Exploring the World

Our Story

We don't sell
holidays. We craft
experiences.

Luxe Isles was founded on a single conviction: that the world's most extraordinary places deserve to be experienced properly — with the right guide, the right timing, and the right level of care. We are researchers, writers, and obsessive travellers before we are a travel company.

2,400+
Trips Arranged
63
Countries Covered
98%
Client Satisfaction
11
Years in Business
Founder Omar Khalid — Gilgit-Baltistan, 2014
How It Began

Founded on a
love of real travel

Luxe Isles began in 2013 when Omar Khalid, a former investment banker from Karachi, spent six weeks travelling the Karakoram Highway — and couldn't find a single travel company that understood what he was looking for. Not a tour group. Not a luxury resort package. Something in between: a carefully researched, privately guided journey that felt personal rather than packaged.

He came home and started writing destination guides. Friends read them and asked him to plan their trips. Within a year, he had left banking entirely. Luxe Isles opened its first office in 2014 with three people, a website, and an email address.

Today we work with 47 local researchers across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Every trip is still personally overseen by a researcher who has been to the destination themselves. We do not use templates. We do not use scripts. Every itinerary is written from scratch.

Omar Khalid
Founder & Chief Researcher, Luxe Isles
What We Stand For

Six things we believe
about great travel

Place Before Package

We start with the destination, not the deal. Every recommendation exists because we've been there — not because a hotel paid us to recommend it.

Local, Always

Every destination has a local researcher on the ground — someone whose family lives there and who eats at the places they recommend.

Radical Transparency

Our pricing is itemised. Our commissions are disclosed. We are paid by you, not by hotels or airlines. No hidden referral fees, ever.

No Shortcuts on Safety

Every supplier is vetted against our 22-point safety checklist. No exceptions, regardless of how competitive their rate is.

Slow is Better

We build rest days into every itinerary. The best travel moments always happen in the gaps — at a tea house, at a market, by accident.

Community Benefit

We prioritise locally-owned accommodation and independent guides. When you spend money through Luxe Isles, most of it stays in the destination.

The People Behind the Itineraries

Meet the Researchers

Omar Khalid
Founder & Chief Researcher

Grew up in Karachi, has driven the Karakoram Highway eleven times. Specialist in Pakistan, Central Asia, and the Silk Road.

EnglishUrduFarsi
Nadia Rashid
Senior Researcher — South & East Asia

Former BBC journalist. Has lived in Bangkok, Tokyo, and Colombo. Specialist in Japan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Certified PADI divemaster.

EnglishThaiJapanese
Tariq Al-Hassan
Researcher — Middle East & Caucasus

Grew up in Dubai, educated in Istanbul. Specialist in Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Jordan. Has visited every country in the Caucasus multiple times.

ArabicTurkishAzerbaijani
Priya Menon
Researcher — Indian Ocean & Islands

From Kerala, has lived in the Maldives for four years. Specialist in Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Bali. Former marine biologist.

EnglishSinhalaDhivehi
How We Work

From first enquiry
to safe return

We don't use booking engines or automated itinerary builders. Every trip is designed by a human researcher, reviewed by a senior researcher, and supported throughout your journey — including a 24-hour emergency line.

01
You Enquire

Fill in our form or call us. A researcher responds within 24 hours to understand what you actually want.

02
We Research

Your researcher designs a custom itinerary from scratch, drawing on personal knowledge and local contacts.

03
We Refine

You review the proposal, ask questions, and we refine until it's exactly right. No pressure, no deadlines.

04
We Support

20% deposit confirms. Your researcher is on WhatsApp throughout your trip. We handle every problem before it reaches you.

As Seen In

"Luxe Isles operates in the space between luxury travel and genuine adventure — and they do it better than anyone."

Condé Nast Traveller, 2024

"The kind of travel company that actually listens. Rare enough to be remarkable."

The Guardian Travel, 2025

"For destinations off the beaten path — Pakistan, Azerbaijan, the Silk Road — Luxe Isles has no equal."

Travel + Leisure, 2024
Recognition
🏆
Best Specialist Tour Operator
Travel + Leisure Asia Awards 2024
⭐
Five Star Excellence
World Travel Awards — Indian Ocean Region 2024
🌍
Responsible Tourism Gold
Travelife Gold Standard — 2023 & 2024
✈️
Top 10 Asia Travel Companies
Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice 2025

Journey Beyond Boundaries

The World is Waiting
to be Discovered

Ready to Travel?

Let's plan something extraordinary together

Tell us where you want to go — or tell us what kind of experience you want to have — and a researcher will be in touch within 24 hours with ideas you haven't considered.

Start Planning Explore Destinations