From sacred ceremonies in Machu Picchu to luxury cruises in the Galápagos, Deb Niven, co-founder of The Divine Destination Collection, has redefined travel by blending luxury, adventure, and spirituality. In this Q&A, Deb shares the inspiration behind her unique travel experiences, her favourite destinations, and the transformative power of meaningful journeys. —Vita Daily
What inspired you to create The Divine Destination Collection, and how does it differ from other luxury travel experiences?
The Divine Destination Collection has given me the opportunity to do what I personally love to do and that is to travel in comfort and luxury, while experiencing the spiritual aspects of each destination and having the opportunity to have a ton of fun hosting our Divine journeys.
My intention, with my partner Allison Frame, has always been to provide incredible experiences to other curious, like-minded people. We were passionate about bringing a business to life that is not only unique, yet totally aligned with who we are. Spirituality is in my DNA! I love the journey of self-discovery while exploring fabulous new destinations around the world, and always in luxury, comfort, and style.
Your experiences combine luxury, adventure, and spirituality. How do you strike a balance between indulgence and personal growth during your curated trips?
Allison and I have always wanted to discover the more sacred aspects of a destination and to uncover those magical moments that make travel more meaningful. At the same time, we wanted to design trips that offer all the finer aspects of travel such as excellent food, unique experiences, and luxury accommodation that people do not always find on their own.
Traditionally, I found that spiritual travel was built around places such as ashrams and retreats and few companies were uncovering the sacred aspects of a destination and offering luxurious, spiritual experiences.
To us, luxury, adventure, and spirituality can blend together beautifully to offer the very best of travelling the world.
Can you share a memorable “uncommon encounter” from one of your trips that perfectly encapsulates the essence of The Divine Destination Collection?
It seems impossible to narrow down these “uncommon encounters” to just one as every trip as something that offers travelers some experience that they are unlikely to ever experience on their own.
Our trips to Africa included such gems as dinner and a “jam session” in the private home of a Jazz musician in Cape Town, an elephant interaction with rescued elephants, a Boma bush dinner with an African lady’s choir and sundowner cocktails in the bush with the Big 5 animals in their natural environment nearby.
In Ireland, we descended into the 12th century crypt of Christ Church Cathedral for music and cocktails, were greeted by the horses and hounds upon arrival at Dromoland Castle, and shared dinner in the home of locals!
in Machu Picchu, a Shaman led a ceremony on the ancient grounds. On the Camino, we had a surprise 20 member children’s choir as we arrived for a gala final dinner in the Sacristy in Santiago de Compostala.
This is Travel with Meaning!
How do you select the destinations for your collection, and what are the key factors that make a location a “divine destination” for you?
The combination of Allison’s vast travel knowledge, paired with her innate creativity, means that she is passionate about designing experiences that are rich with culture, luxury and personal growth. She brings this unique expertise to curate the fulfilling spiritual journeys that unveil the beauty of each destination for our travellers.
With her own personal love of travel and desire to encounter life changing, spiritual experiences, she has always taken us on some amazing journeys to the most interesting and uncommon destinations.
Many of your trips connect travelers to ancient cultures and natural beauty. How do you ensure these experiences are respectful and authentic to the local communities and environments?
Every destination we travel to means so much to us and we’re committed to presenting and protecting the unique and special aspects of each place. None of the experiences we include are fabricated – we take the time to uncover and share only authentic and genuine experiences that represent where we are in a respectful way.
Giving back to the communities we travel to is an important part of our journeys. We work with our local partners to find the most aligned organizations to support locally. And we love to have an opportunity for our travellers to meet with the members of the organizations in meaningful ways.
As a company that reveres sustainability, we are always mindful of the environment and reducing our impact by selecting eco friendly hotels and resorts, fostering local economic growth, offsetting carbon emissions, and reducing plastic waste and using eco friendly products.
In a fast-paced world, the idea of spiritual reconnection is a central theme for your journeys. How do your trips help travelers slow down and find a deeper sense of self-awareness?
To us, spirituality is not religion. It is something that is different for everyone. It can be our experience with nature, our own soul, our own personal growth, or a peek into the mysterious. It may be a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves or a search for meaning in life. In any case, a spiritual experience is usually uplifting, sacred or transformational or simply a deep sense of aliveness and interconnectedness.
Our beautifully and carefully crafted itineraries offer such insights into sacred sites and cultures that our travelers cannot help but take a step back and slow down to absorb it all.
What are some of the most adventurous activities you’ve included in your trips, and how do they challenge travelers to rediscover their wild side?
We weave many incredible adventurous experiences into our journeys with the intent of enticing our travelers to dig deep and get out of their comfort zone. Our recent Gorilla Trekking experience in Uganda was truly amazing and left many speechless by these heart stopping encounters. An intimate and exclusive cruise to the remote Peruvian Amazon River took us deep into the jungle to visit a local community and meet a female Shaman for a traditional ceremony. Our travelers were mesmerized by this trek!
We’ve rode on horseback for the last 15 km on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain, took a dip in Devil’s Pool on the edge of Victoria Falls and encountered the white water while rafting along the Ayong River in Bali. All this in keeping with our Divine sense of adventure!
Looking ahead, how do you see The Divine Destination Collection evolving in terms of new experiences, destinations, or themes? Are there any upcoming trips you’re particularly excited about?
There are so many places to explore, and we are so excited to take those journeys with our wonderful community of like-minded travellers. We’ve got our eye on sexy Sicily, mysterious Morocco, Japan, and Vietnam/Cambodia over the next year or so.
We’re also particularly excited about curating more of our Divine Revive Retreats. We know people are looking to relax, reset, and revive and we ’ll go with them to explore unique and luxurious retreat locations both close to home and in more exotic locations.
And right now, we’re so excited for our Galápagos…Born to Be Wild expedition cruise October 26 – November 4, 2025. This amazing adventure starts with two luxurious nights in Quito followed by an exclusive charter onboard our own expedition yacht, Infinity to explore the unique beauty of The Galápagos islands. We’ve only got five cabins left!
Visit www.divinedestinationcollection.com to hear more.
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