We were lucky to catch up with Rita Patel recently and have shared our conversation below.

Rita, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

Probably my most challenging issue to date was a honeymoon client calling at 10:00 p.m. having airlines canceling their flight 9 hours before they were due to depart. It meant they would miss their connection to their final destination. My heart sank when I received the call as my client called me in despair. I tried to keep them calm and keep my client optimistic that I will try to do my best to get this fixed. I was determined! So I got on a call with the airlines with a dedicated travel agent line so no one has to wait 3 or 4 hours hold time. Spoke to them and told them my clients needed this fixed asap, it’s appalling 10 hours before departure where my clients have packed and are ready to go and their flights are canceled. They offered a later flight but still it would mean missing their connection and one day at the hotel, told the airlines not good enough. Next option was another airport closest to them, I asked my clients if they were willing to drive an extra hour, as it was the only other option available and sure enough they were glad to. Had their tickets changed by 1:00 am and my clients were off to catch a few hours of sleep before their departure. I knew this was my job but the thought of my clients having a ruined honeymoon was not going to happen on my books. I was determined to get them there no matter what it took. With a bit of help from both sides we were able to get this done without any animosities. Grateful for understanding clients like these guys.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

As an avid traveler, traveling to over 50 destinations my friends persisted I get into the travel industry. I’ve curated all of my own travels with my own schedule and local private tour guides who are attentive to detail without pesky tour groups or scheduled itineraries. No one wants to be on a schedule on a vacation that tells you when to eat, when to sleep, when to get up, when to leave. We do enough of that at home. So I finally made the call and became an associate for my friend Shara (a travel advisor and franchise holder) who had also asked me over and over to join her. Now here I am over 3 years in and loving it. Most of my clients are family and friends who I’ve know through many of my other investments. I set myself differently than most travel advisors as being most experienced, most knowledgeable and definitely most informed. I love curating an adventure for my clients experiencing local boutique luxury hotels and villas and making friends with the local guides I love using. I love that my clients have the freedom to move around whenever or whatever they would like to do. We carefully curate every attention to detail before they leave for their trip and incorporating some down time for clients to rest and enjoy and not be on the go constantly like tour groups do. So my specialty is customized itineraries. I also do the Caribbean for clients competing with online published rates. I’ve seemed to beat our Expedia and other top sites with my bundled pricing. This gives me a great advantage for my USA clients that don’t want to travel too far from home. I also have a lot of corporate clients that I work with most notably Formula 1. I love every aspect of travel which is why I enjoy what I do. Giving my clients the experience I have gained and seeing them return with absolute excitement gives me great joy. That’s when I know I am glad my friends insisted I do this. It is definite my calling.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

This would definitely be my trip to Kenya, Africa right before COVID hit. I was traveling with 6 other friends. We were a bit paranoid with Covid and struggled if we should still go. As time got closer I told all of them, it was a trip of a lifetime to not be missed, let’s take our chances and if we have to fly back home we would. We did it! We went. We did a 7 night Safari to Bush package with world renowned the Angama lodge. We spent 3 nights at the lodge which was absolutely the most beautiful property I have stayed in to date. The views, the game drives, the animals in a perfect natural setting is worth all the time I put into curating adventure travel. This is when you say it’s all worth the stress. If all my clients feel this way on any trip I know did my job and I do it well. We also spent 3 nights in beautiful villa in Diani Beach close to Mombasa. The most challenging part of this trip was when the travel ban was to take effect. We ended up taking an earlier flight home. My friends talk about this trip all the time, and we are all grateful we took the chance and went. It was probably one of the best decisions we all have ever made. Sometimes traveling is a risk no matter where you go. I tell myself I’d much rather die doing what I love than die in vain missing out on the best this life and world has to offer.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Definitely posting on social media about all my trips. I love taking photos! I try to be creative with my photos. I also blogged a bit about my travels. I always get “I want your life” or “I want to travel one day like you” from family and friends, I always respond just go! Don’t waste your time and life away, there is so much to learn in this world. All the beautiful cultures, landscapes and people. You gain so much knowledge, experience, respect and great appreciation for everything and everyone.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.StylishEscapades.com
• Instagram: The_Stylish_Enthusiast
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/548686688/