The Bon Vivant

The Bon Vivant believes pleasure is not a guilty extra on a trip — it's the itinerary. A great meal, a beautiful room, a glass of something exceptional poured by someone who knows exactly what it is: these aren't indulgences to be rationed, they're the reason to go. Where others economize, this type would rather do fewer things and do them impeccably.

The trips that satisfy this type are organized around excellence you can taste and touch: the tasting menu booked months out, the hotel chosen for its service and its design, the long lunch that becomes the day's main event. They're not chasing whatever's newest or buzziest — they want the proven and the superb, the things worth every penny. One unforgettable dinner outranks a week of merely adequate ones.

What's worth protecting is the budget and the calendar around the highlights — the room in the day to savor rather than rush, and the willingness to splurge where it truly counts. Treat a Bon Vivant's trip as a checklist to speed through and the pleasure evaporates. They'll know it worked by the two or three sensory moments so good they'll be describing them for years.