Extravigator

When writing this blog post I was going to begin with the sentence ”When it comes to travel research I am...,” but I could not think of the right word to complete the sentence. I asked my husband to fill in the blank and without hesitation he suggested the word "obsessed."

Just because I read every travel review possible, buy tons of travel books and poll friends and strangers doesn’t make me obsessed. I like to think of myself as thorough, but obsessed is probably closer to the truth.

I am highly affected by my surrounds and the last thing I want is to be stuck in a less than pleasant hotel while on holiday. I am not one of those people who claim the room is only for sleeping and it doesn’t matter—it matters!

One source I read, but don’t wholly rely on as the authority, is Trip Advisor. While I appreciate hearing or reading others' opinions before making a choice, I find some of the complaining voices can create confusion. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with legitimate complaints, especially from someone whose opinion I trust. But what about the people who complain about traffic noise in New York City, the size of European hotel rooms or an abundance of haggis and smoked fish in Scotland.

Luckily I have a new best friend in the quest for travel perfection. Extravigator.com founded last year by Dan Richman. Extravigator is an online travel community dedicated to the sophisticated traveler. The content is excellent and the dialog and interaction among member is fun, informative and interesting. Yes members. You have to join Extravigator, and while membership is free, it has to be approved. Dan has crafted an excellent luxury travel community and I look forward to watching the site grow.