About Us – Portmanteau Travel

About Portmanteau

What makes us different is that we ask questions, ask more questions and listen, deeply. By doing so, we aim to get a clear insight into what you envisage and then make it better. We work with the best travel gurus in the business, experts in their field and masters of their craft. They provide us with their secrets, wisdom and treasures and, with them, we create and deliver what we are absolutely sure will be perfect for you.

Each trip is created for you alone, by meticulous crafting and no two experiences are ever the same. What unites them all is the extraordinary.

Portmanteau Travel plan, design and deliver luxurious travel experiences for discerning and affluent clients who seek exceptional quality and enjoy the extraordinary.

By gaining a thorough appreciation of our clients’ needs we expertly tailor what will become a truly memorable experience. We achieve this by knowing the most stylish and remarkable locations on earth through meticulous research by our global team.

The name and the journey

portmanteau

[pɔːrtmænˈtoʊ]

NOUN

1. a large travelling bag, typically made of stiff leather and opening into two equal parts.

We think we are rather exclusive, just like a portmanteau!
The journey started in 1999 when founder, Emma McCallum, then UK based, exclusively hired a large chateau on a tiny island near Honfleur, France, for 3 days during the millennium. It was a decadent, luxuriously action-packed celebration for 45 friends from the UK, still a great memory for all and inspiration to later create what is now Portmanteau Travel.

For 15 years Emma lived in Notting Hill, London, juggling a busy corporate job involving a great deal of travel, with organising some fabulous parties, weddings and special adventures. Travelling so much around the world provided some great contacts, a wealth of experience and a solid base from which to build the company.

In 2014, having lived in Australia for 7 years, whilst still travelling internationally for work, she decided to focus full time on her passion for creating expertly tailored travel experiences and now has some fabulous and very loyal clients, mostly based in Europe, USA and Australia.

“When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money!”
– Susan Heller

The Team

Portmanteau’s team is made up of some extremely talented people in Sydney as well as a global team of influential and very creative travel gurus. They are experts in what and who they know, such as Meenal in Kenya, who has been designing very special safaris for many fortunate guests, Paola in Florence, who knows the best of the best in Italy and Živa in Croatia, who is a connoisseur when it comes to beautiful vessels that float in European waters. We are also extremely fortunate to have teamed up with Australian naturalist and author of ‘Wildlife in the Balance’, Simon Mustoe, to present you a breathtaking selection of wildlife experiences. For 30 years, Simon has worked all over the world as an ecologist, expeditioner and conservationist, giving us connections to many of the world’s most knowledgeable, inspiring and committed naturalists and nature guides. Simon himself is a pioneering voice in underwater ecology and an internationally regarded expert on marine life.

Through many years we have cultivated relationships and accumulated an enviable black book of contacts. These unique connections mean that we can provide you with unparalleled opportunities, offered from those with the best knowledge and the best experiences.

Our Values

Integrity

We believe in honest and transparent relationships with our clients and our team. We encourage
courtesy to promote positive interactions and to provide us with a supported and
committed company.

Empathy

We endeavour to understand what our clients care about and the challenges they may face. We
work with a respectful attitude always and show consideration to those we work with.

Outstanding

We are meticulous in everything we do and dynamic in our decision making. We are dependable
and continually exceed expectations.

Professional

We derive great satisfaction in achieving high standards of professionalism. This creates an
environment in which excellent relations with both clients and business partners form the basis of
our business.

All about our app...

Your itinerary is available on-line, as a pdf and with an easy to use traveller app. The app will automatically and immediately sync any updates to the itinerary and you will also have offline access when required. If you do not wish to use the app, any changes to your itinerary will also sync on-line. There is also a direct link to enable you to easily email or phone for anything you may want or need at any time.

“With age, comes wisdom. With travel, comes understanding.” – Sandra Lake

What Our Clients Say About Us

A huge thank you for a very special holiday with a wide variety of events that flowed easily and were amazing. You are an absolute star.

An international holiday can be a large investment and it is the attention to all the small details that make the experience totally memorable. We feel this company is unique in its field in that it offers a completely individualised service at the very top of the business. We thoroughly recommend Portmanteau Travel; they are innovative and thoughtful.

You put together a fantastic experience that gave us time to see the sites, relax and explore new places with the variety we were looking for. Your attention to detail, while asking the right questions of us while planning, delivered a wonderful experience. Thank you!

It was an absolute treat to find a company that consistently goes over and above to ensure client satisfaction. The trip to Europe was organised with exceptional attention to detail … perfect!

Just don’t leave home without them!

My trip to France was expertly tailored to my requirements and delivered in a way that was over and above my expectations. Thank you for organising everything for me - even the things I hadn't realised I needed! Definitely a forever memory.

I recently returned from the most superb trip, expertly planned by Portmanteau Travel. I visited England and Scotland and then on the way home, Wakatobi, in Indonesia. I never would have known about the hotels I stayed in, all so unique and so perfect for me, especially in Scotland, where I stayed in the most beautiful castle. I had the whole place to myself and stayed in the same room as Winston Churchill stayed in! The activities planned for me were amazing and the attention to detail extremely impressive. Looking forward to the next trip and many more planned by Emma and her team.