The real secret? I don’t sit down and “plan” trips… let me share how I land on the most unique trip ideas.

I know this might sound a bit strange, but I don’t really plan trips in the way most people do. I’m not the type to suddenly decide “ok, we need a holiday” and then open Google and start searching from scratch.

By the time I actually sit down to plan something, I already have a long list of ideas saved. But this is not because I sat down and brainstormed them… I’ve been collecting them over time.

So instead of starting with a blank page, I’m choosing from things that have already caught my attention and felt right and exciting.

I’m always “trip planning”

For me, it’s less about setting aside time to plan, and more about how I move through my day-to-day life. My eyes and ears are always open in a very natural way, and I think that’s where most of the magic comes from.

If someone mentions a place they loved, I’m listening. If I come across a comment in a Facebook group that sounds interesting, I’ll read it properly instead of scrolling past. If I hear something on a podcast that makes me pause, I’ll actually go back and listen again.

Most people would just move on, but if something makes me think “that sounds really nice” or “that feels like something we’d enjoy”, I take note. There’s no big system behind it, just a habit of paying attention to what resonates in the moment.

Where ideas usually come from for me:

• conversations with friends or other parents
• random Facebook group threads (especially the comments)
• travel podcasts
• scrolling and exploring maps
• things I come across casually on social media

I use Google Maps to wander, and not just search

One of my favourite ways to find unique trip ideas is actually by doing the opposite of what most people do. I don’t go on Google Maps to search “top things to do.”

I open it with no real plan and just start exploring. I’ll zoom into an area, click on a random restaurant, look through the photos, then notice something nearby and click on that next.

One place leads to another, and before I realise it, I’m deep into an area I’ve never heard of. It feels less like researching and more like wandering, and that’s usually when things start to feel more personal and interesting.

What I actually do on there:

• click into random neighbourhoods, not just main cities
• open places with fewer reviews, not just the popular ones
• look at photos more than ratings

Podcasts give you the kind of ideas Google doesn’t

I listen to a lot of podcasts on apple Podcasts, and while I’m not always listening with the intention of planning a trip, I end up picking up so many ideas from them without even trying.

What I’ve noticed is that the best ones don’t come from structured “top 10” lists, but from the small, casual things people mention without even thinking. It’s usually a throwaway comment that makes me stop and go back.

Someone might mention where they stayed, a place they kept going back to, or something they stumbled across by accident. Those are the details that stick, because they feel real and unfiltered.

These are the comments I pay attention to:

• “we randomly found this place…”
• “we didn’t expect to love this but…”
• “we kept going back here…”
• “if I went again, I’d do this differently…”

Facebook Groups are messy, but that’s where the gold is

I’m in quite a few travel Facebook groups, and I genuinely spend time reading through them, not just scrolling quickly past.

What’s interesting is that the most useful information is almost never in the main post, but in the comments. That’s where people are honest about what they would skip, what surprised them, or what they found completely by accident.

It’s not polished or curated, and that’s exactly why it works. You get a much clearer picture of what a place is actually like, beyond the usual recommendations.

What I look for specifically:

• people sharing what they wouldn’t do again
• unexpected highlights
• small tips that aren’t obvious
• local spots that aren’t heavily promoted

I use Instagram like a window into real travel

Instagram is a big one for me, but I’m not following big, polished travel accounts that show the same places over and over. I’m much more drawn to slower, more adventurous travel… the kind that feels a bit more off the beaten path and less “perfect.”

Over time, I’ve followed people whose style of travel feels similar to mine, and that makes a huge difference. Because when they share something, I already know there’s a good chance it’s going to align with how we like to travel too.

It ends up feeling less like scrolling for inspiration and more like casually picking up ideas from people who travel in a way that already fits you. I get many unique trip ideas from the platform.

Sometimes I start with one tiny detail… and build a trip around it

Not all trips start with a destination, and I think this is something people don’t realise.

Sometimes it’s just one small thing that sticks in my mind, and everything else builds from there. It could be something really specific like a train journey, a certain type of stay, or even just a place I saw briefly that made me stop scrolling.

I don’t always know where it is or how it fits into a bigger plan… I just know it caught my attention. And that’s enough to start.

From there, it becomes less about “where should we go?” and more about “how can we experience this?” And somehow, those trips always end up feeling more memorable, because they started from something that genuinely stood out.

I use Airbnb for ideas, not just booking stays

This is something I do all the time, and it’s such an easy way to find places you wouldn’t normally come across.

I don’t go on Airbnb just to book accommodation. I’ll open it and start browsing with no real destination in mind, filtering for things like countryside stays, beachfront homes, or more unique properties.

What usually happens is that a place catches my eye first… and then I look at where it actually is.

And that’s where it gets interesting, because sometimes it leads me to areas I would have never thought to search for in the first place. It completely flips the process, where the stay inspires the destination instead of the other way around.

I sometimes plan backwards… starting from the feeling

This is probably one of the biggest shifts I’ve made, and it’s made planning so much easier and trips so much more interesting.

Instead of starting with a place, I start with how I want the trip (or a portion of a trip) to feel. Sometimes I want something really calm and easy, where we don’t have to think too much. Other times I want something a bit more adventurous, but still simple enough to enjoy without it feeling like hard work.

Once I’m clear on that, it becomes much easier to filter everything else. Certain places just naturally fit that feeling, and others don’t.

It also stops me from choosing something that looks amazing online, but doesn’t actually suit the kind of experience we actually want.

I keep a simple list so I don’t lose anything

Because all of this happens so casually and so frequently, I need somewhere to keep it all. Otherwise, I’ll forget half of it by the time I actually want to use it.

I have a simple spreadsheet where I add anything that stands out. It’s nothing complicated – just a place to capture ideas before they disappear.

I usually note what the idea is, where I saw it, and sometimes a quick note on why it caught my attention. That way, I can list all my unique trip ideas here and when I come back to it later, I remember exactly what made it feel interesting in the first place.

Why this can change the way you travel

What I’ve realised is that this way of doing things completely changes how a trip comes together.

Instead of relying on one moment of planning and whatever shows up in a search, you’re building your trip slowly in the background. There’s no pressure, no overwhelm, and no feeling of “where do I even start?”

By the time you actually book something, it already feels more personal. You’re not picking from what’s popular… you’re choosing from what genuinely stood out to you over time. And this makes the trip so special too.

This is also what makes a trip feel different. Not because it’s more expensive or more complicated, but because it truly feels like you.

---

Final takeaway

If there’s one thing I’d say, it’s this…
You don’t need to sit down and figure out your next trip in one go.

Instead…just start noticing. Save things that catch your attention. Let ideas build slowly in the background.

Because when it is time to plan, you won’t be starting from zero… you’ll be choosing from things that already felt right. Things that excited you, and places and things you really want to experience.

And that’s usually what leads to the most unique trip ideas of all.

Looking for a few unique trip ideas?

Come and follow me on Instagram, and check out my travel highlights!

Love,

Nakita xxx