About Us

The three founders of Original Travel leave the City, the Army and Fleet Street and the Big Short Break is born.

Tim Simond, property mogul, handsome devil and soon-to-be best-selling author, decides he needs a break from the rat race and starts researching Dive in Style.

After lots of travel and lots of 'hard work', Tim Simond publishes Dive in Style. It goes on to sell over 50,000 copies and is translated into six languages. Original Travel starts offering diving...

Not to be outdone, Original Travel turns publisher, launching the Big Short Break coffee table book. Oh, and wins Best Tour Operator at the Guardian/Observer Travel Awards.

Tim Simond starts feeling like he just hasn't travelled enough so decides to write another Dive in Style. It really is a hard life.

The second edition of Dive in Style is published and Neill Ghosh makes a rash decision to leave his job and help launch and run Dive in Style, the tour operator.

As the company grows, so does what we offer and we rebrand as Original Diving. Now the Original brands are one big happy family.

We're still here, nearly five years on, and still growing strong. Selling our holidays in the UK, America, Spain, France...here's to the next five years and beyond!

We move into a shiny new office in Putney to accommodate the ever bigger and better team, which now numbers 50.

Two of Europe's best tailor-made travel companies join forces as French tour operator Voyageurs du Monde takes a strategic stake in Original Travel and Original Diving. Expect even better service and destination expertise.

We introduce a range of additional services, including our global network of Concierges, fast track through airport check-in and security, and access to airport lounges - all as standard on every trip.

Our expertise goes from strength to strength as our head of Original Diving is officially named a Travel + Leisure expert on diving. Meanwhile, we're listed in the 'Top Tour Operators' category in the 2019 Condé Nast Traveller's Reader's Choice Awards with over 600,000 readers voting.

In the toughest imaginable year for the travel industry, we launch our new Travel Less, Travel Better ethos because travel should be a force for good. Elsewhere, a fab four of the Original Travel team are featured in the 2020 Conde Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialists list, celebrating the finest in the field of travel.

Original Travel turns 18! Thank you to all the clients who have helped us come of age. We wouldn't be where we are without you. There's more good news because we contribute no fewer than five experts to the annual and illustrious Conde Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialists list. That's more than any other UK travel company.

Travel makes a long-awaited comeback, and travel writers, editors and readers vote us one of The Times and Sunday Times Travel Awards top ten Luxury Tour Operators, and Conde Nast Traveller's Readers' Choice winners as well.

Break out the champagne! Original Travel reaches the grand old age of 20. By way of celebration, we contribute no less than 13 expert consultants to the Conde Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialists list. Not just the most of any UK travel company, but any travel company anywhere. Testament to the unparalleled expertise within the team.