Contact Merrill Holst
- Phone.09 627 5425
- Location. Auckland, AKL West
- Email.merrill@travelmanagers.co.nz
About Merrill Holst
I have had 27 amazing years in the travel industry.
‘Amazing’ because I love helping people achieve their desired holiday experiences and with every consultation I learn so much more about people and destinations.
I have travelled a lot and I love to explore different destinations and have “adventures in food’. I have travelled solo, with family of all ages, with friends, groups, by coach, car, rail and on cruises.
My list of destinations already crossed off include the Pacific Islands, Australia, Asia, Dubai, Paris for eight wonderful days, Italy, parts of the UK and Eastern Europe, Turkey, Alaska, Canada, Disneyland, New York and more.
If I had to choose a favourite place, it would be Paris! But walking on the Great Wall in China, having a fantastic meal in a most magical Balinese open-air setting or visiting Gallipoli all provide amazing memories. I have enjoyed a walking tour in Italy and experienced European River Cruising and sailing on the Mediterranean
I look forward to helping you create amazing memories for yourself.
VIETNAM – Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh a Private Tour organised by our specialist wholesaler
Motor scooters by the thousands – bustle - tangled masses of electrical wiring above the streets – women carrying produce in two large baskets hung on a pole – beautiful children – interesting architecture – delicious food – smelly markets! – fun cooking school experience – lovely beaches – the beauty and mystery of Halong Bay – the Cu Chi Tunnels and the War Museum in Ho Chi Minh – vibrant colours – silk – history – shopping – graciousness ....
Our experience was very well organised with time to do all the things we wanted in a comfortable manner. Yes, I would love to have a return visit to Vietnam.
EUROPEAN RIVER CRUISING WITH APT CRUISES
I recently had the pleasure of cruising with APT Cruises from Amsterdam with roughly 145 New Zealanders and Australians. Despite cold early May temperatures (Spring was a little late this year) we had a very positive, relaxing experience.
The cruise line provides great food and good local wines are included with lunch and dinner. They offered interesting (included in the price) shore excursion and the friendly, helpful crew did everything they could to ensure we had a good time.
Mostly, I felt we had sufficient time in each port of call to get a decent look at the place – and when I thought time was a bit short, I would think about how much space I had left in my luggage and be grateful!
I would highly recommend you try a river cruise.
OCEANIA “RIVIERA” CRUISE – Venice to Athens
With great excitement we boarded the beautiful new ship “Riviera” to commence our cruise that took us to Koper, Dubrovnik, Corfu, Slovenia, Kusadasi in Turkey, Santorini and on to Athens.
We had delightful service from the crew, delicious food, excellent coffee from the specialist coffee shop, a very good wine list, plenty of comfortable spaces to relax in (the luxurious library chairs and foot rests were very popular), extremely comfortable beds and plenty of storage space in the cabins.
Oceania provides a luxury cruise experience without the need to take your tiara or tuxedo with you. The passengers dressed nicely for dinner but “smart casual” would best describe the dress requirements. You do need to book in advance if you want to experience dining in one of the four speciality restaurants and each one was very worthwhile trying.
There was excellent entertainment each evening but Oceania does not offer the big show events provided by cruise lines with larger ships.
We chose to do some shore excursions offered by Oceania and some we organised ourselves on arrival. Both methods worked well.
Our only complaint: the cruise itinerary was too short and we disembarked with reluctance!
