Want to know how to travel in style, just like the pros? We check in with frequent fliers to find out how often they fly, their favorite destinations and what they never leave home without.

Darley Newman
Darley Newman

Name: Darley Newman

Occupation: TV host, writer, producer & entrepreneur 

Hometown: Washington, DC and grew up in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Residence: Washington, DC

College: The George Washington University

College major: Electronic Media

Website: equitrekking.com

Twitter: @darleynewman

Google+Darley Newman

Instagram: darleynewman

Short bio: Host, producer and creator of the Emmy-winning Equitrekking TV series broadcast nationally on PBS and international networks in over 82 countries and owner of DCN Entertainment, a multi-media production company. Host and producer of Travels with Darley on the AOL On Network and Travel Like the Locals with Darley on ulive.com. Charged by an elephant in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, climbed an eleven-story tree in the Costa Rican rainforest, rappelled down a waterfall in Jordan and surfed the chilly North Atlantic Ocean off Ireland while filming her travel series’ to help educate and excite her fans. Expanded the Equitrekking brand with Equitrekking.comEquitrekkingTravel.com and Top20Ranches.com and by hosting Equitrekking segments on the Starz Networks Encore Channel and Ralph Lauren TV. Honored with five Daytime Emmy Award nominations for hosting, writing and producing, alongside media moguls Ellen DeGeneres, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Author of the award-winning Equitrekking: Travel Adventures on Horseback book, published by Chronicle Books. Received the North American Travel Journalist Award for Best Travel Broadcast and the Inspiring Woman Award from Women in Philanthropy and Leadership.

How often do you fly? Several times a month.

How many countries have you been to? 30+

How many continents have you been to? 5

Earliest travel memory: A family vacation to California, when I was 5 or 6. I was entranced by the flavors of Chinatown in San Francisco, thought Lombard Street was hilarious and got to go to Disneyland.

Favorite American city: New York.

Favorite international city: Florence, Italy.

Least favorite country: I don’t have a least favorite, but did have a bad experience with some deadly bugs in Belize.

Favorite World Heritage Site: Doñana National Park. I’ve visited twice and love the amazing wildlife and pristine nature.

Favorite aircraft type: Boeing 787.

Aisle or window: Aisle.

Favorite airport lounge: Virgin Atlantic at JFK.

Favorite U.S. airport: National Airport, DC.

Favorite international airport: Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. I like the food options.

Favorite hotel: Castle Leslie in Ireland. Members of the founding family still live there, so you can hang out with Sir John Leslie, 4th Baronet, and enjoy the opulent, eccentric antiques and rich décor. Plus, it’s pretty cool to stay in a castle.

Favorite island: Unnamed islands in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, the largest inland delta in the world. They are remote, private, totally wild and unique.

Favorite beach: Rossbeigh Beach in Ireland. It’s simply gorgeous and dramatic.

Favorite fancy restaurant: Blue Duck Tavern in Washington, DC. Great food and cocktails.

Favorite fruit: Kiwi.

Favorite food: Everything bagels.

Craziest thing you’ve eaten: Bull testicles in Alberta.

Drink of choice (in the air and on the ground): Depends on my mood. Either gin and tonic or Sauvignon Blanc.

Favorite travel movie(s): French Kiss with Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline, but I recently watched The Way with Martin Sheen and would definitely recommend it.

Favorite travel show(s): Currently loving House Hunters International—not totally travel, but I do enjoy the international real estate.

Favorite travel book(s): “Notes from a Small Island” by Bill Bryson and “A Year in Provence” by Peter Mayle.

Right now I am reading: “On the Trail of Genghis Khan”  by Tim Cope.

Favorite travel website(s)—besides JohnnyJet.com, of course! Travelzoo.com—I love a good last minute deal. New York Times Travel Section. Also have a soft spot for my own Equitrekking.com.

5 things you bring on a plane: iPhone loaded with TV shows and movies I need to catch up on and ambient soundtracks in case of noisy neighbors, hand sanitizer, granola bars, warm layers, water.

What do you always seem to forget? Lip balm.

What do you like least about travel? Customs. Traveling with expensive film equipment can be a hassle and stressor.

Favorite travel app(s): Yelp. FlightTrack.

Most embarrassing travel moment: Having stomach issues on route to spend a few days horseback riding and camping with the Bedouin in Jordan’s Wadi Rum Desert. As you may imagine, there are no bathrooms in the desert. The first day was tough. I ate as much as I could of the lamb that had been buried in the ground and then proudly presented me that night for dinner, but by day two, I was much better.

Worst travel moment: Ending up in a Hungarian hospital after a train accident in Lake Balaton. It ended my backpacking trip around Europe and landed me on crutches for a very long time.

What’s your dream destination? Japan.

Best travel tip: Get recommendations from the locals and if you can get them to show you around. It will make your trip more personable and memorable.

3 Comments On "Travel Style: Darley Newman"
  1. silentwhisperfromjsDee|

    My most embarrassing travel moment was when my husband and I were flying to Mazatland.I’d gone hours without a cigarette,and was chewing off small pieces of nicorate gum.In this time of juggling my bad habit we had eaten and had coffee,now we were told to put our seat-belts on for arrival.I grabbed at my belt but it was stuck, as did the man next to me,eventually realizing both seat belts were glued to one another.To my utter horror a tiny piece of gum was the culprit(fifty shades of red found my face).Nothing was said as we both fastened our seat belts.Most likely the gum was more on my belt than his, sliding off and down on me earlier from a place I thought was safe.Nonetheless I felt like a kid(laughing now in thought)Discreetly I tried to pull the gum off of my belt, with some achievement,though not so when I realized it was stuck to my back pocket of my jeans,and had to tie my sweater around my waste to conceal what I couldn’t see but what I thought was a mess of goo, while leaving the plane in Mazatlan.

  2. naoma foreman|

    Interesting person. I enjoyed her post. She must see Japan. A wonderful country to visit and friendly and helpful people also. I needed directions to find my way back to my hotel and went into a shop where they told me how to get there. As I left a man on a bike was riding near me. They sent him along to make sure I got there safely. NOW THAT WAS “service.”!!

    1. Darley Newman|

      That’s so nice! Makes me want to go to Japan even more, though I don’t know if I want to sit by silentwhisperfromjsDee. ; ) JK. Sooo many memories from travel, both embarrassing, humbling and invigorating! Thanks for reading about my Travel Style.

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