When Less is More: The Case for Destination Minimalism
“If you only visit two continents in your lifetime, visit Africa - twice.”
This quote by the acclaimed American novelist and travel writer is a staple of the safari industry. It feels particularly relevant for Africa because historically so many people have thought of their travels there as being “once in a lifetime”. Yes, because it’s a trip that in many ways cannot be topped. But it’s also because they’re convinced it will be their one and only journey to the continent.
The Passport Stamp Trap
We try to dispel this misconception, and fortunately most of our clients understand that, much like Europe, South America or Asia, a single visit to Africa will simply not suffice. Certainly this quote would apply to at least six of the seven continents (and even Antarctica can be explored in different ways across different regions).
But what about if we get a bit more granular: how often -or at least how quickly- are we willing to repeat a visit to a specific country? So often we are on a mission to earn a new passport stamp; not necessarily for vanity purposes, but simply with the intention of discovering as much of the world as possible. It’s a noble mission, yet one that can conflict with returning to the places we’ve left feeling very much connected to: our time and -in most cases our budgets- are finite resources.
It’s been proudly over a year since I’ve visited a new country. These days it’s hard to get me out of South Africa as the infinite destinations within the country, both known and undiscovered to me, continue to steal my attention. But when I do pull out the passport, I’ve found myself drawn to diving deeper in places I already love: Madagascar, Kenya, Spain, Puglia. And in Botswana, my recent annual pilgrimage was driven by an urge to master an ecosystem so nuanced that the more I learn, the less I feel I truly understand (hot take coming next month).
The Power of the Return Visit
This philosophy of return is the defining metric of our team’s travel intelligence. We do not measure expertise by the number of countries we cross off a list, but by the destinations we return to, driven by passion and a desire to develop meaningful expertise:
Andrea was just in Panama for her third visit and will return to Costa Rica for the 28th (!) time later this month.
Ali will explore the Dolomites as part of her annual Italy ritual.
Elissa will make her semi-annual trip to Africa via Namibia and South Africa.
This is the defining metric of our team’s travel intelligence: not the countries we check off a list, but the destinations we return to, driven by passion and the desire to develop meaningful expertise.
Bypassing the Highlights
Just last month, Clare returned to Japan for a two-week journey with the intention of slowing everything down. To revisit favorite spots from her earlier visit and to explore lesser-known regions that remain very much off the radar for most tourists. Her blog post below is both a practical and poetic reflection on the type of connection we can achieve with what we are coining “destination minimalism”.
And perhaps that is the true magic of the return trip. Anchored in the familiar and armed with a little local context, we bypass the highlights and head straight into the nuances, finding our own intimate rhythm in the places we already love.
Behind the Insights: This is Julia’s monthly letter to Craft Travelers, sent in May 2026. Like all of our communication, this publication does not rely on secondary internet research or outsourced itineraries. Our philosophy of Destination Minimalism is forged through genuine, boots-on-the-ground obsession evidenced by an editorial team that returns to their chosen corners of the world year after year. From 28 distinct expeditions decoding Costa Rica to annual pilgrimages tracking the shifting nuances of Botswana’s ecosystems, we return because that is where true expertise lives.
