Lilacs & Chai is a boutique travel company based in San Diego. As an affiliate of Embark Beyond, a Virtuoso agency we specialize in luxury travel experiences. We believe in a holistic approach to travel. We believe in crossing destinations off of your bucket list. We believe in giving back and leaving the world better than we found it. We value travel, hospitality and creating a beautiful life with lasting memories.
Janelle grew up on Lilac Lane in a small-town in Southwestern Michigan and now resides in San Diego, California. A former hotelier with a passion for luxury travel and for helping her clients achieve their travel dreams. She enjoys getting to know each of her clients’ individual travel styles and prides herself in being their “personal shopper” of all things luxury travel. Her father from Rwanda and mother of Swedish descent has given Janelle a global perspective from an early age. She spent a year in Argentina during college and speaks Spanish. A warm cup of dirty chai tea latte with almond milk gives her so much joy and of course the smell of lilacs in springtime. Scouting out luxury destinations and experiences for her clients is a labor of love. Creating a travel company is her dream come true.
“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” — Oprah Winfrey
MEET LILACS & CHAI
Let's Socialize
LET'S MEET!
Lilacs & Chai is a boutique travel company based in San Diego. As an affiliate of Embark Beyond, a Virtuoso agency we specialize in luxury travel experiences. We believe in a holistic approach to travel. We believe in crossing destinations off of your bucket list. We believe in giving back and leaving the world better than we found it. We value travel, hospitality and creating a beautiful life with lasting memories.
“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” — Oprah Winfrey
MEET LILACS & CHAI
Welcome, friend! I'm Janelle!
Let's Socialize
Jaclyn grew up in San Diego, California, where weekends and summers crossing the border into Mexico gave her an early love of travel and exploration. That connection to Mexico has only deepened over the years, from a long weekend in Valle de Guadalupe to celebrating Día de los Muertos in Atlixco and San Miguel de Allende, to the beaches of Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo and the vibrant food scene of Mexico City. As a culinary and hospitality school dropout turned travel specialist, Jaclyn brings a genuine passion for food, art, and local farmers' markets to every itinerary she crafts — always thoughtfully planned and full of authentic experiences.
A mom to four kids — three school-aged at home and an adult daughter — and a proud grandmother of two, family travel is close to Jaclyn's heart. Her personal experience as a special needs mom has made her a dedicated advocate for accessible family travel, giving her a nuanced understanding of what families with children with special needs truly need to feel confident and supported on the road. On weekends when she's not planning her next trip, you can find her cheering on the Padres, the NWSL, or her kids on the rugby pitch — and often all three at once.
Let's Socialize
Let's Socialize
LET'S MEET!
Welcome, friend! I'm Jaclyn!
Lilacs & Chai Preferred Partners & Benefits
To ensure the ultimate in exclusivity for Lilacs & Chai travelers, we have some amazing preferred partners that will surprise and delight. Our professional relationships with some of the best hotels, tour companies, cruise lines, private homes or villas, private jets and exclusive access to VIP events all provide personalized attention for you as a traveler.
Lilacs & Chai travelers can take advantage of some of our hotel benefits that include room upgrades, complimentary daily breakfast, $100 credit for hotel amenities, early check-in, late check-out and so much more.
