Mike Philson
Bel Aire, Kansas Travel Agent
World Travel Bucket List, an independent agent with Cruises & Tours, Unlimited, FL, a Travel Leaders Network Affiliate Agency
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Asia, Europe and River Cruise Specialist
After I went on my first cruise (western Caribbean) in 2009, I decided to utilize my background and experience in international education to help people plan their vacations and special events. I started out my career in international education as a Peace Corps Volunteer (in Fiji), so "service" is very important to me, and I try to provide that with all my clients. I have lived in Fiji, Thailand, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and have traveled to many other countries. I love sharing my travel adventures with others, and treasure it when a client returns from a fantastic trip that I helped arrange.
My most recent travels included Panama (service trip with Rotary), Galapagos Islands (amazing experience), the start of the Iditerod in Alaska, a wonderful wine-tasting river cruise down the Danube, a trip to Colombia, an eastern Caribbean cruise on the newest Norwegian ship, and a one-week European adventure to London, Paris, Strasbourg, and Amsterdam!
I know that planning travel can be very confusing with all the options available online these days, but that's my job: to help do the research FOR you and WITH you, and show you options that work for you and your traveling companions.
Student of languages and cultures
I would never dare to claim that I'm "fluent" in another language, but I'm happy to say that I've studied a number of languages and always enjoy learning more! In order, I have studied the following: Spanish (high school, and in the last year), German (undergrad school), Swedish (undergad school), Fijian (Peace Corps), Hindustani (Peace Corps), Mandarin Chinese (graduate school), Thai (graduate school), Japanese (work), and Korean (work).
My Areas of Expertise
LANGUAGES
English
English
First Time Overseas!
Reviewed By Paula - Kansas City, MO | Traveled to Germany ~ Europe
Mike is very courteous and responsive. I tried to plan this trip for months for me and my daughter and struggled with the details. Going through Mike took all the frustration away so we could focus on simply enjoying the trip, knowing everything was already figured out for us.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Mike Philson responded:
It was a pleasure working with you on this trip, Paula!
It was a pleasure working with you on this trip, Paula!
25 of 34 people found this review helpful
A light in darkness
Reviewed By Kayla - Wichita, KS | Traveled to
This was my first cruise and I had no idea what to look for or how to plan. Mike made it so easy and kept a eye out to save money where we could. He was there to answer any silly question I might have even if I had already asked. He gave great suggestions and in general gave me peace of mind while far away from home. I've recommend him to other co-workers and friends and I know I'll look to him as I start my journey to new places!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
28 of 54 people found this review helpful
Best trip ever
Reviewed By Travelbug - Chicago, IL | Traveled to Europe
Loved our trip - perfectly tailored to what we wanted and Mike helped manage multiple flight cancellations at the beginning of the trip seamlessly so we were able to still make our cruise!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Mike Philson responded:
It's always a pleasure deaing with such fantastic clients! Hopefully we will be arranging many new adventures in the future!
It's always a pleasure deaing with such fantastic clients! Hopefully we will be arranging many new adventures in the future!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Excallen Responsice Service
Reviewed By RenoJon - Reno, NV | Traveled to Colombia ~ South America
Mike was responsive to my emails and phone calls. Mike and I are in the same Rotary Club and the trip to Colombia was not booked with Mike. However, he provided me with information, and did book an airport to hotel transfer. The next time I do international travel, Mike will be the first travel agency that I will contact.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Excellent Rotary trip
Reviewed By Norma - Pompano Beach, Florida | Traveled to Colombia ~ South America
He was able to handle all of my requirements.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Cruise
Reviewed By Mike - Maple Plain, MN | Traveled to Miami ~ Florida ~ USA
Went out of his way to help
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Relaxing Cruise
Reviewed By Sandy - Wichita KS | Traveled to Cozumel ~ Quintana Roo ~ Mexico
Mike is very easy to work with!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Family Time
Reviewed By Sandy - Bel Aire, KS | Traveled to Bahamas ~ Caribbean
Mike was very easy to work with, even with Covid concerns.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Mike Philson responded:
Thanks, Sandy...It was a pleasure working with you and your family to navigate all the restrictions, and I'm happy that it worked out for your vacation. Hopefully we can continue working together on future trips, and maybe there'll be fewer roadblocks in the future!!
Thanks, Sandy...It was a pleasure working with you and your family to navigate all the restrictions, and I'm happy that it worked out for your vacation. Hopefully we can continue working together on future trips, and maybe there'll be fewer roadblocks in the future!!
1 of 4 people found this review helpful
Shares years of travel tips that make the journey easier
Reviewed By Lookin Ahead - Salina, KS | Traveled to
Mike is definitely the agent to consult when planning a trip. He was able to combine years of travel and living abroad when planning my trip for the best possible experience.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
36 of 77 people found this review helpful
Anniversary trip
Reviewed By Linda - Valley Center, Ks | Traveled to Costa Rica ~ Central America
Mike was extremely easy to work with. We told him what we were interested in, although we hadn't decided for sure, and he offered good suggestions and advice. I believe he saved us several hundred dollars over the airfare we had found on our own.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
14 of 34 people found this review helpful
Eastern Europe Adventure
Reviewed By Shelly - Salina, Kansas | Traveled to Europe
Mike was extremely helpful in planning our trip. He arranged our river cruise on the Danube from Budapest to Vienna, as well as provided useful options for our independent travel through the Czech Republic, Germany, and the Netherlands. Thanks to Mike, we were able to purchase online tickets in advance to visit the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam. Mike checked in with us before we left, during our trip, and when we returned home. I feel like we have made new friends with Mike and his wife. We have shared Mike's contact information with friends and we plan to utilize his services again in the future.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Mike Philson responded:
It was a sincere pleasure working with both of you. I look forward to sitting down and chatting about all your adventures!
It was a sincere pleasure working with both of you. I look forward to sitting down and chatting about all your adventures!
24 of 56 people found this review helpful
Got to experience so many more things than I would have otherwise!
Reviewed By Claire - Ann Arbor, MI | Traveled to
Mike helped me arrange a trip to Europe over the holiday break. I only had a few days vacation so it is amazing looking back on the trip how much we experienced! He kept in close contact throughout the whole planning process and had great suggestions for places to stay, food to eat, and sights to see. He was instrumental in booking hotels within walking distance of either the main attractions we wanted to see in each place or a public transit system that could easily get us there. He also was great at tailoring the travel to my individual tastes and needs (e.g. finding excellent free walking tours in many countries.) He made traveling so easy and stress-free - I would highly recommend! Mike has a ton of experience living abroad and traveling in different countries, and it was very reassuring having someone so knowledgeable and committed to making my trip the best it could be.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
24 of 60 people found this review helpful
Best Honeymoon Ever
Reviewed By Shanyn - Moundridge, KS | Traveled to Ocho Rios ~ Jamaica ~ Caribbean
My husband and I loved Mike from the start! When we first met, he brought pamphlets from various places, but since he had been to so many, he was just able to tell us both the positive and negative things about each place. Once we decided on Jamaica, he sent us more information about different resorts there, telling us what was and wasn’t included at each one. We ended up choosing an all-inclusive Sandals resort. He made special arrangements for us that we wouldn’t have gotten if we booked online, such as champagne, celebratory cake, a free sunset cruise. We also got to try snorkeling, kayaking, and sailing, along with different types of food, such as authentic French, Italian, and Japanese, along with other food choices, which were all included in our package. When we got back, Mike sent us an email making sure everything went as planned. We were surprised that Mike took the time to reach out to us. I would highly recommend using Mike as a travel agent, no matter where you plan to go!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
29 of 75 people found this review helpful
A whirlwind tour that couldn't have been arranged on my own
Reviewed By Matt - Chicago, IL | Traveled to
After discovering that my family's combined schedules only allowed for a week-long vacation, I was very concerned about the feasibility of being able to travel abroad in that time span. However, thanks to Mike's thoughtful planning, we were able to squeeze in much more than I could have imagined! After communicating my concerns to him, he built out our itinerary to accommodate our available time and travel preferences. Our flight to London arrived in the morning to let us make the most of our stay, and our return flight departed in the late afternoon, so we wouldn't have to worry about oversleeping. All of our hotels were very quick and easy to reach with the available public transit, particularly important as none of us were bringing data-enabled smartphones! Also, our train schedules were clearly laid out, including reasonable amounts of time for the instances that we had to make any transfers. And finally, he provided some excellent recommendations on attractions to check out at each of our destinations. I really couldn't ask for any more! I'm already looking forward to the next vacation I can have Mike help set up for me!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
28 of 82 people found this review helpful