WSGT’s next Travel Influencers are Luiza Zadros & Daniel Laskowski of TravelPlusStyle, a website that showcases interesting places around the world with an emphasis on photography and honest reviews.
1.) Where was the first place that you travelled that made you think WOW—travel is amazing (think history book come to life or…)
The desire to travel was stirred in us very early, so we didn’t have to go anywhere physically to be sure that travel is something we want to do. Today, as we sleep under the stars in Africa, drink a bedouin tea in the middle of Wadi Rum desert in Jordan, or sail between some tropical islands—we simply re-discover the childhood dreams.
For Luiza, these dreams were born when watching old movies, like “Lawrence of Arabia” or “Out of Africa”. For me, reading and talking to my uncles who were ocean-faring sailors, or hearing my grandmother’s tales about her father, who was a teenage runaway. He travelled the entire Imperial Russia—to come back home some 20 years later. You could say it’s in the blood.
2.) If you had unlimited resources, where would you go and what would you do?
Implied in this question is “unlimited funds,” but what’s really precious is time. Holidays/vacations are always limited for one reason or another, and the management of time becomes important. Money is the means to be efficient, for example making transfers quick and comfortable, or booking a hotel where we know we wouldn’t have to deal with any problems. This is one of the reasons why we appreciate the luxury resorts and hotels.
So if we had the “unlimited resources”… We’d probably be in motion all the time. We would be doing much of the same, except with months spent exploring one destination rather than days or weeks. Also, we would devote time to learning something along the way, e.g. local languages.
3.) What were you afraid to do and how did you find the courage to overcome it?
Moving to another country. We are originally from Poland and the country emerged from behind the Iron Curtain as we were coming of age. All along we knew we wanted to leave, but it was really hard to break out from our comfort zones—and move to England, where we knew nobody, spoke no language, and where we arrived with the proverbial one suitcase of possessions. But we had a strong drive to do it. Still have it, in fact. For somewhat different reasons, twelve years later we did it for the second time, this time from the UK to France. And we may do it again.
4.) What apps do you use regularly that make your life easier?
Assuming you are not only asking about mobile apps? When travelling, Google Translate, especially with its camera feature. Also XE, for exchange rates. For our photography, we use Adobe suite to sort and edit and of course we publish on Instagram. Then there is Dropbox to backup photos. We use Buffer to schedule social media posts. For writing, we use Grammarly, SimpleNote and occasionally Open Office. Ah, and for security, Dashlane. This one encrypts and stores all our passwords, bank account details, credit cards, and automatically fills them in the online form fields. It’s a fantastic time-saver.
5.) What place do you wish more people have seen?
Namibia. This country is unbelievable.
6.) Best advice you have been given and by whom?
Our parents. Be kind to people, wherever you are.
7.) When were you surprised by the kindness of strangers on a trip?
Too many times to count. And it usually comes from the disadvantaged people. But everybody has the reflexive impulse to help… it’s just about circumstances.
8.) What inspired you to travel for extended periods of time or live in a new country?
Living in another country was inspired by a “restless legs syndrome,” as we jokingly call it. But seriously, the world is too amazing to stay in one place, to not explore it. Plus, we wanted to invest in ourselves… and travel is the best way of bettering oneself.
9.) I travel because…
We can’t imagine not doing it. Clichéd, but when travelling we feel truly alive.
Luiza Zadros & Daniel Laskowski are partners in life and work. They share a passion for beauty, design and travel — and are on the same wavelength in life’s twists and turns. Their professional background is in Design, Advertising and Events&Fashion industries. Their awareness of authentic luxury comes from visiting hotels as regular, design-aware guests.
“The idea for TravelPlusStyle.com was born from many experiences from which we learned: the hotels can make—or break—the trip. We started the website as a way of showcasing the places we visit or want to visit—with emphasis on photography and honest reviews. This is why our hotel reviews come with a candid list of highs and lows. Some reviews also feature galleries of our photos—exclusive to TravelPlusStyle.com—where we capture the spirit of a hotel as we experience it.”
“But TravelPlusStyle is also about beautiful destinations and unique travel experiences. A section on our website (T+S Magazine) is devoted to photo essays, galleries and inspirational pieces, as well as features such as our annual New Hotel Openings series, which generates quite a buzz in the industry. The 2016 list can be found here.”
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