Who's That Gal: Lidia Kratz, Co-Founder of Travel Honey

Still upset that your travel plans got canceled this year? Us too, which is why we recently spoke with Travel Honey Co-Founder, Lidia Kratz, about the best trips she’s been on and hidden gems in the world to inspire us. We may be spending more time at home now, but when the time’s right, there’s a whole world out there to see. Let’s view the world through Lidia’s eyes, from the comfort of our living rooms until it’s safer to go out and explore again.

Name: Lidia Kratz
Age: 37
Occupation: Co-Founder @ Travel Honey
Currently living in: Maui, Hawaii
Hometown: All over
Currently reading: Kitesurfing magazine
Favorite workout: Running
I never leave home without: My iPhone

Let’s start with the basics. What drew you to a career in the travel industry?

There are TONS of amazing places to explore in the world: oceans to sail, beaches to run around on, mountains to climb and cities to discover. Travel is fun and you get to meet and work with awesome people. Also, I’m obsessed with hotels.

Why did you decide to make the change from law to starting Travel Honey?

Katy and I were good friends from law school where we met and connected over our love for travel and adventure. Katy had just returned from exploring South America and I was just back from diving Palau. We knew we’d get on well when we hatched a plan to flee Boston winter to drink BBCs and scuba dive in St. John. We graduated, moved to big cities and worked at big firms, but never stopped seeking out adventures. So a few years down the line, we decided to build a travel website with detailed, high quality itineraries. Our Azores itineraries were well received and we became destination experts. This led us to start the Azores islands and mainland Portugal trips part of our business.

How are you working towards connecting travelers and spreading the word about new places? Are there regions you focus on more than others?

We offer itineraries for all of Europe but focus on the Azores and mainland Portugal. The Azores are an archipelago of nine islands about 930 miles off the coast of Portugal. The lush, volcanic islands have awesome beaches for surfing, excellent mountain biking and hiking, spa-like hot springs for relaxing, stunning scenery, design forward hotels and fantastic food. Thanks to coverage from Conde Nast and The New York Times last year, word has spread quickly about the Azores as an eco-paradise!

What are some of the challenges you face when creating itineraries? How do you balance the “hidden gems” with the “must sees”?

When most folks travel, they are limited to a week or two, so it’s important to understand each person’s travel style and trip goals to craft the perfect itinerary. It takes lots of work to get the balance just right for each traveller’s itinerary.

Any quick tips for aspiring travelers (or people looking to start their own travel companies)?

For travellers, pack light and carry cash. For those looking to start a travel company, talk to other folks who’ve done something similar, you’ll get great advice and save yourself trouble down the line.

What does your typical day look like?

Every day is different, but involves thinking about trips and itineraries, lots of emails and phone calls with clients and vendors, and writing about the Azores and Portugal for our blog.

How do you balance your career and your personal life?

Being a digital nomad has been key (laptop, phone and wifi). It’s allowed me to work anywhere from beach huts in French Polynesia to hostels in Greece to cafes in South Africa.

What’s next for Travel Honey? What’s next for you personally?

For Travel Honey, we’re excited the world is discovering the Azores so we’re organizing lots of trips and creating helpful content about the islands on the web (see here for our favorite beaches and hot springs). And for me personally, I just moved from London to Hawaii so I am excited to spend more time outdoors – diving, surfing and hiking!

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When Meghan Barrett, Boston-based content contributor, isn’t writing about wellness, work or places to go in Boston, she’s whipping something up in the kitchen or practicing yoga at her local studio. Keep up with her adventures on Instagram @meegzb.