Travel Company | VetSetters

Our Story

After years of career burnout, compassion fatigue and one night shift too many, we founded VetSetters in 2024 as a way to combine our two loves of veterinary and adventure travel.

As travel has become more commodified with the growth of the booking website, we really felt there was a under-served need for a travel agency that's embedded in its customer base – one that customers can trust to guide them through adventures big and small, and that deeply understands what it's like to be them.

We knew that, in order to serve our clients in the way we wanted to, VetSetters had to basically take over our lives. Which meant no other income. Taking the leap into starting a business from nothing - with no safety net or part-time jobs in the background – was both incredibly daunting and necessary.

Having been a customer on the receiving end of corporate bureaucracy, soulless chatbots and one-size-fits-all service, we wanted to be a business that cares. One that actually cares about customer experience. One that cares about every single one of our clients on a personal level. One that cares about making a positive impact on wildlife and the environment. One that cares about putting people and planet above profit.

We strongly believe that travel is, and always will be, ineffably human. And – in the veterinary profession – we're a bunch of humans that see the world (figuratively and literally) in a certain way.

Our Values

Always ones for keeping things simple, we've distilled our business down to one foundational guiding principle. Everything we do boils down to care. It's so important to us that this comes through in everything that we do, and we love finding new ways to show it:

Care for our planet:

Driving positive impact through education on sustainable travel, taking part in conservation work and supporting wonderful charity projects across the world.

Care for our profession:

For every booking we make, we donate money to Vetlife.

Care for our clients:

Care for our clients: we focus on taking the time and effort to understand you and to make both your trip and your entire experience with us perfect.

Care for what we sell:

Our quality bar is extremely high – we’ll only sell hotels and activities whose quality we can stand behind

Care about travel:

We’re so incredibly passionate about the power of travel to enrich lives. Care here means carefully choosing the very best products, suppliers and partners across the world, as well as doing our bit to drive progress across the travel industry.

At the risk of sounding cliché, our aim is to design travel that moves you. Whether it's taking the kids on safari and seeing their jaws drop on seeing their first African sunrise, being part of something important on a community conservation project or simply losing yourself in a kaleidoscopic blend of novelty that only travel can provide; nature, food, art, architecture, history, wildlife and culture.

We're incredibly passionate about travel being a force for good in the world. That's why we're a Founding Member of the Responsible Travel Advisor Collective: a non-profit organisation devoted to the advocacy and advancement of responsible, sustainable travel. Directly and indirectly, local and global, specific and general; we've built sustainability into everything that we do as a business.

Wherever you go with us; it's personal.

For all its many benefits, travel can be scary, complicated and overwhelming. We believe there's no substitute for having a trusted advisor in your corner offering real-life insights, personalised guidance and empathetic support.

That's why you'll never ever find yourself talking in circles with chatbots or taking restaurant advice from something that can't even taste.

Why book with us

At a time when AI can produce an itinerary in seconds, travel agents are everywhere and booking online has never been easier – it's a fair question to ask.

We get you

As veterinary professionals, we share a common tribe. We know what life looks like in practice; the challenges, the emotional fatigue and the incredible people with you in the trenches that get you through. We're those people, and you'll always be one of us – never a number. We start from a common background and values, and from there zoom in until we understand you in a way that no website ever could.

We care

About our planet. About travelling thoughtfully. About our profession. About you. Whether we're spending that extra time to take your holiday from 99% to 100% perfect or raising money for Vetlife, care is at the heart of everything we do.

You'll get insider access

We've got close, personal relationships with lodges, hotels, guides, national parks, group leaders and more – all over the world. This means that, when you book with us, you can get experiences that are not for sale. Imagine getting in an hour early to have a museum all to yourself. Or a sneaky extra night drive in that national park.

You can actually relax

Especially for us in the veterinary profession – we who stay late to write up notes after a 15hr night shift – holidays really shouldn't have to be hard work. You're not taking a week off just to stress about flight times, activity schedules or whether the kids are going to be catered for. When you outsource this to us, we'll make the logistical gymnastics seamless so you can go with the flow.

You'll have peace of mind

We're covered and so are you. When you book with us, the trip you pay for is what you'll get, and the price you pay is the price you'll pay. No unexpected changes. If a supplier fails or a flight gets cancelled, we'll make all the arrangements to get you sorted – no stress, hassle or cost for you.

We're obsessed with travel

Making your adventure as perfect as possible is something we genuinely love to do. We literally spend all day, every day doing it! Nothing lights us up like crafting a really special adventure – one that we know is going to blow your mind, expand your horizons and leave lasting memories. Travel that moves you isn't about ticking off locations like a to-do list. Travel is about feeling. How you feel when you crest a ridge and see mountain gorillas looking back at you. How you feel eating home-cooked food and swapping stories at a homestay in Nepal.