Crystal Travel Advisor Offers Tips for Unique Destinations
Summer is fast approaching, and with it, the desire to get away.
For many Minnesotans, a trip to the cabin is just the ticket for a great vacation.
But for others, more exotic locations are what they long for.
A Crystal travel advisor specializes in experiences that are off-the-beaten path and has first-hand experiences all over the globe.
Kara Brown, a mother of two, has been to 21 countries, even traveling to parts of Europe when her son was around eleven months old.
“The part that I like the most about traveling,” said Brown. “Is seeing what other cultures do just in general, like day to day life.”
Her joy of experiencing new cultures and destinations is what led her to start her own travel business, Experience Culture Travel, in 2016.
“I’m creating custom itineraries for people based on our conversations about what they want from the trip, what they want to see, what they want to do, what they enjoy, and no one itinerary is alike,” said Brown.
Brown offers more than just sightseeing tours and says she’s a bit of a different travel agent than most.
Instead, she curates unique experiences, like learning to cook a traditional meal or seeing people make handiwork passed on by their ancestors, in places that are off the beaten path.
Some of those places include South America, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Cuba.
Brown says now is the time to start planning your summer vacation.
A picture of a camel caravan from Brown’s traveling history.
“It would be best to start planning now when it’s pre-end of school because you can at least start the plans get it rolling,” says Brown. “That way you’re not stuck with like you know June coming up and, ‘Oh shoot, I didn’t plan anything for July or August now everything’s sold out.'”
If Europe is on your bucket list, Brown says consider smaller European countries that offer similar cultures, but are more cost effective.
“You could go to the Baltics like Latvia, Estonia that area, and that’s going to be much less expensive than if you’re doing Germany, France, you know Italy, especially Italy,” said Brown.
Most of all, Brown encourages people to travel anywhere.
“I think travel is super important to go past the typical you know, basically bubbles of America in different places because it is important to see different world views, and to experience more of the world than what we are just seeing here.”
Brown also leads trips.
She’s led a group to Ireland and has a trip planned in 2026 to the Galápagos Islands.
To learn more about Brown travel business check out her website at experienceculturetravel.com
