Southern World Australia

From picking us up at the airport to getting our tours planned, this couldn't have gone any smoother. We had first rate tours, with great guides and interesting itineraries. They worked with us to incorporate things we had booked privately and made it all into one really cohesive program. They checked up on us to see how things were going and to keep us informed of our flight schedules. Truly a great company.

Southern World Australia handled our hotel arrangements (Langham), transfers from the ship and to the airport, tickets to the Australian Open, and a private tour of the Yarra Valley during our 5 day stay in Melbourne.  The hotel was in a marvelous location.  Transfers were all on time and extremely courteous. The tickets to the tennis were waiting for us at the hotel and we had great seats.  We thoroughly enjoyed our day long private tour of the Yarra Valley with our host, Jeff. 

Southern World provided excellent information and tours while we were in Tasmania.

Every detail of our trip to Australia was perfect.  We saw everything--great excursions, all of the top sights, terrific and knowledgeable guides, and a company on which to rely when far from home.  I wouldn't have changed anything on our itinerary!  When a flight was cancelled and some reservations needed to be changed--no problem.  Everything was handled seamlessly.  Fabulous and memorable trip!

Stephanie, Southern World Australia and I worked on this Australian trip for myself, my husband, 13 year old son and nephew for about a year. I knew that we would have to plan a trip that would keep the boys active and allow us to see all the desired sights. Stephanie did it and we all had a great time on our 2 week vacation. The boys were happy doing things like hiking the Sydney Harbor Bridge, fishing, throwing a boomerang, zip lining, snorkeling and hiking. I was happy exploring and seeing the Australian wildlife such as kangaroos, wallabies, koala bears, a platypus and sea lions on the coast of Kangaroo Island! My husband enjoyed all the activities and was able to relax because everything went off without a hitch. A friendly guide or driver met us at each location and all we needed to worry about was having fun! Thanks Southern World Australia for getting everything planned and making everything so easy for us!

Southern World providing us with many options for our trip. We were able to select our options and then Southern World took care of everything else. The accommodations were also some of the best and we were really happy with our stay. The activities were also booked for us and it was seamless for us to simply show up for all we had planned.

THE "IN -COUNTRY" ASPECT OF THIS TRIP...HANDLED BY TIM REID AND HIS TEAM WAS OUTSTANDING IN ALL WAYS....FROM ITINERARY TO ACCOMMODATIONS. CAN'T IMAGINE HOW IT COULD IT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE BETTER GIVEN THE TIME FRAME TIM WAS GIVEN TO WORK WITHIN. IF I WAS TO DO OVER I WOULD EXPAND THE TIME CONSTRAINT BY AT A THIRD AS EACH OF THE DESTRINATIONS IN NZ/AUS MERITED A LONGER STAY BY AT LEAST ONE NIGHT THANKS TIM....FANTASTIC

worked really hard to plan the trip of our dreams in Australia. Managed to keep everyone happy, my 14 year old son and nephew (adventure junkies), myself (an animal lover) and my husband (easy to please but wants to relax and enjoy himself). Everything went off without a hitch and just as we had hoped.

Took a wonderful driving tour of Sydney, lunch at the Sydney Tower restaurant, Harbor Cruise and stayed at the wonderful Park Hyatt! All went well except that the limo company was not there when we arrived in Sydney. The issue took 45 minutes to resolve. After that we were on our way with no issues. Great 3 day visit.

Our tour guide, Paul, was friendly and helpful. He showed us the highlights of Melbourne including the War Memorial, Reunion Tower, the botanical gardens, tennis and cricket facilities, and the main shopping areas of the central business district. He even found is a great place for lunch. First class service.

Surprised we had 2 tour guides together for a one-day tour of Melbourne - we should have worked that out better. Phillip Island Penguin tour on January 1 was SUPER busy with full food options - glad we didn't take food as Southern World instructed us to do - bad information. Arrival in Sydney Airport was terrible - driver went to wrong terminal at direction of office - it was difficult and slow to connect with driver which required lots of time on phone (international minutes) while waiting.

Our contact there was not helpful or responsive

Tour was excellent. Guide was friendly and knowledgable and willingly shared a lot of local knowledge with us throughout the day. Hunter Valley is a long drive (2 hours) from Sydney and our visit was during the recent heat wave, but we were comfortable in the air conditioned van and were provided with ice water throughout the day. We allowed the guide to select the small, boutique wineries we visited and were not disappointed. The staff at all were welcoming and knowledgable about wine. We purchased several bottles to take away. A terrific tour!

Due to a personal emergency we were unable to do the Australia portion

From the moment we stepped off the plane in Sydney until we boarded a plane for New Zealand in Tasmania, we enjoyed incredible experiences. Our tour was fashioned after our requests, so all of our activities were personalized. One hotel choice (Sydney) was questionable, and we were overall disappointed with Melbourne (except the penguins!), but that was not the tour director's fault. Our itinerary was varied and included many highlight places and events. The pace was reasonable so we could enjoy everything!

On this vacation we travelled from Sydney to Perth on the Indian Pacific. This was our second trip across Australia by train and we have to say that the staff on the train(s) are absolutely first class. Nothing is too much trouble for them, well done. What we didn't know is that the staff have a shift change in Adelaide so the staff either return to Sydney on the next train or travel north to Darwin on Ghan. Low and behold, the staff we had travelling south from Darwin to Adelaide we the same as that on the Indian Pacific from Sydney to Adelaide. All of them that we spoke to recognised us and asked about our travels since they had last seen us. Great people on great trains. Thank you all. Harvey.

Our recent trip to Australia/New Zealand was the best vacation (so far) that we have taken. We have never been away any longer than two weeks so planning a four week vacation to Australia and New Zealand was a challenging proposition. Southern World was a big reason for the success of our trip. All of the various tours, hotels and travel ideas they provided turned out to be great. They were able to take our preliminary ideas for the trip and make them a reality. Everything went very smooth throughout the entire trip. Most of the hotels we stayed at welcomed us with little gifts to help us celebrate this anniversary trip. And their local representatives were always available for questions and changes while we were in both countries. We always felt we were only a phone call away if we ran into any problems. That was very important to us on this trip.

Southern World was a great help in arranging lodging and flyfishing in Tasmania. Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge was especially nice.

Rich Korb worked directly with the tour operator so we didn't talk with them. They did arrange good hotels and transfers from city to city and to/from the cruise ship. Everything went smoothly and a few excursions.. They did a great job with hotel choices and transfer transportation and the excursions. Their work helped make the trip a total success.

We were very pleased with the hotel and tours advised and booked with Southern World. We stayed at the Peninsula Hotel in Port Douglas....charming boutique hotel near the beach with large, comfortable rooms. The hotel personnel were very nice and accommodating. While in the area, we enjoyed a boat tour to dive/snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef, visited Cape Tribulation and the Daintree Rain Forest and a wonderful wildlife habitat to get up close with koala, crocodiles and kangaroos (to name a few). Southern World also booked us into the Grace Hotel in Sydney. Lovely hotel in an ideal location for sightseeing. I appreciated how well organized the company is....we received detailed travel information with maps, etc., on our arrival in Port Douglas. I would definitely recommend this company.

When our guide, Rainer Eckhardt, arrived at our hotel to start the tour it was obvious he understood what we wantknew what we wanted to see

Seamless experience. All trtavel arrangements were completed without a hitch. Would use and recommend again.

Everything was as outlined in our book all of the people were interested and proud of their country and were keen to share their knowledge I felt they were excellent and felt supported and safe with my experience. More than met my expectations. Thank you to all

This was an efficient and well organized tour. Our guide (Dane) was personable and knowledgeable and made the trip interesting.

Terrific service with good support on the ground. Only two worries on our trip which included: Con X ion bus service not showing up on our last day and; plans for the cyclone which changed our Fraser Island 4WD tour to a tour of the jungle with no access to seaside beaches. With the exception of the uncomfortable accommodation at a holiday park, all the hotels, motels and boutique accommodations were wonderful. Knowing what I know now, I would be able to give better feedback on what works for us. Thanks to all who helped to make our travels worry free and so much fun.

Our trip went off without a hitch. We just showed up and everything was taken care of. The tours were amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Australia.

All tours scheduled on time! Extra long delay at Melbourne when flight arrived. Tour book was available at hotel when we checked in. Extremely pleased with this organization! Six flights in Australia... all on time!!!! Take note: Air Canada!!

The Australia Tour Group was great, Libby our tour guide for Melbourne was a Doll and Justine our driver, what can we say an "Opera Singer, there was no better". Linda in Sydney was great offering the most efficient ways to shop, hit pubs and attend the opera house. Thanks for your great support on our adventure.

Excellent. Very enjoyable day. Guide very knowledgeable

We recently spent a month touring Australia and many of the logistical details were finalized by SWA. We were very pleased with the service, starting from the welcome package of brochures and maps awaiting us at our first stop. Every part of our trip was completely enjoyable except for once location in Tasmania. We visited the Lemonthyme Resort near Cradle Mountain. While the location is beautiful, getting there was a challenge. The 8 km road leading to the resort is very narrow and winding up the mountain. Clients should be warned to arrive prior to dusk as driving that road in the dark, for a newcomer would be a challenge. In terms of the rooms, the blankets and pillows seemed very worn and could use refreshening. The main drawback to the inn was the food. It was not enjoyable!!! Other than this one stay, everything was superbly planned!!! Thanks very much

They did a fine job, but were just the booking agent. The actual cruise was run by Coral Expeditions

Southern World's arrangements were great! The detailed itinerary was very useful and was very helpful for planning!

SWA did a great job of planning our activities and keeping us updated on our daily agenda.

I took my Son, Daughter-in-law and 7 year old grandson for 12 days to Australia. We thoroughly enjoyed every adventure! The guides in Sydney were entertaining and informative. The Blue Mountains were a highlight. The Tesla transfer was very chic. At the One & Only in Wolgan Valley, the accommodation was very cozy. The food was excellent from Tasting menus for me to pizza for the 7 year old. Kangaroos and a few wombats were wandering on the grounds near our cottage. The highlight was the cycling trail.They had kid size bikes and helmets. A troop of 100+ kangaroo were hopping along side us. Spectacular! The Emporium hotel in Brisbane is very trendy with a great jazz bar. Perfect location to wander along the riverside and near so many restaurants. Overall an excellent trip for all of us.

Our visit to Australia was a relatively short one, but we packed in all of the fun that was on our wishlist. Everything was well organized, and having a package waiting for us upon our arrival at our hotel with our itinerary and destination guides was much appreciated.

All tours we experienced were amazing, once in a lifetime experiences. Tours were always on time. Drivers were friendly and answered all our questions and often provided information about the area.

We enjoyed our travels in Australia, particularly the exploration of critters in the wild, south of Sydney. Unfortunately, it's probably all burned out now. We liked everything we did in Sydney and by Hamilton Island. Cairns and the rain forest were great, although a lot of riding in a bus. All of our tour guides tried to make our experience special and all succeeded. Uluru was special, as we had expected, and there the tours and guides were extraordinary. We had the opportunity to explore Alice Springs on our own time and that was great too. Melbourne we enjoyed as well, especially the excursion out of the city. All in all, we were busy but pleased with how much we had the opportunity to explore and to learn.

I thought they did a good job. Every tour they arranged proceeded smoothly and all pick ups were on time and where they were supposed to be.

Great tours and experiences of a lifetime.

Everything was wonderful!! They knew how to put the experience together in a positive and most enjoying way.

Loved the tours w/this company! Our guide for the city tour (AEA Luxury Tours) Mario was wonderful...obviously loved his job, very knowledgeable and especially a lot of fun! There was a little mixup at our pickup...we had to call and when he arrived to get us, our names had been crossed off his list?? But it didn't phase him so we had a great time! Our luncheon cruise was also wonderful...felt like a private tour with only a few other couples...this was by Sensational Sydney Cruises...barbecue lunch was spectacular and the guides were great! Finding the departure point was a challenge and we had to call for directions....maybe that could be made a little clearer....

The day we arrived in Sydney the vouchers were at the hotel. The Sydney Harbour Bridge climb had been booked flawlessly, although the 1300 steps to get to the top was all my doing. The trip to Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock was almost flawless except for one small missed payment. The tours around the Rock where small groups, which made the experience even more jawdropping. Their honesty about visiting Uluru was reassuring as they advised us seven days was too long and three enough. This fact saved us money in the long term. Many companies would be out for the money, Southern World seems to be out for the client experience. Well done Marisa Brooks in Paris, Ontario for your investigative prowess in arranging them for us.

Well organised trip

There were 2 tours that we did from Cairns - a Nautilus Helicopter trip to the reef and the rainforest. It was a 1 hour tour and it was really good as was the weather. Nice views of the reef, the city, the coast and up into the rainforest. The pilot Matt exceeded in giving us the best views he could. Our cultural tour was very good. There were only 2 of us. Our driver and guide was Mark. He was knowledgeable and informative as well as being very personable. Our plans needed to change on the day so Mark arranged for us to meet a local Mossman artist – an aboriginal man and he told us stories about himself, his art and local culture – then gave us a lesson and we each did a little artwork! We then went to Mossman Gorge and met Ben our guide who took us around an area of the gorge that normally we would not be able to visit. We walked around and he showed us trees and plants that are and were used by the local Aborignial tribe. We had lunch and afternoon tea provided.

SWA delivered the services that we wanted.

This company took my wild ideas via Eleanor and made them all work! I have much difficulty walking and cannot do steps, so they made sure I would have a chauffeur everywhere a transfer was required, a wheelchair when needed, but especially fabulous guides at the places I wanted to visit! They made sure each tour operator had the personal data sheet I filled out, so I was greeted with a Coke NoSugar, peanuts but no other nuts, and that I got to see what I was interested in- how the plants and animals recovered from the devastating bush fires the last couple of summers. Arrangements were made to meet with biologists doing restoration work. Southern World went out of their way to make everything run smoothly and be top notch. Thank you so much!

We had limited direct interaction with Southern World as we booked through a separate US-based agent, but their work was evident in how seamless our travel experience was once we hit Australia. Every hotel even had a special honeymoon surprise for us

Southern World Australia booked us in some beautiful places in Australia. Some I had looked into on my own and others I had never looked at (so many to choose from in Sydney and Melbourne). After our first few stops, we knew we would not be disappointed in any of the ones on our itinerary. The Grace Hotel in Sydney was especially nice, old world but with modern rooms, delicious breakfasts and easy walking distance to the harbor. They were quick to respond to any changes we requested through our travel agent and all the tips of places to check out included in our itinerary was very helpful.

Our three week long trip went very well with virtually no glitches. For the most part our guides were knowledgeable. Hotels were good.

All tours that we went on were excellent! Tour guides were so entertaining, well informed and had so much knowledge for the areas they were taking us to. They were open to so many questions and added to the history of the areas. It was time well spent and added to our lives of the peoples of the world that we are not familiar with.

There were some problems, unfortunately often on weekends or late in the evening when Southern World was hard to reach. Unfortunately, one instance was an early Sunday morning flight from Canberra to Melbourne. The driver did not show up. I called Southern World and they said, "Take an Uber". Another unfortunate instance was in Brisbane where I was booked for an overnight stay at a Novotel Hotel. The documents from Southern World said I could walk from the airport to the hotel. That was not the case. I found out that I missed the complimentary bus to the hotel because I was trying to retrieve my suitcase which had been booked through to Prosepine. I spent the night without my suitcase, took a taxi to the hotel and another from the hotel to the airport the next day. Not a good experience for me. On the other hand, the tours Southern World booked for me, a sunset sail off Fremantle and a 2 night 2 day sail in the Whitsunday, were awesome! Well done on those counts.

Southern World had booked all of our transfers, hotels and tours in Australia and almost 100% was wonderful. The few wobbles were really not their fault but a person was always there to call on the very few occasions when we needed. They had listened carefully to what we wanted and that really enhanced our vacation. Very high marks to them and I hope we have to consult them in the future.

I didnt work with southern world Australia directly as they were the supplier. I felt overall they provided me with good tours and the location of the hotels they picked were unbeatable. If i were to request any change it would be the ability to see the price breakdown which would allow me to make better decisions about my trip.

Southern World was a great resource and helped make the trip enjoyable by being available and assisting with all of our questions

All drivers and guides were excellent. The tours were helpful in learning about the destinations. Hotels well situated and offered a high level of service. David Armour was very helpful and much appreciated.

Excellent. Easy to work with. They came up with an excellent itinerary. Had no issues at all during our travels. They arranged excellent tour guides. Highly recommend them

We did not deal directly with Southern World as our Travel Advisor in Canada was our contact. Their expertise helped our travel advisor put together a trip of a life time. It was a lot to coordinate with our travel across Australia west to east and north to south by plane and car. Every detail was organized and went off without a hitch.

We had the most wonderful & flawless two weeks all thanks to Sarah Johnson and Southern World Australia. The recommendations and referrals were truly remarkable; we were provided with the perfect mixture of history, fun, well timed pampering when we needed it most & down time. The attention to detail was spot on.

If want something other than the standard tour package, contact Southern World for Australia travel. They packaged together local tours and and an over night scuba diving trip. Airport and hotels transfers were flawless. We had an unbelievable trip and cannot wait to go back.

SWA had us on the perfect trip. The hotels, drivers, etc, were all fantastic. We didn't have the best weather, but that wasn't their fault. We knew going at this time of year (May/June), would take us there in late fall, early winter. The Great Ocean Road and the Sydney Opera House were probably our favorite places. But, the people were the BEST experience! So kind!!!

Everything was great!!

The trips were very good and interesting. The guides weee great.

Every leg of the trip went smoothly with no hitches

I don’t feel I got my money’s worth. It was not authentic, my hotel on Hamilton Island was no place for an adventurous single traveller. The room door had no seal, cold air rushed in around it. So did all the noise from the open concept lobby & children running & screaming. I believe there could have been more adventurous options. They got my name wrong I tried to have them correct it but they still got it wrong so I tried a 3rd time but it made it worse. I would not recommend this company

Our tours and time with Matt of Southern World Australia were the highlights of our trip to Sydney. They were exactly what we hoped for and went beyond our expectations.

they were good, arrangements functional, and experiences rewarding

Southern World had a breadth of knowledge of Australia that we certainly needed and appreciated. They provided us with a variety of options, and chose accommodations and activities for our itinerary that met our criteria and budget. Throughout the trip it was evident that they had direct knowledge of the area, and a depth of experience. I loved the hotels and areas they chose for us to visit, and when I did my own research of the area, I found their recommendations to be ones I would have chosen myself! We only had one minor issue with a hotel and they addressed it immediately. We would definitely recommend them!

Southern World Australia was the agency that was used during our down-under adventure. We received a package upon arrival detailing all excursions; Everything that was scheduled went smooth as silk; all drivers early and professional. Would definitely recommend if you are considering a trip to Australia.

Southern World Australia was excellent! We enjoyed all the tours & Dandy was exceptional!

I absolutely loved the Melbourne area and felt that I got to see quite a bit of it in only 3 days. All of my tour guides were such fun and while imparting a lot of information along the way.

We were spoiled by the preparation and documentation provided. Although we traveled "independently", the drivers and guides were reliable and all were good; most were excellent. The accommodations planned were well located and very nice. Breakfasts were generally included which took one more thing off our list. I've already recommended Southern World to friends.

The tours and the guides that worked with us were top notch and I would be happy to recommend them.

We loved the plan and the hotels we were booked in. The tickets to the Australian Open were fantastic. The drivers were nice and helpful. For example, in Aukland on the way home the driver saved us from an agonizing walk to the International Terminal from the Domestic and saw us through security. It was amazing!!

Southern World Australia did an amazing job. Everything was perfectly scheduled not one issue to be had. Each tour guide was knowledgeable and courteous. The documents they provided us were thorough and detailed. All the restaurants they recommended were delicious and exactly what we were looking for. Thank you so much for helping us plan such a memorable trip.

Though I did not directly work with Southern World Australia, my travel agent used their services to create our amazing holiday. I will absolutely recommend to all my friends to look into their services as every tour we did was excellent. Every guide we had was professional, knowledgable, and personable and each provided their own unique flare to whatever it was that we were doing. Would absolutely look to use their services in the future!

All interactions with our drivers was more than pleasant. Groemme with Altitude Tours was more than expected. Our return flight back from Milford Sound less disappointing.

Our experience for the most part was very good. Excellent recommendations and logistics. Together with our Virtuoso agent in the States, they put together a great three week trip for us. It was wonderful. That said, we did get frustrated by their response time during the planning period and we would have liked more transparency on costs of specific lodging and excursion options. Pricing was bundled rather than broken out. We also would have welcomed an opportunity for a pre-trip zoom meeting with the Southern World team to get to know the team and better understand how to connect with them when in country, especially after normal working hours. This was offered on another Virtuoso trip we took and we found it to be helpful.

We very much enjoyed our experience with Southern World Australia. For our trip to New Zealand, they proposed a comprehensive yet balanced itinerary fully aligned with our goals and budget. We recommend Southern World to anyone who is interested in exploring the beauty of New Zealand and its many activities.

The whole experience was awesome.

Southern World did an outstanding job putting together our trip in Australia. Every aspect of the trip went off without a hitch. Hotels were incredible, the tours were top notch, air and ground transportation were spot on. I would use them again without any hesitation.

Southern World showed a nice touch by having our itinerary and pertinent brochures/maps delivered to our first hotel location on the first day of our stay in a pretty neoprene aboriginal art case. An unexpected surprise. Some changes needed to be made to one of our itineraries and it was during the Easter 4-day holiday and Southern World representatives were responsive during this time resulting in our need to work with US travel agent who was in opposite time zone. This was surprising and frustrating. Our changes were not "emergencies" but did need some timely attention. Otherwise, the limited interaction we had or needed was professional.

Southern World booked drivers, tours, accommodation, golf tee times and car rentals for us. We were very pleased with all the arrangements over our 5 week trip in Australia.

We were very pleased with the Australia adventure planned for us by Southern World. And their attentiveness during our trip was certainly appreciated/helpful.

This tour operator, working with the tour advisor, designed an amazing trip to my interests. Not a missed detail in a month of transfers, local tour guides, great hotels, fascinating locations.

We did our planning through Wild Indigo Travel and Southern World was the liaison. We did not have much contact with them but apparently they solved any problem that came up after we contacted Wild Indigo Travel. The trip was great and I am sure they helped out with that.

Our advisor worked with Southern World to book our trip to Australia. Everything went smoothly with the activities, hotels, transfers, and travel. The tours in Sydney were fun and informative. We also went to Lizard Island, Uluru, and Kangaroo Island, though our activities in those locations were coordinated through the resorts themselves. We had a fantastic time.

Southern World planned a fun and adventurous itinerary. Thank you

Southern World planned a great portion of our trip. Planned exactly what I asked . Great guides. Drivers were on time. Hotels were excellent. Our experiences were incredible. Highly recommended.