Celebrity Travel: Go Away With Anka Muhlstein
A. At the risk of not being very original, I would say Venice, but Paris and Vienna would be close competitors. And why not New York, on Memorial Day weekend? You have the city to yourself!
Q. If you've ever gone away for the holidays, which was the best trip?
A. My husband and I took a trip to Brazil -- more precisely to a small island in the middle of the Amazon, a stretch of the river where the acidic water chases away the mosquitoes! We spent a few nights in a tiny hotel. During the days, under the tutelage of an eagle-eyed guide, we hopped in a canoe and as it was high water, we could glide into the jungle and circle the huge trees. It certainly beats traipsing a path. Monkeys were trapezing above us, snakes hugged the trunks, parrots came in all shapes and colors. And thanks to the guide, we spotted the alligators sunk along the shores. As night began to fall, necklaces of red eyes seemed to follow us. There were so many fish in the river that the kids literally picked them up. Some were so big that we were fed fish chops at dinner!
Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A. An iPad. I am so glad I don't have to lug a bag full of books, which I did for many years. I am always terrified of being stuck without a good book.
Q. What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?
A. I am ashamed to say I don't do any research. I always believed guidebooks are useful on the spot, but if I read ahead of time, I generally forget. I need to see. In China, I often followed surreptitiously a museum guide if what I overheard seemed interesting, but mostly I manage on my own. My husband and I are very group averse and always travel on our own.
Q. What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?
A. The worst is being lost in miles and miles of tulips in Holland. The best is arriving by boat to Venice.
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(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.)
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