How to plan the perfect holiday for your personality type

Who we are on holiday can be very different to who we are at home. Often you often feel the change in yourself when the plane lands; from someone who turns into a social butterfly when they travel, to the person who spends all their time looking after others suddenly needing to be the centre of attention on holiday.

Your holiday should be an escape from your normal life, and understanding your travel persona can be the key to booking your ultimate getaway.

Luxury travel expert Justin Chapman at Go2Africa explains eight different travel personas so you can understand yours and get exactly what you want out of your next trip.

The Social Butterfly wants to soak up as much as possible on holiday and will stop and chat to everyone they meet, from local artisans to people on the street.

They like working from home but they do miss seeing people in the office every day, so travelling is the perfect way to recharge their social battery by interacting with as many people as they can.

They like backpacking and hostel-hopping and prefer to plan their trip as they go based on recommendations they pick up on the way, so they can travel with new groups of people as they meet them. 

The Star wants relaxation, comfort, and luxury—they want to be the centre of attention for once, because they spend a lot of time looking after everyone else in their lives when they’re at home.

They want a holiday that can allow them to rest, recharge and pamper themselves, like a spa retreat, a beach resort, a glamorous cruise or an all-inclusive African safari that combines their favourite things—luxury accommodation, delicious food and personalised attention.

The Planner has a daily itinerary to make sure they see every sight, go to every restaurant and bar and don't miss a thing.

They’ve been planning their holiday for months and have spent a lot of time researching all the best sights and hidden gems to squeeze the most out of every minute of their holiday.

They’re often much less organised at home and sometimes feel like they’ve wasted weekends by not going out or doing anything fun, so they’re not going to let that happen on holiday.

Quite the opposite to The Planner, The Roamer prefers to take every day as it comes, and feel free to wander wherever the day takes them.

They often have a very busy home life and a Google calendar full of meetings, appointments, and a strict routine that needs to be followed—on holiday, they want to forget it all, and have some time to just be.

Their favourite holiday involves an apartment in a city that they can explore, rather than a hotel with specific times to have breakfast. They want to take it easy and enjoy their time away at their own pace.

Perhaps they don’t see their family as much as they’d like to, or they’re like ships in the night with their partner—the Quality Timer isn’t interested as much in exploring a new city as they are getting to spend some time with the people they love.

They love home comforts, and their favourite holiday is a multi-generational trip with the whole family or a romantic break for two in a villa or lakeside cabin where they can be together and reconnect with others.

The Historian has a love of knowledge and wants to see as many new (or ancient!) things as they can and learn everything about different cultures.

They feel like their thirst for knowledge and culture isn’t being met when they’re at home, either because they don’t have time, or their hometown doesn’t offer enough for them.

Historical sites, museums, galleries, and guided tours are top of their travel to-do list, and a long weekend city break—full of sightseeing and tasting national dishes and local cuisine—is perfect for them to really sink their teeth into their chosen destination.

The Challenger is more interested in experiences than things, so a holiday filled with adrenaline boosting activities like hot air balloon rides, zip-lining, skiing and surfing is perfect.

They love to feel like they’ve accomplished a new goal while travelling. While a marathon, triathlon or sky dive might not be for everyone, it’s exactly what the Challengers want, as they might not feel like they have the chance to really push themselves at home.

The Adventurer likes the unconventional and to step out of their comfort zone. They love originality and independence, and solo travel is their favourite thing as they can explore at their own pace without having to rush for anyone.

At home, they may spend a lot of time with other people and often settle for other people’s plans, rather than being free to do what they want.

Off-the-beaten-path destinations with fewer tourists are their favourite, or an expedition through a remote wilderness, like a gorilla safari, is their dream combination of adventure and freedom.