Year: 2021

Nneya in front of Pendry Christmas Tree

A Perfect 2021 Travel-Inspired Holiday Gift Guide

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Here is a 2021 perfect travel-inspired holiday gift guide for the wanderer in your life. We’re in the throws of the holiday season with a week left until Christmas. If you’re anything like me, shopping is easy breezy and then last minute express orders. People often wonder what to get for travelers as they spend time touring the world and seeing cool stuff. Well, sometimes, it’s just the little things. Really, they’ll appreciate the travel size. Here’s our perfect 2021 holiday gift guide. If they have a travel blanket. Get them a big, cozy cashmere scarf! So I have a travel blanket. Actually, a beautiful Chanel one. But I hardly use it. Why? Because I more often than not live from my carry on. And my “personal item” is a tote that’s jammed packed with my laptop, camera and essentials. So while my travel blanket is super cozy, I usually travel with my SCAGLIONE knit duster and a SCAGLIONE cashmere scarf. It’s comfy, doesn’t take up as much space as a blanket and I’ll wear …

Due to Omicron Concerns, Biden Announces New U.S. Travel Requirements

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For a brief moment, it seemed like even with the Delta variant the travel industry was on the comeback. The U.S. opened to the EU, summer and holiday spending on travel was on the up. New U.S. travel requirements seems to be on pause. And then in the 20th month of the global pandemic, the WHO announces a “variant of concern,” the Omicron. Due to Omicron concerns, President Biden announces new U.S. travel requirements. When the Omicron variant was announced, the US quickly banned entry from non-citizen travelers from countries in Southern Africa. This was in effort to gain reaction time and slow down the spread. On Wednesday, the President announced new U.S. travel requirements in an effort to prep for holiday travel season. Starting December 6, all international arrivals, vaccinated or not, will need to test negative for COVID no more 1 calendar day before flying to the U.S. Sure, this seems like a minor adjustment. But it leaves the travel industry concerned about whether or not this will dissuade travel during a time …

The Perfect Weekend In Western Kentucky

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Bourbon and Bards, Caves and Corvettes. If you just thought of fried chicken, you’re missing out. Here’s a guide to a weekend in Bowling Green and Louisville, Kentucky. Something I’m constantly reminding myself is how big America is. As a stereotypical coastal person, I’ve far from been to every state in this great country so I happily accepted an invitation from the Kentucky Tourism board to visit. Let’s shoot a Western! Start in Bowling Green. Downtown Bowling Green’s main square and Fountain Park is straight out of a movie set. Western style colorful buildings, an old-school theatre, the Capitol Arts Center, dating back to the 1890s, and a beautiful park with ornate cast iron fences with romantic southern curlicues. I went in the early morning and there was a stunning morning mist and suddenly the square came alive with Bowling Greeners starting their day. While there, grab a coffee at Spencer’s on College street. Where to stay. The Hotel Sync, an exec suite apartment style living on Corvette Dr, is right next door to the …

Closed Umbrellas on Beach in Calabria

What To Know Before Booking Your September Italian Travel 2021

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September is a great time to travel to Italy this 2021, but with Italy reinstating Covid-19 restrictions for American visitors, here’s what you should know before heading to Italy. Umbrellas are closing, summer in Italy is coming to an end. But the summer season isn’t officially over yet. Often times, that makes for the best time to visit the country. My first time in Le Cinque Terre was in September as a study abroad student. It was a trip free from crowds; I had a much easier time booking a B&B and got to really hang with locals. But before you book those last minute trips and travel to Italy in 2021, here are a few things you should know. Italy has indeed taken the EU’s advice and reinstated some restrictions for Americans. In my opinion, this is part Delta, part politics, part economics. The summer season is over, the US did not reciprocate. Other countries removed from the safe travel list include Israel, Japan and Canada. Any traveler that’s been in the US in …

woman in front of purple Vespa in red check dress

The Perfect Summer Dress: Sicily Debut

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I found the perfect summer dress! A google search lead me to it. It’s Simone Rocha x H&M. With so many people asking me about the dress — even before I posted our engagement photos — I decided to post about this summer dress because I’m kind of obsessed with it and the look. You’ll probably be seeing a lot of it this summer! I was looking up “red check summer dresses” and found it on Poshmark, then found my size New With Tags on Vestiaire. It was my first time using the app so I also got $25 with WelcomeUS code. Customer service was great — there were delays with USPS. I reached out to H&M about this collection but they never got back to me. The collection was kind of slept on probably due to the “pancake” and I hardly saw influencers promoting it. I loved when my friends Carolyn & Sophie had my Veronica Beard loafers and I love bringing good deals to you guys, I also love procrastinating because I have …

Girl and floating top, hot air balloons, teotihuacan pyramids in front

The Perfect Weekend in Mexico City

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Love exploring cities? Here’s a perfect travel guide to Mexico City. You guys know how much I love Mexico. My love of Sayulita actually started my travel writing career. This time around, I was able to explore a very different side of the country than the coasts. With just a 4.5 hour flight from NYC, less from LA, head to this amazing cosmopolitan city for some fun, fashion and fulfillment. Here’s my perfect long weekend travel guide to Mexico City to get you started. W Mexico City invited @skinnywashere, @troprouge, @lexiconofstyle, @catcherinthestyle, @neivy, @so.shauna, and me, @nneya to explore their city, bursting back to life after the pandemic. Seemingly unstoppable cities around the world went sleepy, but if this is Mexico City just waking up, wow! Vibrant, fun, cultured, sexy are just a few ways to describe this city, so naturally, we fit right in. I missed exploring countries around the world. We all did. And while Americans have been going to Mexico during the pandemic, travel has been more escapism. Nightlife, restaurants, theatre, the …

Dancing with the Bride

Tripadvisor Byline: Wedding Planning During Covid

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Are you planning a wedding during this Covid pandemic? I have some advice for you via Tripadvisor! Wedding planning during Covid: it’s been rough! This past weekend I saw one of my first maskless weddings come through on my Instagram stories. The wedding was in New York where we have high vaccination rates and I couldn’t help but to smile. Slowly, we can start looking forward to these things. But it was pretty risky of the bride. Who knew President Biden was going to exceed his vaccination targets within the first 100 days in office. Brides like my dear friend, Kelly King, postponed their weddings more than once another friend Camilla Lesser, after going through several plans, eloped and had a beautiful wedding in St. Lucia. I spoke to these brides and wedding planner Courtney Ajinca, who planned Cynthia Bailey and Mike Hill’s wedding for Tripadvisor.com. It’s one of the most awful things you can tell a couple in the months or weeks before their big day: “We have to cancel the wedding.” More often …

Audacity Fest Badge Nneya Richards

BIPOC Travelers + Allies See Me at Audacity Fest Sat May 1st!

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I am so appreciative of the support you perfectionists have given me over the years. I love being able to impart my experience and industry knowledge to you and here’s a fun accessible opportunity coming up for you to hear me and my colleagues speak. BIPOC Travelers + Allies See Me at Audacity Fest Sat May 1st!I’ll be speaking on a panel on Bridging the Gap from Industry to Influencer. There are a few verticals to what is known as the BIPOC travel movement. Forward facing, we have the influencers who work their magic in the social media space. Internally, we have the corporate partners that are our representations at the Board of Tourism tables. On the research side, we have the data aggregators to help create the full picture, through numbers, of our impact on the industry. On the ground, we have the vendors and suppliers who help bring our experience to life. This panel is a moment for us all to come together and see how we can advocate for one another.  I’m so excited to chat …

Image of Girl walking in Crema with Watchtower Behind her. Light blue sky, Cathedral on Right

Perfect Afternoon in Crema

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Fan of “Call Me By Your Name?” Then you might know the Italian city of Crema! Want a list of things to do in Crema? Here’s your guide to a perfect afternoon in Crema, Italy. Check this guide to a famously romantic Italian city. One morning late last summer, Michele and I waited for the sky to clear and looked at maps of the Bergamo area for an afternoon jaunt on his dad’s motorcycle. Crema was perfect. What should have been a 40 minute motorcycle ride (we got lost!) took us through small towns. Imagine lazy golden Italian piazzas and babbling brooks. It’s easy to see why Guadagnino chose the Northern Italy area and the city of Crema as a setting for his “quintessential Italy.” Crema’s landmarks aren’t on the tourists drag so while the beautiful buildings evoke Italy, it’s not the Duomo in Milan or Florence, or Piazza San Marco in Venice. Crema is along the river Serio. The center showcases charming, baroque and renaissance architecture. So, in Milan for a little? Take an …

Stella walking down a raining street in Rome

Stanning for Stella

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I’ve been stanning for Stella, designer Stella Jean for a few years now. When recently profiling her for TripAdvisor, I ended up feverishly writing my love story with the brand in a way that made my editor laugh. I submitted about 3 times more than was required and they worried it wasn’t “digestible” for the TripAdvisor audience! Fully understandable. I got carried away. TripAdvisor is not where people go for essays, word play etc. They go for quick, digestible info in graphically appealing formats, and great crowd sourced reviews. But that’s why I started ‘N A Perfect World. As a place where I can go into depth on subjects that I’m passionate about and my perfectionists appreciate it! So… as Stella Jean’s latest Laboratorio Delle Nazioni partnership was just released (it’s with Kyrgyzstan), let me tell you the origin story of my full on stanning for Stella Jean. It’s been argued that the Italian fashion system is harder for new designers. Do a google search of “Italian fashion designers.” Nestled between greats like Miuccia Prada …