Name an iconic travel experience and Sharon has done it. She has speed-boated around Lake Como, explored Mykonos by moped and trekked her way though Nepal, just to name a few.
But it’s her trip to Antarctica, which stands out most in her mind. “I remember sitting on an island, with 400,000 penguins!” Sharon says. Call her crazy, but she swam in the arctic waters and was basically eye-level with a leopard seal as it caught and devoured a penguin. “I remember being mesmerised,” she says. As if that’s not mind-blowing enough, Sharon had a BBQ on-board a Russian Icebreaker on Christmas Day!
That’s right, Sharon doesn’t operate in halves. Whether she’s skiing the slopes of Whistler or getting back to nature in New Zealand, Sharon believes in switching off from technology and giving your destination your undivided attention!
It’s this fervour for travelling that has seen Sharon excel as a Travel Manager for more than 16 years. She advises her clients to travel with an open mind and be prepared for the unexpected. “Eat with locals, get lost in laneways, or try a homestay and really see how people live in other countries,” she says.
You might not be quite ready for an Antarctic expedition, but Sharon will help you feel similar energy and excitement, no matter your chosen destination. Whether you’re looking for a taste of luxury in the Maldives, or to experience a safari in South Africa, Sharon will help you put together an unrivalled overseas experience.
It seems no itinerary is too complex for Sharon. Take for example, the three-month holiday she coordinated for a couple on long service leave. She mapped out the travel and daily activities from start to finish, and was ecstatic to hear later, that the couple never changed a thing.
Upon returning from a “Sharon Holiday”, you’ll wonder how you ever planned your trips without her.
Testimonials
It has been an absolute delight dealing with Sharon Loughins at
Egan and Turner Travel Associates, Edge Hill, Queensland over the last decade or more. We have enjoyed so many trips with Sharon at the helm organising every aspect of our travel needs – and more.
Sharon is one of those vibrant and special people who loves her work with an infectious passion and can see no barriers to achieving exactly what her clients need and want from a trip either overseas or within Australia.
Her experience, knowledge and dedication shine through at every stage and she seldom, if ever, lets the clock, global time differences or anything else stand in the way of solving issues and always with her very own brand of dedicated effort. In the years I have known Sharon she has never become stressed or overwhelmed by any of our requests and is obviously respected in the industry at home and abroad. Sharon is the very best person to deal with our needs and has demonstrated an amazing and tireless attitude to achieving solutions when a crisis arises and the unthinkable just might occur. We learned very early in our relationship that there is nothing Sharon won’t tackle when the need arises and is never daunted by new challenges; these are what drive her and it works in spades !
I first made contact with Sharon Loughins in October 2015 in response to an advertisement for a European cruise my husband and I were interested in.
From that first contact with Sharon I liked, and had confidence, in her. As we live on Magnetic Island all contact during the following 10 months until we left on our holiday, had to be made by email or phone calls. During that time until we left on our holiday in August 2016 I made numerous emails and phone calls to Sharon. Not once did she fail to respond in record time! My husband has coeliac disease so it was crucial that his dietary requirements be notified to all relevant parties. I was most concerned about this but Sharon constantly reassured me this notification had occurred.
And Sharon was right! The airlines, hotels and the Scenic Tour river cruise all met David's dietary requirements. Sharon even went out of her way to provide us with a list of gluten free restaurants in Paris and Rome. Sharon has a very rare quality in today's world of client services.
I felt that not only was I a valued client, but also a friend, despite the fact we had never met. In my opinion Sharon is a truly valuable member of your company's team. Her professionalism, efficiency, friendliness, understanding and caring of her client's needs is exemplorary.
Due to the success of this holiday, and of course due also to Sharon's wonderful service, we are planning another holiday overseas within the next 12 months. Without hesitation we will be contacting Sharon to organise this for us.
I have been using the services of Travel Associates for several years now and cannot commend them highly enough. No matter how detailed the itinerary (along with the inevitable changes), Sharon and her team make my corporate travel trouble free. In a world where customer service is the rarity and not the norm, Travel Associates bring back old fashioned customer service coupled with cutting edge technology and professional skills. #1 in my book !
