How it works
How a journey takes shape.
Four steps, the same every time. The trip between them is yours alone.
- 01Step one
We talk first.
Not by form, not by chatbot. A real phone call, scheduled at your convenience, between forty-five minutes and an hour. I will ask the questions a friend would ask, when, with whom, what kind of mornings, what kind of evenings, and I will listen for the things you don't say. By the end of the call, I will know whether I'm the right advisor for your brief. If I'm not, I'll tell you who is.
- 02Step two
I draft, you react.
Following our conversation, I'll begin thoughtfully designing your journey. Once I've had the opportunity to research, collaborate with my trusted partners, and carefully consider every detail, I'll present you with a comprehensive first draft. More than simply an itinerary, it's a day-by-day journey designed to help you truly envision your travels as they unfold. The initial draft is intentionally detailed, providing a meaningful starting point for our collaboration. You may decide you'd like to spend an extra night in one destination, simplify the pace, add a special experience, or discover somewhere unexpected. These conversations are an important part of the design process, and two or three rounds of thoughtful refinements are perfectly natural. Only when every detail feels just right and you can genuinely picture yourself on the journey do we move forward with bringing it to life.
- 03Step three
We confirm your journey.
All reservations and confirmations are managed through Gaskin Travel. You'll receive a detailed confirmation package outlining your itinerary, inclusions, pricing, payment schedule, and any terms and conditions, so you know exactly what has been confirmed. For your convenience, payments can be made securely by credit card, wire transfer, or cheque. Whether through a secure payment link or direct processing with Gaskin Travel, the process is designed to be simple, seamless, and secure. From this point forward, I continue to oversee every aspect of your journey, ensuring each reservation is confirmed and every detail is in place long before you depart.
- 04Step four
You travel; we listen.
Before you arrive, every hotel, guide, and key partner has been carefully briefed on your itinerary and preferences, ensuring each detail is thoughtfully coordinated. Throughout your journey, you'll have my direct contact information, along with the support of our trusted local partners should anything require immediate attention. If plans need to evolve along the way, they do so seamlessly and with as little disruption to your travels as possible. When you come home, we'll reconnect to hear about your experiences, celebrate the highlights, and gather your thoughts. Those conversations become the inspiration for your next journey, because the best travel is always built on knowing you a little better each time.
What happens behind the trip.
Every advisor in this business eventually faces the same trade-off: stay independent and lose the supplier rates, or join a large host and lose the personal practice. Travel Edge, my host since 2016, gave me a third option: the independent practice you read about on this site, with the booking power, supplier programmes, and operations infrastructure of a top-five North American agency behind it.
Behind every trip I plan: Consortiums (the supplier network for additional amenities), Preferred Partners and Associations and Representatives (direct upgrades and on-property credits), and a twenty-four-hour operations desk that has saved more than one trip when weather or politics has gone sideways. None of this is visible to you. All of it is real.
What clients ask most.
- Do you charge a planning fee?
- For most trips with previous travellers, no, you are grandfathered! For complex itineraries (multi-country, multi-month, or significant logistics), a flat planning retainer by way of an engagement fee is agreed in writing.
- How far in advance should we be in touch?
- For most trips, six to nine months is comfortable. For bucket-list itineraries or milestone trips, Antarctica, the Galapagos, Africa in peak, twelve to eighteen months is wiser, and ones you'd hate to lose. The world is travelling, so the most lead time possible is appreciated. That being said, we have been known to turn around a two-week mother-daughter trip in less than ten days before departure!
- Will you book a single hotel or flight for me?
- In general, I focus on full bespoke itineraries, usually four nights or more, often multi-stop for longer trips. For single-night requests or weekend get aways, I will of course assist to ensure you have all the benefits available. Flights I will book, but prefer Premium or Business Class.
- Can you accommodate dietary, accessibility, or family-care requirements?
- Yes, and these are the details we always ask. Tell me everything at the brief stage; the trip is designed around it from the start, not adjusted at the end.
Ready when you are.
Most briefs begin with a forty-five-minute phone call. Send a note and we'll find a time.