Mark Linn Travel & Cruise Consultant

I’m originally from Dallas,Texas. While living in America, most of my experiences were holidays with my family. As I became “addicted” to travel, I started to venture to destinations such as New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Hawaii.  I’m a true Texan at heart and encourage tourists who visit the USA to put Texas on their itinerary. The state’s unique history, sights and friendly people make it a do-not-miss destination when travelling across the country.

Before moving to Australia, I lived in Tokyo for seven years where I taught English as a second language to Japanese people. In my free time, I travelled all over Japan so I could experience all the country had to offer. I met my Australian wife in Japan and moved to Adelaide with her in 2007 which is when I began my career in the travel industry. I joined Phil Hoffmann Travel in June 2015.

When travelling, I love to see all the well-known sights. If I go to a new city, I have to see everything that makes that place famous and if I miss something, I feel like the trip is incomplete! I love being surprised by something I never knew existed, whether it’s a historical place, story or fact.

travel tips

• My biggest travel tip is to research where you are going BEFORE you go! Don’t just rely on the guides or try to “wing it” when you get there. Find out what the Top 10 things to see and do are in the city or country you are going to then plan to see and do them - nothing feels worse than finding out you didn’t know about something until you got home because you didn’t do your research. There may never be a “next time”!   

How many countries have you travelled to:  

20+

How long have you been in the travel industry:

20 years total this year: 2 years in US and 18 so far in Oz

Favourite destination you have travelled to:

I usually say my most recent trip was my favourite: in 2024, I did a huge river cruise trip from Regensberg, Germany to Vienna, to Budapest,, then  returned to Germany and did a big tour of the whole country, visiting Munich, Berlin, Hamberg, Nuremberg, among other cities.   I was also able to take my wife this time, so that made it more special.   

Most memorable travel experience:

Tanzania:  Visited the Serengeti. Marvelled at the “Big 5” but can remember how excited I was to see a single zebra and wildebeest. I realized later how many I would actually see so I started to save my excitement for elephants, giraffes, rhinos, lions, and other big animals.

India:  Visiting the Taj Mahal was an amazing experience!! 

Biggest travel tip: 2 tips:  

1. Learn to say a few words of local language.  “Thank you”, “hello”, “good-bye”, etc.  People around the world can speak English usually, but it gives a more welcoming approach to be able to say hello natively. 

2. Understand the currency.  How many zeros in the local currency equivalent to $1 AUD.  I had a friend in Vietnam pay $80 for something that cost $8! He didn’t bother to check the exchange rates and familiarize himself with the local cash! 

What is your bucket list destination and why?  

I have 4: Brazil/Argentina, Spain/ Portugal, South Africa and Egypt.  I want to explore more around these regions, but can’t stand the thought of visiting one country, and not its neighbouring country.  For South Africa, I want to do a safari again, and for Egypt, to see the Pyramids.