Marc Kosberg

Travel Advisor, Nuba

Tell us about you and your company.

I work as a freelance travel advisor/concierge with discerning travelers from all around the world who look for uniqueness in all ways. At Nuba, we curate experiences and have the contacts to make the impossible happen. For me, it’s very important to build a long-lasting relationship with our clients and to get to know them well in order to make it as bespoke as possible. My specialty, I guess, is finding hidden gems and places you won’t find easily while browsing the web. I try to always recommend family-run hotels that offer a unique experience instead of the big chains.

What’s the entry level to talk to you? 

I don’t have a trip cost minimum, because it may only be a weekend trip. However, for those trips we do usually add a planning fee that varies depending on the complexity. We’ve had trips in the past that required a lot of scouting, so we needed to cover our travel expenses to make the trip happen and we charged the fee accordingly. I think a lot of people think working with an advisor will be more expensive; however, most of the time we work on a commission basis directly from the suppliers, which means the client won’t pay more than the published prices. (To reach him: marc.kosberg@nuba.com or on @thetravelcrafter)

What is the sweet spot of your expertise?

I love recommending places to eat and drink well. Everything I recommend is tried and tested, and I make sure to stay as updated as possible when it comes to this. This can be from a fine-dining restaurant to a hole in the wall joint. For me, that’s what traveling is all about, appreciating quality, and adapting to different situations while enjoying every minute of it. 

A trip you’ve done or organized that you feel represents you and your philosophy the best…

Back in September 2019, we organized a supercar rally from Zurich to Monte Carlo. We started at a watch manufacturer with an incredible lineup of cars, scenic drives, Michelin-starred lunches, unique stops, evening dinners, and overnight stays and we finished the trip for the clients at the Monaco Yacht Show—it was truly unique. I’m sure Matt would have loved it! This was probably one of my favorite and most fun trips to plan.

What is something you wished we all knew or were better at? How do we become better travelers, clients, citizens of the world?

I think that a real traveler has to understand that not everything’s pretty when traveling. Sometimes it may be uncomfortable and there’s unpredictable drawbacks along the way, but that’s OK! You learn from it and it’s fun and you always have a story to tell your family and friends afterwards. We as travel advisors make sure to minimize all of these, but we’re there for when it happens, so we get you back on track ASAP. I also think that curiosity is the most valued element when taking a trip; this way you really experience this feeling of amazement. I think nowadays that has been lost, due to the fact that we have access to everything online. Leave your phone, walk in the streets and get lost—that’s my advice.

A “why it’s all worth it” moment…

Having sundowners in the African bush with the incredible energy you feel when you’re there, and of course the stunning backdrop views.

What is a place we should consider traveling to that could really use our dollars, and what is a place we should put on pause because, even though we love it, it sees too many tourists?

I think Rwanda is such a rich country in every way. The people with incredible resilience after everything they went through not so long ago, the culture and it’s natural environments are incredible. Here your dollars go a long way towards preservation and social initiatives. 

I love Venice and it really needs to stop welcoming cruise ships, as well as massive low-level tourism. This is destroying the city, especially in the summer months where the streets are flooded with tourists who litter and don’t take care of the heritage and it’s greatness.