Hi, I’m Priscilla.
During the week I work in financial services. On weekends (and most evenings in between) I’m usually plotting my next trip.
Over the past years I’ve traveled to more than 60 countries. Not really because I’m chasing a specific number, but because I genuinely enjoy the process of discovering places that are worth the journey. I’m drawn to destinations that don’t dominate everyone’s social feed but leave you genuinely glad you went.
The kind of places that make you think: I’m really glad I get to experience it.
My Travel Philosophy
I work a typical corporate job, which means I have the same constraints most people do: limited vacation days and a limited budget.
This is why I can’t take three months off to backpack through Southeast Asia, and I also can’t casually book a overwater bungalow in the Maldives. So I’ve learned to be intentional.
Great travel, in my experience, isn’t exactly about doing the most or spending the most — it’s about choosing well.
Some experiences absolutely deserve the splurge. A traditional hot spring ryokan in the Japanese countryside? Sign me up. A remote fly-in safari camp? Completely worth it. Other times, a rustic hut in the mountains delivers more character (and better stories) than any luxury hotel could.
I value depth over coverage. I don’t subscribe to the idea that you have to “travel like a local” for six weeks to really know a place, but I also don’t see the appeal of rushing through ten cities in seven days. I’d rather spend five intentional days somewhere underexplored than rush through a greatest hits tour.
I’m also a little skeptical of travel hype. Some places truly live up to their reputation; many others… less so. The trips I remember most aren’t always the most famous or the most photogenic — they’re the ones that quietly exceeded expectations.
Why I Started This Blog
This blog started because I got bored with my day job and needed a pastime that wasn’t doomscrolling social media.
I spend a lot of time planning trips — researching routes, comparing accommodations, figuring out what’s genuinely worth doing versus what just sounds good on paper. My friends were already asking me for travel advice, like where to go, what’s actually worth it, how to plan trips to places where information is scarce. I realized I was doing this research anyway. I might as well write it down.
This blog is part travel journal (so I remember what I did), part practical resource (so you don’t have to repeat all the research I already did), and part intellectual project. I love the planning process almost as much as the trips themselves.
If this eventually becomes something more than a hobby, great. But for now, it’s a space to work through what I’ve learned and share it with people who might find it useful.
What You’ll Find Here
Comprehensive guides to places that deserve more attention.
Not the big cities everyone writes about. Not the overhyped social media hotspots. The places that are genuinely special but harder to plan because information is scarce or scattered.
Honest assessments of what’s worth it and what’s not.
I don’t romanticize. I don’t pretend everything is magical. Some places are overhyped. Some “hidden gems” are hidden for a reason. If a place didn’t live up to expectations, I’ll tell you.
The research already done. The options already weighed. The disappointments already filtered out.
My guides are detailed and practical. That’s because I’m trying to answer every question I had while planning. Not because I love writing essays, but because I want my readers to feel prepared.
What “Underexplored” Means
The name isn’t about finding obscure villages no one’s heard of. It’s about the places that are overlooked relative to how good they actually are.
Ravenna in Italy has the greatest Byzantine mosaics in the world, but most people skip it on their way from Venice to Florence. The northern coast in Japan offers incredible food, authentic onsen towns, and breathtaking coastal scenery, but gets a fraction of Tokyo’s visitors.
The list goes on. These aren’t necessarily hidden. They’re just underexplored in proportion to their value.
My goal is to fix that imbalance. To point you toward places where the effort of getting there, planning properly, and investing time and money pays off in experiences you’ll remember.
Let’s Connect
If you have questions about anywhere I’ve written about, feel free to reach out. I genuinely enjoy talking about travel planning — it’s basically my version of a hobby.
And if you’ve been somewhere I haven’t covered yet but think I should, let me know. My list is long, but there’s always room for one more.
Happy travels,
Priscilla