Growing up in southern Louisiana, Kristin developed an appetite for adventure and travel at a young age.
What began with trips to visit the beaches of the Gulf Coast expanded to the cultural richness of Europe. However, it was her move to St. John in the USVI that marked a significant chapter in her life of exploration. While living and working in the islands, Kristin met Steven, a chef with a passion for worldly cuisine who ultimately became her husband. In the intervening years, they’ve traveled the globe, bringing their diverse experiences back to Baton Rouge, where they’ve raised their two daughters.
Kristin’s approach to travel—and travel planning—is deeply rooted in the belief that the essence of a destination is best discovered through immersing yourself in its history, environment, and culture—especially its food, wine, and entertainment like live music. Since 2017, she has been dedicated to balancing the environmental impact of travel through responsible and value-driven tourism. Her mission is to create tailor-made travel experiences built upon her travel planning ethos. Kristin encourages travelers to embrace each destination fully, seek out the unexpected, all the while, helping clients to connect with locals while avoiding over-visited tourist traps.
Continually embodying her belief that the impact of your travels is far-reaching, Kristin has brought her children and parents along on adventures around the world.Some beloved family trips have included favorite destinations like Vermejo in New Mexico and Gleneagles in Scotland, with exciting bucket list trips such as sailing the Nile and experiencing an African safari on the horizon.No matter where they’re headed, Kristin practices mindful tourism with her family—traveling with as many as six adults and eight kids with her extended family. She feels that as a responsible traveler who values dynamic cultural exposure, to truly live is to explore the world with open eyes, ears, and hearts.
What’s your most memorable travel experience?
A core travel memory will always be the helicopter adventure to Ol Doinyo Lengai in Tanzania. Currently erupting carbonatite lava—some of the strangest stuff you’ll ever see—this volcano is known to the local Maasai people as the “Mountain of God.” It is the only volcano erupting this black lava and before even landing on this active volcano (and, well, before hiking the steep climb to peek inside), we had the most stunning helicopter ride. We started on the flat, dry terrain of Chem Chem and gradually ascended to the mountainous caverns and lush green landscapes. We even flew over Empakaai Crater, which was flocked with numerous bright pink flamingos. This crater lake is only visible from the air and remains untouched.
Travel Tip
- Slow down! Instead of packing in as much as possible, take time to settle into a destination longer. You will never see or do it all, and that is fine! Some of the best destinations are the hardest to get to, so stay longer and enjoy.
Testimonials
In the past when traveling abroad we had never used a travel consultant, but I’m so glad we used Depart & Discover on our last trip. It took the stress out of traveling especially with young children. Every detail was thought of which made our trip that much more relaxing. Even when I changed my mind a thousand times regarding our itinerary she just told me “That’s what I’m here for”. Thank you Kristin Songy Diehl for your patience and for planning our Costa Rican adventure! It was amazing and exceeded our expectations.
-H.L.
Kristin was great to work with! I'm not the easiest to pin down, and she was able to corral and guide me to a pretty cool destination and trip. It was a phenomenal time!
-J.H.
Kristin was amazing! My husband and I used her for our honeymoon. She helped guide us throughout the entire planning process from travel destination to hotel accommodations , meals, entertainment, transportation, etc.. Her recommendations were top-notch! I highly recommend using her. She was very professional and made sure to stay within budget which is always helpful during wedding planning. We will definitely use her services again in the near future.
-D.G.
Kristin is an outstanding travel agent and I would recommend her for all your travel needs, and honeymoon planning! Within two weeks before our trip, Kristin made sure that we had all of our itinerary completed, and got us tours for Italy on a short notice. She made sure that we were taken care of, and she was available to answer any questions we had. Highly recommend Kristin-- book her!
-L.N.
Working with Kristin was fantastic! She was able to line up amenities at no additional charge to our reservation that would have normally cost me hundreds of dollars. Kristin was right there along the way to insure that we were all set for our trip and we were taken care of for the duration. I would highly recommend Kristin to our friends when they are preparing for their next vacation!
-J.W.
Kristin was amazing to work with! She was responsive, full of great ideas and would definitely use her again for our next trip!
-B.C.
Each and every time it’s a wonderful experience! I would highly recommend her when your plans call for travel domestic or abroad.
-M.H.
Thank you so much for to Kristin for her help making our 30th anniversary trip so great! The staff and Virtuoso benefits at the Jumeirah and the Anantara Peace Haven hotels were excellent. Thank you very much also for ensuring our VIP treatment and for the personal touches.
Most amazing of all was the upgrade we received at the Hyatt in Maldives. I thought the staff were unusually tuned in even in the transfer from Hotel Jen to the airport and on the speed boat to the Hyatt. But we were knocked over by the upgrade and champagne delivered to the room. I'm certain that you had a hand in all of that.
Thanks for all your help and for going the extra mile to make this really an excellent vacation and anniversary.
-F.R.
