Bindu Trips, a new itinerary-based website, meets travelers' needs in the middle, between knowledgeable guide books and opinionated social platform sound offs

150 of the world's best travel writers contributed curated written and photographic content for more than two years to bring Bindu Trips to life

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – September 26, 2017—A new travel website, BinduTrips.com, has launched, targeting travelers interested in getting the best experience for their time and money. Written by the world's most published travel journalists, the itinerary-based website spotlights trips by those who have “been there and done that.” The site is searchable by destination, theme or interest, budget, season, length of travel, and type of traveler.

Bindu Trips fills the void many travelers have been seeking: the authoritative voice in travel that has created the absolute best trip – tried and tested – to whet the appetite for an authentic sense of place before the trip begins. The trip builder lets users save and modify existing itineraries. The site also allows travelers to connect directly with writers to craft a personal journey mined from the seasoned journalists' experiences.

The site launched purposely after a collective exhale from the travel industry – the U.S. Labor Day holiday and unofficial end of summer – when airline prices dip. For travelers unencumbered by school schedules, now is the best time to take off on a pampering break to Bali, a deep dive of Dubai or an epic grand tour of Sri Lanka.

Whose Vacation Advice? Someone on Social? Or Someone who knows.

More than 150 guidebook authors, photojournalists and veteran travel writers – years immersed in their destinations – have contributed to Bindu Trips. Users hone in on in short term getaways, discover how best to explore a popular city or filter specifically for off-season trips. Research shows that travelers plan most often by formulating an itinerary. Regardless of how much time is available, it's a precious commodity. Travelers show focused motivation to experience the best in the time allotted.

Ask anyone about San Francisco, or London, or Beijing, and they will talk about their journey, including the smallest details. (They might even forward you their blog or brag about their reviews.) But it's their trip; the choices they made which were successful – or not – for them. “Mistakes, shortcuts, and personal taste aside, a traveler's tale is their own story, and unless they are one of the best travel journalists in the word, maybe their itinerary isn't the one to follow with coveted time off and a set vacation budget,” says Kim Grant, founder of Bindu Trips.

How Bindu Trips Works:

Grant watched bigger travel sites fail because they were built by engineers and technologists relying on algorithms, rather than responding to travelers driven by desires.

Bindu Trips is different. Users may follow in the footsteps of a writer who has recently been to a destination, or has covered it annually for years in guidebooks. If a Bindu Trips user wants a personal itinerary crafted by their favorite journalist or for a favorite place, it is available by consulting directly with the author for a fee. But otherwise, the expert's immersive knowledge of a place is offered to Bindu Trips' users for free.

Bindu itineraries show and tell why a destination deserves a look, and how long a traveler should visit, organizing the time available (from 48 hours to an epic week). The site's curated itineraries save travelers money, avoiding tourist-y traps and restaurants unworthy of a visit. “Bindu writers omit more choices than they include in a published itinerary,” says Ms. Grant. “There is more to a place than a Top Ten List by someone who has parachuted in for the first time or crawled the web bookmarking click bait.” She should know: she's been a guidebook writer and editor of travel apps and sites for more than 30 years, is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers and on its Editors Council.

Users may also add comments and suggestions to a posted itinerary, fulfilling the personal comment role of social media channels. Instead of posting something on Trip Advisor to an unconnected audience, the user can get in front of the author themselves.

Bindu Trips Has the World's Best Travel Writers on One Site.

Bindu Trips features itineraries by the world's A-list of travel writers. Authors hail from the ranks of Lonely Planet, NatGeo, Moon, Rough Guides, Fodor's, Frommer's, DK Eyewitness, and Countryman Press; from About.com, Huffington Post/travel and Matador.com; and from the travel app innovator Sutro Media. See the full roster of experts here.

How did Bindu Trips attract the best of the best to contribute their destination knowledge? Simple. Bindu Trips treats them as partners and lets them tell their story their way. The site gives journalists latitude to craft itineraries in ways they determine are most valuable to the visitor. Writers benefit from a revenue-sharing advertising model – the first and most generous on record – that pays them for their years of travel and accumulated knowledge. Writers can also be paid to produce custom and branded itineraries for individuals, groups, non-profit organizations or corporate retreats, with an understanding of the on-point nuances of each. Hiring a local meeting planner in Los Angeles for after-conference activities could cost in the thousands. Using a Bindu Trips writer to create a custom group itinerary could save thousands, and the writer just might lead the excursion.

New Regions Will Be Added Based on Seasons and Reasons.

Bindu Trips' geographic coverage includes the United States, plus the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. New destinations and itineraries within these regions are added weekly.

Content for Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Island will appear with plenty of lead time for booking specific seasonal travel (skiing in Banff, sunning in Sydney). The content is always growing – as the possibilities are infinite. The name Bindu is a Sanskrit word roughly meaning “point containing infinite possibility” and authors are compelled to live up to its name.

Headed to Cambodia? As author Grahame Cox says, “There's so much more to explore in the Kingdom of Wonder than Angkor Wat.” Mr. Cox offers highly curated options including A City Break in Battambang (with great food, architecture, a famous bamboo train and a not-for-profit circus); A Beach Escape to Sihanoukville (laid-back paradise on a budget); Mekong Luxury River Cruising (from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap); and Phnom Penh in 4 Days (high value, hip and happening). Read his full stories here. And check back for more itineraries; the possibilities are infinite.

To access the depth and breadth of content, visit www.bindutrips.com. To save favorite destinations, itineraries and specific points of interest – and to build a specific trip or daydream with a bucket list – be sure to create an account.

Although Bindu Trips may seem like one more site in the cloud littered with travel options, its intuitive take on how to plan and execute trips – with cyber hand-holding by the world's best travel journalists – may make it the only browser tab worth keeping open.

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About Bindu Trips

Bindu Trips is a free, responsive website known for its varied, expert itineraries and its trip builder. The site features curated content from more than 150 of the world's best indie travel writers. Site users may connect individually with those experts for itinerary comments and recommendations. Bindu itineraries help travelers organize and execute a trip depending on their interests, budget, season for travel, length of travel, and the type of traveler they are. Based on research by users looking for valuable content, Bindu Trips emphasizes getting it right for the best trip for a traveler, while leaving the “explore places around you” to the almighty Google and the Starbuck's app for the nearest location. Founder Kim Grant is also Editorial Director. She is an active member of the Society of American Travel Writers, a member of the (San Francisco) Bay Area Travel Writers and a media delegate to the U.S. Travel Association's prestigious IPW. Publicist Susan Wilson is managing publicity, reachable at Susan.Wilson@susanwilsonmarketing.com, 480-824-3015.

Follow Bindu Trips on Facebook (facebook.com/bindutrips), Instagram (instagram.com/bindutrips) and Twitter (twitter.com/bindutrips).

Connect with and follow Kim Grant and Susan Wilson on TravMedia, www.travmedia.com, where news and images of Bindu Trips reside, or go to https://bindutrips.com/press-room/.

Some content, in destinations where Bindu has not identified an expert contributor, is curated with permission from the official destination marketing organization. Bindu Trips is always interested in working with quality journalists on destinations not yet covered, or for which they have a deep dive specialty. Contact Kim Grant.