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.
Name: Paul Rubio
Occupation: Travel Writer and Wildlife Photographer
Hometown: Miami, FL
Residence: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Website: paulrubiotravel.com
Twitter: @paulrubiotravel
Bio: Paul Rubio’s quest to discover the world has taken him to 107 countries and counting. A Harvard graduate with a Master in Public Administration and a Master in Economics, Paul gladly traded supply and demand graphs for travel writing in 2008 and hasn’t looked back since. In five years, he’s taken the travel journalism field by storm, winning ten national awards. The prolific writer contributes to Private Clubs magazine, the full family of Modern Luxury publications, Palm Beach Illustrated, ultratravel, Table & Travel, Ocean Home, Coastal Living, and is the co-author of Fodor’s Florida and Fodor’s South Florida.
How often do you fly: Over one hundred flights per year.
How many countries have you been to: 107
How many continents have you been to: 6
Favorite American city: Newport, RI.
Favorite international city: Paris, France.
Least favorite country: Nigeria.
Country with the meanest immigration officers: UK (specifically at London Heathrow).
Favorite World Heritage Site: Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania.
Favorite airline: Qatar.
Favorite aircraft type: Airbus A380.
Aisle or window: Always aisle.
Favorite airport lounge: Thai Airways Bangkok lounge.
Favorite U.S. airport: Jackson Hole airport, Wyoming.
Favorite international airport: Kuala Lumpur.
Favorite hotel: Segera Retreat, Kenya; Capella Pedregal, Cabo; Cocoa Island, Maldives.
Favorite cruise line: Aqua Expeditions.
Favorite travel credit card: Amex Platinum (for benefits); Amex Gold (for purchases).
Favorite island: Borneo.
Favorite beach: The beaches of Silhouette Island, Seychelles.
Favorite fancy restaurant: Le Diane, Paris.
Favorite hole in the wall: Upperline Restaurant, New Orleans.
Favorite fruit: Tie between rhambutan and mangosteen.
Favorite food: Savory: sushi; Sweet: salted caramel ice cream.
Least favorite food: Pepperoni, ketchup and mayonnaise—all vile to me!
Drink of choice (in the air): Gin & Tonic.
Drink of choice (on the ground): Champagne.
Favorite travel movie(s): Y Tu Mama Tambien.
Favorite travel show(s): Survivor (filmed in the coolest destinations).
Favorite travel book(s): A Neotropical Companion.
Right now I am reading: The Riddle of Solomon: Book Two (Sarah Weston Chronicles) by D. J. Niko.
Top 3 favorite travel newsletters/magazines/blogs: Old-fashioned Fodor’s guidebooks (hard copies), T&L, National Geographic.
Favorite travel website(s)—besides JohnnyJet.com, of course!: Thepointsguy.com, millionmilesecrets.com
Five things you bring on a plane: A flashlight, my Nikon D7000, Zycam, my Ipod stocked with new playlists, and flip-flops.
What do you always seem to forget? Chewing gum.
What do you like least about travel? Jetlag, rude passengers, and ruder flight attendants.
What do you want your loved one to buy you from an airport duty-free store? Kinder Bueno.
Favorite travel app(s): TripIt.
Worst travel moment: Being trapped in an overheating plane for multiple hours (story here).
What’s your dream destination: Gabon.
Favorite travel charity: AmericaShare.
Best travel tip: Use miles!
WOW. Now there is an interesting man. I could sit and talk to him for hours~
I wonder what his favorite diving location is in USA, and abroad.