EXPERT TRAVELERS On Their Favorite Trips of ALL TIME

Lonely Planet
Lonely PlanetJun 4, 2026

Why It Matters

These personal travel vignettes underscore growing consumer appetite for experiential, story-driven trips—nature immersion, active pursuits, and culturally immersive local experiences—that travel businesses and destinations can market to attract high-value travelers. Understanding these preferences can inform product development, targeted marketing, and seasonality planning for tourism operators and hospitality brands.

Summary

A group of experienced travelers recounts their favorite trips, highlighting diverse experiences from national-park road trips in Utah and a Death Valley excursion to a formative Antarctic voyage. Other memorable journeys include scuba diving in Greece, hiking Mount Hallasan, cycling and learning noodle-making in Hoi An, resort stays in Thailand tied to popular TV filming, and a festive European route through Vienna, Zagreb, Prague and Lake Bled. Speakers emphasize striking contrasts—sunny valleys and snowy peaks, otherworldly landscapes, and immersive local activities—that made each trip stand out. The anecdotes focus on sensory detail and personal milestones, like advanced diving certification and family adventures.

Original Description

You know when you come back from a trip and you have to almost physically restrain yourself from telling every single person you come across about it? It was just so "otherworldly," as Lonely Planet's Brekke called her Antarctica journey, or "straight out of a fairytale," like photo editor Rhia's Lake Bled adventure. Consider yourself free to share. Tell us about the trip YOU can't stop talking about ⬇️

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