The Travel Seven: Bianca Malata
Name: Bianca Malata
Home City/Country: Lusaka, Zambia. Now based in London, UK
Occupation: IT Consultant
Website/Social: ItsAllBee.com / (IG) ItsAllBee
Passport Stamps Include: I have now travelled to 30+ on 5 continents, some of which have been on repeats because I can't get enough of them. My most recent is road tripping through Australia's New South Wales and Victoria states.
1. My best travel memory so far is… It has to be sitting on the edge of Victoria Falls after a short swim in Devils Pool. I have a thing for heights and a little adventure on a trip is always a bonus. This was part a month long trip exploring Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana which included safari trips in the Okavango Delta, sand boarding in the Namibia sand dunes. Sitting on the edge of the Victoria Falls with a 100 meter drop was the highlight of my trip, in addition to being a tourist in my own country as I don't get to visit as much as I would like.
2. My favorite hotel & why… There have been so many and the next always has the potential to be a favourite. I have had rooms looking out to the beautiful Victoria Harbour in beautiful and bustling Hong Kong. Chalets in Zambia on the edge of the Zambezi with elephants and hippos swimming in it, to Parisian rooms with your typical Parisian balcony and views of the Eiffel tower. With all that, nothing beats having your own little private villa with private pool on a the beautiful island of Phuket in Thailand, while staying at Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa. The beach was only a few meters away too, just in case I wanted to dip my toes in sand for a little bit.
3. My must-haves on any flight are… I have a few carry-on with my travel essentials that I always find make the flight a little more comfortable. Especially for long haul flights—a cotton or wool wrap, a good pair of socks, as I usually take shoes off. Then there is a short list of cosmetics, wipes, cleansers and moisturisers plus a silk scarf. Yes, I do wrap my hair in a silk scarf when I travel on the plane! The air-conditioning on the plane dries out my hair so that's one way to counter it.
4. When I’m on the road, I absolutely hate… The waiting at airports. Other than that I love the planning of activities, what I am taking on the trip and how I will get to those places. Everything in between like waiting in lines and such, I can definitely do without.
5. My dream destination or vacation is… I still haven't been to the Caribbean yet, so that and maybe the Maldives are an absolute dream destination right now.
6. The three things I can’t travel without are… Passport, make-up bag, camera.
7. The top lesson I’ve learned while traveling is… People are simply the same. We all want and need the same things. Happiness and security. Knowing that, I have found makes you more open to interact with more people than you normally would have when you travel.
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