Celebrity Travel: Go Away With Candace Bushnell

Candace Bushnell has a new contingent of fans, thanks to a pair of young adult novels that are prequels to her best seller "Sex and the City." "The Carrie Diaries" and "Summer and the City" introduce readers to a teenage Carrie Bradshaw years before she became a famous Manhattan sex columnist. The CW is creating a series based on "The Carrie Diaries" that will air later this year.

Born in Connecticut, the 53-year-old author resides in her beloved New York City, which she describes as a unique entity. Still, no one has to twist her arm to take a trip across the world.

"I really enjoy being home, but I don't ever get tired of seeing new places either," she says. "I know it's such a cliche, but getting the opportunity to travel all over the world and see how people live has always been one of my favorite things. I know that some people hate traveling, but I don't really get that."

Bushnell's other books include "One Fifth Avenue," "Lipstick Jungle" and "Four Blondes." For more info, check out her website at www.candacebushnell.com.

Q. What cities compare favorably to New York City?

A. I love Chicago. I lived there briefly for three months and kept a boat under one of those space-age buildings. It was very Jetsons.

Q. Which destinations were so memorable that you had to include them in your books?

A. Certainly the South of France. I've been to India twice, so I'll include India. I love Australia and New Zealand, but haven't managed to put any characters there yet.

Q. You've traveled so much in your career. If you were to write a travel book, what would be its title and on what would you focus?

A. It would be called "Airports." It would be a guide to fun things to do when you're stuck at an airport for 18 hours. One chapter would be called, "How to Shanghai a Motorized Cart."

Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?

A. It's still probably St. Barts off-season. There's something about that island that's so louche and lazily decadent.

Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?

A. I have a house in the Connecticut countryside where you'll always find me, summer or winter.

Q. What are your five favorite cities?

A. Amsterdam, Jaipur, London, New York and Paris, of course.

Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?

A. Japan.

Q. What are some of your must-have travel items?

A. Sleep aids such as lavender room spray, ear plugs and a sleeping mask.

Q. What is your guilty pleasure when you're on the road?

A. Watching movies On Demand.

Q. What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?

A. I wish I was one of those persnickety types who buys guidebooks and studies them, but I don't have the inclination or time. I'm more of a get on the plane, arrive at the destination and see what happens kind of traveler.

Q. What is your most vivid travel memory?

A. Nearly getting arrested in Italy for dancing around a car naked.

========

Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and travel writer. You can respond to this column by visiting her website at www.jaehakim.com. You may also follow "Go Away With..." on Twitter at @GoAwayWithJae where Jae-Ha Kim welcomes your questions and comments.