OUT OF OFFICE CURATED

Let's explore the world

one museum, and one plate at a time

By Kristen Fung

Advanced Travel Advisor

Dear Reader,

I hope you had a fantastic festive season.

I’ve spent the last month in Paris, New York, and Canada experiencing some wintery holiday magic. (See some Instagram posts from my trip.) My 2025 was full of bucket-list travel: Palm Springs for Modernism Week, a redo of a pandemic Amtrak Trip—Los Angeles to Portland, a week in Napa & Sonoma, and ending with a first-time trip to Paris. (Contact me if any of these trips sound interesting to you.)

I also made a major milestone in my travel business. I am now an Advanced Travel Advisor with Fora. This is for advisors who have completed extensive professional development in the travel industry, have organized travel around the world, have sold more than $40k in travel in a year, and have more than five positive reviews. Check, check, & check.

My 2026 newsletters are dedicated to how I got to Advanced & the bucket list travel I personally took in 2025. If you are already thinking about 2026 travel, fill out my Trip Inquiry Form. I’d love to curate your next trip.

How I made my travel business goals/Case Studies in how I can curate your next trip

I couldn’t have made my business goal without my clients. I loved getting to know each and every client and helping them curate some memorable trips this year. They went to Mexico, Florida, Palm Springs, Chicago, and road tripped across the U.S.

In this series, I will introduce you to some industry vocabulary along the way that may help you formalize the trip you want to take. I will include hotel partners and some of the tours I booked in each little case study. In these trips, I list how I am different from an OTA (Online Travel Agency), which includes credit card sites, Costco, and portals like Booking, Travelocity, etc. I will also reveal how much it cost my clients to work with me.

Here is my Services Calculator to follow along. (Hit preview and start playing. No need to join Honeybook to view.)

What I booked in January 2025

Mother & Daughter trip to the Riviera Maya

The next industry term I will introduce you to is Fly & Flop. This is when a trip centers on the hotel/resort, with the goal of experiencing all its amenities. This is typically a beach vacation, but it can also mean a remote property with a fantastic spa or skiing.

What my clients wanted: A warm-weather, relaxing celebration for a 13th birthday
Timeframe: Last minute, they contacted me three weeks before they left for vacation.
What I booked: RT airfare, three nights at Marriott All-Inclusive Cancun—AI —all-inclusive, and an airport transfer package.
Hotel: They loved it! The 13-year-old said that the poolside tacos were her favorite part.
What they did: Relaxed and spent quality one-on-one time without competing siblings and active sports schedules. They did add an ATV jungle and cenote tour recommended by the hotel. [Book it here]
How much it cost my clients to work with me: $0 (One destination, two people trip falls into my complimentary planning tier)
What I provided that an OTA didn’t: To make the most of the time, the flight we chose left extremely early in the morning. I provided a list of all of the options open at 4:30 a.m. for a grab-and-go breakfast for the plane. As a Spanish speaker, I communicated with the airport transfer company on the client's behalf and arranged a birthday note to be in their room on arrival. I included arrival information so they knew which forms to complete in advance, and a reminder to eat all the fruit they have before they land.

(Reminder: This is part of my complimentary planning fee tier)

Check out her review on my Fora Profile.

Disclaimer: I am an affiliate with Viator, I may receive commission through these links. If you purchase through these links, I will receive a commission notice, which may include your travel dates.

Kristen Fung Travels Goes Live!

In January, I also launched my world-travel website, Kristen Fung Travels, with information pages and my first guides featuring the city I call home.

Take me to Los Angeles

Personal travel: San Diego to Los Angeles road trip a re-do

I made the annual trip to San Diego to see my parents off for their 17-day Hawaiian Cruise on Holland America. I found them a hotel that had a complimentary shuttle to the cruise port, giving them a worry-free option.

We stayed at the Hotel Indigo San Diego. Watch my room tour here.

I also had time to add to my Foodie Road Trip-San Diego to Los Angeles guide and publish it for Out of Office Curated subscribers—that’s you!

Get the Tour

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Ready to plan your dream trip?

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