This traveller cheated death in Spain, survived culture shock in Tahiti, and took the road less travelled in Bangkok. For these bold acts abroad, Amber Katz earns the crown of Wanderer of the Week!
Name: Amber Katz
Home base: New York City
Number of countries visited: 20 in 5 continents
What I do when I’m not traveling (aka occupation): Freelance beauty, lifestyle and pop culture writer
My next stop: Austin, Texas! I’ve never been and am planning to visit two sets of friends who live out there during South by Southwest. Most likely, I’ll travel for work somewhere prior to that, but 99% of my business travel is last-minute.
My wildest and craziest adventure was: A trip to Spain with two friends when I was 24. We stayed in Marbella and took a day trip to Ronda, where the original bull-fighting ring is. It’s a tiny, beautiful mountain-top town. My friend is a TERRIBLE driver, and we almost lost our lives ascending a scary-as-all-get-out mountain. But she was the only one who could drive the stick shift car we rented!
Once we arrived, I told both my travel companions, “I hope you like paella, because we live here now.” We were so scared to drive back down that mountain in an old convertible, but eventually we did and arrived safe and sound.
Weirdest thing I’ve ever eaten or drank: A smoked salmon and lemongrass quesadilla in Phuket, Thailand. I initially had reservations about this dish, but it turned out to be delicious.
I’ll never forget that time: I, a New Yorker, had culture shock returning from the tiny atoll of Tikehau in French Polynesia to Tahiti. After being on an island resort with about 40 people total, Tahiti felt like a teeming metropolis.
Most memorable meal: A simple, yet divine meal of chicken and potatoes, cooked by a local friend in Paris when I lived there for a semester. Another is the next-level orange juice I had after hiking up and down Masada in Israel.
One thing on my bucket list is: Meeting several koalas in Australia.
Three things I always pack: Cashmere scarf from Calypso that doubles as a blanket. iPad chock-full of movies, magazines and books. I treat myself like a toddler who needs to be entertained when I fly.
Whether I’m away for a half-day in Philadelphia or a two-week jaunt abroad, I never leave without my Macbook Air. Freelance life doesn’t stop when I’m away. I’ll steal a couple hours of work whether I’m on Amtrak or a flight with wifi.
My travel advice: Be patient. Learning the words for hello, goodbye, please and thank you in the language of the country you’re visiting will take you so, so far. People appreciate your at least attempting to speak their language.
Never turn down an opportunity to see the local beauty products at the pharmacy or herborist. I’ve found many a gem at these.
Ask your hotel to book a tour with a private guide. It’s spendy, but so worth it. I recently did that with my friend Felicia in Bangkok per her suggestion and had a wonderful experience visiting the various temples and tourist attractions there. Bangkok, by the way, needs a better publicist. Everyone told me to spend no more than a day or two and it was such an awesome city, I wound up spending a couple extra days there.
Leave a Reply