If you are a true fan, then you know Kelis is no stranger to traveling the world. The singer, mom, and Le Cordon Bleu trained chef is a globetrotter through and through. Travel Noire recently had the opportunity to catch up with the farm owner, to learn more about her travel style, the places she loves, and even a few places she has on her travel bucket list.
While many people are asking her where the new music is, Kelis is busy living her best life. She recently partnered with Ramada hotels for an international culinary video series, and it was literally the perfect marriage of her passions— food and travel.
“I love food,” Kelis told Travel Noire. “I can’t pick one type of cuisine. I can go from Jamaican food to Polish food, I like all of it!”
During the pandemic, Kelis spent a lot of her time exploring the Western side of the United States, staying close to home.
“I was in Arizona, Lake Tahoe, I was in Hawaii, Santa Fe. Up North mostly, pretty much along the West Coast.”
Kelis shares her favorite travel spots overall
If we weren’t still battling a global pandemic, Kelis shares that she enjoys traveling to the Caribbean.
“I like to go all over. Of course, I love the [Caribbean] islands. I enjoy going to Turkey. I like being in Australia and some Indonesian places, as well as Singapore. It’s rare that I’m like ‘ehh I’m not into that.”
Within those places she also makes sure to indulge in the cuisine and try as many new restaurants as possible. During her pandemic travels, she fell in love with a restaurant in Sedona, Arizona called Mariposa. It was so great, that the singer had to double back during her trip.
“One of the places that I have to mention and hands down the best place I’ve been to is the beaches in Zanzibar, Tanzania, also Kenya. I fell in love. I went last year. Absolutely amazing and must-see if you haven’t been.”
As far as her travel style, Kelis says she has two sides. If she’s working or on tour, of course things are more mapped out and planned. But, when she’s in a destination, she’s easily the person to say ‘ooh, what’s close to here, where can we go quickly.’
“I’m that person that’s like, lets hits the big points, the monuments, what are people eating, what are they wearing, what can I smuggle back in,” she jokingly shared.
As far as tours, she doesn’t typically book tours. She likes to immerse herself in the culture on her own. Before traveling, she gets a loose idea of where she is, and lets the vibe carry her.
“Because I’ve been traveling for so long by myself, I just get in there. I feel like as Black women, we blend in a lot of places, so I’m pretty comfortable just getting out there. I have a good fanny pack and some comfortable shoes, and I’m ready to rock. I’m an explorer, for sure!”
What are her dream destinations?
One would think that Kelis has seen every place she dreams of, but the foodie still has several African countries that she wants to see.
“There’s so many places, there’s a long list. Dying to go to Ghana. I have a really great friend from Eritrea and Ethiopia, I would love to get out there. I also have a good friend in Argentina, so I want to visit. I’d love to go to Machu Picchu in Peru. Surprisingly, I’ve also never been to India, so there and maybe Sri Lanka.”
With her being a trained chef, we had to ask if there were plans for a restaurant. Great news, yes! But, there’s no set time frame yet.
“That’s my goal for sure. I’m on the farm now learning everything from animal raising and produce, so I can have the kind of restaurant I want eventually.”
As far as the cuisine style, it would be a fusion of all the styles she grew up on. From soul food to Latin and a even Asian. It would be a mix of all of them with a special Kelis twist.
We can’t wait!