It can seem daunting planning a travel itinerary, or finding where your next trip may be, but step into the wanderlust world of Kelly Mazur, and you'll quickly find yourself gearing up for the trip of a lifetime. Kelly is an author, and the owner of kellyellamaz.com, a website dedicated to insider travel tips and inspirations. She's a fellow luxury travel blogger, and has experienced the best in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and more; I had the wonderful opportunity to interview her and find out what drives her passion for travel.
In your new book '101 Tips for Luxury Travel,' what would you say is the most important tip of all? That's a hard question to answer! I think because transportation is often the most expensive part of travelling, tip #11 can be a huge money saver! Booking my flights on Wednesdays has saved me hundreds of dollars more times than I can remember. When you find a way to score a cheap flight, you can can put more money towards fun activities and expensive restaurants!
For me luxury comes in many forms, what do you consider to be luxury travel? Luxury travel is living outside of your means for a short period. I can't afford to drink expensive wine, get messages and eat at the best restaurants every day of the year…. but for those 1 or 2 weeks that I'm on a luxury vacation I live the high life! Luxury travel is spoiling yourself with the expensive treats you deserve once in a while.
What inspires you to travel? Creating new memories and once-in-a-lifetime experiences is what really inspires me to travel! Seeing landmarks around the world, like the EIffel Tower or Roman Ruins, also excites me.
You have turned your passion for travel into a lucrative revenue stream, what are some tips you can give readers interested in pursing a travel profession. The best advice I have is to work hard, produce quality work and network like crazy. I didn't make a single dollar during my first year of blogging! Don't expect to make money at first, but eventually your hard work starts to pay off and you're left with a very rewarding career.
Travel impacts most in a positive manner, what are some of the ways it has developed your character? Travelling has really helped me grow and learn about myself. I've become less materialistic, and much more open to new experiences! Travelling far from home has also shown me how much family means to me. I love to travel, but I'm always happy to (eventually) return to my family in Canada!
I am certainly a lover of luxury travel experiences, can you share with us your most decadent travel escapades. Visiting private beach clubs in Sorrento (Italy) is one of my best luxury travel memories. This fashionable destination was a great place to dress up, swim cliff-side and sip champagne while tanning! Many of the hotels in Sorrento also have stunning views of the Bay of Naples!
I congratulate you on the publishing of your excellent book '101 Tips for Luxury Travel,' what's next for Kelly Ella Maz? I'm giving long-term travel a shot! As of July 1st I will be spending 3 months in Spain, followed by 1 year in Australia. You can expect lots of new hotel reviews, destination guides and a few more eBooks.