Travel Research Process: Most people start planning a vacation by looking for flights.
I usually start with a restaurant.
Sometimes it’s a Michelin-starred dining room that’s been on my list for years. Sometimes it’s a cocktail bar tucked away on a quiet side street that only holds a dozen people. Other times it’s a Formula 1 race that gives me the excuse to explore a city I might not have visited otherwise.
Wherever it begins, the process is almost always the same.
I become obsessed.
What starts as a simple weekend getaway slowly transforms into dozens of browser tabs, spreadsheets, reservation alerts, Google Maps pins, YouTube videos, travel forums, restaurant menus, hotel reviews, and enough research to write a small travel guide before I’ve even boarded the plane.
Most people would probably call it overkill.
They’re probably right.
But that’s also why I rarely leave a destination wishing I had done more.
Travel Is More Than a Destination
For me, traveling has never been about checking countries off a list.
I don’t travel simply to say I’ve been somewhere.
I travel to understand why people love a place.
That means learning about its neighborhoods, understanding its food culture, discovering its cocktail scene, finding the hotels that actually live up to their reputation, and talking to the people who spend their lives creating memorable experiences.
The destination is important.
But the experience is everything.
Travel Research Process Step One: Find a Reason to Go
Every trip needs a centerpiece.
Sometimes it’s Formula 1.
Sometimes it’s a restaurant reservation that seemed impossible to get.
Sometimes it’s a city I’ve wanted to explore for years.
That one experience becomes the anchor around which everything else is built.
When I planned my trip to Barcelona, the original goal was the Spanish Grand Prix.
Then came reservations at Disfrutar, Mont Bar, and Kresala.
Suddenly the race weekend wasn’t the only reason I was excited.
The restaurants became just as important as the racing.
When I travel to São Paulo, it starts with Formula 1—but quickly expands into researching Michelin-starred restaurants, hidden cocktail bars, local neighborhoods, and experiences that most visitors never discover.
One great reservation can change the entire direction of a trip.
Travel Research Process Step Two: Ignore the “Top 10 Things to Do”
The internet loves lists.
Top 10 attractions.
Top 20 restaurants.
Five hidden gems.
Those lists are useful—but only as a starting point.
Most of the truly memorable experiences I’ve had weren’t at the top of those articles.
Instead, I dig deeper.
I read chef interviews.
I study restaurant menus months before arriving.
I look at cocktail programs instead of just drink photos.
I search Reddit to see what locals actually recommend.
I browse Google Maps until I find places with hundreds of reviews but almost no social media attention.
I’ll spend hours comparing neighborhoods because staying in the right location can completely change how a city feels.
Research isn’t about finding the most famous place.
It’s about finding the place that’s right for you.
Travel Research Process Step Three: Build the Trip Around Food
Some people eat wherever they happen to be.
I’m the opposite.
Meals often determine my daily schedule.
If dinner is on the opposite side of the city, I’ll spend the afternoon exploring that neighborhood.
If lunch finishes near a famous cocktail bar, I’ll stop in for one drink before continuing the day.
If there’s an incredible bakery nearby, breakfast is already planned.
The best itineraries flow naturally.
You’re not bouncing back and forth across the city.
You’re letting restaurants, museums, parks, and bars complement one another.
Planning this way creates better days—and a lot less time sitting in traffic.
Travel Research Process Step Four: Walk Whenever Possible
One of my favorite discoveries has nothing to do with reservations.
It’s walking.
Some of the best memories I’ve made happened between destinations.
Finding a neighborhood café.
Watching locals gather in a small square.
Discovering a cocktail bar that wasn’t on my list.
Seeing architecture I’d never have noticed from the back seat of a taxi.
Walking slows everything down.
It forces you to notice details.
Those unexpected moments often become the stories you remember years later.
Travel Research Process Step Five: Talk to People
This is probably the most underrated part of travel.
Talk to bartenders.
Talk to servers.
Talk to hotel concierges.
Talk to chefs if they’re available.
Ask what they eat on their day off.
Ask where they send visiting friends.
Ask what everyone else misses.
Those conversations have led me to restaurants that never appeared in any guidebook.
They’ve introduced me to local specialties I wouldn’t have ordered otherwise.
They’ve changed entire afternoons because someone pointed me toward a neighborhood I hadn’t planned to visit.
The people who live there usually know the city better than any influencer ever will.
Travel Research Process Step Six: Leave Room for the Unexpected
Research is important.
Flexibility is just as important.
Not every reservation works out.
Weather changes.
Flights get delayed.
A local recommendation might completely reshape your plans.
That’s okay.
Some of my favorite travel memories happened because something unexpected forced me to change direction.
The goal isn’t to execute the perfect itinerary.
The goal is to create opportunities for unforgettable experiences.
Travel Research Process: Luxury Doesn’t Always Mean Expensive
People often assume luxury travel means spending as much money as possible.
I don’t see it that way.
Luxury is value.
A perfectly made cocktail served by someone passionate about their craft can feel more luxurious than a five-star hotel with mediocre service.
A neighborhood restaurant where the chef personally introduces each course can leave a stronger impression than the world’s most expensive tasting menu.
Price matters.
Quality matters more.
That’s why I don’t recommend places because they’re expensive.
I recommend them because they’re exceptional.
Why I Share These Experiences
People often ask me where they should eat in a city.
Which hotel I’d book.
Which cocktail bar is actually worth visiting.
Or whether a famous restaurant deserves all the attention it gets.
Those questions made me realize I’d already done thousands of hours of research over the years.
Instead of keeping those discoveries to myself, I decided to document them here.
Everything you’ll read comes from firsthand experience.
If I recommend a restaurant, I’ve eaten there.
If I recommend a hotel, I’ve stayed there.
If I tell you to order a particular cocktail, it’s because I’ve probably spent far too much time talking to the bartender about how they made it.
Travel Research Process: The Research Never Stops
Every trip teaches me something new.
A better restaurant.
A hidden cocktail bar.
A neighborhood I’d never considered.
A hotel that exceeded expectations—or one that didn’t.
The list keeps growing.
So does the curiosity.
That’s what this website is about.
Not collecting passport stamps.
Collecting experiences worth remembering.
If these stories help you discover one unforgettable meal, one incredible cocktail, one remarkable hotel, or one destination you might otherwise have overlooked, then every hour of research was worth it.
Usually.
