Skip to main content

The Well Traveled Club, a Social Network for Traveling Well

screen shot of well traveled website showing a lobbing, places to visit, and activity on the website.
WellTraveledClub.com

How do you find the best pizza in Portland? How about the best cenote (freshwater-filled limestone sinkhole) in the Yucatán Peninsula? Or the best sushi in Japan? The most reliable answer is from a friend or an inside source on the ground. Though search engines and review sites might help, there is little to ensure that these algorithmically driven data sets are accurate, honest, and aligned to your interests. The Well Traveled Club is aiming to change this game.

Recommended Videos

Launched in 2020, the members-only social network is built for modern travelers. The Well Traveled Club sources a community of like-minded explorers to make it simple to discover and book the best restaurants, hotels, and novel adventures. The membership site offers an enormous (and expanding) range of user-reviewed destinations throughout the United States and across the globe which can help you in your future travel planning.

Personal Travel Recommendations

“There are thousands of reviewed restaurants, hotels, and activities,” Well Traveled’s Founder Samantha Patil said. “People pay money to be a part of this, so there’s a higher standard set when they have more skin in the game. It’s an extension of your personal brand, which is why it’s resonated. There’s a sense of personal pride in showcasing where you’ve been.”

Patil calls Well Traveled the anti-influencer, the place where travelers can share their love for going to new places without being paid to push certain brands. 

“Businesses can’t come to us to vet them. We feel strongly about that,” Patil said. “85% of our reviews are positive, but it’s a member-driven site. Users provide thoughtful feedback.”

Well Traveled launched its beta product in May of 2020 — in the midst of the growing COVID-19 pandemic.

“People said, ‘You’re launching a travel startup during the pandemic. Are you okay?’ ” Patil said. “But it was an opportunity for us to meet people where they were. We could take people out of their stuckness and let them explore the travel that they were missing.”

This beta process also allowed Well Traveled to create the operating process to corroborate content. Patil would verify reviews on the back end while enabling Google Cloud API to populate pictures and locations of restaurants, hotels, and activities. The founder was inspired to create Well Traveled when she had some disappointing early travel experiences. 

“I selfishly built this platform for myself, friends, and friends of friends,” Patil said. “Any source of connection is valuable — members know more than I do.”

Who is the Travel Network For?

Well Traveled is tailored to the new school traveler, people who are looking for high-quality experiences that are a little bit off of the beaten path — those people that don’t fit into a one-size-fits-all box. These are often Millennial voyagers who might be embarking on a big hike one day and then head to a nice hotel for pampering that evening. Or those who might hang out at a dive bar one night and then go out for a nice dinner the next. It’s a perfect opportunity to plan one of the best U.S. road trips cross country, too.

There’s a great deal of wanderlust now that travel is beginning to open post an ebbing pandemic. With already over 30 reviewed sites in the United States, 12 in Europe, eight across Latin America and the Caribbean, three in the Asian Pacific, and one in Africa, Well Traveled already has plenty of options to whet that thirst for those next experiential escapades.

The Members-Only Community

Membership with Well Traveled is $150 per year. While there’s currently a waitlist, you can skip the line if you’re invited by a current member. For a limited time, Well Traveled is also giving new members a $100 booking credit when they’re invited by existing members.

Read More: 9 Travel Memberships and Subscriptions That Are Worth the Money in 2021

Matthew Denis
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Matt Denis is an on-the-go remote multimedia reporter, exploring arts, culture, and the existential in the Pacific Northwest…
Travel in style with Monos’ first-ever aluminum luggage collection
This might be their sleekest collection yet
Monos aluminum luggage sitting outside

Monos, the premium travel and lifestyle brand known for its sleek, design-forward luggage, has officially entered the world of aluminum suitcases. The brand’s first-ever Aluminum Collection blends high-end durability with Monos’ signature minimalist aesthetic, offering a perfect balance of form and function for modern travelers.

"Our Aluminum Collection is our most premium offering to date and features thoughtful details, from the soft-release side handle to the etched detailing on the hinges and latches, because it's the small things that elevate the entire travel experience,” said Hubert Chan, co-founder of Monos. 

Read more
5 international travel must haves​ for the chronic overpacker
How I avoid the dreaded "what if" when packing
An overhead view of a man packing a suitcase

From Barbados to the UAE, I've been blessed with the opportunity to travel abroad to many beautiful countries. Yet, even as an experienced international traveler, I still find myself paralyzed when packing my bags ahead of my next trip.

While at home, I'm about as minimalist as it gets. Buying new items isn't my thing, and I'd rather spend every dollar I earn on travel experiences than material items. However, I'm the epitome of a chronic overpacker when packing. Somehow, the "what ifs" and fear of the unknown cause me to pack too much. This poses a logistical problem regarding getting everything to fit (and adhering to airline bag weight limits), but it's also quite stressful. Once you arrive at your destination, the last thing you want is shuffling through an overstuffed suitcase to find what you need.

Read more
We tried YETI’s new travel backpack and it’s perfectly versatile
We tested the new YETI Ranchero backpack, here's why we loved it
Using the YETI Ranchero backpack used at a gym

YETI might be best known for its mugs, tumblers, and coolers, but they’ve also started releasing tons of backpacks, totes, and even luggage. Their latest release, the Ranchero, is designed more for daily use and weekend getaways instead of far-reaching adventures, but it’s made with lots of the same goodies that YETI packs are known for.

We were lucky enough to try out one of the Ranchero bags before its launch to see how it performs. From the gym to the park to afternoons by the pool, the Ranchero is a mostly flawless backpack that has all that heavyweight rugged durability you want in a YETI pack, but in a surprisingly lightweight, daily-use bag. Here’s everything we loved about the new YETI Ranchero backpack, and the one thing we feel could be improved.
The YETI Ranchero Backpack has all the bells and whistles you want from the brand
One of the things that makes the Ranchero backpack great is that it’s made with all the versatility and durability features you’d expect from YETI. For starters, the pack is made with YETI’s TuffSkin nylon, which is both water and abrasion-resistant, so the bag has the toughness and sturdiness you’d expect from YETI.

Read more