday present to myself a once in a lifetime experience.

Fantastic experience: Candice and the Down Under team were amazing in helping us plan our honeymoon to Australia and New Zealand! They took the time to understand what type of travelers we are and put together a balanced itinerary giving us everything we wanted. For future large trips, we plan to use Candice again and would recommend without hesitation!

Fantastic experience: We had a wonderful experience working with Vanessa! She was extremely knowledgeable about our countries of interest (Australia and New Zealand) and helped connect us to some of the most amazing excursions! Throughout the planning process, Vanessa was easy to get in touch with and helped to modify our itinerary until it was exactly what we wanted. I would definitely recommend this company to anyone looking travel to the South Pacific!

Fantastic experience: My mom and I took a trip to South Africa and Mozambique. Laura T. with Down Under Endeavors planned an AMAZING safari and beach vacation for us. Everything from start to finish was top notch. I can’t wait to use Laura again and recommend her to friends and family.

Fantastic experience: My wife and I had the perfect honeymoon trip to Fiji and New Zealand thanks to Down Under Endeavors. Shannon was an incredible resource for helping us figure out exactly what we wanted to do within our budget. And everything was booked ahead of time with no hassle for us! We stayed at the most picturesque resort in Fiji then spent time traveling across both islands in New Zealand. We would definitely recommend using Down Under Endeavors for any trip to the South Pacific!

Fantastic experience: Vanessa at Down Under helped us plan the most amazing honeymoon! They really listened to what my husband and I were hoping to get out of the trip. And when experienced a few travel hiccups, Down Under was always there to help fix them!

Negative experience: I reached out and they were surprisingly rude assuming our budget was low (which it is not).

Fantastic experience: We had a great experience working with Down Under Endeavours. We worked with Shannon to plan our trip to French Polynesia. When covid made our original plans a challenge, Shannon worked with us through multiple reschedules to make sure we got the trip we desired. We were able to rely on Shannon to get all of our flights, accommodations, and excursions rebooked which really helped us navigate the trip planning. We finally were able to go on our trip and had a wonderful time. This was the trip of a lifetime for us, and before it was over, we were already discussing about wanting to come back soon. We definitely recommend giving Down Under Endeavours a chance we had a great experience.

Fantastic experience: My husband and I went to Moore and Bora Bora thanks to working with Laura at Down Under Endeavours. This trip was a dream honeymoon leaving us with the complaint of not wanting to return home. Laura helped us create a customized itinerary by using her own knowledge and experience from visiting the same Tahitian islands we visited. I recommend DUE and Laura to anyone looking for an amazing getaway to Tahiti.

Fantastic experience: My wife and I had an incredible experience for our honeymoon thanks to Corinne and her team at Down Under Endeavours. When Covid interrupted original plans, they rescheduled everything and planned us an entirely new trip to a new destination at no-charge and with no hassle. They made the process and trip so easy for us, we would have been at a loss without their coordination of testing, flights, transfers, and booking all lodging and excursions for us.

Fantastic experience: We just returned from the most incredible honeymoon (Moorea and Bora Bora) thanks to Laura Tober and the Down Under Endeavors team. COVID significantly altered our plans, but Laura guided us through cancelling our original trip planned for the Maldives in 2020 and rebooking a totally new destination in 2021. Laura is a pro and is extremely knowledgeable (not to mention patient, working with us for nearly two years as we had to restart planning multiple times due to COVID!). Also, we felt like we benefitted from not waiting and traveling when we did (Sept 2021) as the resorts weren’t at max capacity and we received an awesome upgrade! Highly recommend working with Laura and the Downunder Endeavors team!

Fantastic experience: As travel begins to open up again, I would like to offer an "interim" review of our experience with Down Under Endeavours. Almost two years ago we began planning a trip to New Zealand's South Island to see the stunning landscape that we missed due to time constraints when we travelled to NZ about 20 years ago. The team worked with us diligently through several iterations of the itinerary until we had what we wanted. In mid-March 2020 we ready to go when the doors of New Zealand slammed shut! We consulted with Corinne, not knowing what was in store for all of us, and decided to postpone until Nov 2020 (hindsight is 20/20). By early 2021 we knew our NZ trip was out of the question, and Corinne worked to obtain refunds on 90%+ of our costs. At that time, we switched our trip to Costa Rica and are looking forward to a new adventure. It has been a frustrating period, but not frustrating with DUE and Corinne as they communicated with us, worked to get refunds and again went through multiple iterations of itineraries until we were happy. I hope to add a stunning review after our holiday.

Fantastic experience: Corinne and The DUE Team, I wanted to take this time to thank you for your phone call and advice last week regarding our vacation we had planned for this March. After speaking with you, we took your advice to postpone our trip rather than cancel, and as hard as it was, we now have a fantastic trip planned for March 2021. As always, thank you all for your support, you and your team truly have your clients best interest at heart! Debbie & Manny

Positive experience: PSA - Do not use this agency if you plan to use hotel points for your trip. When we signed up for trip planning and paid the $250 fee, we did not realize and were not told that the agency has a booking minimum for each trip......ours was $8,000. Since we planned to use our points for hotel stays, we couldn't come close to the 8k minimum needed for them to book the trip for us. We were also surprised they were not willing to lower their minimum, perhaps to 2-3k, and instead, they could have focused on booking the tour/excursions for us that would have hit that minimum. I feel they are boxing out a demographic of savvy travelers who save up their points for big trips, like those to Australia + New Zealand (our honeymoon!) We have plenty of money to spend just not in the traditional hotel way! To that end, I would also think if you decided to stay in Airbnbs or VBROs on your trip, you would also not be able to hit their minimum since that doesn't count as booking through their hotel vendors (just a thought, our focus was on the points though). I gave the agency 4 stars in this review because we were given great recommendations by our agent Avalon for itineraries around Australia and New Zealand. We learned after the fact that the $250 is for the trip itineraries, and the booking minimum is for the actual service of them booking things for you + the in-country 24/7 support, etc. We value the travel advice we were provided and it certainly helped shape our trip, but we are deeply disappointed we couldn't use their whole service due to the minimum. Thank you Avalon and hope this serves as some insight/advice for Down Under!

Fantastic experience: Just back to from our 4th (!) trip to New Zealand, the 4th carefully crafted for us by Down Under Endeavours. Each time, they've worked closely with us to deliver the exact escape we wanted -- and often included things we didn't even know we wanted (oh, but we did!). Their first-hand knowledge of the country, their high standards for local partners and their attention to detail is invaluable.

Fantastic experience: A million thanks aren’t enough for Ellen Hoffman who created our bucket list trip to Australia and New Zealand. Thank you for really listening to our likes and dislikes, for the “interview” of what we hoped to do and see and for tweaking hotel costs to do more adventures. Ellen walked us through the final revision with such detail and a week before we left the Franz Josef bridge collapsed and negated travel there so Ellen was on it with a suggested revision - so grateful she was proactive and got the details rearranged. The way you coordinated tours and adventures to our tastes was amazing. Each day and each tour was spot on! Ellen picked the snorkel boat with 3 site snorkeling at GBR- other boats were one or 2 sites. We had tours with Aboriginal and Maori guides which were very informative and fun. The Sydney start couldn’t have been better- great city, tours of city with Jane, hiking in Blue Mountains and surprise visit to a koala refuge!! Harbor and opera house tours as well were awesome. Queenstown was filled with her personal tips and amazing tours including Milford Sound, wineries, and a jet boat and kayak( the best part) trip. Then the revised road trip to Lake Tekapo for breathtaking scenery and stargazing then Christchurch train to Arthur’s pass for hiking while getting pampered at wonderful hotels. Then to Rotarua with Te Puia and cave spelunking to see glow worms complete with a face to face with a cave eel! Then to Coromandel. When Ellen noted to call ahead she was spot on as tours change with number of people and weather. The Cathedral cove kayaking was moved up a day and we are so grateful for Ellen’s experience in calling ahead. She was also spot on with winding down a month of travel in Waiheke Island. Wonderful relaxing end to a trip better than we ever imagined. We can definitely recommend Ellen Hoffman and the Down Under Endeavors team!!!!

Fantastic experience: We spent a month in Australia and New Zealand. Vannessa Massey of Down Under helped us plan the wonderful trip. Every reservation was perfect. When we encountered a cyclone that caused us to miss a flight, Down Under and its Australian agency we there via cell phone and email to make changes to our reservations so that we didn't miss a thing. I don't know how you can ask for more from a travel agent.

Fantastic experience: When my husband & I decided on New Zealand for our honeymoon, we had no idea how to plan it. We reached out to Down Under Endeavours on a whim & it was such an amazing experience! From the beginning until the end, we worked with Ellen, who is incredible. She got to know us and fully customized our trip to meet our adventure level. Even after everything was set in place, she gave us recommendations on where to eat & some places to sight-see. When we asked her a question, she gave us the honest answer -- it was incredible working with someone who had been to all these places before. She went above & beyond on everything, making us excited & confident to travel to another country. We're counting down the days until we can visit NZ again & book with DUE :)

Fantastic experience: Down Under Endeavours is the best thing in my travel life! They've taken me to Australia twice (Syndey, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Tasmania, Cairns, etc), New Zealand twice (Auckland, Queenstown, Dunedin, Rotarua, Doubtful and Milford Sounds, etc). Then on the tail end of these trips, they planned perfect beach holidays (Fiji and Cook Islands) to unwind for a few days before our return trip to the US. From the moment we landed, they had ground crews waiting on us, ensuring we got where we needed to be. I've learned, they will be as involved as you want them to be--everything from a driver--to a helicopter pilot--to a private boat with lunch on a secluded beach--or just let you chill on the beach. Ahhhh.... I've also traveled with Down Under to Thailand, Alaska, Hong Kong, South Africa, Mozambique, Dubai....I keep coming back! Flawless product. I truly feel empty if I don't have a trip in the works with them! Thanks DUE!!!

Fantastic experience: Shannon was an absolute delight to work with! She helped planned our honeymoon to Australia and New Zealand. in May 2017. I contacted her July of 2016 and started planning. She put together a wonderful itinerary and would make changes to whatever we wanted. We asked for obscure expeditions and she helped arranged them. She made the process as easy as possible. I would definitely use their service again!

Fantastic experience: Ellen was outstanding in planning our 3.5 week trip to Australia and New Zealand. We made it complicated by having our children join us for parts but not all of the trip and she handled it flawlessly. We had an awesome time!

Fantastic experience: Down Under Edeavours planned the best honeymoon for my wife and I. We had an amazing trip to Fiji (Matangi!) and we look so forward to working with them for future travels. Very highly recommended.

Fantastic experience: Laura Tober at DUE provided superior customer service and recommendations for our honeymoon in Australia. I had my initial concerns as I have never booked through a travel agent before. Nevertheless, Laura's professionalism and consultative approach left us with one of a kind, hand-selected experience we will remember for years to come. Each of their travel consultants have first hand knowledge of the cities they book, which allows you to ask them for recommendations that only a local would provide. They do a great job fitting any budget--I never felt pressured to purchase a more premium experience but was given full transparency when a more/less premium package was available. I will definitely be using their travel agency for future travel plans to Fiji and New Zealand.

Fantastic experience: Easy to work with and very knowledgeable about New Zealand! Made the trip a breeze with everything prearranged.

Fantastic experience: I connected with Ellen from Down Under Endeavours to plan a 3 week holiday to New Zealand and the Cook Islands as a graduation gift to my fiance. Everything about our trip and our experience with DUE exceeded our expectations! It was very clear from the beginning that Ellen was very thoughtful in all the details such as room selection, travel route, pace, schedule, excursion selection and the list goes on and on. Where it mattered, we always had the best views in the hotel. It was very evident that she listened to the things I told her about our travel styles and interests. I typically plan all of my trips but it was so nice to have someone do all the work for me and I was never disappointed. She walked us through step by step, there wasn't a moment when I felt I was unsure of where to go or what I needed to do. Their insight to the country and best ways to explore/see all the things it has to offer is also really where the value lies. I don't think we would have booked some of the tours on our own based on the cost of some of the excursions but they were ALL well worth it! There isn't a single excursion I regretted doing! All of them exceeded my expectations. Most of the most expensive excursions were the ones that just blew us away. We both felt so grateful that Ellen placed them on the itinerary and we feel lucky to have been able to experience them. Of the many highlights, I would say at the top are: Waitomo glow worm caves Milford Sound nature cruise and scenic flight The vaka cruise - Aitutaki The only thing I will say is this is also the most expensive trip I have ever taken but the idea was that it is the trip of a lifetime and one we will not be able to replicate again. I am thankful we found DUE's services and we are more than thrilled with the results. We were able to see so much in the time we were there. We know of many other couples who have visited NZ for more time than us and played and explored much less than us. I really feel we maximized our time in NZ and the Cook Islands and we will definitely return.

Fantastic experience: Ellen Hoffman planned my honeymoon in Kenya and Tanzania and she was AMAZING to work with! While I usually plan my own travel, I wanted help for my honeymoon since I had plenty to plan leading up to my wedding! You can imagine how nitpicky someone who plans their own travel can be, but Ellen handled all of my thorough questions like a champ! It's awesome to know that she had actually been to a lot of the places she was recommending to us so she truly knew what we would like. When I explained that the total package was a bit pricier than I was hoping for, she gave me alternate options and explained why the cost was higher (park fees, all food included etc). On the actual trip, she was very responsive and answered any additional questions that I had while I was there. Everything was seamless and easy on the trip. It was great not to have to think about any logistics at all since everything was already set up! I highly recommend Downunder Endeavours, specifically Ellen. Thanks again Ellen! :)

Fantastic experience: I would like to Acknowledge Laura Tober and DUE for providing an unconditional support in organising our Honeymoon trip to New Zealand and french Polynesia. This was the most memorable trip.

Fantastic experience: I have not taken my trip yet, but Candice has been very helpful! She has answered all my questions quickly, is helping me with a birthday surprise while on the trip, and has helped me plan a once in a lifetime trip for my boys and I! I can't wait to go!!

Fantastic experience: I think I've used Down Under Endeavours for six trips now...and I've never had a bad experience with them. I recommend them to friends and business contacts all the time. I stake my personal and professional reputation on their ability to deliver...and they haven't disappointed me yet!

Fantastic experience: Ellen has been helping set up my amazing honeymoon coming up at the end of this September. She has been super helpful getting us exactly what we want for our dream honeymoon to South Africa. She is not only very knowledgeable but has great ideas and suggestions as well.

Fantastic experience: My dealings with Down Under Endeavours went perfectly. Even before we left, we received a pleasant surprise. The cost of the trip was reduced based on favorable US vs. New Zealand dollar exchange rates--this showed integrity and class. Since we also paid cash instead of credit card, the final total was a $1000 less than first quoted. In addition, Laura helped us at every stage to ensure that everything was as we desired. During the trip, all arrangements were ok—people met us when they were supposed to and all hotels, rental cars were as stated. Most people didn’t even ask for vouchers, although I had them. I really enjoy driving in the hilly environs of New Zealand, so I had a great time. I can still drive on the ‘wrong’ side of the road and live to tell the story! By the second day, everything was routine. The cars were just the right size, with enough power to pass slow moving vehicles on the hills when they had a passing lane. They made a personalized itinerary, and everything was as we had requested. Each day was well paced, so there was never too much driving. And, we did get to see so many different things and visit so many different wineries that I think we were immersed in as much as possible. Each excursion was just what we wanted and made even better by perfect weather. The hotels were all first rate and enhanced the trip. It’s always nice staying in smaller places and getting to talk with locals and that proved to be true on this trip. All were nice, but the B&B in Arrowtown was terrific. In addition, Arrowtown is a cute little place with fine restaurants. It became obvious to me that you booked us into specific rooms, not just the hotel or B&B. In all of those, we might have had the best room in the house. Each room was special—the one in Arrowtown was terrific, the one in Dunedin was really interesting, as was the one in Wellington. So, working with Down Under Endeavors clearly made the trip something special—I don’t think that we could have done this itinerary in a million years with such quality. This was especially true in Sydney--the choice of hotel (The Harbour Rocks) was ideal, both in terms of the room and the location. Right in the middle of everything, including a view of the Sydney Opera House from our window, and this allowed us to do everything that we wanted. The Harbour tour and lunch was also first rate. So, thanks for everything and we would recommend your services to anyone going Down Under.

Fantastic experience: Great, knowledgeable, helpful, etc!

Fantastic experience: I just got back from New Zealand with my family and can't stop talking about the wonderful trip Down Under Endeavors planned exclusively for us. Every detail was planned down to a tea and we couldn't be happier with the results. We wanted a self drive itinerary according to my specifications and they happily accommodated our packed agenda. There was a greeter waiting for us at the Auckland airport to hand us our itinerary and tour vouchers and made sure we got our car rental and maps figured out before sending us on our way. We also had the name of someone in New Zealand who we could reach 24/7 should anything come up and had to make revisions, which was very comforting for us. Each adventure we planned was with a highly reputable company and the hotels they picked out for us were fantastic. We couldn't be happier with Down Under Endeavors and look forward to them planning another trip for us in that part of the world soon.

Fantastic experience: There is no Down side to working with Down Under Endeavours! The people are friendly and knowledgeable, The experience level of the areas you travel is off the charts. The packages they put together for you are fun, adventurous and tailored to exactly what you like to do. I can say that because I have traveled the world 4 times with Down Under Endeavours. Every trip was a trip of a lifetime!

Fantastic experience: Down Under did a fabulous job organizing our trip to New Zealand. All the hotels were perfect and the excursions were great. We loved the Hermitage Hotel at Mt Cook, the Peppers in Queenstown and the Jet boating up the Dart River the best. My only regret is there is ever enough time in New Zealand to do everything!

Fantastic experience: After 2 big overseas trips crafted by Down Under Endeavours, I am really looking forward to my 3rd with them in 2015! Your trip is especially 'yours' - they are creating your trip by matching your vacation interests with the right locations, services and experiences...and they can do this because of their own extensive experiences visiting and/or living Down Under. Truly a blessing to have such knowledgeable, caring staff to handcraft every little detail of your dream vacation!

Fantastic experience: I would like to take this opportunity to thank Corinne and the Team from Down under endeavours for the recent holiday we just experienced. The transfers accommodation were spot on and the description of our destination far exceed our imagination. Thank you again Down under endeavours for organising a trip my wife and I will treasure for the rest of our lives. Please expect another call from us and we will let you use your imagination to take us on another journey that I am sure will exceed our expectation.

Fantastic experience: Just got back from my Honeymoon in Australia, and what a wonderful trip that was planned by Down Under Endeavours! From the start they provided us with great information on how to structure our trip. Emily was always there to answer our questions and all the suggestions for restaurants we received were amazing! I would highly recommend their services if you are wanting to plan a trip Down Under :)

Fantastic experience: what a wonderful golfing holiday down under endeaours arranged for my husband and I. As a travel agent I tried putting this all together and was so frustrated that I almost decided the trip wasn't worth it. Doug and company arranged everything from car rentals, to tee times to great hotels in New Zealand, Australia and Tasmania...... First class all the way. Thank you so much. We are even going back this year! Cissy and Dan LeGear, St. L9ouis