We are checking this out for you 👀

Hey Reader,

If you've been reading these emails for a while, you know I love taking you behind the scenes of our travel adventures. For the next month or so, I'm handing over the mic!

One of our expert travel advisors, Alexandra, is heading out on a massive bucket-list trip to Indonesia next month. Over the coming weeks, she’s going to take over the newsletter, working towards giving you a real, unfiltered look at what it’s actually like to travel there.

Take it away, Alexandra!

Cheers,

Jordan

From Alexandra's desk

I have a big birthday coming up. You know, the one where I am officially classified as “middle aged.”

While I initially thought Greece would be the perfect way to celebrate with my husband, it was Jordan who made me realize: “You can go to Greece anytime, and you don’t need 2.5 weeks to do it. Why not make this a true bucket-list trip?”

So I went back to the drawing board, ran through my never-ending list with my husband, and somehow we landed on Indonesia. Go big or go home, right?

I’m picturing lush jungle, misty mountains, turquoise water, incredible wildlife, and landscapes that look almost too out-of-this-world to be real.

(Isn’t that what everyone expects from Indonesia?!)

But I’m also heading there with a very specific goal: figuring out what Indonesia is actually like to travel through — beyond the beautiful photos. Does it live up to the hype?

HOW EXHAUSTING THE LOGISTICS REALLY ARE

The country has exploded on social media, and it’s easy to see why. But Instagram doesn’t tell you:

How complicated it is to get from one incredible place to another
Whether those remote destinations are actually worth the journey
Which luxury hotels and experiences genuinely justify their price tags

And it definitely doesn’t show you the crowds, heat, long transfers, early mornings and all of those little logistical details that can make or break a trip.

That’s what I want to figure out firsthand.

We’re covering a lot of ground — Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Bali, Komodo, and Sumba — with a combination of flights, boats, and open-air vehicle transfers along the way.

On paper? An incredible adventure.

In real life? I want to know whether it feels seamless and exciting… or whether by day 10 I’ll be desperately searching for the nearest place to take a nap.

Because there’s a big difference between “getting to Sumba was an adventure!” and “getting to Sumba was an ordeal.”

WHO THIS TRIP IS PERFECT FOR

Not every beautiful destination is the right destination — and I’m intentionally making this a very active trip.

I wanted to experience Indonesia beyond the resorts because I think you miss a lot of what makes the country special if you never get out and explore it. So I’ll be paying close attention to:

How this itinerary works for adventurous couples, honeymooners, and families
Who would love Bali versus somewhere more remote like Sumba
How much activity feels like the right amount before you really need some downtime

Could you fly 27+ hours to Indonesia and spend two weeks barefoot on a beach? Absolutely. There are plenty of incredible resorts where you could do exactly that — although if that’s your only goal, I have plenty of beautiful recommendations that are much closer to home :-)

But for travelers who want to hike through jungles, see wildlife, get in the water, experience the culture, explore dramatically different landscapes — and then come back to an incredible luxury hotel at the end of the day?

That’s where I think Indonesia has the potential to really shine.

WHAT’S ACTUALLY WORTH THE MONEY

Indonesia has some spectacular luxury hotels and truly once-in-a-lifetime experiences. It also has enough options that it can be hard to tell where spending more actually makes a meaningful difference. So I’ll be keeping notes on:

Which hotels truly live up to their nightly rates
Where I’d absolutely splurge, which experiences I’d build an itinerary around
What I think people can skip entirely

Because ultimately, that’s the information I want when I’m planning a trip for someone else. Not just “Was it beautiful?” but “Would I spend my own money — and precious vacation time — to do it again?”

I’ll report back with all my thoughts once I’m home: the places that exceeded expectations, the ones that didn’t quite live up to the hype, what I’d do differently, and probably far too much commentary on whether all of that physical activity during the day really did earn us that extra dessert.

And if Indonesia has been on your radar, hit reply and tell me: What would you want to know before booking a trip like this?

Happy Travels,

Alexandra