Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary
The Unexpected Advantages of Returning to a Destination
The author soaking in the view at Tibumana waterfall in Bali. When I returned to Bali recently—my second time on that Indonesian island—it got me thinking about why second-time trips are uniquely rewarding. There’s something very special about coming back to a place with the freedom to see it in a different way than you did the first time around.
Return visits offer an opportunity to relive memories, and, if you’re bringing along someone new, introduce them to the places you already love. You catch things you didn’t have time to see the first time around, and you have the opportunity to get further off the beaten path. When the pressure of seeing all the must-visit attractions is gone, you no longer have to race from sight to sight or spend hours waiting in line at tourist hot spots. The place feels familiar, eliminating the anxiety of deciphering a new environment. When I went back to the same Balinese hotel I’d stayed in a couple of years ago, I even knew some of the staff members.
On this follow-up visit, I felt like a temporary local rather than a foreigner. Most of my days were spent relaxing on the beach with a book, taking afternoon bike rides through small villages, and making weekend excursions to remote spots like the Gili Islands. I had deeper conversations with locals about their culture and traditions. I enjoyed the trip at my own pace instead of a pace dictated by the tourism infrastructure, and that created an even more rewarding travel experience than my first visit.
Florie swimming with a sea turtle off Gili Meno.
Read on to see how your fellow travelers have made the most of their own return trips to beloved destinations, planned the WOW way. When you already have the basics of a destination down, there’s a particular pleasure in having a local expert with insider connections help you design that return visit.
“We sought activities that would allow us to more fully experience Malta’s unique culture…”
Travelers Jan Heininger and Jamie Reuter beside a vintage truck once serviced by Queen Elizabeth.
“Jason planned a nine-day trip for my husband and me that was filled with superb experiences we could never have planned on our own. As we had spent five days in Malta in 2011 and had seen most of the usual sights, for this trip we sought activities that would allow us to more fully experience Malta’s unique culture. Boy, did Jason deliver.
We visited with a pipe-organ restorer who was working on an organ high in a historic church’s nave, an artisan gold gilder (and builder of exquisite Maltese clocks), and a builder of traditional Maltese boats. We met with a knight of the Knights of St. John, founded in the 12th century to care for pilgrims, who gave us a wonderful tour of Fort St. Angelo, the Knights’ headquarters until ejected in 1798 by Napoleon.
We visited the Hypogeum, an outstanding burial complex in use between 4000 and 1500 BC. We played bocce with local Maltese, rode ATVs on Gozo Island, had a lovely private Gozitan picnic, created our own Maltese tiles, learned to make Malta’s renowned street food pastizzi in a local couple’s home, visited a WWII military collector in his private museum and even got a ride in his beloved ‘Bessie,’ the WWII military truck Queen Elizabeth II learned to service during the War. We visited a private 900-year-old Mdina palazzo whose owner showed us the family’s prized possessions, had a marvelous lesson by an art restoration specialist, and an enjoyable rustic farm lunch with a delightful Maltese couple.
Finally—as if all this wasn’t enough—we had a falconry experience that enthralled us. We are birders and enjoy watching birds of prey. To have a Harris’s hawk, a barn owl and a Pharaoh eagle-owl fly from my husband’s leather-gloved wrist to mine for two glorious hours was an unbelievable treat.
All of these experiences were made possible because of Jason’s extensive network of Maltese friends. Most visitors to Malta now have little interaction with the Maltese. Since our 2011 visit, Malta has been flooded with immigrants, and they now largely populate the hospitality industry. Your chances of meeting and conversing with Maltese locals are far less likely now—unless Jason arranges your trip.” —Jan Heininger
To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
“We love Mexico, and traveling with Zach and José has made us love it more…”
A savvy Mexico specialist can turn you on to unexpected pleasures, like seeing pink flamingos in the wild. Photo: Shutterstock
“This was our third trip with these planners and another WOW travel experience. We love Mexico, and traveling with Zach and José has made us love it more.
We prefer boutique hotels and off-the-beaten-path experiences. This trip to the Yucatán was exactly that, including a guide who was a former English/Spanish teacher with whom we could practice our Spanish.
We spent the first half of our trip in Mérida at a fabulous boutique hotel with eight rooms. Our room was gorgeous, with a huge bedroom appointed with fresh flowers daily. Breakfast was poolside, with delicious choices and excellent service. We toured historical haciendas and mansions, savoring Mérida’s past. Our most interesting experience was a day with four Mayan ladies who taught us to cook authentic cochinita pibil, sikil p’aak, and fresh tortillas, all prepared the traditional way.
For the second half of our trip, José sent us to a charming boutique hotel in a tiny beach town so small that we rarely saw other people when we walked on the beach. My favorite meal was walking into town to eat fresh lobster in a small café with locals who only spoke Spanish.
The team always provides a virtual concierge who ‘travels’ with us. Thanks to Luis, our virtual concierge, my favorite experience in this area was a boat trip to watch pink flamingos in the wild.” —Elisa Spain
To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
“100 Princes Street has become our home away from home in Edinburgh…”
The Archibald Suite at 100 Princes Street Hotel looks out to Edinburgh Castle. Photo: 100 Princes Street
“This was our second trip to Scotland planned by Katie, a member of Jonathan’s team. I can’t imagine using anyone else for the U.K. Our son will be getting his master’s degree at the University of Edinburgh, and we wanted him to get acquainted with the University and the city before his program starts in September.
Katie arranged great accommodations at 100 Princes Street. What a fantastic property! We encountered a majority of the hotel staff from our first trip, and most of them remembered us and greeted us by name. 100 Princes Street has become our home away from home in Edinburgh.
Katie was able to arrange a walking tour of the city with Jill, the same guide we had on our first trip. Jill is so knowledgeable about so many things—history, architecture, religion, politics, philosophy, etc. She really gave our son a great overview of the city, past and present. We sampled local fare at a number of places Katie recommended. One particularly memorable experience was sitting in a local pub and getting tutored on the finer points of snooker by one of the pub’s regulars as we watched the U.K. Snooker Championship on TV.
We will be visiting Scotland several times while our son is studying there and will rely on Katie to help us plan those trips.” —Adam Amsterdam
To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
“On both visits we’ve found so much to love about Belize…”
You could take dozens of trips to Belize and never explore all of its tiny islets. Photo: Shutterstock
“Our family of four (two parents, two college-aged daughters) had a second fantastic trip to Belize courtesy of Wendy Perrin’s WOW planner, Patricia. We first traveled to Belize in December 2022, and decided we definitely needed to return again to this beautiful country with the friendliest people.
We stayed at the beachside resort of Naïa in a three-bedroom villa. It was beautiful and large, and we especially loved the private and secluded feeling on the beach and the outdoor showers in our villa. We split our down-time between lying on the chairs on our own private beach, playing beach games (ladderball and cornhole) and sunning by the resort pool.
Our older daughter had recently gotten SCUBA certified, so we planned two days for her and my husband to dive while my younger daughter and I snorkeled. We also booked spa treatments, which I highly recommend, as Naïa has a gorgeous spa.
We had several highlights. First, we did a walking food tour of Placencia. The food was amazing and we stopped at several hole-in-the-walls and local establishments that we never would have noticed on our own, and that we returned to on our remaining days. Our guide Peter was great at sharing his love of food as well as the history of the area and insights into the local culture. We also did a full-day private catamaran sail to Moho Caye. That was AMAZING. Due to it being off-season, we had almost the whole caye to ourselves for swimming and snorkeling. Several rays and nurse sharks literally swam up within 2-3 feet of the shore. The catamaran and the crew were both fantastic, as was the lunch and the best rum punch we had while in Belize. Finally, we cashed in a ‘Wendy Perrin WOW Moment’ that was absolutely fantastic. The head chef of Naïa came to our villa to prepare a private dinner just for us, and while he was preparing dinner, a local cultural drumming group came and did an interactive performance, and let us try our hands at drumming as well.
On both visits we’ve found so much to love about Belize. It’s relatively inexpensive, in terms of food and excursions. The people are amazingly friendly and we’ve always felt very safe. Outside of Belize City, there is very little crime, and a noticeable absence of the poverty and homelessness you see in many Caribbean nations. And despite its small size, it has such varied landscapes and experiences, from rainforests and jungles to islands and beaches. We’re already thinking about going back to visit one of the wild cat reserves where we might see jaguars and other large cats.” —Jason, Jennifer, Madeleine and Addison Rosenberg
To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
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