Down Under Endeavours - Chicago, Illinois

Brenda L. H.

We just returned from a 2-week trip in Australia and want to thank Shannon for all of her help! We worked with Shannon to design a trip with multiple stops along the east coast and she listened to our input, asked the right questions and put together the PERFECT itinerary. Five days before we were all set to depart, Hurricane Milton rolled across our house and we didn't know if we would be able to go. Shannon was on top of it, coming up with contingency plans and talking us off the ledge. We were able to go and had the best time! We have already decided to use Shannon and Down Under for our trip to New Zealand!

Marcy B.

If I could rate my experience with Down Under Endeavours with 10 stars, I would! We had the adventure of a lifetime when my husband and I traveled to Australia and New Zealand last October and November. It was the much-anticipated journey planned with great care and attention to detail that was to have happened in April of 2020, but had to be canceled just a few weeks before our departure due to the pandemic. The trip was postponed many times, and each time our travel planning team contacted every hotel, tour operator, driver etc. to reschedule. We worked with Katie, Audra and Corinne over 3 ½ years. Their commitment to us was extraordinary from the first moment we contacted them. Before any itinerary was put together we were asked all the right questions, both in questionnaire form and during lengthy conversations. They really wanted to understand the type of travelers we are, our preferences in accommodations, the kinds of activities we enjoy most, and many other things we hadn’t even realized were important. They made many suggestions for things we might like to experience that we didn’t even know existed. Many of those experiences ended up being the most memorable days of our trip.
The kind, caring and thoroughly awesome travel experts at DUE (who we now count as friends) are the reason we never gave up hope of being able to experience our dream trip, which ended up exceeding our expectations in so many ways. We will forever be grateful!

Jake O.

We booked with Vanessa. She was great. We began talking with her nearly four years before we left for our trip. She was patient and understood our wait and planned accordingly. We had a jam-packed two weeks in New Zealand followed by a few days in Fiji to relax. Vanessa gave us tons of options to pick from and helped us custom design our trip. There was not a single issue along the way all of the info we needed was easily available and was accurate.
We appreciate the knowledge that Vanessa has, and when she didn’t know an answer, she reached out to someone that did. We would definitely use Down Under Endeavours again!

My only suggestion:
I think that there could be a better calendar system for the events that are planned- rather than a list, a calendar that follows along based on the actual time. (similar to Google calendar).

Liz B.

Just returned back from an almost 3 week trip to Australia on Friday. DUE was fabulous, everything was expertly and perfectly planned down to what seemed like the minute by minute of my trip. While there was some changes to my itinerary - the team was able to give me plenty of advanced notice to ensure I showed up at the right time and right place for my adventures. I highly recommend DUE for your Australia travel needs. Request Shannon Bradley to be specific!

Patrice G.

My husband, son and I just got back from a 3 week trip to New Zealand. It was the most amazing trip, thanks to Laura, Annie and the Down Under team. Every detail was taken care of and was thought out perfectly — from lodging to logistics to attractions. If you are thinking of making a trip to NZ, do not hesitate to call DUE. They are so knowledgeable about the area that it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to have duplicated the impressive itinerary they made for us. Thank you, truly the trip of a lifetime!

Kara M.

Wonderful experience working with Candice and Maloo. Our trip was an amazing adventure in New Zealand. It was perfectly designed for us to see as many places as we could in 18 days yet still have down time to enjoy the beauty. Highly recommend the unique personal touch we experienced with Down Under Endeavors.

Sarah G.

We worked with Vanessa from Down Under Endeavors to plan our honeymoon to Australia in January 2022. We were drawn to DUE because they specialize in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, and had great reviews. We’re so glad to add another positive review.

From the first conversation, Down Under Endeavors were incredibly easy to work with, listened to our priorities and goals for the trip, and made suggestions to make our trip even better. They also were incredibly responsive and flexible to our budget, and scaled up the things that were important to us, and scaled back the things that weren’t.

They were also very clear and pragmatic from the outset about what was included or not each day of the trip. Before finding DUE, we were working with another tour company that was not communicative in this way and kept trying to upsell us, which we found very frustrating. Down Under Endeavors was upfront about what meals and services were and were not included, which helped us understand what else we need to factor into our trip planning.

The trip itself was AMAZING and went off without a hitch. There was one minor issue with tickets for going out to the Great Barrier Reef (vendor issue, not DUE), but they responded immediately and very quickly resolved it.

Highlights include: the best guided tour we’ve ever been on at Kangaroo Island (a must see!), a guided scuba dive at the Great Barrier Reef (we aren’t certified, and DUE worked to find us a boat that could accommodate), and a wonderful, romantic boat ride on the Sydney Harbour.

Alex H.

I had never been to Australia or New Zealand and wanted to take a trip to see some sights AND play a lot of golf in both countries. I did some looking around online to see if there were any travel companies that had connections with local golf courses and landed on Down Under Endeavors.
If you're interested in playing a variety of TOP golf courses in these countries, I'd highly recommended working with DUE.

In Sydney, I was able to play The Lakes and New South Wales Golf Club.
In Melbourne, I played Victoria Golf Club, Kingston Heath, and Royal Melbourne's West Course.
In New Zealand, I played Kauri Cliffs. I had a tee time at Cape Kidnappers too, but it got rained out (just means I'll have to come back soon to play)

All the Australian courses are technically top private clubs, but if you keep a handicap and get a letter of introduction the travel agency will be able to get you a tee time. As an American this concept was a little strange to me, but I just emailed a representative at my local golf association and they were able to get me a template letter of introduction rather quickly. For reference, I keep a handicap with the Southern California Golf Association and did it through them.

The courses are definitely pricey for an international player, but they're definitely worth it for a once in a lifetime trip.

The trip overall was excellent. My agent, Vanessa, was able to strike a good balance of golf, outdoor/nature activities, and getting to know the cities I was staying in. Having all accommodations taken care of made sure I could just focus on enjoying my trip. While I was in Australia, having direct contact with a travel representative through Whatsapp (Sue) was really important since she was very responsive and helpful. For the couple of times when activities needed to be switched around, she handled everything so I didn't have to worry (e.g., changing my Sydney bike tour to another day because my flight was a little late, making sure I could still attend the Penguin Parade in Melbourne when my flight/baggage were delayed).

The overall planning experience was pretty smooth as well. I thought the travel agent was very responsive and helpful from initial contact through final payment. I felt pretty confident that I was getting to choose from the best activities and experiences in each city, and as I was nearing a final itinerary I was able to make small changes here and there and have them accommodated.

I think for most Americans, a trip this far away from home doesn't happen very often, so you might as well make the most of it. And if you love golf, you can experience some of the most iconic courses while exploring all the food and activities the local cities have to offer.