Meet Best Teo
Chief Travel Designer,
Epic Travel Designer
Best Teo is the founder and chief travel designer of Epic Travel Designer, curating immersive journeys for travellers seeking meaningful and thoughtfully designed travel experiences.
How I See The World Through Travel
Travel has never been about collecting destinations for me.
What draws me to a place is rarely the famous photograph or landmark everyone rushes to see. I am far more curious about the everyday moments that reveal how people live.
A morning market just as the stalls are opening. A small café where the owner greets regulars by name. Watching shopkeepers carefully arrange produce that has just arrived from nearby farms. These quiet glimpses into daily life often reveal far more about a place than any list of attractions.
Those are the moments when a destination begins to feel real.
Over time I realised the journeys that stayed with me were never about how many places I had visited, but how a place made me feel and the connections formed along the way.
That belief eventually shaped what I do today as the chief travel designer of Epic Travel Designer, where I design journeys for travellers who value meaningful experiences and authentic connections with a destination.
Where My Travel Philosophy Began
In my twenties, I planned my first solo backpacking trip through Hokkaido. It took nearly six months to piece together the route using train timetables and the then indispensable Hyperdia website.
That journey taught me how complex travel logistics can be, but also how rewarding a well designed journey feels when everything flows smoothly.
More importantly, it showed me that language is rarely a barrier. When we were lost one afternoon, a local farmer handed us freshly picked strawberries from his farm as encouragement. It was a small act of kindness that stayed with me for years.
Becoming A Travel Designer
One particular journey eventually led to what became Epic Travel Designer.
I was planning a trip to Taiwan and wanted to explore the island in a more thoughtful way rather than follow a standard tour. My idea was to combine Taiwan’s high speed rail, scenic train journeys and private escorted tours so I could experience different parts of the island comfortably.
When I looked around the market, I realised this type of journey simply did not exist. Most options were either rigid group tours or fully private luxury arrangements that did not reflect how I wanted to travel.
So I designed the journey myself.
It turned out to be one of the most memorable trips I had taken. Travelling across Taiwan using different modes of transport allowed me to experience the country in a far richer way.
When I returned home, friends began asking for the itinerary. What started as sharing travel plans gradually became helping others design their journeys.
In many ways, I had simply solved a problem I personally faced as a traveller. That idea eventually became the foundation of Epic Travel Designer.
How I Design Journeys
I believe the most memorable journeys are rarely the ones that rush from attraction to attraction. The most meaningful trips allow travellers to slow down and experience a destination more deeply.
That might mean staying in a countryside ryokan, driving through scenic landscapes, wandering through small villages or enjoying cultural experiences that reveal the true character of a place.
Every itinerary I design is created from scratch and thoughtfully paced around each traveller’s interests and travel style.
Destinations That Inspire My Work
Over the years my travels have taken me across many parts of the world, but certain destinations continue to inspire the journeys I design as a travel designer.
Japan remains one of the places I know particularly well. I am also deeply drawn to destinations such as Switzerland, Norway and Patagonia, where landscapes, culture and nature come together in powerful ways.
These are places I continue to return to for research and exploration, allowing me to design journeys with a deeper understanding of how each destination is best experienced.
Professional Certifications
At Epic Travel Designer, professional accreditation supports the thoughtful travel design behind every journey. Our certifications reflect ongoing destination research and operational integrity.
Certified Singapore Travel Agent
Licensed by the Singapore Tourism Board (TA No. 02538)
Certified Switzerland Travel Expert
Endorsed By Switzerland Tourism
Swiss Travel System Excellence Expert
Endorsed By Switzerland Travel System AG
Start Planning Your Journey
If you are considering a journey and would like a thoughtfully designed itinerary tailored to your travel style, I would be delighted to hear about your travel plans.