Imagine this: You've just arrived at a remote cattle station in the Northern Territory by helicopter, and you're helping cowboys muster wild bulls and buffalo—an experience not available to the general public. Or maybe you've arrived in Sydney by private jet, and you're whisked direct from the airstrip by luxury car to a hidden bay, where a world champion surfer awaits to give you a private surf lesson, followed by a beachside barbecue. Or perhaps you're crossing the outback on a camel expedition or flying across New South Wales in a fighter jet.
These are just some of the unique and memorable experiences available when you enlist the services of a luxury travel concierge. These tour operators or travel agencies are responsible for creating bespoke private itineraries that allow people to truly get off the beaten path through exclusive experiences. Based around clients' specific interests and schedules, each itinerary is completely one-of-a-kind, and designed to allow people to gain a great understanding into Australia's culture, lifestyle, and history.
Splendour Tailored Tours, for example, creates luxury private tours with a focus on Sydney and its surrounds, including the Hunter Valley wine region, the Blue Mountains, and NSW's South Coast. Tours are led by specialised guides, each with expertise. So, if you book a foodie tour of Sydney's hottest restaurants, expect to be accompanied by a chef and restauranteur. In addition to trip planning, it even offers a child-minding service. It's no wonder that Splendour Tailored Tours has become the go-to for VIPs visiting Australia, including many A-list celebrities. It's not the only company providing these types of services.
The Tailor was started in the late '90s by Drew Kluska, an agronomist by trade. While working in Kenya, he fell in love with the tourism products that were experiential, and where travellers had the opportunity to interact directly with locals in an authentic way, such as staying on a multi-generation farm. Identifying a gap in the market back home, he decided to start a company with that same underlying ethos in Australia.
"We create authentic experiences curated for each individual inquiry that we get," explains Kirsty Siekmann, CEO of the Tailor. "It's really about what we call surprise and delight. People give you a little snippet of what they want to do, then we really run with it and try to exceed their expectations." Now in business for nearly 25 years, The Tailor is a luxury travel expert. Guests contact the company and speak with a travel designer, who helps them hone in on their interests and the types of experiences they're seeking. Then, the Tailor takes care of creating a hand-crafted itinerary, including arranging accommodation, transportation, and meals. In the case of guided itineraries, the trips are led by hand-picked local guides or Kluska himself.
"Our team has extensive knowledge and creativity," says Siekmann. "The best thing for us is to get an email from clients saying, 'You've created lifelong memories for our whole family.' We try to exceed expectations every day."