Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“I’ve been to Montego Bay several times and absolutely love it there,” says “Ambitions” actress Mara Hall. “The culture, the food, the people — it is such an amazing place. Visit White House. They sell fresh fried fish and bammy (cassava flatbread). It’s absolutely delicious!”
David Archuleta was just 16 years old when he became the runner-up (to David Cook) on “American Idol.” Since then, the singer — now 28 — has released a steady stream of music, including his brand-new single “Paralyzed.” A perk of his career is getting to travel. “I’ve recently gotten to see Russia for my first time for a youth conference,” says Archuleta, who resides in Nashville.
Once best known as MC Mystic in his group Bass is Base, Roger Mooking is recognized by foodies worldwide for his work on television (“Man Fire Food,” “Heat Seekers,” “Everyday Exotic”) and cookbooks. Born in Trinidad and raised in Canada, Mooking is based out of Toronto. The chef and restaurateur says that one of the small pleasures of life is finding ice cream and gelato spots wherever he travels. “I would eat ice cream every single day and after every single meal if I could get away with it, says Mooking, whose latest album is “Eat Your Words.”
It has been a busy year for Jeannie Mai. Besides co-hosting the talk show “The Real,” she is a correspondent on Stephen Curry’s ABC mini-golf competition series, “Holey Moley.” Whenever she can carve out some free time, the on-air talent says she enjoys exploring new cities. One of her favorite memories is a childhood trip she took with her family. “We went to Yosemite and I absolutely loved it,” said Mai, 40. “We lost my little brother for a second and set bear traps, thinking he was bear napped. But that story is for another time.”
Actress Roselyn Sanchez says when she thinks of the perfect vacation destination, Puerto Rico is always on her mind.
Monsta X has been nominated for their first MTV Video Music Award for their English-language single “Who Do U Love?” They will become the first K-Pop group to perform at the iHeartRadio Music Festival later this year. (They previously were the first Korean boy band to take the stage at Jingle Ball.) But a highlight of 2019 for the group was performing in Oslo for South Korean president Moon Jae-in and King Harald V of Norway, where the countries’ dignitaries celebrated the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Norway.
Born in the Dominican Republic, actress Katherine Castro (“Someday”) has a minimalist’s approach to hitting the road. “Travel light,” she says. “Less is more. If it doesn’t fit in your carry-on, you don’t need it.” A resident of West Hollywood, Castro says it’s helpful that she speaks several languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Arabic), but stepping outside of your comfort zone can make trips an enjoyable learning experience regardless of your level of fluency.
Best known for playing Katana in “Suicide Squad,” Karen Fukuhara will next be seen in the Amazon series, “The Boys” (premiering on July 26). Her resume also includes the feature film “Stray” and Netflix’s “She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.” An avid traveler, the actress says she’d like to explore Southeast Asia next.
“Face the Nation” moderator and CBS News’ chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan has seen the world. She has reported stories from Havana, Kabul, Beijing, Tehran and throughout the United States. “A lot of the traveling that I have done is for work,” says Brennan. “I’ve been to spots in Afghanistan and Iraq that are lovely, too, but I wouldn’t put those on travel itineraries.”
Nearly 20 years after their last No. 1 album, the Backstreet Boys’ debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with their latest release, “DNA.” As the group prepares to kick off their North American tour, Howie D (born Howard Dorough) is also celebrating the July 12 release of his debut children’s album, “Which One Am I?”
Better known by his stage name of San Holo, Dutch DJ, guitarist and producer Sander van Dijck, 28, says that he often finds inspiration for his music in his travels. “Traveling has affected my music a lot,” he says. “Seeing new places and meeting new people — it always gives me fresh insights and new perspectives on life, which tend to have an effect subconsciously when I write music.”
Veteran actor Tim Lounibos (“Hawaii Five-0,” “Criminal Minds,” “NCIS”) is best known for his portrayal of Ed Sung on Amazon’s “Bosch.” Well-traveled and always ready to explore, the actor said he learned a valuable lesson from his treks around the world. “We all might look different and have differing perspectives, but we’re all essentially the same.”
Born in Canada, Avan Jogia came to the United States with a challenge. His parents gave him six months to get an acting job or return home and finish school. He has remained in Los Angeles ever since. Best known for his roles in Nickelodeon’s “Victorious” and STARZ’s “Now Apocalypse,” he can be seen in Samuel L. Jackson’s reboot of the feature film, “Shaft.”
“My first trip I took as a child was to New Orleans,” says “Five Points” actor Nathaniel Potvin. “When I was there, I hated it. As my mom describes it, I was sick with an ear infection. How could you not hate that? But I recently went back and loved it. It is truly an amazing town full of good food and the best jazz.”
“I really enjoy luxury train travel to eat good food, be in your own space and enjoy the scenery that you might not get to see otherwise,” says “The Chi” actress, Yolonda Ross. “My dream trip would be to travel with friends on a week-long luxury train trip like the Belmond or Orient Express.
Actress Maria Sten moved from Copenhagen to New York City when she was 18. Her latest role is as journalist Liz Tremayne in the new DC Universe series, “Swamp Thing.” “Liz is incredibly scrappy and she never backs down from a challenge,” says Sten, 29. “She’s also overly curious by nature and always wants to know everything that’s going on around her. You’d probably get no sleep at all (traveling with her), but you’d have a hell of an adventure.”
“I read lists and guides, I email friends with experience for suggestions and I’m all over TripAdvisor,” says Rati Gupta, who plays Anu, Raj’s love interest on “The Big Bang Theory.” “But it’s less to build a perfect set-in-stone itinerary and more to build a wealth of knowledge about the destination. Because life happens, nothing ever goes exactly as planned and it’s easier to bounce back in those moments if you know what your options are.”
Best known as Isabelle Lightwood in “Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments,” Mexican-Lebanese actress Emeraude Toubia says she thinks her television alter ego would have been a great travel companion. “She would be so fun,” says Toubia. “I am more of a stay at home and watch a movie kind of girl. But Isabelle would definitely drag me out of bed to explore and have a fun time.”
Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Eagan, Minnesota, filmmaker Kulap Vilaysack traveled to Laos to search for her birth father. As a child, she hadn’t realized he even existed. She filmed her trip for her documentary, “Origin Story.” Vilaysack is also known for creating and executive producing the comedy series, “Bajillion Dollar Propertie$.”
Vacationing in Argentina this past Christmas was special for Michael Vlamis because it was the first trip he paid for himself. “Up until then, the only time I traveled was because of work or on family vacations,” he says. “As an actor starting out, you’re a slave to the Hollywood system, but my (CW series) ‘Roswell, New Mexico’ gave me the freedom and financial flexibility I needed to go see the world.”