Kelley Ferro Los Angeles Travel & Adventure

Speaking at the LA Travel & Adventure Show: Where to Go NOW!

This past weekend travel lovers descended on Downtown Los Angeles for two days of world exploring without leaving the convention center. The Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show attracted hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of attendees, the show was bustling and energy levels were high. I totally can understand it–I get excited when I’m planning my next trip too!

 

Both Saturday and Sunday offered a full schedule of speakers, and each gave compelling and useful travel advice based on their own expertise. I enjoyed learning how to better take advantage of my travel points from Brian Kelly of The Points Guy, and of course, learning about travel trends from Pauline Frommer. Other notable speakers were Rick Steves, Samantha Brown and good friends Juliana Broste, Sarah Dandashy and Angel Castellanos.

I was very honored to be asked to lead a session of my own and I was eager to share the top destinations to visit now. Over the past 10 years, I’ve been able to experience many so many incredible, life-changing places all over our world, many of which I’d love to return too. But recounting my favorite experiences wouldn’t be helpful since I find that to be so subjective. My impression of a city would be affected if it were rainy, if I was tired, if my travel companion was cranky, if we were hangry, if we didn’t have a guide… and none of those situations are the fault of the destination! So instead, I took a step back and looked analytically at the 69 countries and hundreds of cities that have impacted me and determined where I think the average traveler should visit SOON.

Certain places are enduring and there’s less of a rush to see them right now. But some may be drastically changed in the next few years and discussed ten locations and types of trips that I think are important to take within the next year or two.

Here I’ll give you a few highlights of where I recommend and why. Note: this presentation was given at the LOS ANGELES Travel & Adventure show so it is focused on the LA based traveler.

 

  1. Eco Friendly Safari

Singita Castleton South AfricaWhy? Your dollars can go to wildlife conservation, land preservation and community development in safari destinations.

 

How? You need to do your research to find camps, lodges and tour operators that are sustainable, responsible and give back to the community.

 

Suggestion: Check out “Africa’s Finest” listing here.

 

  1. EgyptEgypt Giza Camel

Why? The definition of “life changing” and it is safer now than it has been in recent years. The State Department has it at a Leve 2 and it is recommened to “exercise caution.”

 

How? Go with a trusted tour operator.

 

Suggestion: I went with Abercrombie & Kent and not only are they very luxurious, they employ over 300 local Egyptians so their ground operations are on point! They will keep you safe and their guides are excellent.

Watch this video to see why I loved the local guides and traveling with Abercrombie & Kent. 

 

  1. China

Suzhou China Wanjing Garden

Why? With the largest population in the world, China has and will have an ever increasing global impact. Also, with better travel infrastructure, it is now easier to see places outside of the well known, touristy spots.

 

How? Fly to Shanghai for the modern side of China. Get adjusted to the time change, then hop on a 30 minute bullet train to Suzhou for a transporting experience back in time. Suzhou was the capital of culture thousands of years ago and this well preserved, canal city is the ancient China that you imagine.

Check out what Suzhou really looks like in this video!

 

  1. Japan

Itsukushima Shrine Setouchi Japan

Why? With the 2020 Summer Olympics on the horizon, there’s a palpable energy in the country that is about to put itself on display.

 

How? Fly to Tokyo then take a high speed train to see the countryside. I’d suggest going South to the Setouchi region if you want to taste great food (soba, sake & kobe beef), sleep in ancient farmhouses and experience old Japan by visiting their well preserved historical towns like Kurashiki. There’s also so many water adventures, beaches and bike paths!

 

  1. Croatia

Brac Croatia Boats

Why? It is still on the kuna, the local Croatian currency, but this is expected to change by 2020. With rolling hills, incredible islands, historical cities and breathtaking coastline, this truly is some of the best of Europe on a budget!

 

How? I’d recommend looking into Istria, the region that borders Italy if you like food and wine. If you are interested in the beaches and coastal cities, small ship cruises and even private charters are a wonderful way to experience Croatia.

 

Suggestion: I also thoroughly recommend a bike tour as the landscape is stunning by bike!

Watch my bike tour experience in Croatia with VBT.

 

  1. Mediterranean Cruise

Viking Star Monaco Cruise

Why? You can see some of Europe’s most famous locations on a budget! It’s great for multi-generational travel too–from children to grandparents!

 

How? Look into the itineraries and be mindful of the distance between ports. If you want to maximize your time on land, opt for itineraries that have shorter travel distances.


Suggestion: If you want some exceptional cruise lines in the Med, check out: MSC Cruises, Viking Ocean, Crystal Cruises and Silversea.

 

I recently sailed on the Viking Star and had a fantastic time! You can see the ship and our ports here.

 

  1. Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu Sunrise

Why? This world wonder is NOT overrated. It is beyond belief to see it in person, and up until recently, there were very little restrictions. Now, new regulations actually allow in 2000 more visitors per day so this iconic location might change…

How? Fly into Cusco and enjoy this vibrant city and its history as you get used to the altitude. Get up EARLY to take the first bus up to the site. You won’t regret exploring without the hordes of tourists and your photos will be better too!

Suggestion: Hike up the peak across from Machu Picchu, Huayna Picchu for a unique vantage point on the city.

See how we explored Machu Picchu & our Shaman experience here.

 

  1. Mexico

Zihuatanejo La Ropa Beach

Why? It is a quick flight for us LA folks and it is a world away!

Plus, in light of the recent earthquakes, Mexico City is depending on tourism income to help rebuild the city. Spend your travel dollars to impact change! And your money will go far since now there are deep discounts at many high end hotels.

 

How? Check out Mexico City and a plan a trip outside of the very hot summer season. Need a beach getaway? Check out Zihuatanejo or Sayulita for laidback, bohemian vibes and more authenticity than some of Mexico’s more famous beach towns. Zihua even has a direct airport!

You can take a peek at Zihua in this local guide video that I made!

 

  1. The Immersion Trip

Maui Road to Hana Coco Glen's

Why? This one is the easiest to put off as it is less about checking off an itinerary and more about finding a local community and staying put. The goal of this trip is to LIVE in a place, versus just seeing it.

How? Use Airbnb or a similar home rental site to book a home for at least a week. Go to local markets to pick up food to cook, establish a routine based on where the locals go and talk to people!

Suggestion: Hawaii is a great option for an immersion trip. As a US state it offers so many little comforts like same currency, cell phone service and Uber. Also, it is one of my favorite tropical destinations in the world, and for the West Coast, it is not too far!

 

  1. The Road Trip

Joshua Tree Cowboy Town

Why? It is too easy not to take this trip! Weekends are perfect for a quick getaway–even a day trip!

For those based in LA, we have way too many amazing options not to take advantage.

 

How? In LA, you can go to beach towns along the coast, camp in the desert, ski in the mountains and hike in hills, all within a couple hours or less. If you don’t feel like driving, check out Amtrak to see nearby stops and enjoy a car-free escape.

Another idea is to rent a JUCY Campervan and drive to any scenic destination you’d like! We took ours to Big Sur, California. See the Big Sur Road Trip experience here. 

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Where do you want to go now? I’d love to hear where has caught your eye. Leave comments below.

 

Happy Travels,

Kelley

Travel Adventure Show LA Kelley Ferro

Speaking at the LA Travel & Adventure Show: My thoughts…

 

 

LA Travel Show Kelley Ferro Savvy Traveler

In February, I had the honor of speaking at the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure show and I have to say, it blew me away. I’ve spoken at a dozen or so travel conferences around world, including some you may be familiar with like Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX), TTG/TTI, Eye for Travel, Social Media Week and Travel Blogger Elevator, but I really enjoyed mixing it up by speaking directly to consumers versus professionals in the travel industry.

 

 

 

Of course, I cherish my travel industry “colleagues,” and love learning, sharing and growing in this tight-knit community, but there was something really refreshing about speaking to the enthusiastic traveler. I mean, every one of us in the industry is started as just someone that loved to travel, so at the the LA Travel & Adventure show, I felt like I was speaking to “my people.” The chairs quickly filled with attentive faces, I saws notes frantically being scribbled down, and then hands shooting up to ask engaging questions like “when is the best time of year to go there?” and “what tour operator do you recommend?” At the end, I stayed around to talk individually with those that had more to ask. It is such a thrill to see how my experiences directly can improve someone else’s travels. In the end, that is why I do all of this!

My focus was on the “Top Ten Bucket List Experiences and How to Do Them”–a daunting top ten list, I have to say. It was particularly hard as I have had probably a HUNDRED experiences that I’d consider “bucket list,” and every time I travel to a new place, I find out that there are hundreds more! However, I wanted to keep this talk personal and meaningful so I only chose adventures that I had PERSONALLY experienced.

Let me preface this the way I prefaced my speech–I clearly haven’t been everywhere and don’t know about about every experience. As much as I try, I will never see and do everything. But at this rate, with 50 countries under my belt and a pretty packed non-stop travel schedule for the past 10 years, I think I’ll have a pretty good handle on it when I’m 100 years old. 

I also am not being paid to recommend any of the destinations or tour operators that I suggest in this article nor in my speech. 

Top Bucket List Experiences

How I chose to organize my top ten was focused more on the type of experience than the actual specific destination. I feel that certain travel experiences transcend the specific destination, though certain places enable you to get that experience (make sense?). For each bucket list experience, I gave specific examples where I went to have those memorable moments.

Below I’ll outline a handful of my bucket list adventures and some related video but you’ll just have to come to my next presentation to hear the rest! I will talk about #1, #2, #3, and #5 in my top ten list.

 

#1. The “Get Out of Your Comfort Zone” Trip: Papua New Guinea

I am not saying that you need to be uncomfortable on every trip, but just once, choose a destination, an adventure or a tour that might push your boundaries. Maybe it’ll involve camping outdoors, trekking or pushing yourself in some physical way. Or maybe it’ll be more about an emotional stretch–for instance volunteering at an orphanage or animal rescue center, or living without the luxuries and amenities of the modern world, as many do.

The one destination that had a profound impact on me in this way, was Papua New Guinea. As soon as I landed, I had that overwhelming sense of “wow, I am in a totally different world.” Few roads meant that we used charter planes to access different villages. I was traveling on a private journey with Swain Destinations, a luxe tour operator that has run a lot of tours in PNG and know how to facilitate incredible experiences.  In each of the location in PNG, welcoming locals brought us into the daily markets, told us stories through dance, and shared their belief system, traditions and everyday life.

Papua New Guinea travel

For one part of the trip, I lived in an open air lodge with electricity only a few hours a day, cold water and one option for every meal. I made bedfellows with some interesting wildlife a few times but in general, I enjoyed the simplicity of it! I was staying along the Karawari River, exploring the Sepik region, the lowlands of Papua New Guinea. Each day we took a river boat to experience life on the river and to stop at small villages and meet the people that called them home. I tried my hand at chopping sago palm, which I later helped form into sago pancakes with a village mom. I was granted access in the male-only spirit houses, an integral part of transition into manhood for the village’s male youths. I even took a GoPro selfie with a group of beaming children and wove baskets with a local teenager–and all this without sharing a common language!

The experience put so much into perspective for me in terms of what we value as humans and what we need to not only survive, but to thrive. I boarded my return plane a changed woman.

#2. The Animal Trip: South Africa & Churchill, Manitoba

For me, this is a very important one as we as a race are continuously depleting the chances for survival for many of our planet’s most amazing creatures. I will try to stay positive and focus on what we can change, but I do believe that understanding the need for conservation efforts is the first step to improving the situation.

Safari Polar Bears & Lions

There are many tours and experiences out there that will give guests up close experiences with wild animals but I strongly encourage you to look deeply into the activity that you book. There are many that aren’t following the conservation guidelines or respecting the wildlife, the land or the local people. I fortunately found Swain Destinations, which took me to Kruger National Park where I was able to see lionesses and cubs, lounging cheetahs, grazing rhino, stoic elephants and lionesses with cubs. But they also made sure that the guides were from the local villages, that they supported local anti-poaching and conservation organizations and the hotel property was involved in environmental sustainability efforts.

Polar Bear Churchill

I also have to mention experiencing the polar bears in their natural element: the tundra. Tauck, a well known luxury tour operator, organizes trips up to the very remote Churchill, Manitoba, only accessible by train or plane. Churchill is the “capital of Polar Bears” as it is in the midst of where polar bear territory. We were able to get a close up view of these majestic, endangered bears emerging from hibernation. I learned so much about their life cycle, how they hunt, raise young and how they are struggling to cope with our warming climate that I hope I can be an ambassador for their plight.

#3 The Road Trip: Switzerland

I think most people have done a road trip or two, whether it is a day jaunt to a neighboring town or a long haul to Grandma’s house. But I’m referring to a longer road trip, where you experience a totally new environment, moving from point A to point B. The reason I like road trips is because there is so much focus on the journey. What you see out the windows is often the true look into the local life of the destination. You’ll see cars going to work, vendors selling roadside food and will pass small town life in between.

Switzerland Road Trip

What I also really enjoy is being able to pull that car off the main road and taking a side route, meandering through in little village, stopping for a bite at mom & pop restaurant–you can do what you want! It’s that flexibility and spontaneity that we don’t often find in our daily lives and this is one of the rare opportunities where the unexpected can be much better than what you had planned.

As I write this, visions of driving across Switzerland in the sunny Autumn weather springs into mind. Turning a corner and gasping at the snow covered mountains, or passing young cows jingling their brass bells or getting lost on a medieval carriage road and realizing it might be the most magical road you’ve ever seen–these images won’t leave my memory! My cameraman Sam and I drove a spectacular route: from Geneva to Lausanne, on to Vevey and Crans-Montana, then Zermatt and ultimately, Basel. We went from a cosmopolitan French influenced metropolis to a bustling university city to historic lakeside village. Of course the alpine village of Zermatt was breathtaking and the culturally rich Basel felt like the epicenter of cool, modern life. Yet it was all those moments in between and the unexpected stops–even the car train that took us through the insides of a giant mountain–that painted a real-life picture of Switzerland.

 

#5. The Travel Back in Time Trip: Egypt

You may think that humanity today is intelligent but take a look at what the Egyptians were doing in 3000 BC. There are many ancient civilizations with artifacts, architecture and visible impact still accessible today. However to me the Pyramids of Giza, the Step Pyramid of Djoser, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, the tomb of King Tut and the Temple of Dendara were each so impactful, I have to recommend a trip to Egypt for your bucket list. The fact that you can see all of them on the same trip is truly awe-inspiring.

Sphinx Egypt Cairo Giza

I traveled with the very reputable Abercrombie & Kent, a tour operator that at the time in 2014, employed over 300 locals on the ground in Egypt. This not only made the tours, the guides and the experience feel seamless, it also added to the sense of safety in this often tumultuous country. Your view of humanity will be forever changed.

 

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I have to stop myself before I write a novel about these Top Ten Bucket List Experiences but I hope this gives those of you that weren’t at the LA Travel and Adventure show, a little taste of what was discussed.

If you want to learn more about my travels, check out my Youtube series and subscribe!

If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll answer you!

 

Oh, and check out this fun video that my friend Sarah Dandashy of AskaConcierge made just after my talk. She is a go-getter and glad I got some of the energy of the day on video!

 

Travel Well,

xx Kelley

Expedia: Find Your Magic in Morocco

Find your magic in Morocco! Expedia believes that travel can transform people in unexpected ways. So we teamed up with the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) and travel blogger Kelley Ferro to find her magic in one of the most movie-like destinations in the world, Morocco.

This is South Africa: Overview

USTOA Travel Together Video Series

This stunning country needs no introduction: unparalleled game reserves, a burgeoning food scene, incredible cities and a remarkable history–South Africa is a transportive place that has to be visited to be believed.

Conservation in South Africa

Environmental Consciousness on Tour with Swain Destinations
We travelers know that the reason we travel to destinations is because of the beautiful, well preserved environment. That is why it is important to travel with hotels, restaurants and tour operators that think about their footprint on the environment and do their best to help their surroundings. Swain Tours, a USTOA member, makes sure to only use hotel & activity partners that have conservation as a priority. See all the instances of conservation in South Africa.

Choose Your Own Adventure in South Africa

Freedom to have your Experience while on tour with Swain Destinations
You might think that being a tour means a strict schedule, group activities all the time and no chance to choose what you do. Well, that’s not the case on tours with United States Tour Operator Members.
My trip to South Africa with Swain Destination proved that the ultimate goal of the tour was for us to have our own best possible trip–so we added in more things, had spontaneous roadside stops and had some time for rest. It truly felt like our own trip, just a bit easier & better!

Luxury on Tour with Swain Destinations: South Africa

From the second you get off the plane throughout the whole experience, USTOA member Swain Destinations, makes sure that comfort is on the menu. You don’t have to think while on tour–you can sit back and enjoy world renowned hotels, sip famed wines, taste gourmet meals and leave all the stress out of travel. From Singita Castleton in Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve to the One & Only in Capetown, you experience only the best.

Learning from the Locals in South Africa

Having experiences with the local make your trip that much more meaningful and that is why it’s amazing when a tour will allow you to see places, meet people and have experiences you couldn’t have otherwise. Visiting a township, meeting local craftswomen and trying local street food were all on the itinerary and more–and that’s why my trip to South Africa was truly memorable.

South Africa’s Food & Wine Scene

The Food & Wine of South Africa on tour with Swain Destinations
Food is a big part of my travels at least, and when I was heading off to South Africa, I was giddy with excitement as I knew this country was home to a burgeoning food scene and world renowned wines.
My tour with Swain Destinations made sure that we had access to the best of the best–the highest quality dishes handcrafted while in Kruger National Park, incredible wines right from the source in the Cape Winelands and meals at some of the best restaurants in Cape Town. Eat & drink up!

Egyptologists: The Best Guides

It made all the difference that we had extremely bright Egyptologists with us at every site. They made sure to explain all the important parts in a way that was easy to understand and they never tired of all our questions. I learned so much more on this trip than I ever learned in school because of their skills. It truly makes the Egyptian experience come to life.