Tea Country Holidays
Custom travel platform and owner-managed CMS
The Problem
The client was running her travel business on Excel sheets, static Word files, and Gemini-assisted itinerary drafts. She had previously paid good money for a website that underdelivered. She had no way to update package information, pricing, or offers without depending on a developer for every small change.
The Solution
Built a custom travel platform from scratch with a bespoke admin dashboard. The non-technical owner can now add and edit packages, update fixed pricing, manage destination content, and post promotional offers, all through the CMS without writing code.
Architecture & Flow
A database-driven content platform with a custom admin layer designed for a non-technical operator.
Owner Dashboard
Custom admin interface with full CRUD over packages, destinations, pricing, and site content.
Offer Management
Dedicated banner system for posting and managing promotional deals.
Authentication
PKCE OAuth flow securing admin access for the business owner.
Edge Delivery
Static pages served via Vercel CDN for fast public-facing load times.
Key Challenges & Fixes
Designing for a Non-Technical Operator
Issue: Off-the-shelf CMS platforms were too complex and bloated for the client’s needs, while a static site would require a developer for every price change.
Fix: Built a custom Supabase-backed admin panel with a streamlined interface mapped directly to the owner’s real workflow: packages, destinations, pricing, and offers.
Content Architecture for 24 Destinations
Issue: Structuring 34 packages across 24 destinations required a normalized database schema that remained simple enough for a single admin to manage without confusion.
Fix: Designed the data model around the owner’s mental model of her business rather than abstract relational purity, keeping the admin interface intuitive.
Impact & Metrics
Business Value
Transformed the client’s operation from a scattered mix of Excel and Word documents into a centralized platform she fully controls. She no longer depends on a developer for routine updates: pricing changes, new packages, and promotional offers are all self-service.
Engineering Lessons
When building for a non-technical owner, the admin interface and data model matter just as much as the public-facing website. The CMS has to match how the client actually thinks about her business.
Future Roadmap
Integration with direct flight APIs and an automated CRM payment gateway link.