00:00Hi, I'm Annie Georgia Greenberg, fashion editor at large and video producer at Refinery29.
00:04Recently, I had the opportunity to travel for six weeks.
00:08First, I went to Nepal. It was awesome.
00:12Then, I flew to Bangkok. I spent a few days there alone.
00:17Then, I met up with my boo in Myanmar.
00:20Finally, we went back to Thailand. It was magical.
00:24I'm about to get into my top 10 travel tips.
00:29Carry a light scarf. These are supremely helpful.
00:33Not only are they cozy on a plane, but they help with a chilly night.
00:36Or, if you're wearing a tank top or a sleeveless shirt and you're going to sightsee somewhere where you need
00:41to have your shoulders covered,
00:43which is the case in a lot of temples, you can keep your shoulders covered up with a scarf.
00:48Or, you can wrap the scarf around like a sarong.
00:52These truly are a traveling one-piece wonder.
00:57If you're on long flights, you're going to want to catch disease on the plane.
01:01I'm telling you about the turtle.
01:02You wrap this fleece thing around your neck and its legs out.
01:06And, no, turtle's not paying me to say this, although I wish they would.
01:10It's TRTL.
01:15A lot of people say that you should do it while you're on vacation, but the idea of journaling is
01:20daunting.
01:21This is my tip.
01:23Hyperjournal.
01:24It's kind of like bullet noting your day.
01:26Thai phrases from the girl that I sat next to on the plane.
01:29The Buddhist flag and all of the elements that it represents that our guide on our hike drew little things
01:35in a little notebook that anybody can do to remember their trip back.
01:39I disagree.
01:40The next travel tip is to travel with someone you can fight with.
01:44It's important because if you're going to go on a trip with someone, no matter the length of time, chances
01:48are you're not going to agree on absolutely everything.
01:52So it's important that you can both speak your mind, feel comfortable doing so, and move on and have a
01:58good time already.
01:58This tip is all about diversifying your accommodations.
02:02Moving from roughing it and then moving up to a luxury hotel is the way to go.
02:05When I was hiking in the Himalayas, we stayed in these tea houses and oftentimes they didn't have electricity, running
02:11water, or sometimes even bathrooms.
02:13But then also in Nepal, we were able to stay in places like the Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge, which is
02:18an eco-friendly lodge.
02:20You can really see that ethos in everything they do.
02:23Personally, in our rooms, we didn't have heat.
02:25We would come back to our room and there would be a hot water bottle in bed waiting for us.
02:29And it was kind of adorable.
02:31I can't recommend enough staying at 137 Pillars, which is where I sit in Bangkok.
02:35It's a brand new hotel that looks so cool.
02:39I can't always afford to stay in luxury places.
02:41But maybe you can give yourself one night, two nights to splurge.
02:44Trust me, it's worth it.
02:46Get out into nature.
02:47Honestly, it's one of the best travel tips I can give you because nature is energizing and serene, so it
02:53gives you that vacation vibe instantly.
02:55I know you want to Instagram your brunch, but a little activity goes a long way and is so soul
03:00-fulfilling.
03:01Anyway.
03:03The next tip is to talk to people.
03:05While you should definitely stick with your gut instinct and not talk to people who might scare you, it's good
03:10to be a little open while you're traveling.
03:12When I was traveling, I made friends with a man well into his 70s that knew more about the area
03:17that I was staying than anybody else would.
03:20It's nice to make a friend or two, even if just for a brief time.
03:23Travel alone.
03:24Honestly, it's a great way to get to know a place and yourself at the same dang time.
03:29And bonuses that you don't have anybody to answer to.
03:32If you said you were going to go see a monument, but you don't really want to go see the
03:36monument, you don't have to.
03:39Plus, you get so much more bed space.
03:42Shopping for souvenirs is a must, but it can be a little overwhelming.
03:45My tip is to remove the item from its group and think about it on its own, because everything can
03:51look a little cheap and kitschy when there's tons of them.
03:54Take, for example, this paper mache tiger head.
03:57I was in Mexico.
03:57I didn't really have a place to put it, but I came back, and in the context of my things,
04:01it reframed it, and I think adds a nice dimension to my abode.
04:09Vacation starts the moment you step out the door.
04:11That means you should be on vacation on your way to the vacation.
04:14Travel things are going to happen.
04:16You're going to get stuck in traffic.
04:17Your flight's going to be delayed.
04:19Maybe you'll miss a connection.
04:20In my case, on my way to Nepal, I actually had to land in India because of a lightning storm.
04:25But if you have the mentality that the journey is part of the fun, I promise you, you'll start relaxing
04:30and having fun sooner.
04:33Bon voyage, baby!
