About Us

Life is in the detail

We are the only luxury travel company dedicated to creating original, bespoke diving holidays.

Our approach differs from other travel companies; we are a group of dedicated divers, marine biologists and travellers who take a creative approach to tailoring luxury diving holidays.

Image of Jacqui Brooks

We focus on you

Jacqui Brooks, Original Diver

We focus on understanding what you want from your holiday, from trips centred entirely around diving to holidays with the odd dive included here and there. No matter your level of dive experience and knowledge, we will tailor the perfect holiday to your requirements using a thoughtful approach, focused on the small details that make a big difference.

  • Pick up the phone or drop us an email to discover more
  • Pay us a visit for a cup of tea and a chat
  • Or we can come to you, equipped with maps and unique ideas

We remove the stress from travel planning

Eleanor Seagle, Original Diver

Our aim is to make sure every detail of your holiday is planned to perfection by working with you to hone and finesse your itinerary to your exact requirements, from ensuring logistics like transfers and guides run like clockwork to giving you access to experiences the average traveller wouldn't find. So you can sit back, relax and enjoy your Original Diving holiday.

  • You will receive a beautifully crafted itinerary containing all of your travel documents, all you need to do is bring your passport

We’re here for you from start to finish

Emily Chappell, Original Diver

We're here for you for every step of the journey, whether you need last-minute tips during your trip, or in the unlikely event something unexpected happens, we have a 24 hour helpline.

Our Story

Eighteen years old and counting (sort of, if you count Original Travel, our parent company). Find out how we got where we are today.

2003

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

2004
Picture of Tim Simond

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.

2006

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...

2007

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.

2008

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.

2010

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.

2012

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

2014

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!

  • 2003
  • 2004
  • 2006
  • 2007
  • 2008
  • 2010
  • 2012
  • 2014

Who we are

We're seasoned travellers who combine our personal insights and exceptional knowledge to create memorable trips and experiences.

Emily Chappell

View Emily Chappell

Eleanor Seagle

View Eleanor Seagle

Alexandra Hsiu Chu Hill

View Alexandra Hsiu Chu Hill
Image of Tom Barber

Tom Barber

View Tom Barber
Image of Jacqui Brooks

Jacqui Brooks

View Jacqui Brooks

Emily Dundas

View Emily Dundas
Image of Kate Little

Kate Little

View Kate Little

Oliver Rodwell

View Oliver Rodwell

Interested in working with us?

Diver in Micronesia

A different kind of workplace

A Different Kind of Workplace: Our dynamic team now numbers 60 in a lovely office in Putney, London. We take enormous pride in our team, and go to great lengths to engender their pride in the business.

We currently aren't recruiting for any positions.

WARNING: EMPLOYMENT SCAM
Original Travel and Original Diving (together 'Original Travel') have become aware that members of the public are receiving emails which contain fraudulent employment opportunities with Original Travel. We are taking appropriate legal action. These emails often contain fake offers of employment requesting personal information or payment to process a job application or payment to process visas. Please note that Original Travel never requests payment or fees for the processing of job applications.

How to recognise a fraudulent offer of employment?
Original Travel email addresses always end in "@originaltravel.co.uk or @originaldiving.com" Our recruitment department will never email you from personal email accounts such as Hotmail, Yahoo or Gmail. All genuine Original Travel vacancies are advertised on our About Us page. Original Travel will always conduct an interview process before determining a suitable candidate for a job vacancy. Therefore, offers of employment without any form of interview are most likely to be a fraudulent offer. Original Travel never requests payment or fees for job applications.

If you have never applied for a job vacancy with Original Travel or via a reputable recruitment agency, you should be cautious of random emails offering you employment.

Discover what makes us different

Our thoughtful team of knowledgeable dive experts are here to take care of every need, from the second you contact us to when you return

  • Efficient and friendly service
  • Flexible and hassle free
  • Passionate, honest experts
  • Value and prices
  • Unparalleled support
  • Don’t just take our word for it

What makes us different?