Recently we caught up with jet-setter and Travel Channel host Samantha Brown for a few pro-tips from someone who knows her way around the world.
How do you make sure to truly capture and take in all the different places you travel to?
I go for a walk. It’s the most important thing I do in any and every destination. I don’t have an agenda; I let spontaneity be a part of every trip. Relax — if you try to be as productive when you travel as you are when you work, you won’t have a good time.
How do you immerse yourself in a different culture?
I rarely spend time in tourism centers. I go to the neighborhoods where people live. I sit in their cafes and interact with them as a part of everyday life.
What are your top 5 favorite destinations?
- Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Lafayette, Louisiana
- Grenada, Nicaragua
- Bozeman, Montana
- Big Sur, California
What places do you recommend for those traveling with kids?
I love going to cities with kids. Chicago in particular is great because you have access to so many diverse cultures. There’s also a beach and a great pier with an amusement park.
Road trips are old school, but they are such a great way to spend special time with your kids. We especially loved taking our kids on a road trip down the California coast, beginning in Monterey with their world-class aquarium. We drove through Big Sur, stopping to walk through redwood forests, see the elephant seals and collect driftwood on the beach.
What advice do you have for those looking to travel abroad for the first time?
Do it. If it helps, go somewhere where something is familiar to you. England, Scotland and Ireland are wonderful places where you can enjoy the feeling of being abroad, but with the comfort of a common language, there’s not much culture shock.