Brown enjoying Mindil Beach in Australia.
Samantha Brown
Emmy Award-winning travel expert Samantha Brown is always on the go. The host of the PBS show “Samantha Brown’s Places to Love,” which recently began its seventh season, spends more than 150 days a year crisscrossing the globe, exploring cities big and small.
Forbes Travel Guide caught up with the Brooklyn resident on the train to find out more about the Midwestern city that captivated her, her favorite airport and the travel destinations she thinks about every day.
Where should you travel this winter?
Our first show is in Darwin, Australia. Everything in Australia is amazing at this time of year. It’s a last minute trip, but it might be a good time to start planning for next year. It’s summer now, so it’s a great time to go to Australia and it’s a really amazing place.
If you haven’t planned your winter trip yet, try some of my favorite places like Puerto Rico or Jamaica. They’re easy to get to and there are plenty of flights. I love New Hampshire because that’s where I’m from. The mountains here are beautiful this time of year for skiing and winter sports.
Welcoming ceremony.
Samantha Brown
Are there any destinations that surprised you?
There are places that can be special, but are still under-discovered, and one of them is Madison, Wisconsin. I loved it. It’s a beautiful, laid-back city on the water, with a lot of Native American history and a great lifestyle. It’s not a destination that people expect, and I appreciate those destinations.
When we hear about travel becoming congested and everyone going to the same places, I think travelers are looking for more relaxed destinations that are less crowded and give them the feeling that they’re going somewhere really cool and special. Maybe that’s why travel is more affordable.
If Wisconsin were a country, it would be the fourth largest cheese producing state in the world. Wisconsin cheese is exceptional, and there are plenty of places to enjoy it.
They also have a completely different food culture called supper clubs, which was established about 100 years ago. They are clubs, but anyone can go. They are restaurants with a club-like atmosphere, and you can have cocktails in a special room and then have dinner in the dining room. There is a sense that you can have a unique dining experience that you have never had before.
All travelers are picky about food. This is [Wisconsinites] These are people who have been in the food world. I was there in the winter, too, and I love winter destinations. I get why people want to escape the winter, but I love to enjoy the winter. This was a place right on a frozen lake. It’s such a unique place and a unique time. A way to see a city that you always hear about and never understand the depth of the experience you get there.
Brown in Litchfield National Park, Australia.
Samantha Brown
Is there a city you like to return to again and again?
Santa Fe, New Mexico. I’ve been there four times to film various episodes. I love it because it’s a mix of American, Native American and Spanish history. The margaritas are amazing. Art is everywhere and so close by. Whereas in New York City, where I live, going to an art gallery can be intimidating.
Oh, and Santa Fe is also home to the state capitol, which has one of the largest art collections in the city, with over 900 pieces. The state capitol is beautiful and open to the public.
What do you think the travel trends will be in 2024?
To make up for lost time, we went to places we felt pressured to visit. [during the pandemic]and those places may have been beyond our budget, or they may have been expensive and crowded. People are over that and now they’re traveling exactly how they want. They’re not as influenced by influencers anymore. They want to go to places where they feel more comfortable. We’re moving back into a more personal travel space.
On the receiving end, hotels and restaurants that have been hoping for customers to come for years, even as they raised prices and cut amenities and offerings, will be faced with a harsh reality when they find people checking out their establishments. [Travelers] They want what they can buy and what they should be getting for their hard-earned money, and they will often find that hotels and restaurants are ripping them off.
What is your most memorable travel experience so far?
We were in Jerusalem last season and it was an amazing experience. In my 25 years of travelling I have never been anywhere so overwhelmingly beautiful, so important, so powerful and so conflicted. Jerusalem is without a doubt the most amazing city I have ever travelled to and I hope to return and explore more.
I would never just say, “Let’s travel 10,000 miles away,” but those intense experiences come from going to a place where nothing is familiar and letting yourself be vulnerable and a little raw, so you can hold onto those experiences more intensely. I had the privilege of spending a month in China in 2007, and that trip still gets me thinking almost every day about how I want to experience other destinations, how to open myself up to people I don’t know and languages we fear, and embrace the place for what it is.
Enjoy the view.
Samantha Brown
Is there any place still on your travel bucket list?
Oh, there are so many places to go. The world is not getting smaller, it’s getting bigger and bigger. Seeing the Northern Lights in Finland has always been on my bucket list.
In Africa, I have only been to Cape Town, so I would love to explore every part of the continent.
I would love to go back to Mexico City. It was my favorite city in the world. People are really noting why it’s so special. I haven’t been there in 10 or 12 years, so I’d love to go back.
We know you love airports, what’s your favorite airport?
My favorite airport is Tampa. It’s the best airport in the US. I’ve been flying there once a month for 15 years. I took a bit of a break because of COVID. But it’s always been a very effortless experience with the traffic flow, the structures to keep people moving, the crowd control, the amenities. The airport has the best restaurant, Columbia Cafe, which is Cuban food. I eat there all the time.
We always leave on time and arrive early in New York as the weather is very nice. It’s always a pleasant experience.
My second favorite is Changi Airport in Singapore. It’s mind-blowing. It’s like a Las Vegas airport. The airport has what I call “side streets.” Instead of taking the main thoroughfare, you go down a side street and there’s a zen garden, a koi pond, a little waterfall, and seating areas where you can stretch your legs and get some good sleep. It’s incredible. Last time I was there, I had a three-hour layover and still had to rush to make my flight.
Further Australian adventures.
Samantha Brown
What to pack in your carry-on luggage?
I always bring a pinky ball. It’s a hard, rubber, pink ball. They sell them in toy stores. When I get to my hotel room, I massage my back with it. I lie on it and it helps release the tension. You can roll it over your back or legs, or stand on it to release the arches. I use it to release sore muscles.
I like to travel with my own food because I’m just as tempted to go to Burger King as everyone else, and even now when I’m on the train I always carry a solid battery pack to charge my phone. It’s about the size of a brick, heavy but not too heavy, and has enough power to charge my phone three or four times.
What do you want people to take away from Places to Love?
For me, “Places to Love” shows the effort it takes to create the experiences travelers get to visit and experience. It reminds you that behind every meal or bar you go to and dance at, there are people. Understanding the effort they put into making something special brings out the soul of the place. That’s what you’re touching as a traveler.
The biggest lesson I want people to take away from watching this show is to reach out to people, to connect, to talk, because the ability to communicate with others is something that’s being lost in this world, and traveling is where you can do that best. Traveling is where you can be most open to different experiences, different people, different cultures.
Stay tuned for the 2024 Star Awards announcement on February 7th.
Forbes article
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