Scientist by training. Founder by instinct. Traveller by nature.

Hi, I’m Olga.

Olga Plotnikova · Founder of Luxe Travel Studio

I create travel guides and personalised trips for people who would rather enjoy their time away than spend weeks planning it.

I’ve seen people save all year for a trip, only to find their hotel beside a construction site or far from everything they wanted to do. That’s why I look beyond the photographs.

I’ve travelled to more than 45 countries. From my home on Australia’s Gold Coast, I help you work out where to spend, where to save and what’s actually worth your time.

How I plan trips

From the lab to the world

My work has changed over the years. My habit of researching everything has stayed with me.

I started in molecular biology and medical research

After my PhD at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, I worked in cancer research at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia and Monash University in Melbourne. I was first author of research published in Nature Communications, and my work also appeared in the Journal of Cell Biology.

I still approach a recommendation the same way: check the evidence and go back to the source.

Then I built a food business

I co-founded Pimp My Salad in Byron Bay. What started at weekend markets grew into more than 1,700 Australian stores, including Coles and Woolworths, with over a million products sold and exports to the UK.

Eight years of managing suppliers and logistics taught me how much the small details matter. A good plan has to work in practice.

Travel was always part of it

I completed a Certificate in Tourism and Hospitality Management at Temple University in 2010. Alongside work, I kept travelling, and friends kept asking me to help plan their trips.

In 2023, I made that my work and founded my travel studio on the Gold Coast. Today I’m a travel advisor in the Envoyage network, part of Flight Centre Travel Group. Where a booking includes extra benefits, I explain what is available and which are confirmed.

How I plan trips

I travel, research and test so you don’t have to. Here’s how that shapes the advice I give.

Look beyond the photographs

A beautiful hotel still needs to be in the right place. I look at what’s nearby, how you’ll get around and whether the room suits your trip.

Spend where it makes a difference

I’ll tell you when I think a better room is worth paying for. I’ll also tell you when I’d save that money for an experience instead.

Leave room to enjoy it

I look at the travel time between places and how much you’re trying to fit in. An extra night can make more sense than another stop.

Talk to the person planning it

You can tell me what you liked about your last trip, what didn’t work and what matters this time. I use that to shape my recommendations.

What backs my advice

PhD, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Certificate in Tourism and Hospitality Management, Temple University
First author in Nature Communications, with a US patent
Travel advisor in the Envoyage network, part of Flight Centre Travel Group

My founder story in the press

Questions people ask me

Start by telling me about your dates, budget and travel ideas. I’ll explain the planning options and confirm the scope and fee before you commit. If you already know where you are going and prefer to arrange things yourself, my ready-made travel guides are another way to get started.

Research taught me to question claims and check the evidence. Running a food brand taught me logistics and supplier relationships. Travel brings those skills together in work I love: helping someone make a good decision about a trip they have been looking forward to.

I plan boutique stays, cruises, safaris, honeymoons and family trips, including trips with several generations. From Bali and Japan to East Africa and the Australian coast, the itinerary starts with how you like to travel, your budget and the time you have.

My travel guides are ready-made routes and recommendations you can use to arrange your own trip. If you’d like a plan built around your dates, interests and pace, tell me about your trip and I’ll explain the personalised planning options.

I’m Olga Plotnikova, the founder of Luxe Travel Studio on Australia’s Gold Coast. Before becoming a travel advisor I worked in cancer research and co-founded Pimp My Salad. I have travelled to more than 45 countries and founded the studio in 2023.