Celebrity Travel Addicts: Nellie Huang of Wild Junket

In today’s Celebrity Travel Addicts Q & A I interview my friend and fellow world traveler Nellie Huang of Wild Junket. I have known Nellie for over 8 years, we met up in Miami and again during the World Travel Market in London of 2014. Nellie is always on the go, she has traveled to 117 countries and all 7 continents. She now even travels with her 3 year old daughter to some of the most unique countries on the planet! Meet Nellie and check out her Top 5 List for Madagascar and where she’s headed to next!

How did your passion for travel get started?

It was a student exchange program I did in Miami in 2003 that got me seriously hooked to travel. I made lifelong friends with people from around the world and I traveled all over the US and Caribbean. I knew then I wanted a unconventional lifestyle that revolved around travel. 

How many days/weeks are you traveling in any given year? What are the types of places do you like to visit?

I travel around 16 weeks each year. I’m drawn to remote, unusual destinations that few people visit. There’s something exciting about going way off the beaten path. 

Name your top three destinations you’ve traveled?

1. Antarctica

2. Madagascar

3. Galapagos Islands

Give us your ‘Top 5’ list for one of these destinations, like a mini-guide or to-do list of sorts (could be anything like you favorite hotel, best place to have lunch, sightsee, etc)

Madagascar:

1. Go night hiking in Kirindy Forest to see mouse lemurs
2. Stay at Chez Maggie in Morondava: chilled vibes and awesome beach
3. Don’t miss the stone pinnacle forest at Tsingy de Bemahara
4. Take a pirogue (wooden canoe) whenever you get the chance
5. Wander around the markets in the capital city Antananarivo

How many countries have you visited so far?

121 countries and all seven continents. 

Your top three favorite cuisines?

Singaporean, Moroccan and Korean.

Favorite restaurant in the world?

No Signboard Seafood Restaurant in Singapore.

Your favorite travel movie?

Under the Tuscan Sun.

Favorite international airport?

Madrid Barajas Airport. 

City with the friendliest people?

Shiraz, Iran. The Iranians in general are the friendliest people I’ve met.

Your favorite traveling companion?

My husband Alberto.

Best way you kill time while traveling?

Write about my travels!

What is the most exotic place your career has taken you?

Antarctica is possibly the furthest and most exotic place I’ve been on assignment.

Don’t forget to check out JetSet LifeStyle Blog!

Your best bit of travel advice for someone who is about to embark on a life of travel?

Keep an open mind and absorb everything you see like a sponge.

What are 4 things you could never travel without?

1. My passport
2. My iPhone
3. My Canon 60D SLR camera
4. My sandals

What is your ultimate dream destination?

Socotra Island, Yemen.

Your favorite travel quote?

“To live is to travel..”

Where to next?

Ukraine

Bio:  

Nellie Huang is a high-profile travel writer and blogger with special interest in extreme adventure and unusual destinations. She has traveled to over 120 countries across 7 continents, including the Arctic and Antarctica.These days, she leads tours to hard-to-get-to places like Tibet, Bhutan, Tajikistan and Iraq. Her work has appeared in BBC Travel, CNN and LonelyPlanet.com. She is also the author of The Adventure Traveler’s Handbook. Read more about her discoveries on WildJunket.com