‘I danced with an 82 year old woman in a New York store’
Favourite meal
I don’t really have a favourite meal abroad. Whenever I am in any place, in any country, I like to experiment with the local delicacy. I indulge myself. So I am very adventurous with meals. Anything with fish or chicken, I am I for it.
Travel lessons
Travelling is a form of education for me. It exposes me to a lot of things. New people, cultures, norms, foods, traditions, beautiful sights and sounds, something different from where I am coming. I love to meet new people and socialise with them. Travelling gives me the opportunity.
Travel regret
I don’t have travel regrets per se. But I once caught a flu on a trip to Guangzhou, China, and I was sick, in bed taking medication, for four days of the seven-day trip.
Favourite cities and monuments
I love Paris. I can’t get enough of Paris––the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, and Champs Elysee, where all the shopping malls are. I also love going to Dubai where the Khalifa Towers, the Atlantis water park (to see the dolphins) and the desert safari have me spellbound.
Travel Dos and Don’ts
If you can afford it, travel with a companion––boyfriend, girlfriend, child, mother. Travelling with someone makes your trip more fun. The person can serve as your photographer and vice versa. You have someone to talk to and experience the world with.
Don’t leave your hotel room without the address written down somewhere on you or on your phone. In case you are lost, you can always find your way back by showing people the address and making it easier for them to help you locate your hotel.
Don’t leave your room with your jewellery and valuables in your bag. Put them in the safe provided in your room.
Don’t display large sum of money in public areas. Be careful how you handle your cards––don’t give room for anyone to copy your card numbers even while you are using it to make payment.
Unforgettable personality
On one of my trips to New York, I went into a hair shop to buy hair products and while there, music came up and I started dancing. I am like that: whenever I hear music in a mall or store––I am shameless about it––I dance. Lo, a woman aged about 82, saw me dancing and walked up to me, held my hand and we started dancing together. We danced, danced and danced till the music came to an end. People were watching us, taking pictures and recording. It was fun, so funny. In the end, she gave me a very big hug, and said, Thank You. I was amazed, that at 82, she was so full of life.
Favourite hotel
I have a few. Emirate Palace Hotel and Kempiski Hotel, both in Dubai, Hotel Bagloni (Venice), Selman Marrakech Hotel (Morocco), Athens Gate Hotel (Greece) and Wadlorf Astoria (New York).
Travel essential
Hand sanitiser. Because the airport is a public area, one tends to touch a lot of germs, so you have to disinfect once in a while.
My credit card and cash, no matter how small. Of course, my phone and my camera.
Activities abroad
Before I travel, I usually book a tour guide to take me round the city or country I am going to. That makes sightseeing––attractions, monuments and other important places in the city––my primary activity. I go to good restaurants to try out the local food. I go to the local markets to see what there is to see. I go to the malls to shop.
Dream travel
I’d like to visit Egypt––I have never been there. Others are Phuket in Thailand, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Jamaica and South Africa––I have never been there.
Travel advice
One, always carry cash, because cards do disappoint sometimes. No matter how small, have cash in hand.
Two, take a lot of pictures to keep your memories alive. Record the interesting things you see.
Three, book your hotel accommodation prior to your trip. You could get into the country and found the hotels fully booked. It happens a lot of time. If you book a hotel, arrive early before check-in time, otherwise, be prepare to pay extra money.
If you would be paying with cards, always go to the mall with an identification card, a driver’s license or a passport, because they will always ask for it.
Make sure you have the hotel reservation written down somewhere so that you can take a cab from the airport. Always go about with a registered cab, from your hotel, preferably.
Chika Ike, Star of Mirror of Beauty (2007) is 2016 ZAFFA Best Actress and producer of African Diva Reality TV.
Interviewed by Chris Agadibe