Behind the name: Lauren Raps - TTG Asia
How does your travel philosophy influence the services your agency offers?
Alchemist Travel serves as a host agency for our independent partners. Through a purpose-built backend operation, preferred partnerships with hotel groups and suppliers, and a mentorship programme grounded in CSR, our partners have everything they need to launch and run their own travel business under our umbrella.
This year, we launched the Alchemist Academy, Asia’s first dedicated travel agent training programme. We believe travel makes a wonderful second career. It is important that Alchemist supports those pivoting or returning to the workforce.
Where was your most recent holiday?
Manado, Indonesia, with my closest girlfriends. It is an underrated destination with easy access from Singapore, incredible food, beautiful hotels, stunning nature, and the region’s best snorkeling. Our tours felt genuinely authentic, and there wasn’t another tourist in sight when we were out on the water or in the jungle.
What is your favourite destination to visit?
Usually wherever I last went! I try to find the best in every place I visit and immediately want to return but I try not to repeat destinations. I also love Europe during summer, but as crowds grow, I challenge myself to find off-the-beaten-path spots to share with clients.
What was a memorable travel experience that made an impact on your life?
Multi-generational family trips with my parents and children. The unhurried and undistracted quality time and the memories my children made with their grandparents are deeply fulfilling in a way that is hard to replicate anywhere else.
Where is somewhere that you haven’t been to yet and would like to go?
South Africa tops my list. I’d love to experience Cape Town’s exceptional culinary scene and nature, followed by Franschhoek, South Africa’s gourmet capital. For the grand finale, either Ki-sawa’s private beaches with teeming marine life or Miavana’s wild remote private island off the coast of Madagascar.
– Audrey Ng