Influencer David Pártl
David, it's obvious from your social media that you're pretty busy. On the other hand, you love to travel, do you have time for it?
I'd say I have plenty of time. A lot of it is just working out and working on social media. I don't have a traditional full time job where I have to sit in an office and plan my holidays.
So are you the master of your time?
I guess you could say that. Of course, my permanent lessons in my schedule are mandatory and my free time is based on that. But if I need to, I can find a substitute for myself. Admittedly, it can't be very often - if only because of clients who expect me to be there when my name is on the schedule - but it still allows me enough flexibility, perhaps for spontaneous trips when I decide almost from one day to the next that I'm going somewhere.
Is your travel often a rather impulsive affair?
I prefer spontaneous ideas. For example, last December the weather was pretty gloomy and I needed to clear my head a bit, so my friend and I decided to go somewhere. And two days later we were on a plane to Egypt. Now I had the opportunity to fly to Florida again, which I hadn't planned on...
So you don't like to plan far in advance?
Exactly, I'm not much of a planner. I don't like to buy a holiday for July in January, for example. It's an awfully long time for me. Sometimes it's a necessity, but I prefer the spontaneous stuff. It makes you look forward to it, but if you wait too long, the looking forward turns into a long ticking off of months.
Is your travelling often linked to the sport you play?
Having travelled and travelled to various Les Mills training and big events, yes. Whether it was trips to Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Les Mills is split into several groups and the Czech Republic falls under the Nordic team. As the name suggests, the main area is these Nordic countries, especially Sweden, where most of the trips are made.
Who do you like to travel with the most?
I like to travel with friends most often, mainly for the experiences and photos.
You mentioned photos, so travel is definitely important for your Instagram as well, to have "live" content...
Definitely. I'm not afraid to say that my followers enjoy going somewhere through my profile. At the same time, I give them different tips, inspire them where to go or where to go in that location, what to try, etc. I personally love food and nice beaches. I also often travel low-cost, so I show people different alternative options. Sometimes I manage to find out about deals on flights or accommodation or information that you can only get on the spot...
But bargain flights and accommodation are bought rather in advance, aren't they?
It's often at the last minute. The important thing is just to look and follow the sites that offer similar discounts. You can also follow these sites on social media, different companies do discount promotions quite often, but you have to react quickly. For example, airlines do one-day promotions on airline tickets.
Can you tell us where you were last?
Just recently I was in the mountains in the Italian Dolomites. It was a long weekend, we skied for three days. And it was great because the weather was perfect. And I was actually in the mountains for the first time in about three years, so I had a great time.
Do you prefer winter or summer holidays?
Definitely summer. I like mountains and winter too, but I can enjoy summer more. I prefer cities and beaches in the summer when there is plenty of sunshine everywhere. Maybe it's also because I grew up in the mountains, so I got a taste of it as a kid.
Summer is slowly and surely approaching, what are your plans?
I already mentioned Florida. I'm going to be in Miami for a few days now and then I have a seven day cruise on a cruise ship. I won't talk too much about that right now because I'm preparing a video and article for LUI from that trip. I have almost the entire summer booked for one collaboration so far. I should be touring music festivals around Central Europe with an international creative team. But in the beginning of May I might also have a trip to Mallorca, where I found an interesting offer from Neckermann. I'm flying with a friend for just three days to relax in a new generation hotel for young people, which Neckermann now offers under the name Cook's Club. So I'm very curious about it.
So it's one big party in Mallorca, too?
The hotels do offer drinks and parties, but mainly they're cool hotels for young people at great prices. At the same time, I especially enjoy the food when I travel, and they promise delicious international specialties here, so I'm really looking forward to it.
What about classic family resorts, have you been to any of those?
I tried a family resort for the first time in Egypt and it wasn't too bad. But I admit, there weren't that many kids there at the time. I'm curious myself what it will be like in Mallorca with mostly young people there, it sounds great.
What's the most important thing for you on holiday?
It's the food. (Laughs) I like big hotel breakfasts, but I like to go to the town and local restaurants and bistros. Most of the time I just have breakfast to stay. Because I like to explore the less touristy places, which are usually recommended by local people. That way you get to experience the real local cuisine, atmosphere and usually eat much cheaper. Another important point of my travels are photos.
Do you take a lot of photos on your travels?
Yes, I always look for interesting places to have enough photos for my social networks. But it's not like I'm chasing photos from morning till night.
However, taking photos requires some sort of accompaniment - unless you're just taking selfies...
I don't think I'd have the courage to travel alone. Sometimes I annoy my friends quite a lot with taking pictures, but on the other hand, some of them enjoy it and sometimes they come up with the concept of the photo themselves.
Have you ever thought about turning off Instagram for a while and just enjoying your holiday?
I've definitely thought about going away for a long weekend where I would totally shut down, not tell anyone about it and not share anything on Instagram either. That would also be the only time I could go alone.
What's your biggest dream right now when it comes to travel?
Vietnam. I've been dreaming about it for two years and I haven't been to Asia yet, so maybe this year it will finally happen. However, again, it requires planning. A trip that far away already needs some organization, but I'm not really up for that. That's why plans like this always fail (laughs). (laughs) Plus, in Asia you have to take into account the rainy season and other factors, it's a bit more complicated. Nevertheless, I'm going to go there, rent a scooter and explore.
Do you prefer to go on your own with more adventures or stay in a hotel with perfect service?
Everything has its pluses and minuses. It's always about what you expect from a holiday. Sometimes you want total relaxation, sometimes you want the ultimate experience. I like both.
Would you like to be that pure travel influencer who only shares travel-related content?
That's my dream! If someone were to ask me what my goal is within Instagram, I would definitely want to travel and make money through it. It's not unrealistic, but there are already quite a few influencers out there and it's hard to succeed and make it in the market. But hopes and dreams die last. Wish me luck.
