I've spent most of my working life understanding people — what they need, what they're trying to reach, and how things should feel when they work properly. That started in a very different field, but the thinking carried across.
Twenty years of planning family holidays — not as a job, but as a parent — taught me something the travel industry often overlooks: the best trips aren't defined by where you go, but by how they feel. The difference between a good holiday and a truly memorable one comes down to emotional rhythm — when the trip builds, when it slows, when it shifts, and how it lands.
That's why I created Small Adventures.
Every trip is built around how it should feel
I think about emotional architecture: when does everyone need space? When do you need wonder, calm, or connection? How do we make the trip feel earned rather than exhausting?
This comes directly from two decades of planning holidays for my own family — the successes, the near-misses, and the lessons learned the hard way. Including the realisation that parents sometimes need to disappear for a few nights, just the two of them, to come back better for everyone else.
Most trips are planned around destinations and budgets. The best ones are planned around how they make you feel.
A conversation first. Then the design.
I start with a conversation about what matters to you. From there I design the shape of the trip — the emotional arc, the pacing, and the honest trade-offs.
I charge a flat design fee. No commissions. No hidden incentives. If the simpler or cheaper option is better, I'll tell you.
Once the design is complete, I check everything — accommodation availability, flight options, transfer times, and costs — then hand you the full brief. You book it yourself. The trip is yours.
Not every trip needs the same approach
Short, deliberate resets. Time to remember who you are as a couple — so you return calmer, closer, and better for everything else.
One-base holidays done properly. Get the destination and the place to stay right, and everything else follows naturally.
Deeper, multi-stage adventures with a clear emotional arc. These are the ones that build, shift, and land with real impact.
Trip Builder
I've built a tool that designs trips the same way I do — around how they feel.
Tell it where you want to go, who's travelling, and how you want the trip to feel. It shapes the journey, finds the right places to stay, and brings it all together into a simple, considered plan within minutes.
Add your email address to download it.
It's free to try. If it feels right, we can take it further.
Thoughtful, honest planning
From someone who has done this for his own family for many years. No upselling. No shortcuts.
Just trips that don't just look good on paper — but feel right when you're living them.
If that resonates, I'd love to hear about your next trip.