The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
ADWOA ABOAH MY LIFE IN TRAVEL
The award-winning model loves visiting family in Yorkshire, Ghana and Kenya, but is also ‘obsessed’ with Mexico City
I LOVE THE CHAOS AND ENERGY of Accra, the Ghanaian capital. I remember exploring its markets and buying some amazing handwoven baskets and fabrics during my visit.
GHANA HAS A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART because my father was born and raised there before emigrating to England. I’ve driven around the Gold Coast and went to my grandma’s house to spend time with my family. I also recently did a shoot for Burberry in Accra.
LAMU IS VERY OFF-THE-BEATENTRACK and has a remote feel, with no cars around. I visit the Kenyan island every year around Christmas time, staying at my parents’ house and going for walks, swimming, reading and playing board games.
I’m not a big fan of wintry holiday destinations at the moment.
LONDON IS MY FAVOURITE CITY IN THE WORLD and the Ladbroke Grove area, along with Portobello Road, are among my favourite haunts. I love hanging around Soho and Brixton too.
WHITBY CAN BE A BIT BORING in my view, but it is a beautiful little town. I do love Yorkshire because I have family there and I visit as often as I can.
I DEFINITELY NEED COMPANY for a perfect holiday. I love having a look around local towns or villages, wherever I happen to be, and doing activities such as swimming in the ocean. I’ve done some surfing in Hawaii before, too, which was great fun. But I can enjoy relaxing by the pool just as much. MY BEST HOLIDAY EVER was last summer, when 20 of my friends and I did a tour of Mexico. We hired a minibus to drive us around. I went skydiving for the first time and swimming with whale sharks, which was incredible.
I’M OBSESSED WITH MEXICO CITY and it’s one of my favourite places. I love the culture, the people and the tacos, which are fantastic. My first holiday abroad was to Tulum in Mexico, when I was about five or six years old. My parents took me there to visit a family friend of ours
WE JUST DROVE WITHOUT ANY PLANNING on a road trip from Los Angeles to Louisiana a couple of years ago. I’ve never done a gap year but my sister and I did this incredible two-week trip, staying in various motels because we did it all on a budget. We explored Las Vegas and I remember going dancing in New Orleans.
I’M ON A PLANE AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK for work. Recently I’ve travelled to New York, Los Angeles and Warsaw in Poland for Gurls Talk, an online open forum I founded for discussing various issues affecting young women.
NEW ZEALAND HAS THE MOST SPECTACULAR SCENERY We shot some scenes in Wellington for the Ghost in the Shell film with Scarlett Johansson. The most memorable meals I’ve ever had were in Tokyo, which I visit a lot for work. I also go to Milan, Paris and New York for the annual fashion show in each of those cities.
I DON’T DO CLUBS anymore; I am so over them. I tend to hang out in restaurants instead. Lucien, a French bistro in New York, is one of my favourite spots. I also love the Bowery in Manhattan. It’s a really fabulous hotel with very good service.
THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO DO IN NEW YORK and I love all the possibilities on offer. You can be completely spontaneous, going from dancing in Brooklyn to a bit of karaoke before heading to a party at someone’s house.
THE MALDIVES IS ONE OF THE MOST RELAXING PLACES in the world. I was really impressed when I was there last Easter with my sister,
SUNGLASSES
SUITCASE
Rimowa is a chic luggage brand which I use often. Their suitcases are both lightweight and capacious. £399; rimowa.com My favourite brands are Retro Superfuture, Gucci, Roberi & Fraud, ud, and Prism. €215; retrosuperfuture.com staying at the Coco Bodu Hithi, a luxury resort in North Malé Atoll. We pampered ourselves with amazing food, spa treatments and snorkelling.
I ALWAYS TRAVEL BUSINESS OR FIRST CLASS for work. I’ve been travelling with Virgin for a long time and it’s still my favourite airline. I’m not so keen on British Airways.
I CAN’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT my blanket, a neck pillow and an eye mask. On a flight, I aim to get lots of sleep, drink plenty of water and sometimes apply a face mask.
My best holiday ever was in Mexico. I went skydiving and swam with whale sharks
MY BEST TRAVEL ADVICE is to wipe down the seating areas when you’re on a plane. They are full of germs. When I’m staying at a hotel I remove the inner lining of pillows, as they have not always been clean in my experience.
I’D LOVE TO SEE SOUTH AMERICA – either Brazil or
Uruguay – as well as Ethiopia. I really want to go on safari in Kenya too. London Fashion Week continues until Sept 18. For details, see londonfashionweek.co.uk.