Brown having fun with Australia’s Mindil Seashore.
Emmy-winning journey skilled Samantha Brown is continually on the transfer. The host of Samantha Brown’s Locations to Love on PBS, which lately kicked off its seventh season, spends greater than 150 days a yr crisscrossing the globe exploring cities large and small.
Forbes Journey Information caught up with the Brooklyn resident whereas she was on a practice to search out out in regards to the Midwestern metropolis that wowed her, her favourite airports and the vacation spot she thinks about day by day.
The place ought to folks journey this winter?
Our very first present is in Darwin, Australia. Any a part of Australia is nice this time of yr. It might be a last-minute journey, however perhaps this can be a good time to plan for subsequent yr. It’s summer season, so it’s an ideal time to go down, and it’s only a phenomenal place.
For those who haven’t made any plans but for winter journey, head to a few of my favourite locations, like Puerto Rico and Jamaica. They’re simple to get to, a lot of flights. I really like New Hampshire — that’s the place I’m from. The mountains of New Hampshire are lovely this time of yr for snowboarding and winter sports activities.
A welcome ceremony.
Is there a vacation spot that shocked you?
There are locations that could possibly be particular, however they’re simply untapped. A kind of was Madison, Wisconsin. I liked it. It was a gorgeous, laid-back metropolis proper on the water with loads of Native American historical past in addition to an incredible way of life. I respect these locations as a result of they’re not the locations folks anticipate.
As we hear about journey turning into overcrowded and everybody’s going to the identical locations, I believe vacationers are searching for these locations that give them that sense that they’ve been someplace very nice and particular, they’ve relaxed however with out the plenty. Possibly it’s extra inexpensive due to this.
If it was a rustic, Wisconsin can be the fourth-largest cheese-producing nation on this planet. The cheese there may be off the charts, and there are lots of locations you’ll be able to get pleasure from it.
But additionally, they’ve this entire completely different consuming tradition referred to as supper golf equipment, which have been established about 100 years in the past. Anybody can go, despite the fact that it’s a membership. It’s a restaurant with a extra clubby really feel, which means we go to a particular room to have a cocktail after which perhaps go to the eating room to have dinner. And there’s this sense of a extra distinctive eating expertise than you’ve ever had.
As vacationers, everyone seems to be food-centric. This can be a very completely different method that [Wisconsinites] have inhabited that meals house. And we went there through the winter as nicely, and I really like winter locations. We perceive why folks wish to escape winter, however I wish to get pleasure from winter, and this was a spot proper on the lake that’s frozen. It’s such a singular place and a singular time. It’s a method to have a look at a metropolis that we’d hear about on a regular basis and by no means perceive the depth of an expertise you’ll be able to have.
Brown at Australia’s Litchfield Nationwide Park.
Do you may have a metropolis that you end up desirous to return to time and again?
Santa Fe, New Mexico. I’ve been there 4 instances, taking pictures completely different episodes. I find it irresistible as a result of it’s this confluence of American, Native American and Spanish historical past altogether. The margaritas are phenomenal. Artwork is in every single place, and it’s accessible. Whereas in New York Metropolis, the place I reside, an artwork gallery could appear intimidating to go to.
Talking of that, they’ve the capitol constructing, which has one of many largest collections of artwork — over 900 works — in Santa Fe. It’s lovely and open to the general public.
What journey traits are you seeing for 2024?
We’ve gone to locations that we felt extra perhaps pressured to go to as a result of we needed to make up for misplaced time [during the pandemic], and people locations may need been past our price range, costly and busy. Persons are accomplished with that and are touring now precisely the best way they wish to. They’re not being influenced by influencers as a lot. They wish to go the place they really feel extra snug. We’re going again right into a extra private house of journey.
On the receiving aspect, inns and eating places that for years have been in a position to increase costs, decrease their facilities or what they supplied, and nonetheless anticipate folks to point out up, are going to be in for a impolite awakening once they understand persons are researching their locations. [Travelers] need what they’ll afford and what that cash that they’ve spent preciously on is meant to offer them. They’re going to be very conscious of the instances that these inns and eating places shortchange them.
What have been a few of your most memorable journey experiences?
For this previous season, we have been in Jerusalem, and that was mind-boggling superb. Twenty-five years of journey expertise and I’ve by no means been to a spot so overwhelmingly lovely, so vital, so highly effective, so in battle. That’s fairly simply essentially the most unimaginable metropolis I’ve ever traveled to and hope to return and discover extra.
I by no means wish to solely say, “You realize, journey someplace that’s 10,000 miles away.” However these highly effective experiences are since you’ve gone to a spot the place you’re not surrounded by something acquainted, and you’re left to your individual form of vulnerability and are a little bit extra uncooked, and subsequently we type of maintain in a extra highly effective expertise due to that. I used to be in a position to be in China for a month in 2007, and it’s a visit that I nonetheless take into consideration nearly day by day by way of how I wish to expertise different locations, and the way we open ourselves as much as folks we don’t know, a language we’re intimidated by and embrace the place for what it’s.
Taking within the sights.
Is there anywhere that you just nonetheless have in your journey bucket listing?
Oh, so many locations. The world simply will get larger, not smaller. For my bucket listing, I’ve all the time wished to see the Northern Lights in Finland.
I’ve solely been to Cape City in Africa, so I’d like to discover something on that continent.
I’d love to return to Mexico Metropolis. That was one in every of my favourite cities on this planet. Persons are tuning into what makes that such a particular metropolis. I haven’t been again in 10 or 12 years, so I’d like to return.
I do know you’re keen on airports. What are a few of your favourite airports?
My favourite airport is Tampa. It’s the greatest airport in the USA. I’ve been flying by Tampa for as soon as a month for 15 years, with a slight break for COVID. Nevertheless it’s all the time been such a straightforward expertise with the stream of visitors, how they’ve accomplished the structure by way of maintaining folks transferring, crowd management after which facilities. They’ve the perfect restaurant, Columbia Café, which is Cuban, within the airport. I eat there each time.
You all the time depart on time and arrive early in New York Metropolis as a result of the climate is so good. It’s all the time been a pleasurable expertise.
I’d say the second favourite is Changi in Singapore. It’s overwhelming. It’s nearly like Las Vegas in an airport. There are what I name aspect streets within the airport. As a substitute of taking the principle thoroughfare, you’ll be able to go on the aspect and discover Zen gardens, koi ponds, little waterfalls and seating areas the place you’ll be able to stretch out and get a sleep in. It’s unimaginable. The final time I used to be there, I had a three-hour layover, and I nonetheless needed to run to make my airplane.
Extra Aussie adventures.
What do you pack in your carry-on baggage?
I all the time pack Pinky Balls, these onerous rubber pink balls. You get them in toy shops. Once I get to my resort room, I take advantage of them to therapeutic massage down my again. For those who lay on them, you’ll be able to roll out all of the kinks. You may roll them down your again, down your legs. You stand on them to work out your arches. They’re how I work out all my sore muscular tissues.
I wish to journey with my very own meals as a result of I’ll be tempted to get Burger King like everyone else. And I all the time have with me — even now on the practice — a strong battery pack to recharge my cellphone. It’s the scale of a brick, and I don’t care it’s heavy. I’ve sufficient juice to cost my cellphone three or 4 instances.
What would you like folks to remove from Locations to Love?
For me, Locations to Love reveals the hassle that it takes to create experiences that we as vacationers get to point out up and have. It’s a reminder that behind each meal and bar that you just go to and dance at, the folks have made that potential. Once you perceive their effort to create one thing particular, that creates the soul of a spot. That’s what you’re tapping into as a traveler.
The best lesson that I hope folks be taught once they watch the present is to succeed in out to folks, to make connections, to speak, as a result of it’s one thing we’re shedding on this world, having the ability to talk with others. Journey is the place we try this greatest. It’s the place we’re most open to experiences, completely different folks and cultures.
Keep tuned for our 2024 Star Awards announcement on February 7.
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