We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Devaki Das. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Devaki below.

Devaki, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Funny story! In 2010, my hubby Shamit, myself, and one of our closest couple friends and family all decided to rent a villa in Tuscany one summer and spend a week together. We had a fabulous time overall, but boy were there some sticky moments. Way too much drama, for one thing! I realized that just because we are friends with someone, no matter how close, that doesn’t always mean we can travel together – because we aren’t all looking for the same things!

So the seeds were planted for creating a company to bring like-minded people together who love travel. Not to mention, the culinary aspect of travel is super important to me – I have been cooking since I was eight, while also teaching and publishing and writing since I was a teenager. Knowing amazing people in the food scene, artisans, farms, etc. was a huge plus for me. So I decided to launch the company, Weave of a Thousand Journeys (WATJ), in 2011 and our first group trip to Sicily. After that the rest, as they say, is history. I am a big believer that knowledge is a gift and it’s meant to be shared. So whether it is my love and knowledge for cooking or travel and the people the world over who share this love, it’s compelling for me bring people together!

What makes us at WATJ unique is our attention to detail. I often joke we are the problem sniffers – my architectural training has taught me to preempt a problem and think several steps ahead. I never doubt my instinct, nor do I question that of my team. If they bring up something that they believe will be an issue, I trust them. This makes us a great team and that means we can go above and beyond in the care of our clients by solving issues before they come up on the ground.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As a founder & Chief Visionary Officer of Weave a Thousand Journeys, I created this company to help curate seamless luxury vacations tailored to each of our client’s unique interests – from families, couples and solo travelers. I built this company on the idea of offering niche luxury experiences, finding the best chefs in the world and crafting journeys that bring people together. I always knew I belonged in the luxury space because I don’t do cheap – never have and never will. I grew up knowing the meaning of true understated luxury with architect parents and staying at some of the most exclusive hotels in the world from Hong Kong to Beverly Hills. The company I wanted to build was all right there in my head but no one knew me and I knew I could do it but no one else did. Everything I know has come from personal experiences and traveling extensively, learning about hotels, tours, people and chefs out there. I did not join a host company because I value freedom over everything else and I did not want to sell other people’s tours and products. I started very small and gradually began curating private luxury tours for private clients as we began to expand and succeed one client and family at a time.

I am incredibly grateful for our clients who grace us with their trust and come back to us year after year. This is something we will never take for granted. I am incredibly proud of our all-women international team – not only do we enjoy working with each other, we help each other learn and grow! It would be foolish to think we can have it alone.

The main things we want potential WATJ clients to know is that we value…
– Bespoke Journeys: We pride ourselves on crafting travel experiences that are truly unique and tailored to you. No cookie-cutter itineraries here! Every trip is designed around your interests and needs. We aren’t selling you other people’s tours. You are getting the benefit of our vast personal experience in travel and that sets us apart and that is why not only is our team international but I myself travel for about 4 months of the year so I can bring that first-hand experience to the journeys we craft for you.
– Destination Expertise: We’ve got an impressive array of destinations up our sleeves, each with its own charm and stories waiting to be told. We dig deep to offer you authentic and enriching experiences, taking you off the beaten path to discover hidden gems. Whether it is an exclusive farmhouse in Ireland, a tented luxury camp in Africa, or a Masseria in Southern Italy, we know that travel is all about places, spaces and people!
– We do it for love!: Our passion for travel is infectious, and we bring that love and sense of wonder to every interaction. We want you to feel the excitement and magic of exploring new places through our eyes.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The beginning of anything is really hard, especially when you know that you can succeed, but no one around you knows that. It’s easy to feel isolated and feel like you are in a silo. So, it is even harder when you decide to take a stand. From the first vacation I designed, I was very clear that I would only work with clients who would be graceful in new cultures and who would treat all our travel partners on the ground with respect and kindness. In those early days, when we were starting out and had only a few clients, I never took back any clients who had been unkind or behaved in an ugly manner to any of our staff or any of our travel partners on the ground. That was a hard stand to take in the beginning, but over time, our clients know this about us and have come to respect us for this. It has also meant that we have continued to attract the most wonderful clients who are full of heart.

We are very lucky to be in this place today.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I come from a family of architects and happened to also fall in love and marry an architect as well! I remember being a toddler sitting on the floor of my father’s office surrounded by tracing paper, clutch pencils, and rotring pens tracing architectural drawings. It took me two years to work out the answer to the question – “Who am I if I am not an Architect”? This was a really difficult time in my life, but the two years I spent working that out were the most important of my life.

I certainly would not be here 12 years later if I had not asked myself that very difficult question and welcomed the journey that resulted with an open heart. I must also stress the importance of having a rock-solid support system – my hubby, my parents, my friends, and my faith all helped me in my journey of discovering who I was meant to become and what I wanted to spend my life doing, It is nothing short of a gift when we find what brings us joy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.weavethousandjourneys.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weavejourneys
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weavejourneys
• Other: https://www.wetravel.com/users/weave-a-thousand-flavors-llc#reviews

  https://my.travelinsure.com/weavethousandjourneys/

Image Credits

Weave of a Thousand Journeys