5 people to go the same place and have 1 experience. Why?

5 people go through a travel agent who books them the exact same holiday and experience. They all come back with the same story. 
There’s nothing wrong with wanting ease when it comes to booking our adventures. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with wanting holidays where it is pure relaxation and you don’t have to think about a single thing.  

But this type of travel isn’t for everyone. And that’s ok too. 

Like all of you, I am constantly bombarded (and sometimes intrigued) by the constant holiday deals and packages that are heavily promoted and shoved down our throats. The ‘One Size fits all’ packages. And while they help my constant desire of escapism from the 9-5 grind as I picture myself lying on a lounger by the beach, spritz in hand and being beckoned on my every call, I can’t help but want more than that when I go travelling. And I’m sure there are other people in my boat otherwise you wouldn’t be on my website reading this. Or you are reading this, disagreeing, while also lining up with a local travel agent booking the holiday deal you saw 20 times in promotional emails.  

But let me ask you something — when someone says “I went to Bali!” and you reply “No way, me too!” — wouldn’t it be nice if the next part of the conversation wasn’t you both nodding in unison about the same hotel breakfast buffet and awkward group yoga sessions with Steve from accounting? 

Wouldn’t it be cooler to say: “Oh yeah? I ended up getting invited to a local family’s birthday celebration in Ubud and learned how to make satay from scratch with a grandmother who didn’t speak a word of English but communicated entirely through eyebrow raises and laughter.” 

Now that is a story. 

See, the thing about truly unique travel experiences is they give you character. You become that friend — the one who always seems to end up in the most unexpected, wildly entertaining situations that no amount of TripAdvisor scrolling or tour booking can replicate. 

When you veer off the beaten path (even just a little), you start to discover a side of a country that no all-inclusive itinerary can capture. You meet people who aren’t wearing name badges or being paid to tell you how amazing the view is. You eat food that wasn’t designed to be universally liked, but instead, authentically local. You find yourself in tuk-tuks driven by someone’s uncle who has questionable steering skills but a heart of gold and a playlist full of 90s boy band hits. 

Let’s be real — the over-sanitised, heavily curated version of travel can be fun. Comfortable. Familiar. But it can also leave you feeling like you borrowed someone else’s vacation photos and just pasted your face onto them. It’s the difference between seeing a place and actually experiencing it. 

And let’s not forget the bragging rights. Your travel stories don’t just become “Yeah, we did the classic Amalfi Coast tour.” They become: “Well, we accidentally rented a boat from a man who we thought was a tour guide but turned out to just be an enthusiastic fisherman. Long story short, we now know how to gut a sea bass.” 

I’m not saying you need to travel with nothing but a backpack and a vague sense of direction (though, 10/10 would recommend at least once). But there’s something truly magical about designing your trip around your own curiosities and interests, rather than settling for a copy-and-paste itinerary that 4,000 other people just finished last week. 

So next time that cookie-cutter package deal slides into your inbox, just ask yourself: Do I want a holiday, or do I want an adventure worth talking about at dinner parties for the next five years? 

Spoiler alert: “All-you-can-eat buffet night” doesn’t have the same staying power as “I accidentally joined a local wedding in Sri Lanka and ended up being the unofficial photographer.” 

You deserve stories that no one else has. So go find them.