Heather Budd

I cannot thank Heather Budd enough for making our Anniversary trip to Hawaii so perfectly tailored to us! We wanted to experience the best of Hawaii, in a relaxing way, and she picked the best resort with a perfect balance of activities and beach days to lounge and relax.

Heather suggested The Westin as our temporary home away from home in Hawaii and it was outstanding. The staff truly embrace the Aloha spirit and are especially kind and helpful in every way. From the smiling housekeepers with their cheerful "Alohas", the kind young men who set up our beach chairs and umbrella in the morning, to the very helpful concierge, all made sure your stay was pleasant. They went above and beyond and brought us the most gorgeous tropical flowers in celebration of our 35th Anniversary - what an amazing surprise! I have no doubt it was Heather who informed The Westin of our Anniversary celebration, and I was very touched by her thoughtfulness and kindness.

The helicopter ride Heather recommended was exhilarating and was the best way to see the most spectacular views of Hawaii’s volcanoes and valleys, along with many waterfalls. After the helicopter ride, we enjoyed our Sunset Photography Session with Capture Aloha at DT Fleming Beach. Lisa, the photographer (owner), met us there and made us feel like honeymooners again. We had not had photos taken since our wedding and were a little awkward, but Lisa made us feel special on our Anniversary Day. She also kindly drove us back to The Westin after the photoshoot. She sent us one "Sneak Peek" photo, and we are looking forward to getting our digital photos in about a week. For our Anniversary dinner, Heather recommended Leilanis and made sure we were in a cozy, quiet little corner on the second floor overlooking the ocean. The food was delicious; our waitress was sweet and attentive and took our picture to celebrate our special day.

The private jeep Jungle Tour on the Road to Hana, Heather recommended was AMAZING!!! The Road to Hana was very narrow and with more curves than you could imagine next to steep cliffs, and we were happy to sit back and let Alec do all the driving! We learned Alec has been doing this for about 30 years and was so knowledgeable about the area. We enjoyed his stories immensely as we traveled the Road to Hana. He tailored our trip to us and took us hiking through the bamboo forest and many "hidden" waterfalls off the beaten path. He also bought us a snack and later lunch at a quaint local "Halfway to Hana" family roadside stop.

The Sunset Cruise was particularly relaxing, with very heavy appetizers, that was more than enough for a dinner, with a yummy Mai Tai (that I grew to love on Maui!). The captain asked if we wanted to see some whales (even though it was getting towards the end of whale season) and took us to a special place where we were treated to "whale blows" and saw some whale fins playing about - we also were treated to a spinning dolphin who jumped well out of the water! We were lucky to end the day with a beautiful orange/red sunset.

Sadly, the weather didn't cooperate for the Sunrise on Mount Haleakala, as the sun did not make an appearance, but even the amazing Heather cannot control the tropical Hawaiian weather! We all watched patiently and expectantly as we saw a wee bit of orange peeking through the clouds, but unfortunately the clouds won out that day. It was a long trip up the mountain, with pick up at 2:15 am, we arrived a little before 5:00 am to get a front row view of the Majestic Sunrise. It was 30 degrees up there and with the wind, it was VERY cold. The tour provided fleece-lined ponchos with hoods to help with the cold, which was very much welcomed! While the sun didn't make an appearance, I do get to say that I was at the very highest point in Maui at 10,000 feet! The breakfast on the way home was at an old Sugar Plantation, which was beautiful and historical - so that was also a plus.

Overall, we had never used a Travel Agent before, and Heather Budd far exceeded our expectations in planning our 35th Anniversary trip to Hawaii! Her patience and quick response in answering each of the many e-mails was remarkable. The care and knowledge she showed in selecting the best flight, resort and every activity was tailored just to us. There were so many options for activities to choose from, can be overwhelming, but Heather helped to reassure that the Vendors were well vetted, which helped the process immensely. You could tell that she really wanted to make this trip special for us.

Thanks again Heather, for an Anniversary vacation with memories that will last a lifetime!

Heather was extremely knowledgeable and helpful booking our trip to Rome and Berlin.

As for our travel planner Heather—she’s a total gem. I’m an event planner and she’s helped many of my clients before, but this was my first time using her for a personal trip and she crushed it. From walking us through resort options to sharing honest, helpful feedback, she was incredibly responsive and lovely to work with.

The only hiccup was our return airport transfer didn’t show (the company claimed they did, but nope). Heather immediately jumped in to help resolve it, though we ended up grabbing a cab ourselves. Not her fault, and she handled it like a pro.

All in all—five stars across the board. This trip was unforgettable and Heather made it all so easy. Can’t wait to book the next one!

Heather is the best! I don't foresee booking any trip without her.