Beyond Five Stars: What I Really Mean When I Say "Offbeat Luxury"

I’ve been lucky enough to experience some truly special moments in my travels—a sunrise picnic on a secluded beach in Bali, moon-watching through a NASA telescope in Jordan, infinity swimming in a hidden Thai cove, and wading through bioluminescent waters in Mauritius.

These were once-in-a-lifetime experiences, the kind of luxuries that felt deeply personal especially in today’s world of overexposed, Instagram-driven travel.

Luxury in the Age of Overexposure

In an era where every destination feels a little too geo-tagged, filtered, and over-shared, true luxury should feel "low-key". For me, offbeat luxury is about finding destinations that remain untouched by mass tourism, where you don’t have to compete for a sunset view or queue for a “hidden gem”. It’s about fewer people, more space, and experiences that are impossible to mass-produce.

So, What Is Offbeat Luxury?

1. Fewer People, More Space

Luxury isn’t about excess, it’s about exclusivity in experience, not just price. It’s being in a place where you can hear the wind, not the chatter of a crowd. It’s having a secret beach in Mauritius to yourself or hiking Le Morne in complete silence at sunrise. It’s about breathing room.

2. It Is Not Mainstream

Real luxury is felt in places that haven’t been overrun. It’s a vineyard stay in Georgia, a mountain lodge in Oman, or a tiny boutique riad in Morocco where the owner makes you mint tea every evening. Don't get me wrong, offbeat luxury isn’t only about escaping the mainstream; it’s more nuanced than that. It's about finding comfort in the unfamiliar—where even in new surroundings, there’s a quiet sense of belonging, woven through thoughtful service and the effortless meeting of expectations. In that sense, even the most mainstream destinations, can offer experiences that can still surprise you. A cosy farm stay in Bali, a centuries-old hammam in Istanbul. Sometimes, it’s not about where you go, but how you experience it.

3. Deep, Immersive Experiences

Most well-heeled travells would trade the polished, scripted version of a place for the kind of moments that can’t be staged. Think sharing a home-cooked meal in a family kitchen, learning a craft passed down through generations, or being welcomed into a community’s quiet rituals. It’s intimate, unhurried, and unforgettable. What it boils down to is a feeling of belonging.

4. Hyper-Personalization

Luxury is no longer about the price tag or the brand, it’s about staying somewhere that feels like it was made just for you. It’s a hotel that remembers how you take your coffee, a private guide who tailors an itinerary based on your mood, a chef who asks what you’re craving and cooks accordingly. It’s attention to detail that can’t be standardized.

5. Unique Experiences That Others Can’t Have

Luxury is exclusivity, not elitism. It’s the rare, the unrepeatable, the moment that can’t be booked on an app. It’s finding a natural hidden hot spring with no one around. It’s a group of locals taking you to a smoky dance battle in Mexico City (true story). It’s stepping out of your bamboo hut to witness limestone karsts surrounded by flamingo pink louts in Vietnam.

Luxury travel is being redefined as we speak

Today, offbeat luxury is about access, not excess. It’s about travel that feels personal, meaningful, and rare. It’s about choosing destinations and experiences that aren’t just exclusive in price, but in their ability to create a sense of wonder.

The best travel moments—the ones I truly consider luxurious—are the ones that felt both deeply personal and private. Because in the end, luxury isn’t about where you go or what you spend, it’s about how a place makes you feel.

And sometimes, the most indulgent thing you can do is keep it all to yourself.