The Savvy Traveler :: Jason

[trip style = beach + sightseeing + weekend getaway]

Jason's got it down. Each year he travels to a trio of far-flung locales on a big trip and a bevy of beach destinations on smaller trips. Along with weekends away, this has him escaping Vancouver at least once a month, all while holding a major role at one of Canada's most respected and longstanding retailers. The only way to couple his long work hours with his love of travel is to plan ahead and then go for it---even when it seems inconvenient. Extended weekend in Chicago, why not? Three-week, multi-country itinerary? No problem. Spot this stylish jetsetter---with a penchant for layering grey tones---traveling alongside his globetrotting partner, Hjalmar.

1/ What are your top 3 trip styles & why?
We typically break down our yearly vacations into major trips, minor tips and weekend getaways:

[trip style = weekend getaway] Managing the hectic work schedules of two people who live to travel is tough. Weekend getaways are a must! Our two-day escapes range from trip style = wine tasting in Kelowna to trip style = skiing in Whistler. Extended weekends involve trip style = beach'ing it in Hawaii or checking out the trip style = urban restaurant scene in Chicago.

[trip style = sightseeing] Every year we plan a longer vacation {anywhere from 2-3 weeks} focusing on destinations we haven’t yet explored. We love to experience new cultures, architecture, cuisine, etc. During this type of holiday, we typically pack in as much as possible, jetting to 3-4 different cities/countries. A few years ago we did London, Egypt and Dubai and last year we did Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

[trip style = beach] Since our major trips aren’t always the most relaxing and weekend getaways are too short to unwind, we definitely look forward to a week to 10 days on the beach, and nothing more. It’s usually a week in Mexico. It's the kind of trip where I don't feel guilty for doing absolutely nothing!

2/ What items are always on your packing list?
- Kiehl's Facial Fuel {moisturizer and SPF in one}
- Anything in grey {this color goes with everything and it's seasonally neutral}
- Flip flops
- Summer scarf
- Christian Dior duffle bag {the perfect carry-all...and it's grey of course}
- iPhone {I don't leave home without it -- staying connected is a necessity for me}

3/ Carry-on or checked bag?
If it’s a week or less, carry-on! I avoid checking luggage whenever possible. It slows everything down from the check-in to the baggage claim! When I'm only doing carry-on, I can get through check-in, security and customs in less than 10 minutes, and for weekend getaways, this is a must! However, for those longer trips where I do check a bag, I still tend to pack light. It’s less about what I’m bringing, and more about what I’m bringing back!

4/ Last trip, next trip & what destination{s} are on your radar?
Last Trip: Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong

Next Trip: Yearly pilgrimage to Coachella in Palm Desert

On My Radar: Later this year we’re headed to London, Holland and Turkey. We’ve also planned a weekend trip to NYC. Our next two major trips in the coming years include Australia and climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.

5/ Do you have any travel rituals you follow each time you jetset?
Naps! We tend to always take a nap or rest between 4-6pm. This way we recover from a long day of sightseeing and are ready for a night on the town. Splurge! We seek out and splurge on the best restaurant in town, usually relying on the recommendations of locals or friends. Research! We always figure out the must-sees and the must-dos everywhere we go. The internet is good, but pair it with the advice of people you trust!

6/ What's the one destination you could return to year after year?
Puerto Vallarta. For the past couple years we've spent our New Year's Eve holiday in PV. There’s a large group of our friends who go every year. It’s a great way to relax after a long year and a crazy holiday season, and re-group for the coming year. It’s a quick, fairly cheap way to holiday in sun and sand.

More Savvy Travelers
Marisa, Vacation Time Escapist
Shaun, Packing Like A Rock Star
Christina, Taking Care Of Biz

{If you know anyone who should be featured in our once-monthly The Savvy Traveler series, drop us a line!}

[photo c/o jason]

The Savvy Traveler :: Marisa

[trip style = beach + urban/sightseeing + weekend getaway]

Marisa is a New Yorker who has lived in and traveled to some of the world's most enviable cities. Like learning to walk, globetrotting came naturally to Marisa growing up in a family that routinely traveled. It's not surprising that any chance she gets to explore, she's on the first flight out of JFK. Next stop: Brazil. Luckily, her job involves jetsetting too, accumulating airline miles between NYC, Palm Springs and LA as the head of Marketing and PR for the Jack Parker Corporation, a private real estate and hotel company that owns Le Parker Meridien New York, the Parker Palm Springs and more. Before getting into PR, she added some extra zest to her foodie soul studying Italian cooking and wine in Tuscany, so don't miss her NYC restaurant picks below! Follow her adventures in the Big Apple and beyond on Twitter: @marisaznyc.

Trip Styler Tip :: Accumulate and redeem Starwood points at both above-mentioned Parker hotels.

1/ Pick your top 3 trip styles and why?
[trip style = beach + urban/sightseeing] After moving back to NYC from LA, the only way I could make it through the winter was escaping to the Caribbean, Mexico, or far flung beach destinations in Asia, Europe and South America. For me, it's the combination of trip style = urban + beach that creates the ultimate trip: visiting historical sights and museums, taking a few days to relax in the sun and enjoying great meals. For example, a trip to Italy would consist of a stop in Florence and Rome, followed by some time in Positano and Capri. Last year I went to Turkey and combined Istanbul with Bodrum.

[trip style = weekend getaway] A big part of living in NYC is being able to escape! It’s an amazing city, but definitely a tiring one. In the summer, I usually head to the Hamptons for some R&R and in the winter I crave sun. My go-to destination is Florida since my parents live down there and it’s a quick flight.

2/ What items are always on your packing list?
- American Apparel shiny black leggings---great for dressing up or down
- A large scarf or pashmina for the plane to keep warm
- iPad---makes flights go by faster when I load it with movies, books, etc...
- Nikon camera

3/ You currently live in NYC; what are some of your fave restaurants?
I am a huge foodie {I even starred on the NBC show America’s Next Great Restaurant}, so I'm always trying new restaurants, and New York City is the best place for that! I like to mix it up between cheap eats, divey places and top-rated.

A few of my favorites are:
- the burger joint and Norma’s at Le Parker Meridien $
- Meatball Shop $
- Café Habana $-$$
- La Esquina $-$$
- Eataly {I can get lost in the market there…} $-$$$
- Balaboosta $$
- ABC Kitchen $$
- Casa Mono $$
- The Dutch $$$
- Marea $$$
- Spotted Pig $$$

4/ Carry-on or checked bag?
If I'm traveling for five days or less I do carry-on. For longer trips I usually check.

5/ Last trip, next trip and what destination{s} are on your radar?
I was gone a lot of December and January in Southern Florida {Delray Beach and Miami}, Palm Springs and Los Angeles. I'm visiting Brazil for the first time in a little over a week and I can’t wait. I'll be there for Carnival! Not surprisingly, the trip will be split between trip style = urban + beach in Rio de Janiero and the luxe, oceanfront town of Buzios. In Rio I'll be staying on an old coffee plantation at the Relais and Chateaux Hotel Santa Teresa, and in Buzios at the chic boutique resort, Casas Brancas. In the spring I'm off to Cabo, and hoping to take another international trip this summer! I'm dying to check out Morocco or Portugal and return to Spain.

6/ Do you have any travel rituals you follow each time you jetset?
I always try and research to make some dinner or ticket reservations before I travel. I will hit up friends who've been to the destination as well as read articles/reviews online. Then I like to map out my days, so I have a loose itinerary {not too rigid} of the places to see and things to do. If I'm traveling internationally, I will send an email to the concierge to help with any reservations, but if it's domestic, I handle it myself. It’s key to do this, because in some countries, sites/museums are closed on random days, so you don’t want to miss something important if you're only in a place for a short amount of time.

More Savvy Travelers
Christina, Taking Care Of Biz
Charles, The Global Travel Influencer
Bryce, The Pilot

{If you know anyone who should be featured in our once-monthly The Savvy Traveler series, drop us a line!}

[photo c/o Marisa]

The Savvy Traveler :: Shaun

[trip style = active & adventure + urban + budget conscious]

Editor's Note: We're excited to feature Shaun, a rockin' packing evangelist---with a book to boot---for this month's installment of The Savvy Traveler. Don't miss next Monday's follow-up piece with a sneak-peek at his packing method and must-haves...before his book comes out!

Shaun is a Canadian rock star {aka bassist for Tegan and Sara} who is as passionate about packing as he is about music. And who better to trust about maximizing suitcase space than someone who is constantly packing and re-packing? Jetting from city to city for the past 10 years with only a carry-on suitcase to call home, Shaun picked up a few packing tricks of the trade and decided to write a book about it {more details below} with tons of how-to pictures, packing tidbits and interviews with other musicians {think Vampire Weekend, Death Cab for Cutie, Cold War Kids, etc.}. Here's why Shaun is our first Savvy Traveler of 2012!

1/ What are your top three trip styles and why?
If I had to narrow it down to only three favorite trip styles, it would be Active & Adventure, Urban and Budget Conscious. Here's why...

[trip style = active & adventure] Simply put, I have difficulty standing still. It could be the fact that I grew up on the rugged West Coast. I love exploring, and exploring to me is a physical and mental state. I like the idea of really taking in a new environment by being active, so whether this is in the form of a ski trip or a jaunt down the Oregon coast for a quick surf, I have to keep moving!

[trip style = urban] After exploring and spending time in nature, I like to switch it up with the busyness of a bustling city. When I grew up I wanted to be an architect. That passion is still there in the form of design, but despite it losing out to a stronger passion in music, I still love tall buildings and beautifully designed museums. I could walk for hours in a large city with no idea or concern of where I'm heading. For a variety of reasons stemming from architecture to overall feel, my favorite city walkabouts would be: Copenhagen, Denmark; Melbourne, Australia; and of course you can never go wrong with New York, NY.

[trip style = budget conscious] I appreciate the challenge of a budget-conscious trip. As the majority of my traveling has come through my profession as a musician, I'm used to constantly being made aware of the cost of travel. After all, for the bands that I'm in or even just performing with, the only reason we're traveling from city to city or country to country is in hopes of making enough money to do it again the next year while still trying to make a living. We have to save money here so we can invest there, and touring for us is no different. How can we set up a gig in Tokyo to not only write off our trip, but also come back with a little money in our pockets, PLUS a lifetime of new stories and experiences?!  PS - I'm still trying to figure out this one :)

2/ You've written a book about packing; what compelled you to write it?
Originally I starting writing the book, How to Pack Like A Rock Star, as a fun project to do while on the road. I started by jotting down a few little packing tricks here and there while perfecting my own packing method. Then I started printing off copies for my band mates as a fun Christmas present, but then my mind started to wander! What if I added a ton of fun photos? What if I asked a few other bands to add their input? What if I challenged anyone who cares about traveling to think about packing in a new way? And then it really started changing and evolving into a much bigger, more rewarding project!

In short, the final product ended up far better than I ever could have imagined. It really is the best "nerdy-cool, how-to book" on packing your suitcase---probably because it's the only one, but still! And besides it isn't just about packing; it's "an insider's look at the how to pack for tour or vacation, complete with helpful hints, comments and advice from some of the world's top touring artists." So in other words, even if you don't care to learn a new way to pack, it's chock-full of fun stories {including some disastrous ones!} about being on the road.

3/ Carry-on or checked bag?
Carry-on. I wouldn't have written this book if it weren't for being forced to use a carry-on for many years of my young touring life! It's about being efficient and the carry-on forces you to be just that!

4/ Last trip, next trip and what destinations are on your radar and why?
Aside from a few trips across Canada with my own band Rococode in the last couple of months, my last real trip was New Zealand and Australia. It was my first time in New Zealand, and now I just need to get back there before it's too late to sign up for "Middle Earth, Lord of the Rings Tours"!

I'm heading off on tour again through Canada, but I'm sure I'll also be adding a trip style = weekend getaway {or two} down to Cannon Beach, OR---one of my favorite places to just get away and relax. And when I say relax, I obviously mean surf, play tennis, etc.

Japan is still the ultimate destination on my radar right now. From what I've heard, it's like no other country and you feel lost the moment you get off the plane. I've heard this about the United Emirates too.

5/ Where and when can we buy the book?
The easiest way to get a copy of my book right now is to say hi and e-mail me at howtopack@gmail.com. Shortly you'll be able to order it from my website, as well as buy it in a variety of stores, from airport gift shops to regular book stores!

More Savvy Travelers
Christina, Taking Care of Biz
Charles, The Global Travel Influencer
Rachel, The Suitcase Siren

{If you know anyone who should be featured in our once-monthly Savvy Traveler series, drop us a line!}

[photo via Shaun]

The Savvy Traveler :: Christina

[trip style = sun + beach + weekend getaway + urban]

Christina has more frequent flyer miles than anyone I know. To put this in perspective, she could give George Clooney's character in the movie Up In The Air a run for his money. In a job that requires a lot of travel, she uses her book and street smarts to make the most of her conferences and office time abroad---professionally and personally---flying with ONE airline alliance and staying with ONE hotel group. When she's not in an upgraded hotel suite, airline lounge or business class at 37,000ft she can be found playing tennis, hosting parties and making the best seven-layer dip known to humankind. Introducing my very dear friend and December's Savvy Traveler, Christina!

1/ Pick your top three trip styles and why?
[trip style = sun + beach] There is nothing more relaxing to me than laying poolside/beachfront with a good book, a cold beverage, the warm sun and a light breeze.

[trip style = weekend getaway] Living in Vancouver means I have an endless supply of weekend destinations within a one to five-hour drive which I take advantage of most weekends in the summer.

[trip style = urban] I love exploring new cities and checking out the restaurants, shopping and nightlife---fave urban spots are NYC, Boston and San Francisco.

2/ What items are always on your packing list?

• lug Nap Sac Travel Blanket + Pillow set – keeps me warm on the plane and provides head or low back support depending on how the pillow is used.
• Skoah travel-sized skin care products – small enough for carry-on luggage and ensures my skin stays healthy and balanced even when the rest of my body isn’t.
• A good book is essential for both business and pleasure travel – there is always time to read when on the road.
• Earbud-style headphones – these can be worn during takeoff and landing {more time to watch movies} and also save you from purchasing airline headphones or wearing free headphones [avec germs].

3/ Last trip, next trip and destination{s} on your radar?
I just got back from Washington, DC for a business trip. The city was absolutely gorgeous in early November when all the leaves were in full color-changing mode and surprisingly still on the trees. I found myself spending long periods of time watching the rowing club practicing in the Potomac River with Georgetown University glistening in the background. Next up is Portland, OR---this time for pleasure! I'm taking the Amtrak Cascades from Bellingham, WA down to Portland, OR to spend five days and four nights enjoying the city, culture and tax-free shopping! I’m looking forward to checking out some of the hotspots featured in previous TS posts! Finally, my top 2 wish list destinations are: Ireland, to investigate my heritage and my incredible obsession with potatoes; and New Zealand, which I’ve been wanting to visit ever since their 100% Pure New Zealand ad campaign launched several years ago---now that’s what I call good advertising!

4/ You travel for business a lot, what are some of the strategies you use to make travel more comfortable and beneficial?
For me, travel comfort is key and the way to get there is status! Whenever possible I fly within the Star Alliance family of airlines to collect Aeroplan points. My Elite status gives me free upgrades, access to all Star Alliance lounges in airports worldwide, and points that can be redeemed for free flights and merchandise. I selected Marriott as my hotel partner because of the numerous perks. My platinum status gives me a check-in gift {typically a bottle of wine and snacks}, automatic room upgrade, access to the hotel concierge lounge complete with food and beverage, as well as points that can be redeemed for free nights {so far, I have stayed for free on vacations in New York, Maui, San Francisco and Portland next!}. I also swear by my Nexus card---skipping the customs line and getting priority security screening saves minutes to hours each trip. All of a sudden business travel doesn’t seem so bad!

5/ You spent time in Africa as a child. Looking back, did this shape any of your views on travel?
Living in Zimbabwe as a young girl gave me exposure to a wide range of cultures, lifestyles and environments. I’m sure this impacted my desire to continue traveling and exploring the world. Knowing that there is so much out there to learn gives you the motivation to get out there and see it.

6/ Do you have a ritual you follow after checking into a hotel?
The first thing I do is unpack my bag: clothes get hung in the closet, toiletries are displayed on the vanity, etc... This helps me feel at home when on the road, and also takes the wrinkles out of clothes that have been held hostage in my suitcase for hours on end.

{If you know anyone who should be featured in our once-monthly Savvy Traveler series, drop us a line!}

More Savvy Travelers
Charles, The Global Travel Influencer
Rachel, The Suitcase Siren
Tiffany, The Luxury Travel Inspector

[photo via Christina]

The Savvy Traveler :: Charles

[trip style = urban + weekend getaways + staycation]

Charles Yap is an influencer, traveler and tea drinker. He talks the talk, walks the walk and lives up to his snazzy title as the Director of Global Brand Communications for InterContinental Hotels Group. His position is a tall order, heading up the social media strategy for each of the group’s seven hotel brands, including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza and Hotel Indigo. It's no wonder he's a top-ranked online travel influencer who's built his loyal following with dedication and smarts---and as a nice guy. For all of these reasons {plus his awesome street style}, we're ecstatic to feature him as this month's Savvy Traveler! Charles tweets at @HotelPRGuy.

1/ What are your top 3 trip styles and why? 
[trip style = urban + weekend getaway + staycation] I am very much a city guy and I've been living in London for three years. During weekends, I try to take short trip style = weekend getaways to neighbouring European capitals. I also love trip style = staycation exploring London---you can live here for an entire lifetime and still find new things to discover. Whether traveling or at home, I'm a fan of photography, architecture, exploring museums, going to the markets and checking out new restaurants and bars.

2/ What items are always on your packing list?
I travel light and avoid checking my bags, so packing wisely is essential. I never leave home without:
- My jeans by 7 for all mankind
- Dunhill reversible belt
- Chinese travel tea set from Teanamu
- Elemis Men SOS Survival Cream
- An extra BlackBerry battery

3/ Hometown Saturday must-stops?
My two favorite markets in London are Broadway Market in East London and Borough Market near London Bridge. Both are foodie markets and great places to stop for lunch and coffee. I also like exploring the historic pubs of London; my top three are The Grenadier in Belgravia, Windsor Castle in Notting Hill and The Dove in Hammersmith.

4/ Favourite destination, hotel or resort in the world & why? 
My love of big cities and amazing architecture draws me towards destinations like Paris, Prague and Rome. I also love historic hotels and one of my favourites is InterContinental Paris Le Grand, opened in 1862 by Empress Eugenie. During the hotel's opening, the neighbouring Opera Garnier was still under construction. I recommend one of the 82 rooms or suites overlooking the Opera, and ordering the Fashion Pastry at Cafe de la Paix. This year, the focus is on fashion designers from Brazil, India, China and Russia, and the current pastry is by Indian fashion designer Manish Arora.

5/ Best trip you've ever taken? 
My visit to Hanoi in January 2008 is probably the best trip I've ever taken. It was extra special because it was a reunion with friends who had moved to other parts of the world. We spent our time exploring the old city, navigating the busy traffic, eating where the locals eat and watching the sun set over Westlake!

6/ Best way to secure a fabulous stay with an InterContinental or IHG Hotel online?
Follow @IHG_Deals on Twitter for special deals and fun giveaways. We also offer a best price guarantee on www.IHG.com, which means that if you can find a lower price elsewhere online, you get your first night free.

{If you know anyone who should be featured in our once-monthly Savvy Traveler series, drop us a line!}

More Savvy Travelers
Rachel, The Suitcase Siren
Tiffany, The Luxury Travel Inspector
Lora, The BC & OR Family Travel Expert

[photo of Charles by @jennkol]