Luxury travel is about having the time and opportunity to do something you wouldn’t normally get to do. A beautiful place to stay certainly helps, but the experiences around it are often what make you want to go back.
So, how can you make those luxury experiences a bigger part of your next trip?
Discover a destination more deeply
It’s easy to visit somewhere without really getting to know it, particularly if you only have a few days. Booking time with a local guide can help you get beneath the surface and find places you might otherwise walk straight past.
You could explore a less familiar neighbourhood or visit a workshop to meet local craftspeople. If you’re in Kyoto, for example, you might spend an afternoon learning about traditional crafts rather than trying to squeeze several major sights into the same day.
You’ll usually get more from the experience if you think about what interests you before you book. Tell your guide that you love architecture, food or local history and they can shape the day around the things you’ll genuinely enjoy.
Make food part of the adventure
Before you go, spend a little time looking into the local cuisine so you know which dishes or ingredients you want to try. The BBC Food cuisines guide is a useful starting point for exploring food from different parts of the world and getting a feel for what you might find while you’re away.
Once you’re there, look beyond the main tourist areas. A family-run restaurant or small vineyard can give you a better sense of how people actually eat locally.
Combine luxury with meaningful exploration
A luxury trip can give you the best of both worlds: somewhere comfortable to come back to and plenty of opportunities to get out and explore.
A cruise can work particularly well if you want to visit several places without constantly packing your suitcase. Some Regent Seven Seas Cruises include shore excursions with experiences, ranging from sightseeing to tours centred around local communities.
When you’re comparing luxury trips, have a look at what you can actually do while you’re there rather than focusing entirely on your room or the facilities.
Prioritise personal experiences
What feels special to one traveller could leave another completely cold. If you love art, you might happily spend your money on a private studio visit. If you’re more interested in wildlife, you may prefer to put that budget towards a specialist guide who knows where to look and can explain what you’re seeing.
Start with something you’ve always wanted to do and build part of the holiday around it. That could mean seeing whales off Iceland or visiting an archaeological UNESCO site with someone who knows its history.
You don’t have to fill every day with big experiences, either. Choose the ones that mean something to you and leave enough time to enjoy where you are.
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