Sometimes the best travel stories aren’t really stories at all. It’s great to sit down with an avid traveler, and take in all the knowledge and tips he or she has to offer. With so many years of travel under their belts, it would be silly to not take a tip from these vets. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, philanthropist and art collector David Ciclitira shared some of his views on travel. Travel habits, tips, luggage recommendations, and a few local favorites were all included. What can you take away from his stories?
The 57 year old Briton is always moving, and not quite rooted. For starters, he claims that he travels every week- so much that he hasn’t been home in over a month. And although the United Kingdom is home, he is officially a resident of Monaco. His wife is Italian, so he also spends a decent bit time in the reaches of southern Europe. And on top of all that, they own a house in Seoul. If there’s any takeaway here, it’s that it is far from terrible to have friends and loved ones spread out. That way, when you decide to visit a friend, you’re setting off for a new destination! You should also have several go-to’s. Right now, Ciclitira is spending most of his time in east and southeast Asia. Specifically, he can be found hanging out in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Seoul (for the record, Seoul is his favorite city).
Incheon International Airport, in Seoul.
Ciclitira asserts that the best part of travel is interacting with people and cultures who know the area well. He decries eating in the hotel as an egregious transgression for the world traveler- get out and interact with some locals instead! But his biggest tip for the average traveler is to always check baggage tags when you check in. Always. If you have a layover or a stop, then your baggage could have just been sent to your final destination. That would definitely be something worth knowing.
I’m sure we all spend a solid amount of time arguing about what suitcase or piece of luggage is best. It’s a pretty important issue, after all, few things can match the frustration from being unable to close your suitcase, or having the zipper split because it’s packed too tightly. Ciclitira recommends using a Rimowa. And yeah, they can get kind of pricey, so maybe any metal suitcase is bit of an upgrade? He likes the Rimowa models because they can get serviced after they have been inevitably battered and dinked.
Other random tidbits of knowledge: The best taxis are in London, because the drivers are practically required to know the city like the back of their hands. The exam itself takes about two and a half years! His Favorite Hotel is the Mandarin Oriental, in Hong Kong.