About
Meet Mary Plousha
I’m Mary Plousha, founder of La Semilla Travel — a boutique agency in Carlsbad, California creating small women’s group journeys, custom group trips for families and friends, and river cruises.
La Semilla Travel • Carlsbad, California — by appointment; serving clients across the U.S.
760-410-8209 • info@lasemillatravel.com
Why I created it
Why I Created La Semilla Travel
La semilla means “the seed.” I believe every woman carries a seed of who she was before the world told her to be someone else — before the titles, the caregiving, the endless list of everyone else’s needs. Travel has a way of bringing us back to that person.
I came to the United States from Vietnam as a young child, and I’ve spent my life since learning what it means to belong to more than one place at once. That’s part of why I design journeys the way I do — unhurried, rooted in real connection, and built so you can simply arrive and be present.
I founded La Semilla Travel in 2024 as a boutique agency for women stepping into their next chapter — empty nesters, the newly single, and anyone ready to rediscover herself.
Philosophy
The Kind of Travel I Believe In
I believe the best trips are the ones where you get to be present. That means the logistics are handled before you land, the pace leaves room to breathe, and the experiences connect you to the place and the people rather than moving you past them.
It also means small groups. A smaller group means real conversation, more flexibility, and the kind of friendships that keep going long after everyone flies home.
Expertise
What I Specialize In
I specialize in small women’s group journeys (Bali and Vietnam are close to my heart), custom group trips for families and friends, and river cruises. Whether you’re traveling solo into a group of soon-to-be friends or planning a milestone trip for the people you love, I handle the details so you don’t have to.
Alongside these, I plan multigenerational family travel, milestone celebrations, private yacht and small-ship experiences, and journeys built around a shared interest.
First-hand
Why First-Hand Experience Matters
When you travel with me, you’re not booking a package — you’re being taken care of, before, during, and after, by someone who has walked the hotel hallways, met the guides, and planned for the moments that matter.
Working together
How I Work With Travelers
We start with a conversation — who is traveling, what you’re hoping to experience, and roughly when. From there I put options together, refine them with you, and handle the bookings, payment timelines, rooming arrangements and pre-trip communication.
If something changes or goes sideways while you’re traveling, you have someone to call. That’s the part travelers tell me they value most.
“I didn’t have to worry or bother my parents with the details. Mary just took care of it.”
Credentials
Registrations & Memberships
Industry
Professional Affiliations
Trusted industry relationships. Professional expertise. Personalized travel planning.
La Semilla Travel is proud to maintain professional affiliations with respected organizations within the travel industry. These relationships provide access to industry education, resources, supplier connections and travel expertise that help me better serve my clients throughout every stage of their journey.
IATA
International Air Transport Association
CLIA
Cruise Lines International Association
ASTA
American Society of Travel Advisors
Professional connections matter—but so does personal service. La Semilla Travel combines industry resources and trusted travel partnerships with the hands-on care of an independent travel agent who is personally invested in every journey.
Next step
Start Planning With Mary
Whether you have a group of your own or you’d like to join one of our hosted journeys, the next step is a conversation.