I love all kinds of travel and have experienced so much diversity," says Melissa, whose own travels have seen her embracing everything from beach breaks in Fiji to navigating trains in Europe and Japan and embracing the delightful chaos of family holidays with two children in tow. Exploring Africa was a particular highlight though. “From jungles and mountains to deserts and open savannahs as you travel through the continent, the landscape constantly changes but its beauty remains. The human and animal encounters are unique - spending time in an orphanage with local children and trekking the gorillas in Rwanda are moments I will never forget,” she says.
Her passion for her role as a travel advisor stems from the joy of turning an idea into a tangible itinerary. "I love seeing the excitement they feel as the reality of their journey begins and hearing their amazing stories once my clients return."
A standout moment in her career was rebooking a family's dream holiday after their initial plans were cut short due to their son's battle with Leukemia. Melissa took on the emotional task of recreating the trip on their son's return to health, though with a few twists so as not to remind them of what had been. The family’s epic four-week journey took them from snowy adventures in Canada, staying at the iconic Fairmont in Lake Louise, to the theme parks and excitement of Orlando, before finishing with an all-inclusive beach break in Mexico. "Seeing them return, having created the most amazing memories as a family was truly rewarding," says Melissa.
Clients are drawn to Melissa's warm and focused demeanour. She explains, "I am calm, patient, and entirely focused on the client with me. I love to build a connection with them, that has seen many of my clients become more like friends."
Melissa is waiting to help you craft your next extraordinary adventure at Ashmore, Harris & James Travel Associates.
Testimonials
Melissa provided us with service above and beyond our expectations. Our holiday consisted of a Danube River Cruise with spare days leading up to and beyond the cruise. From our first meeting, Melissa put together an itinerary that flowed smoothly for us to enjoy ourselves. We were in Munich a couple of days before embarking on our River Cruise, when we were contacted by Melissa informing us that the cruise had been cancelled due to the ship being involved in an accident prior to sailing. This is where Melissa came to our rescue - she had arranged for an alternative cruise company that had a schedule that ensured we would meet all the previously arranged connections to France and England and had rebooked our accommodation around this accordingly. Additionally, the hotels Melissa booked us into in Munich, Paris and London were all wonderful and in excellent locations.
I can't begin to tell you how amazing Melissa is. Nothing is too much trouble, and she has now worked with my family and friends for many years filling in all the gaps for our travel requirements. I feel we get the absolute most out of every trip, worldwide her transfers and accommodation choices are perfect every time. Leaving us extremely happy and satisfied.
My husband Paul and I have just returned from the best holiday we have ever been on! We went to Europe for a month, visiting the Cinque Terre in Italy, taking a Viking Cruise Venice to Athens, then visited the Greek Islands of Paros, Milos and Santorini. A large part of the success of this holiday was due to Melissa Dighton from Travel Associates! Her knowledge, experience, recommendations and service through all stages of the trip was exceptional. From helping to plan the route, to knowing which side and where in the ship to have a cabin, to organising ferries and trains, offering different options for accommodation, and helping to resolve a problem caused by a hotel after we checked in - she did it all with class! And her communication to prepare us before we left was brilliant. And the Travel Associates app is a terrific value add. Thank you Melissa - you’ve looked after us for years and we are very grateful for you!
Our experience with Travel Associates has been terrific. Melissa was able to meet our needs exactly the way we wanted them to be. We had a tour cancelled late which we had to restructure over 2 weeks of our trip. It was difficult for us to come up with an alternative itinerary quickly but once we did that, Melissa was on to it. I knew it would be challenging for her but Melissa did what she needed to do to ensure that we had what we wanted. She always did it with a smile. In fact, the rescheduled itinerary has worked out to be amazing. All thanks to Melissa.
Knowledgeable and efficient! Our agent Melissa went above and beyond to ensure we had an amazing experience on our Cruise. Can’t wait to book our next holiday!
