Travel startup sends you to mystery locations if you’ve got the guts

For a real adventure

When I was a kid, I thought one of the most dashing and romantic things in the world would be to go to a crowded airport, a duffel bag slung over one shoulder, and breathlessly announce to the ticket agent, “I want one ticket on the next plane out of here,” and then go wherever the path took me. As an adult in a pre-9/11 world, I still thought the same thing.

In a world grown smaller and smaller through countless online travel sites, each with detailed reviews of locales and the best options for everything once there, the sense of adventure feels a little lost.

Until now, maybe.

Jubel is a startup travel site that offers what its competitors do not: the ability to create a true bespoke adventure travel experience, where as much or as little as you desire is kept as a surprise.

How it works

When planning your trip with Jubel, one begins by telling the site a little bit about what you have in mind. Jubel focuses on alternative travel experiences, ones off the beaten and over-traveled path.

Jubel’s research team has done extensive research on these out-of-the way locations to prevent the traveler from being dependent upon second-rate or incomplete information.

Their local networks of trusted locations allow you to have a rich experience that’s uniquely yours, as they tailor the trip to your specific survey responses. The site advertises that travelers can start with a trip idea “vague as ‘a completely blind journey somewhere in the world,’ or they can be more specific, for those travelers who know what might be of more interest to them, for example, again from Jubel’s website,  “a culturally rich Indonesian experience.”

Users select the theme for their adventure (called a path on Jubel’s site), and identify destinations (along with a preferred budget for travel) along the way that would be of potential interest through a detailed, yet uncumbersome, survey.

For those who get analysis paralysis of all of the great places to go and see on a trip, Jubel provides an inspirations page with more information about preferred sites. They also allow users to contact agents directly for support in finding that perfect destination or activity before the trip is completely planned, as well as at any point during the trip to address questions or unanticipated needs that may arise during the trip.

Fully comprehensive price points

Once you’ve provided Jubel with the necessary information about what places and types of experiences you’re interested in, they do the rest! They design a trip, totally custom-made for you, without any prior commitment.

For some other sites, who promise low fares to surprise destinations, you’re taking a bit of a gamble. You pay upfront and only then are told of the dates, times, or destinations. Not so with Jubal. You only proceed with payment and finalization of trip plans once you’re satisfied with the destination and the price point. The pricing is comprehensive to boot: you’re quoted a proposal that takes into account flights, hotel, and any additional transportation needs once you’re there.

Keep it a surprise (or not)

Once you’re on the road, you can keep your next stops a secret from yourself, or cheat ahead by peeking early, whatever suits your comfort level. Jubel takes care of both ends of the traveler spectrum by sending the Jubel Pack to you after payment. These sealed envelopes provide you with the next local destination for your adventure, along with recommendations handpicked for you based on the survey information you provided and their deep knowledge of what’s worth seeing. You’re completely in charge here; the pace of your trip is (somewhat) up to you and how quickly you wish to proceed through the Jubal Pack.

Adventure and magic

The site advertises that being surprised along the path is an inherently valuable part of the journey. For some travelers, who prefer to have complete charge of their destinations and itineraries in advance, planning with Jubel, even with the ability to open all of the envelopes directly on receipt of the Jubel Pack, may seem a bit overwhelming. For those of us who want to experience adventure as a part of the magic of travel, it might be just the trip we’ve been waiting for. Take their survey to see what kind of adventure they can plan for you.

#Jubel