The Way I Travel (And Why)

I don't have one way of travelling. I choose how I travel based on the experience I want to have.

That's always my answer when someone asks me, "What kind of traveller are you?"

My philosophy

For me, travel has never been about ticking countries off a travel bucket list or staying at the most expensive hotel just because it's five stars. It's about creating the kind of trip I'll still be talking about years later.

I have to admit those capsule hotels in Tokyo came very close to convincing me to spend a night in one, purely for the experience. Equally, I've spent entire holidays at a resort and returned home without bringing a single souvenir, other than the photos on my phone.

That's why I don't have one way of travelling. Every trip deserves different priorities. Every decision starts with one question:

What kind of experience am I trying to create?

How I make decisions

Thinking about the kind of travel experience I want starts before a single booking is made. I won't automatically book the cheapest flight if it means multiple short stopovers. I refuse to be hyperventilating on my first flight because there's been a delay and I've only got 50 minutes to catch my connecting flight — absolutely not! I've experienced running through an airport to not miss a connecting flight to Seattle and the experience has scarred me for life.

Give me a cheeky stopover of more than two hours (no more than 5 hours, unless there's an airport lounge with my name on it), and now we're talking. That's my rule. I'd rather save money on the flight if it means I can spend more on the things that actually matter to me once I'm there. Booking a direct flight just to save time isn't always my priority.

Weighing up what I'd rather experience is how I decide whether something's worth it.

The same goes for where I stay. If I'm planning a city break where I'll spend most of the day exploring, I'm not going to book the fanciest hotel because I'll hardly be in the room. I'd much rather stay somewhere comfortable, in a brilliant location, and spend the extra money discovering an incredible restaurant. Don't get it twisted though, I'm definitely not the person that says 'where we stay doesn't matter!', it absolutely does and that's the point.

Finding the ideal flight or accommodation is never solely based on price, it's about establishing what makes the most sense for the trip. If it's a honeymoon, an anniversary or a trip where the hotel is part of the destination, then I'm more than happy to spend more because that's exactly where the value is.

What matters to me

Before I book anywhere, I'm the sort of person who compares locations, spends far too long reading reviews, zooms into Google Maps, looks at transport links, checks what the rooms actually look like and I ask myself one question "Will this give me the experience I'm looking for?" and if the answer is yes, it's made the shortlist.

That's why you'll see so much original photography throughout Discerning Travels. Every photograph you see has been taken by me, in the places I've actually visited. It's my way of showing what somewhere genuinely looked and felt like, through my own experience, no filters!

One thing you'll quickly learn about me is that I don't just travel to see a place. I want to experience it. That means trying the local cuisine, finding restaurants I'd happily fly back for and finding places that weren't already pinned on my Google Maps saves.

Exploring a country's cuisine is one of my favourite parts of travelling and sharing the culinary delights I've enjoyed, and yes the list includes escargots and fermented shark. If there's a restaurant with a 6-course tasting menu, please believe I've already booked the reservation.

The Discerning Difference

Whether it's a flight, hotel, a restaurant, an excursion or an entire destination; I'll post about the places I've been and the things I've seen.

Every recommendation on Discerning Travels is filtered through exactly the same question: Would I genuinely recommend this to a friend spending their own money? Before I ever recommend somewhere, I want to have experienced it for myself to determine whether I genuinely believe it's worth your time, your money and your holiday.

Book better travel

Unforgettable trips aren't necessarily the ones that look the best on social media but the best trips are remembered because they're exactly the experience you were hoping for.

And that's what Discerning Travels is all about.

Helping you book better travel.

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