Swain Destinations Reviews 

Swain packed an amazing itinerary into a short two week trip for four to Australia over the holidays. George was super communicative with daily texts of our agenda, including times, drivers, and contact information. Our itinerary included four locations with drivers and guides every step of the way. I will absolutely use Swain in the future if I am traveling to countries they service.

The trip was perfectly planned, with all aspects absolutely top rate. All tour guides were top notch, everything was perfectly on time.

Anniversary Trip
We had an amazing 3 week anniversary trip to Australia thanks to Swain Destinations. We got a taste of cities and nature, and I fulfilled my dream of scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Getting a personalized trip plan made sure I wouldn't miss out on the most important part of the trip for me.

Swain planned out every detail for us, so we did not have to worry about drivers, where to go, or what activities to do at all. Every location helped us celebrate as well. This made the entire experience nothing but enjoyable. While we were in-country, we got text messages a day ahead of anything we needed to know - departures, tours, drivers, etc.

Nina, our trip consultant, selected some of the most amazing stays for us and managed to balance a variety of interests with relaxation as well. I never would have been able to pull this off without her knowledge and assistance.

Swain came recommended by a friend, and I whole-heartedly pass that recommendation on to anyone looking to travel to Australia or New Zealand (our next trip with Swain, fingers crossed).

We had a fantastic 4 weeks in Australia, designed by Swain! All of the arrangements went off without a hitch and were perfect! We were never left hanging or wondering if we would be picked up, met, etc.

Many thanks to George and the team of folks who made this trip possible. This was a trip of a lifetime and is at the top of our list for experiences.

We can't wait to return!

Everything was perfect. Wouldn’t change a thing!

Gary at Swain worked diligently with us to provide the itinerary we requested, and George and Jan followed up with fabulous communications during our trip. Some of the hotels selected were absolutely amazing, while a few seemed less than anticipated (quality, location, views, sound levels, amenities, customer service). Tours were mostly as expected. Transfers were spot on, with George coordinating when we had flight delays. We never felt alone!

I just spent two delightful weeks in Australia and George and the Swain team was on top of everything! Hotels, flights, tours … all great!
I will be back and most definitely will use the Swain team again! Thank you for the best experience ever!

All of our thanks to George and the Swain Destinations team! We've just returned from just short of 4 weeks in Australia and New Zealand, and the trip was fantastic! The tour was constructed by Swain working closely with my travel consultant in the states, and the tour operators selected for each day were flexible, knowledgable and fantastic!
There were a couple of instances where there were glitches, and George was there with help, humor and flexibility.
Strongly reccomended, and we'll use them again when we return.

I would give 10 stars if it was available. Swain Destinations planned and executed perfectly our 3 week trip to New Zealand. Everything coalesced to make a memorable vacation. The Itinerary had a variety of experiences and also allowed a perfect amount of personal exploration. We flew to each destination city, with specific communication from George Swain, and everything went so smoothly. We were notified daily of our excursions or flights, and the drivers names to look out for. No one missed a beat! It worked like a Swiss clock… (we had all morning flights, so we could arrive at a new city, with plenty of time to explore.)
The guides that were chosen for us, for each city, actually made the trip. They each brought New Zealand to life. We are a very curious couple, so the guides responded so well to our enthusiasm.
We had one possible glitch for a flight due to weather. It ended up being fine, and it was then that we realized how conscientious George is. We felt very taken care of, in all aspects… Which allowed us to fully embrace the beauty of New Zealand.
I must give a shout out to the St Moritz (Queenstown) and their daily breakfasts… Heavenly…..
Mahalo Nui Loa to George Swain and Linda Lewis at The Travel store - Brentwood,
Claudia and John Wright

We had a great itinerary and every detail was arranged for us. There were a few setbacks, mostly weather related, and the Swain team was easy to reach and very responsive. Definitely recommend this company for trips to New Zealand and Australia!

This was our second African safari trip planned by Swain within a 10 year period. It was our dream to return to Africa to share what I still call "the trip of my lifetime", this time with our adult children. Now we can add many exclamation points to that and our children feel the same.
This trip focused on South Africa and Botswana and once again, Swain, Kathryn, and her team listened to our goals and built a perfect itinerary! From planning to lodge selections, air travel to in-country coordination, every detail was thoughtfully managed and executed.
We experienced one episode of lost baggage for 4 of the 6 of us and thought we could manage it ourselves, however when a 24 hour delay started to become 48 hrs we called Swain and Deidre from the local office jumped on it and worked her immediate magic. Her communication was incredible and we were reunited with our bags closer to 24 hours! Huge appreciation from all of us!
The broader Swain "team" including drivers, guides and airport coordinators were all excellent. Our son commented on how much he enjoyed learning about the local culture even during a short interaction from several of these folks.
We have recommended Swain to several friends and will confidently continue to do so! Thank you Kathryn, and the greater Swain team for creating a truly memorable family adventure.

I had the trip of a lifetime! Everything went smoothly and my private guides were all wonderful!

Our 16 day trip to South Africa was meticulously planned and executed. We were treated to first class everything from the moment we stepped off the plane. Our guides, the meals(we had some challenging food restrictions in our group), the accommodations, the personalized touches, our experiences both in Capetown and in the bush exceeded our expectations. We had a passport snafu that could have disrupted our trip but the team responded quickly and handled it seamlessly. Our group of 6 were blown away by this epic adventure. Shout out to Kat Mccue for all her work coordinating this life changing trip.

Our two week trip to Australia was perfect. The Swain team locked down every detail, coordinated everything, and booked incredible lodging with fabulous food. The tour guides they chose for our various experiences were fantastic as well. This is our second time using Swain Destinations. The first time was for a trip to South Africa. I will use them again for New Zealand.

I can’t recommend Swain Destinations enough! Jacqueline and her amazing local team, Deidre & Zarina, pulled together the trip of a lifetime for me & my partner on very short notice — and it was absolutely flawless. They helped us check off our bucket list with an unforgettable journey to Victoria Falls, Kruger National Park, and Cape Town.

Every detail was thoughtfully planned, yet we still had so much room for personalization to make it feel truly our own. From start to finish, every logistic was executed perfectly — smooth, seamless, and beyond my expectations. I’ll forever be grateful to Jacqueline and her team for making this dream adventure a reality!

We have been blessed to travel quite a bit; this was our first experience with Swain Destinations. From start to finish, they were tremendous. Above and beyond the call of duty! They excelled at making us feel cared for, protected, and removed the anxiety that can come when traveling to a new place. I could not recommend them more highly!

Their customer service was superb! We were contacted continuously every step of our journey while on vacation with our itinerary and reminders. Would highly recommend their services!

Swain was amazing from planning to the end of our trip. They were aware of our budget while finding safe and exciting ways to see Africa for the first time. I refer to this as a trip of a lifetime and it truly was. I didn't have to worry about a thing because everything was planned ahead, so we were allowed to truly appreciate this trip.

The trip was so well planned, and exactly what we asked for -- we started with a walking tour of Auckland to get acclimated, a trip to Hobbiton, a tour of the mountains, black sand beaches and rain forest, all with lovely, knowledgeable guides. They were super flexible, cancelling one trip when our plans changed, moving our transportation times when requested, and again, everyone was so nice!!