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: Rosey Alvero
Occupation: Travel Show Host
Hometown: San Francisco, CA, Manila,Philippines, Victorville,CA
Residence: Mar Vista, Los Angeles, CA
College: San Francisco State University
College major: Business & Marketing
Twitter: I don’t tweet!
Instagram: cloudnineliving
Pinterest: Rosey Alvero
YouTube: Rosey Alvero
Short bio: Rosey is always the curious adventurer up for any quest and seeks to learn from and empower those she meets on her travels. Her first travelogue began before birth sealing her never ceasing thirst to explore the world. Growing up between San Francisco and Manila, she has since lived all over the world and thus developed a traveler’s intuition and sense of curiosity. She is a co-founder of Cache Cache, a female-driven culinary and moving image centered experiential concept; a result of her belief that food and travel can bring people together. She is a newcomer to Los Angeles and is thrilled to explore the region as the face of SoCal Wanderer for KCET, which premiered Tuesday (August 7) and is now streaming on YouTube, Amazon, Roku, and Apple TV.
How often do you fly? 1 or 2x per month
How many countries have you been to? 30
How many continents have you been to? All but Antarctica and Australia/Oceania.
Earliest travel memory: Traveling from the Philippines to San Francisco at a very young age with my grandmother, tita, older brother, and older sister. I had trouble sleeping and absolutely hated the airplane food; I especially remember my distaste for mashed green peas and crying over having to eat them. I also remember a family beach vacation somewhere in the Philippines when I got lost, but made friends with the local fisherman. I don’t remember this part, but my mom said that by the time she found me I had all the fisherman laughing with me.
Favorite American city: A solid tie between San Francisco and New York, but Los Angeles is definitely growing on me too!
Favorite international city: Paris.
Least favorite country: Russia, because of its politics.
I have no desire to go to: Beijing.
Friendliest people in the world: Swedes, the people are friendly and engaging.
Country with the meanest immigration officers: Vietnam—if you have an American passport.
Favorite World Heritage Site: Angkor Wat is by far the most beautiful and charming site I’ve been fortunate enough to visit.
Favorite airline: Southwest Airlines, you can’t beat that customer service and companion pass!
Favorite aircraft type: A small plane, like a Cesna, though I’ve never been on one I hope to one day fly one!
Aisle or window: Window, always. I like to lean up against something and look out the window for the views. I’ve spotted amazing sights from up top including the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. I also tend to sleep on any flight, long or short, and don’t want to have to get up to let someone to the WC.
Favorite airport lounge: I’m never at an airport early enough to go to a lounge and my tickets don’t normally include a lounge pass, unfortunately.
Favorite U.S. airport: SFO.
Favorite international airport: NAIA, not because of the airport itself, but because it means I’m home.
Favorite hotel: The Standard Hotel at the Highline in New York because of fond memories at the hotel, Le Bain, and the Boom Boom Room plus that trippy elevator is so much fun!
Favorite cruise line: I’ve never been on a cruise and probably never will.
Favorite travel credit card: Chase Sapphire Reserve and Capital One Venture.
Favorite island: Palawan, Philippines.
Favorite beach: Cala Lombards, Mallorca.
Favorite National Park: Death Valley for its challenges, vast desert landscape, and the best picnic I’ve ever had on Racetrack Playa.
Favorite fancy restaurant: Ett Hem in Stockholm, Sweden for its amazing food and equally amazing ambiance and design and Volta in Gent, Belgium because of the wonderful experience I had with my husband and mother in-law.
Favorite hole-in-the-wall: Pazzia in San Francisco, CA, because I’ve been going there since I was 16. The owner, Massimo, is a quintessential Italian and he’s maintained the same kitchen staff. Great food, great people! I love hole-in-the-wall restaurants—I have a long list of favorites!
Favorite airport restaurant: I’m not a fan of airport restaurants at all and avoid them at all costs, if I must eat at the airport I hope I’m at JFK for Shake Shack.
Favorite bar: The Wayland, New York City! World-class cocktails, great late night snacks, great live music, and situated in one of my favorite neighborhoods in New York: East Village.
Favorite fruit: Mangoes from Cebu, I could live off of them and mangosteen, I’m a sucker for tropical fruits!
Favorite food: Dessert.
Least favorite food: Tripe.
Drink of choice (in the air and on the ground): Water in the air and a margarita on the ground.
Favorite travel movie(s): Les Petits Mouchoirs is the perfect feel-good vacation film we all hope to experience with our friends and family, it instantly gets you in vacation mood. I also love Under the Tuscan Sun, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and Roman Holiday, I guess it’s safe to say I’m a sucker for female leading travel films!
Favorite travel show(s): No Reservations.
Favorite travel podcast(s): I haven’t found a travel podcast I like yet, if you have any recommendation please let me know.
Favorite travel book(s): ”Wild” by Cheryl Strayed and “On The Road” by Jack Kerouac.
Right now I am reading: “Bread, Wine, Chocolate” by Simran Sethi.
Top 3 favorite travel newsletters/magazines/blogs: Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, The New York Times, Airbnb.
Favorite travel website(s)—besides JohnnyJet.com, of course! Airbnb.com, Skiplagged.com, kayak.com, Kindtraveler.com.
5 things you bring on a plane:
- Pillow
- Socks
- Warm scarf that can be used as an extra pillow or as a blanket
- Jurnal
- Reusable water bottle
What do you always seem to forget? Things I’m supposed to bring for my husband.
What do you like least about travel? How cold it is on the plane and annoyingly long layovers.
What do you want your loved one to buy you from an airport Duty Free store? Tequila and chocolate.
Favorite travel app(s): Skiplagged, Currency Converter, Google Translate, Lonely Planet.
Most embarrassing travel moment: During a five-day trek along the Salkantay to Machu Picchu I got altitude sickness. I had to stop 9x in one hour with no time to move off of the trail to release my insides during our longest day of hiking. It was not only painful, but extremely embarrassing.
I’m embarrassed I haven’t been to: Miami, FL.
Worst travel moment: Getting stuck at NAIA airport with my entire family of nearly 20 because of delays during the holidays, it was pure mayhem! Manila in general during the holidays is a nightmare, I love my family, but I’ll never do that again.
What’s your dream destination? I have been dying to go to Palau to swim with jellyfish at Jellyfish Lake and now have to wait for the habitat to be restored, bummed I didn’t pull the trigger when I had the opportunity in 2010 and even more sad that we have negatively affected their habitat.
Favorite travel charity: Kind Traveler, it’s an easy way to do something kind and positively impact the places you visit!
Best travel tip: Pack light and take an extra bag for all the goodies you can bring home. I’m notorious for bringing home goodies from around the world.
