What Dreams Are Made Of
A Q&A with Louise Murray of Dream Escape
Dream Escape offers the ultimate in inspirational travel to England, Scotland, and Ireland, specializing in exclusive properties and private castle stays for couples, families, and multigenerational groups. Louise Murray, a Creative Planner at Dream Escape, has years of experience working as a Destination Specialist for the UK and Ireland. Her many travel adventures with her own young family make Louise uniquely qualified to plan family programs—and really just about anything. Louise is always on the lookout for new and exciting ideas that allow clients to get behind the scenes and immersed into experiences normally off limits to the public. Popular programs include off-the-beaten-track chauffeur-guided touring, city breaks in London, Dublin, and Edinburgh, events, set-jetting events like Harry Potter, Outlander, and Game of Thrones, and whiskey and golf trips. This Q&A offers insight into what makes Dream Escape—and Louise!—so extraordinary.
POE TRAVEL: What’s something unique you’ve planned for clients?
LOUISE MURRAY: One of the most memorable and unique trips I have planned was for an elderly American gentleman who had served in the Air Force in England during WWII. He wanted to return to England one last time with his daughter to show her where he had been based and where he had spent an important part of his life. We planned a wonderful, gently paced trip for him combining privately guided tours of IWM Duxford and the Churchill War Rooms amongst others. However, the key part, after a lot of research, was finding a wonderful lady in the town where he had been based who held an incredible set of archives covering the time he’d been there. Ahead of their arrival, she did a huge amount of work finding photos of him and his comrades along with images of the airfield and base. Making a trip truly personal is what creates the most unforgettable memories.
PT: What is one travel essential you never leave home without?
LM: An open mind. Some of the best travel experiences I have had have been the ones that have not been planned. Often the suggestions have come from our local guide or driver and have been something as simple as a small music concert, a superb local restaurant, or a hidden away beach. Travel is all about leaving your expectations at home and letting yourself be open to where the day may take you.
PT: When you go on vacation, where do you like to go?
I have two young children, and I love to take them to places that open their eyes to new cultures, interesting people, and experiences. We have been lucky enough to travel a lot and have been to Malawi, Morocco, and the Middle East as well as Europe—all of which have left an imprint on their young minds. We are all active so love to balance our holidays with exploring the local area as well as time on the beach. I am a big foodie, and if I travel on my own, I love to include a food-focused element, be it a visit to the local fish market or a foodie walking tour of the town. I love meeting local producers and trying their produce.
PT: What are the top places people want to visit at the moment?
LM: In such a heavily connected world people are now looking to “disconnect.” A beautiful lodge deep in the Scottish countryside with no wi-fi gives families the perfect opportunity to re-connect with one another and rediscover a world away from their tablets and i-phones. Travelers are also seeking more activity-based experiences with local people. This may be hiking in the National Parks or kayaking in the Lakes of Killarney or, for a gentler pace, baking Irish bread in a thatched barn or trying your hand at sheep herding. For many, travel is not just about seeing different places, but about becoming immersed in a different world. A lot of travelers want to experience the local way of life, and more often authenticity is becoming a key factor when planning their trips.