Traveling with Bespoke Journeys can take care of all your travel needs.
Traveling has been difficult over the past few years. In one way or another, we have all felt the impact. From the canceled flights to the changing entry requirements, there have been a considerable amount of issues to navigate. Luckily, Bonaire has a new travel agency in town ready to assist in all of your travel needs called Bespoke Journeys. With 30 plus years of experience, Bespoke Journeys is prepared to plan your ultimate dream vacation.
Mandy Buttenshaw from Bespoke Journeys and her husband, Jason, relocated to Bonaire during the pandemic. Since Mandy’s job revolves around travel, it was only a matter of time before they visited Bonaire. Like many people, it was love at first sight upon arrival to dushi Bonaire. Little did they know that visiting Bonaire for the first time in 2019 on a diving vacation would completely change their lives for the better.
Meet Mandy and Jason Buttenshaw.
Mandy, originally from Australia, and Jason, originally from England, first met in Fairfax, Virginia, where Mandy was volunteering as an EMT while working full time as a Travel Agent. Jason was a lieutenant and paramedic at the fire department at the time. Soon after they met, they fell in love and have traveled the world together ever since.
As they planned adventure after adventure, Mandy and Jason kept coming across articles about Bonaire’s stunning shore diving opportunities. At the time, they only had experience with boat dives, and the shore diving aspect piqued their interest. Shore diving was appealing not only because it was something new and exciting, but they were able to dive when and where they wanted without being on a schedule.
Soon after they arrived, Mandy and Jason realized that Bonaire felt like a place where they could settle down. The weather is always 80F degrees, it’s outside of the Hurricane Belt, and the water temperature is between 78 and 83F year-round, with excellent visibility up to 100ft. They envisioned relaxing shore dives and watching stunning sunsets year-round. Of course, they did not expect to move quite so soon to Bonaire!
Moving to Bonaire during a pandemic was quite an experience!
At the beginning of the pandemic, Mandy was hard at work helping people get home. After that, business was quiet. COVID-19 has made people reassess many things in their lives, including Mandy and Jason. After some thought, they decided it was the perfect time to make a bold move and relocate to Bonaire. The idea of living where people vacation was appealing for Mandy, especially when shore diving could easily fit around her schedule. It ended up being the perfect scenario since travel agents are always working. Jason was also ready for a change of pace and scenery after 23 years with the Fire Department.
Moving to another country can be daunting, let alone moving during a pandemic! Mandy and Jason didn’t let that stop them. Once they decided, they sold their house, packed their belongings, and moved to dushi Bonaire. Their biggest challenge was moving their three dogs to Bonaire during a time with COVID-19 was causing significant hassles with the airlines. Nevertheless, they had a plan and managed to make it work.
After moving to Bonaire, Mandy and Jason have settled into the laidback island lifestyle.
Mandy has continued to work full time with Bespoke Journeys, a company focused on traveling to Bonaire and assisting residents of Bonaire to reach their travel destinations. Bespoke Journeys organizes global travel, specializing in Bonaire, dive travel, charter liveaboards, escorted groups, group travel, and school groups. Mandy has planned itineraries worldwide with over 30 years of experience, including dive groups and individual vacations to and from Bonaire. Traveling with Bespoke Journeys offers people a customized dream vacation within their budget and provides them with expert recommendations.
“I’ve been traveling since I was 17 and have been in the travel industry for over 30 years. There is nothing better than helping other people explore the globe as I have. I’m grateful that I have combined my travel passion with my job at Bespoke Journeys. It’s not a chore. Some people hate travel planning, but I love it. With Bespoke Journeys, I will continue helping people realize their vacation dreams in my travel agent role. I can’t imagine ever giving that up. Travel is in my blood.” – Mandy Buttenshaw
Jason decided to chase his passion for scuba diving and became a dive instructor on Bonaire. Instead of dealing with fires all day, his new job is located underwater as a dive instructor at a local dive shop.
“I find diving a very rewarding experience. Underwater is a whole other world just waiting to be explored. Every time you dive, it’s different. You never know what marine life you’ll come across.”- Jason Buttenshaw
Traveling is their passion.
Mandy Buttenshaw has been traveling the world since she was 17 and has been in the travel industry for over 30 years. She loves diving, spending time with friends and family, watching sunsets, and planning people’s dream vacations through Bespoke Journeys.
Jason Buttenshaw has been traveling since his early 20’s while working on cruise ships. He loves diving, diving, and more diving! Of course, he also loves spending time with friends and family, playing with their dogs, eating good food, bird watching, and chilling on a tropical island.
