Travellers Testimonials and Reviews: First Light Travel

Recently my wife & I took a 11 day car journey from Perth WA to Exmouth WA, which was made possible by the excellent service that Micala Lindsay from First Light Travel did in putting together a fantastic itinerary, culminating in swimming with the WhaleSharks in Exmouth. This has been on our bucket list for sometime. If you are looking for a different experience in Western Australia, this is great & Micala got it 100% right. Plenty of activities on the way north & accomodation was spot on. We had no complaints & would be more than happy to recommend & use againFirst Light Travel & Micala, for future travels either in Australia or NZ. Thank you Micala for a first rate service.

First Light Travel did an amazing job planning our month long holiday in Australia and New Zealand. They took care of every detail including lodging, excursions, rental cars and transfers. They listened to what we wanted, made great recommendations and took care of the rest! They are true professionals in the travel industry. Thank you!

What an incredible experience! First Light Travel did an amazing job!

We had never ever been to New Zealand or Australia and we decided to plan a "bucket list trip" there for a month from March to April 2024, to celebrate 42 years of marriage. We wanted to make sure that we got the "best" advice and planned the "best" trip possible. Six months before our trip, we did extensive research online and concluded that First Light Travel would be the best travel agency to handle our customized travel experience. And they were the absolute best! Everything, and I mean everything, came off perfectly! From the air travel, to the lodgings, to local transportation and the excursions and all recommendations were spectacular!

Kia Ora! We started in Auckland, where a limo met us at the airport upon our arrival and whisked us to the Marriott, where we stayed for 2 days. A wonderful wine tour of Waiheke Island followed by a tour of Auckland started our trip on the right foot. They arranged for our rental car in Auckland on day 2 to start our 2 week driving trip of the North & South Island. On our driving trip, they arranged a visit to Hobbiton in Mata Mata, a cultural Māori experience in Rotorua, lodging at the spectacular Koura Lodge on Lake Rotorua, an Art Deco Car tour in Napier, where we stayed at the Hawthorne House - a spectacular 1900 vintage Victorian style house managed by Peter & Paul, our Hawkes Bay Hosts. From Napier, we flew to Christchurch where we picked up our second rental car and began our South Island Tour. From Christchurch, we drove to Oamaru to see the Blue Penguin Colony and then onto Mt Cook for 2 days, where our stay at the amazing Hermitage Hotel was incredible. A Tasman Glacier Boat Tour, followed by hiking the Hooker Valley Trail, and Star Gazing made our experience at Mt Cook out of this world. On to Queenstown for 4 days, where we had another series of great excursions -- tour of Arrowtown, a jet boat experience on the Shotover River, Wine Tour of Otaga Valley and the highlight of the trip - a helicopter trip from Queenstown to Milford Sound where we experienced a great boat trip around the sound, followed by a return helicopter flight that landed on a glacier. Just absolutely amazing!!

G'Day Mate! After New Zealand, we headed to Australia, where we decided to do a "Taste of Australia" with 3 days in Melbourne, 3 days in Cairns, (where they arranged a fantastic diving experience with Tusa Tours on the Great Barrier Reef), and finally 5 days in Sydney, where our experiences exploring the local culture, Blue Mountains, surfing Bondi Beach and immersion into the laid back Australian lifestyle left us in awe.

Thanks to Natalie for doing such a superb job and making our "bucket list trip" a memory that will last a lifetime!!

The Company and the Agent we dealt with, Tatyana, were amazing. We started our Australian self tour (no group tours for us) in Sydney (March 2024) and ended in Hobart Tasmania (April 2024).
Tatyana listened to us , yes she called us in Canada, took our revisions for our 47 day trip, booked accordingly and kept us informed of progress. In other words First Light Travel was a one stop shop.
For example, for Kangaroo Island, pick up at our hotel in Adelaide was on time, ferry was booked, and tour and hotel arranged.
Tatyana with her amazing team organized a 16 day self drive of Tasmania. All the hotels were booked and the "must see and dos" from east coast to west coast. We were transparent in all transactions all we had to do was arrive and enjoy. Even the car pick up at the airport , with their booking and instructions, took 3 minutes.

We did have 2 hotel experiences which needed to be addressed. We informed Tatyana, and both were adjusted as needed and to our satisfaction.

Would I use First Light Travel again: YES. The team knows the area including the lodges and hotels to book to optimize a tourist's needs. On off days, they also gave us additional "things to see and do".

Please remember travelling to optimize your experience is a 2 way street. You need to inform the company of your goals before they can be of assistance.

We just wanted to firstly say a massive thank you for organising a once in a life time trip for us, we had the best time and are actually thinking of potentially moving out there for a couple of years in the near future. 

All the hotels met and exceeded our expectations and all the activities were fab. A great variety of both meant we were never bored or unsatisfied. None of the activities were cancelled, everything went ahead smoothly. 

We could probably have saved a few dollars by organising and booking ourselves, but the modest extra cost to book our trip through First Light Travel was well worth it. The original itinerary was adjusted quickly to address our requests, and we were very happy with the quality of all aspects of our trip. From Launceston, to Cradle Bay, a side trip to the gorgeous old town of Ross, then across to Freycinet for our fabulous Wine Glass Bay cruise (mother and baby whales, fur seals and dolphins!), then to Port Arthur and Hobart, with another side trip to beautiful Richmond, we loved it all. Everything ran smoothly, all the work was done for us, and full instructions were provided for the trip. Thanks First Light Travel. 

Well-planned by Tatyana! Was value for money too, given that they tailored the trip to our requirements. Love the recommendations of Strahan - Risby cove. Really a quiet place in the middle of nowhere. Just the 99 bends almost took my breath away. Cradle Mountain hotel was another great accommodation booked. Wombats galore! Would skip Launceston Grand Chancellor and Tall Timbers if I were to do the trip again. And perhaps stay at Swinging Gate in tamar valley instead. The Penicott wildlife tour (part of the package) was yet another highlight of our trip. We saw dolphins! Bucket list checked! Would have loved to spend more nights in each place cos the drive was really long to get around.

First Light Travel was an easy and helpful company to go through. They created a honeymoon for us that was the perfect balance of luxury, adventure, and natural beauty that Tasmania has to offer. The accommodation they booked was all amazing, as were the adventures and experiences they included in our itinerary. We will definitely be using them again!

Aaron & Jamika, Australia

Our trip has gone exceptionally well, including the weather. The Avis car hire experience was good, and the almost brand new Toyota Corolla Hybrid we rented was great for the wet and windy roads we encountered. The Gordon River Cruise was fantastic, with a fantastic cruise boat, excellent staff, food, and guiding. Cradle Mountain Lodge offered very good rooms, food, and service, and the Cradle Mountain National Park is superlative.

We enjoyed beautiful Freycinet with its stunning scenery and glorious weather (sunny and 20c). The Wine Glass Bay cruise was terrific. The crew, lunch, and boat were all very good, as was the scenery. The sunny weather and calm seas were a rarity, according to the crew! Finally, we had a fun and fascinating time at MONA. We went by ferry and also dined at The Source restaurant there. Overall, our trip was filled with amazing experiences and stunning scenery. From the wet and windy roads to the calm and sunny seas, we enjoyed it all. The Avis car hire was essential for getting around, and the Toyota Corolla Hybrid served us well. The Gordon River Cruise was a highlight of the trip, with excellent staff, food, and guiding. Cradle Mountain Lodge offered excellent accommodation, food, and service, and the Cradle Mountain National Park is a must-see destination. Finally, our visit to MONA was a fun and fascinating experience.

Linda & Pamela, Australia

First Light Travel took so many of the complicated logistics of planning a five week vacation to multiple countries off our hands. They were always professional and kind and very patient with my endless questions.

Sarah Krivel, USA