At Travel+Leisure India & South Asia, it has been our perpetual endeavour to curate the most exceptional experiences from around the world for a travel palate as refined as yours, dear reader. The Adviser List (A-List) is another significant stride in this direction. By Team T+L
With 11 experts from realms as diverse as photography, hospitality, gastronomy, adventure tours, storytelling, fashion designing, and more, we will now bring you cutting-edge travel and lifestyle insights straight from the horse’s mouth. Hotelier Saurabh Rai is one of the esteemed members of this panel.
Saurabh Rai began his career stint with Preferred Hotels & Resorts in 2008 as the Director of Global Sales & Development for India and Middle East. Today, he is the Executive Vice President for South Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Australasia for the group. His work entails at least four trips a month over a wide geography, so his travels feature a diverse spread of destinations, time zones, food, and ethnicities. In his personal travels, he has evolved from going solo to travelling as a couple to now packing a family with two kids. In his current avatar, Rai says, “When I think of travel, I think of family, togetherness, and the slow life.” The Rai family isn’t an aggressive activity-seeker and likes to enjoy conversations while on holiday. Hence, their favourite destination is Maldives, for its lack of distractions. But the biggest gains that Rai has made have been on his tougher journeys—“to far flung places where things aren’t as curated, organised, and expected.”
“There is zero screen time for me and my family on holiday—no TV, absolutely no tabs or laptops, and extremely limited phone use.”
BUCKET LIST 2019
Morocco, since it ticks all the boxes; Keen to hit Japan and Denmark, too.
Related: 5 Beach Towns In Morocco Straight Out Of Our Dreams!