Isabella Ross

Channel 9’s hit show Travel Guides is set to grace our screens in late 2020! Sydney Observer got the chance to chat with two of the guides, retired couple Kevin and Janetta, who are experienced travellers with lots of travel tips to share.

What has been your favourite trip taken with Travel Guides?

Janetta – In series one we did Oman in the Middle East.It’s really interesting because a lot of people base their holiday plans on the show. We feel we have a responsibility then to be quite honest.

Kevin – I’d always wanted to do a European River Cruise and in the last series we did that. We also really liked Israel; it was quite a surprise.

How about your least favourite?

Kevin – If you’ve seen the series you would know that I hate camping. My least favourite would have been the camping one we did in the Northern Territory. Love the destination, just not the accommodation.  

Janetta – What I hate is if they put us in any backpacker accommodation. Anything that is less than three stars doesn’t work for me. However, in saying that, when we stayed in Vietnam with Travel Guides, that was three-star and we loved it! The destination that really didn’t do it for me was the Philippines, I think it has a long way to go.

Kevin, one of my favourite lines of yours on the show is, ‘people who say they won’t go on cruises shouldn’t be allowed to have holidays.’ Is this still a sentiment of yours?

Kevin – Cruising gives you so many options and I do get a little bit annoyed at people who say, ‘I would rather get a fork in my eye than go on a cruise,’ yet they have never tried it. However, the three words, ‘Kids Eat Free’, translate in our language to ‘Don’t Stay Here.’

I can imagine that any future travel plans are now up in the air due to the Coronavirus?

Kevin – Everything is precarious – I’m not even sure if ‘up in the air’ can be used as a reference now! It’s just a bit tumultuous, and we don’t know the impact it will have globally.

What is a destination that you have never visited but would like to?

Kevin – I want to go to Scotland, and drive around the British Isles.

Janetta – I would like to spend more time in Spain. Each country has so many places to see rather than just one city. That’s why you can go back to a country again and again and still have new experiences.

Kevin – One of my favourite cities in the world is Sydney. We go up there from Victoria any opportunity we can.

Janetta – When you get the train from the airport into the city, and you come out at Circular Quay Train Station and then you have the Harbour Bridge and Opera House there – it doesn’t get any better than that! Sydneysiders can often take the beauty of their city for granted.

To keep up to date on Kevin and Janetta and Travel Guides visit https://www.9now.com.au/travel-guides