FEATURES The Great Escape
CO-FOUNDER OF PRISMOLOGIE @intisaralsabah
Where would you like to escape to and why?
I love escaping to a small boutique hotel in a different city or town every time. I am really fond of exploring new places, people watching, discovering new tastes in food.
you always pack when travelling?
I always pack the Prismologie Citrine and Bergamot shower gel and the Ruby and Cedarwood dry body oils. I love using body oil just after the shower. I always pack my walking shoes, and I make sure all my clothes are on a hanger and in a suit carrier so when I arrive it’s super easy to unpack and everything is wrinkle-free. I am very picky with my packing, everything is in the right place and I always make sure I pack something for the evening no matter where I am going so that I am fully prepared for any occasion.
What positive things have you learned during this time of lockdown?
I have learnt many positive things during the lockdown but I think the most important one is that I don’t need a lot. So, my needs have drastically reduced. I have also learnt to unwind and take time off and one of the biggest things I have realised is not to continue running around and keeping myself constantly busy, because when I stop, I realise that I can actually do more with less effort. So, I’ve started focusing on the big picture and everything else falls into place.
My most treasured travel memory was in Yemen. The people are so nice, so generous, so kind and with no rules. I particularly loved the fact that the local people showed so much trust in us which is extraordinary in today’s day and age.
treasured travel memory? Can you recommend a beachside read / podcast?
I love reading about marketing and books about the psychology of people and how to get the most out of the people around you. One of my favourite books is Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath about why some ideas stick and other fail to succeed.
Where would you like to escape to and why?
South of France, it’s just my second home.
What do you always pack when travelling?
My face creams and hair care products. I also always pack my favourite snacks.
What positive things have you learned during this time of lockdown?
To be extremely grateful, to be patient and most of all to live every day to its fullest.
What’s your most treasured travel memory?
Can you recommend a beachside read / podcast?
Greece from island to island.
Exploring
Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell.
INFLUENCER AND ENTREPRENEUR @olafarahat
Where would you like to escape to and why?
What do you always pack when travelling?
FASHION DESIGNER AND TV ANCHOR @fozaza
The Maldives – I want to be on an island.
The best pair of jeans I own. A black blazer and mostly neutrals.
What positive things have you learned during this time of lockdown?
To slow down and appreciate moments more.
What’s your most treasured travel memory?
Can you recommend a beachside read / podcast?
in the Seychelles.
Pillow
My honeymoon
Personally, I prefer to unwind by playing music.
FOUNDER & CEO, BLOSSOM ACCELERATOR NURSERY @emonshakoor
Where would you like to escape to and why?
I would love to escape to a tropical island with clear blue waters, beautiful sunshine, enjoy the waterfalls around me and the glory of nature. Portable speakers, portable charger, noise-cancelling headset, hand sanitiser, sunglasses, workout gear, books, laptop and business cards because even on vacation there is always room for networking.
Sometimes in life things do not happen exactly how you foresaw them and accepting that while still being happy takes a beautiful level of bravery, courage, strength and resilience. My senior year of college I completed a study abroad program in Granada, Spain to learn and explore the heritage of the Moorish empire. The south of Spain is enchanting and marvellous.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz.
What do you always pack when travelling? during this time of lockdown? What’s your most treasured travel memory? beachside read / podcast?
forward as well to reconnecting with my INGIE Paris team and work in my atelier in Paris. Following all that I would like to visit south of France for a much-needed vacation.
I always pack full looks to take me from day to evening. Casualwear, cocktail dresses, gowns, shoes and matching bags in addition to my toiletry kit. Of course, the main new items to pack nowadays would be the masks, sanitisation gels and gloves for safety during travel and daily protection.
What do you always pack when travelling?
What positive things have you learned during this time of lockdown?
One of the most positive things I have learned is how important it is to make time for connecting with friends and loved ones. Sometimes we are too busy with our lives, jobs, professional and social life, that we miss on reconnecting and spending quality time with them. I definitely communicated more with people via phone calls, asked them about their health and wellbeing and it filled me with happiness.
What is your most treasured travel memory?
The Carnival of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil two years ago. Brazilians know how to enjoy their lives and it was amazing to experience their positive energy with people from all backgrounds, walks of life sharing love, joy and fun while dancing. There is nothing like it.
Can you recommend a beachside read / podcast?
111 Places on the French Riviera That You Must Not Miss by Ralph Nestmeyer.
MODEL AND INFLUENCER @fashion_pirate
Where would you like to escape to and why?
I would love to teleport to a dreamy deserted island with my husband and baby Luca.
What do you always pack when travelling?
I always pack my coconut oil, swimsuit and shorts if I’m heading to a warm climate. If it involved a lot of walking then I’d always have my sneakers to hand. The coconut oil I use is now more than a hair ointment and is useful for sunburns and pre-bath massages for Luca.
What positive things have you learned during this time of lockdown?
Slowing down during this lockdown has really allowed me to appreciate real time for family, friends and even work, allowing me to create and think rather than always rushing to reach deadlines. Even though I live away from my family, we’re now communicating on a daily basis via video cameras which has given us more freedom with time. It gives us that patience to remain positive and cherish these moments, looking ahead for better days when we will be reunited and spend quality time together more than ever.
What’s your most treasured travel memory?
The moment I found out I was pregnant in Thailand on January 1, hands down that was the most treasured moments.
Can you recommend a beachside read / podcast?
Authors such Charles Dickens, Paul Coelho are a few of my favourites as I grew up reading them. To Kill A Mockingbird and Great Expectations are my top picks. As for podcasts, I really enjoy listening to BoF – Business of Fashion.
Where would you like to escape to and why?
I would take the first flight out to Bali or the Maldives. My body needs a beach and good food.
What do you always pack when travelling?
I’m very efficient when it comes to packing, but I always do three main checks: phone, wallet, passport. And if I’ve got these three, everything else is replaceable.
learned to slow down and that always being on the go isn’t necessarily a good thing. When you’re always busy and always jumping from one place to the other, you don’t really get to sit and check in with yourself often. You also tend to take a lot of things for granted. So, this lockdown taught me to be grateful for the smallest blessings and to really dig deep into myself, learn to love myself and life unconditionally, regardless of the circumstances.
What’s your most treasured travel memory?
One of my most treasured memories is travelling with my brother to California and driving down the coast in Malibu with the top down blasting Miley Cyrus’ Malibu song and watching the sunset.
Can you recommend a beachside read / podcast?
This is a book that I passed down to my friends is called The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson.
Where would you like to escape to and why?
I would love to escape to somewhere like Hawaii or the Maldives where the beaches, palm trees and spas make for a relaxing escape.
Aside from essentials such as clothes and travel documents, I also try and carry my jiu-jitsu gear and belt with me as I love to train in any place that I can.
During lockdown I got to know myself better and realised that nothing is impossible. I learned how to give my body and mind a chance to be creative but also gained a greater understanding of the importance of taking a break. Another major positive of lockdown is that it has given me the chance to spend more time with my loved ones. As a member of the UAE national team, every win on the international stage is special and something to treasure. It makes me so proud to raise the UAE flag and hear the national anthem after a success in every international competition and is a reward for the trust placed in us by the UAEJJF to represent our country. I like to read books and listen to podcasts that focus around the themes of self-development, and motivational speeches. I am currently reading The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes.
you always pack when travelling? What positive things have you learned during this time of lockdown? What’s your most treasured travel memory? Can you recommend a beachside read / podcast? Where would you like to escape to and why?
I would love to be in Bali. I went last year for my honeymoon and I fell in love with the dreamy beaches and endless coconuts.
What do you always pack when travelling?
I’m very particular with packing, and I always make a packing list, in which I check off each thing after packing. I always bring a facial roller with me and a face mask for the plane if the flight is long. What positive things have
you learned during this time of lockdown?
Lockdown and COVID-19, in general, has really given me the appreciation of financially support myself, to indulge in the little things, and to appreciate family, friends and the ability to travel. To sit back and enjoy the little things in life, to put back the background noise and enjoy what’s in front of me.
What’s your most treasured travel memory?
My favourite memory lately has been back when my husband and I went to Bali, we decided to rent a motorbike and go everywhere ourselves. I remember biking through rice fields on the way to a hidden waterfall, balancing my cup of green bubble tea with grass jelly and my phone.
Can you recommend a beachside read / podcast?
I love books and I always travel with one to three books. I recommend the book Modesty: A Fashion Paradox by my sister Hafsa Lodi, which discusses the paradoxical concept of modest fashion, and this emerging movement.