The destination that made travel experts fall in love with travel

Ask any travel expert why they got into the industry, and they'll likely be quick to name a specific destination that stole their heart. Maybe it was the incredible food, the vibrant art scene, or the picturesque views that won them over and got them thinking: I would like to do this for a living.

Although the options are seemingly endless, especially for people who make this their career, everyone secretly has one place that trumps the rest. We asked six travel experts to give their thoughts on the places that made them fall in love with travel.

Sarah Marston Crockerthe founder and owner of Active Travel Pathways in Boulder, Colorado, grew up hiking from hut to hut in the Swiss Alps with his family. But it wasn't until 2016, while she was between jobs, that a trip to northern Italy propelled her into the travel industry.

The idea for his active travel business was born on a rocky and rugged hiking trail, the Alta Via 2, in the heart of the Dolomites, a mountain range in the northern Italian Alps.

“We had just climbed to the highest point of Alta Via 2 and were enjoying a nice gentle traverse while admiring the panorama as we headed towards Passo Pordoi and closer views of the Marmolada Glacier,” said Crocker at HuffPost.

Crocker then visited Madonna di Campiglio, a small ski resort, and was blown away by the beauty and accessibility of this region of the Dolomites. This visit solidified his desire to create Trails and share this type of memorable hiking experience with others.

“I fell in love with this place and these mountains, and the friendly, warm people, the culture and the amazing food,” she said.

Emma Lasiuk visited Costa Rica during his first year of college to volunteer near Manuel Antonio. She fell in love with the country's lush green wildlife, deep blue sea and pink and orange sunsets. The local people, or “Ticos,” as they proudly call themselves, then won his heart.

“I had traveled a lot before coming here, but I had never felt so warmly welcomed and safe,” said Lasiuk, now a travel consultant with Costa Rican Vacations. She embraced the Pura Vida lifestyle, filling her days with hiking, early morning beach swims, and wildlife watching.

When it was time to return to the United States, she was terrified that Costa Rica would fade into memory – so much so that she immediately booked another trip and ultimately moved there in time full.

“There's something for everyone in Costa Rica, from ziplining above the treetops in La Fortuna to swinging from suspension bridges in the dense cloud forest of Monteverde , jumping waterfalls in the deep jungles of Manuel Antonio or diving off the coast of the central Pacific. coast to Caño Island,” she said. “I can’t see myself living anywhere else. »

Madison Ned Butlercommunications manager for the Rail Passengers Association, has covered most of the country on his long-distance train journeys, but one destination in the South stood out.

“Mississippi is beautiful, complicated, joyful, bold and friendly,” they told HuffPost. In 2019, Butler spent a week and a half traveling the Gulf Coast and exploring the Delta, marveling at the state's culture and communities.

“The food, music and art scenes are phenomenal right now. I’ve seen some brilliant emerging talent from around the state that has already produced many of our most acclaimed artists,” Butler said.

Perhaps their favorite part was visiting the different historical sites and museums, including the Mississippi Freedom Trail and the Civil Rights Museum in nearby Memphis, Tennessee.

“There is a sense of hope for change with recognition of the tragedies of history that I find very conscious and beautiful,” Butler said. “I think everyone who lives in the United States should visit these sites and absorb this history.”

In 2006, Stephanie Chastain and her husband were looking for a destination for their honeymoon. Chastain had never traveled abroad. They chose Ireland because they had heard great things about the scenery and history.

Chastain, now the founder of Infinite Ireland Travel Co., told HuffPost that she “It was over“from the moment she stepped off the plane. She looked forward to iconic sites like the Cliffs of Moher and Killarney National Park. Although they were spectacular, it was the local people and sights that ended up being the most memorable for her.

She and her husband spent their days weaving in the family shops, visiting tiny old pubs and stumbling upon hidden gems that weren't in their guidebooks, like the 300 AD stone fort in the middle of the field of a farmer. .

After this trip and a few return visits, Chastain decided to help others experience authentic, local Ireland. People traveling to Ireland often try to get to all the iconic sites; Chastain encourages people to move more slowly so they have time to meet locals, wander through lesser-known places and leave room for adventure.

Nick Kembeltravel photographer and writer, visited Taiwan for the first time because he was curious about a new destination. He immediately felt welcomed: He said locals helped people find their way and gave them advice on cheap restaurants.

“They’ll insist you try their grandmother’s secret soup dumplings, or point you to hidden night market stalls that only locals know about,” Kembel said.

But what sealed the deal for him was nature. “From the peaceful Sun Moon Lake to the spectacular Taroko Gorge, every landscape told stories, and the hike was more magical,” Kembel said.

Years ago, Jim Pattiznature filmmaker and co-founder of the organization More Than Just Parks, took a spontaneous summer road trip from his home in Atlanta to the Grand Canyon. It ended up changing the course of his life. Pattiz and her team borrowed her grandmother's Prius and drove straight to New Mexico, followed by a visit to Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.

“Growing up in Georgia, all I knew was woods and streams, but here you could see beautiful summer storms rolling in for miles and miles in the distance,” Pattiz told HuffPost.

It is reminiscent of blue mesas, striped hills and, of course, petrified wood. The immensity of it all awakened his senses, he said, and it suddenly seemed so exciting and possible.

“That feeling of enchantment and immense possibility is one I have sought ever since in my travels across America’s public lands,” he said.