The Soul Compass Ceremony

The short answer: questions first, bookings later

Before a single room is held or a flight is looked at, TripsGala asks a free set of questions about your mood, what you need right now and the way you like to move through a place. That set is called the Soul Compass, a free six-minute set of questions about your mood, needs and travel style, and it is the only thing asked of you at this stage. You can name a destination if one is already chosen, or leave that field empty and let your other replies point somewhere. Nothing is quoted, nothing is held, and no payment is taken before you have read a written plan.

What you are actually asked

The questions are short and plain. They are not a personality quiz and there is no clever reply to give.

• The dates you have, or the season you are flexible inside
• Who is coming: one traveler, two, or a small group
• The pace you want, from slow mornings to full days on foot
• Food, mobility and anything that must be avoided
• Whether a destination is already chosen, or still open
• What this time away is for, in your own words

Honest replies are more useful than impressive ones. Someone who writes that they are tired and want to be asked very little will get a different plan from someone who writes that they want a new town every second night.

The 48 hours after you answer

A human curator reads what you wrote and builds the journey around it: where you go, where you sleep, how you move between places, which guides meet you and what each date holds. Within 48 hours you receive the Living Proposal, your personal day-by-day itinerary, written out in full rather than sketched as options. It stays open to changes for eight days while you read it, argue with it and send it back. After that window it locks, so rooms, drivers and guides can be confirmed against real dates. Commitment comes after you have the written plan in hand, never before.

What to have ready before you begin

None of this is required, but it makes the first reply sharper.

• A date window, even a loose one, and the number of nights you can realistically be away
• Fixed leave dates for anyone else coming with you
• Your passport, checked for remaining validity, since some visas need lead time to arrange
• Anything already booked or immovable: a wedding, an anniversary, a return flight
• One sentence on what you do not want, which is often more useful than a wish list

Cost is not discussed at this point because there is nothing yet to price. What a trip costs depends on the destination, the season, how long you stay, how many of you there are and how much is built from scratch, so a real figure only exists once the written plan does. TripsGala has worked this way for more than a decade, mostly by referral.

Start with the Soul Compass, a free six-minute set of questions about your mood, needs and travel style.