Esther Ru Bay

Lovely to meet you

For over 20 years, I’ve had the incredible privilege of helping people explore the world. From weekend getaways to once-in-a-lifetime journeys, I’ve sent travelers to every corner of the globe—each trip teaching me something new and deepening my passion for travel planning.

What I love most is working with people to craft experiences that go far beyond just itineraries and bookings. Whether it’s a romantic escape, a family adventure, a cultural deep dive, or a soul-searching solo trip, I take the time to understand what matters most to you. Together, we create meaningful, memorable journeys that you’ll carry with you for a lifetime.

In the past few years, the travel landscape has changed dramatically. Flight disruptions, evolving health regulations, and new requirements have made things more complicated than ever. But with experience comes adaptability. We've become experts at staying ahead of the curve—navigating changes with confidence, keeping you informed, and ensuring your plans stay on track no matter what.

My goal is simple: to take the stress out of travel so you can focus on the joy of discovery. From the moment we start planning to the moment you return home, I’m here to make your experience smooth, enjoyable, and truly unforgettable.

Travel might be more complex today—but that’s exactly why having someone in your corner makes all the difference. Let’s plan something amazing.

Esther

My favourite holiday memories

Dubai

Dubai was a great family stopover. It was eye opening for the kids and not like anything they had ever experienced. The highlight was the evening desert safari; dune bashing, sunset drinks, camel riding, sand boarding, henna tattoos followed by dinner and shows in a Bedouin camp. What is not to like!
Albufeira

Portugal was a great multi gen option for our family. Beach, sun cobble stones, white coastal buildings and markets make Albufeira in Portugal a great place to relax, soak up the sun and have some quality family time.
Buren

Born and raised in Holland I still find new things to do, this time it was an amazing race around the historic town of Buren to find out all about its history. When in Amsterdam a canal boat trip is a must.
Grand Canyon

Travelling the west coast of the USA with my dad on a coach tour was one of my best trips and a great way to spend quality time together and make some lifelong memories. The highlight was the helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon. The best way to see the Grand Canyon is from the air. This gives you a perspective of massive it is - longer than the length of the Netherlands!
Banff

All I can say is WOW, what an amazing part of the world. The Jasper to Banff drive should take 3 hors but it took us all day. We stopped for short walks to waterfalls, incredibly blue lakes, ice fields and to watch a mother bear with her cubs on the side of the road. There is so much to explore, I could go back to see things we have missed.
Sri Lanka - Small Group Tour

Sri Lanka is such a diverse country. From local fish and vege markets to temples, and hikes to old palaces to a safari to see elephants in the wild. Every day we were excited because we knew we would be experiences 2- 4 different things in a day. To have the local guide really took the experience to the next level because it meant we knew the history and the meaning of the places with visited. It was a real adventure.

Creating better holidays

Whatever your travel dreams, I will work with you to create the best holiday possible. The holidays I specialise in include:

Small Ship Cruising - Cruising is for me is one of the ulitmate holidays. You get to experience different cities and countries without having to pack your bags. It is good value for money and easy to budget your trip. You just need to make sure you get on a ship that is right for you. Im a CLIA Cruise Masters so have done all the training as well as a personal experience to be in the top Top 20 Cruise Consultants in New Zealand.
Family Travel - I have 2 kids and my goal is to take them on a family holiday every year. This might just be 4 of us or we try to meet the grandparent and/or other family somewhere in the world for a holiday. It opens their eyes to the world and broaden their horizon. It also creates family memories they will have for life!
Group Travel - Small group travel is the ideal between independent travel and big coach touring. You get a local guide who can give you so much more information and insight to the local culture than what you can find out on your own, as well as take you to places off the beaten track. To experience new things in a group setting just heightens the excitement.
Cycling
Hiking Walking
Adventure
Coach Touring
Expedition Cruising
Ocean Cruising
River Cruising
Couples Travel
Disney Holidays
Luxury Travel
Road Trips
Solo Travel
Train Journeys

Some of the destinations I have explored

What my customers have to say

Esther Ru Bay has been our family travel agent for around 15 years. She is extremely professional and goes above and beyond when booking our family holidays, to set us up for the best possible experiences. Esther is easy to communicate with and very efficient. I highly recommend her.

Louise
Thanks so much, you did an excellent job organising our trip away. It went smoothly. We all had delays in leaving Auckland airport, but it wasn't a problem. We had a long stop in Hawai'i so even with the delays we did'nt miss our next flight. All our covid paperwork was sorted beforehand thanks to you letting us know what we needed. The Edison hotel and Embassy Suites were fantastic, we'd highly recommend them both. We all enjoyed the time away. Everything went well and I appreciate your quick responses to my last minute emails. Thank you for once again organizing a wonderful holiday for us all!

Cherie
Thank you so very much Esther! Can't say how grateful we are that you have been able to help us and give us somewhere to stay at Christmas! All our ESTAS have come through now so yay!

Sandra
We just wanted to say thank you again for all your help and support in re-arranging our travel plans due to the Auckland floods. Even though we were only in Sydney it was amazing how stressful this situation was and you guys really made us feel supported every step of the way. The communication and customer service provided by you was impeccable and we could not have asked for anything better. You guys were amazing, thank you so much.

Kylie
Esther RuBay has been our family travel agent for around 15 years. She is extremely professional and goes above & beyond when booking our family holidays, to set us up for the best possible experiences. Esther is easy to communicate with & very efficient. I highly recommend her.

Louise

My travel stories

Postcard from Seven Seas Explorer

Esther Ru Bay

Regent Seven Seas is all-inclusive and when they say all-inclusive the mean all-inclusive. We spent 6 nights on the ship and had a $0 bill at the end of the trip. It includes all restaurants on the ship, your drinks around the ship and in your minibar, shore excursions and laundry.