BESPOKE TOURS ARE VITAL

CINDY HARVEY lives with her partner, an investment banker. They spent over €50,000 on a trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. First-class flights: €10,500. Hotels:

€14,000. Food and drink: €14,000. Private chauffeurs and personal assistants: €2,000. Spa treatments:

€3,100. Private catamaran hire: €1,800. Private speedboat hire: €1,000. Clothes and shopping: €6,000

CINDY SAYS: When I was little, my aunt used to send me postcards from her travels, which gave me my wanderlust. To date, I’ve travelled to more than 100 countries across five continents.

I’ve been with my partner for almost four years and travel is our passion. We always use luxury agents who create bespoke tours that include private chauffeurs and personal assistants who can cater to our every need, including booking exclusive restaurants and chartering boats.

When I was a student, my girlfriends and I would go on cheap holidays to

Europe, staying in two-star hotels. I’d come home feeling I hadn’t had a proper holiday. I vowed that when I had plenty of disposable income, I’d invest it on luxury breaks.

Last December we had a fabulous three-week trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, flying first-class and staying in five-star hotels. We spent as much as €600 a day on meals in top restaurants.

There was one particularly mesmerising moment in Hoi An, Vietnam, when we took a private, night-time gondola ride along a river filled with floating multi-coloured lanterns. It was the most beautiful experience of my life.

I know €50,000 is a huge amount of money, but we often work seven days a week, so holidays are vital to our wellbeing.

We’d hoped our next indulgent trip would be to India, but with Covid rates so high, we’re hoping to escape to the South of France, Southern Spain or Sardinia instead at some point.