Victoria Wykoff is your average idealistic millennial with a not-so-average case of the travel bug. The travel bug bit when she took her first overseas trip, at 20, to the Gold Coast, Australia, and discovered life was not meant to be lived in just one place. She returned to the U.S., packed her bags and bought a one-way ticket to Sydney, where she earned her Master of Arts degree in international relations at the University of New South Wales. She has since traveled to more than 20 countries and five continents. She loves the Ohio State Buckeyes and enjoys sipping sweet tea in the Texas sun when she’s not traveling the world.
Three words that describe you:
Spontaneous, caring and intelligent.
Leisure-time pursuits:
Playing with my pug named Pete. We like to enjoy outdoor activities in Austin, TX, especially brunch on Sundays.
Area of the world you specialize in/know like the back of your hand:
Brazil (I speak Portuguese), and New Zealand and Australia.
Most unexpected thing you’ve ever discovered on a trip:
Riding the donkeys in Santorini, Greece, is the most terrifying, adrenaline-inducing activity ever. Scarier than bungee jumping, whitewater rafting or skydiving. Those donkeys have a mind of their own!
Country you’d most like to visit:
Italy. I’ve been to most of Europe, but not Italy. It’s the most romantic country in the world, but I’m waiting till I meet “the one.”
Which Andrew Harper hotel do you most want to stay in:
Amansara in Siem Riep, Cambodia. It is the best property from which to experience Angkor Wat.
Most out-of-the-way place you’ve ever found yourself in:
Khao Sok National Park, in Thailand, where you can camp in overwater bungalows. You hear the monkeys in the jungle, and your bed rocks as you sleep. You feel like it’s the most remote place you could be — like you are in The Jungle Book.
Dream travel buddy:
Ygritte from Game of Thrones. She was Jon Snow’s wildling lover. I’m very girlie, but it would be good to travel with someone who is adventurous and can hold her own.
What makes you a smart traveler:
Before I go anywhere, I learn one or two phrases in the local language. It makes it much easier to engage with the locals. I can say “hello,” “thank you” and “cheers!” in 12 languages.
Natural wonder you can’t wait to see:
Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil. Andrew Harper has a property there, Belmond Hotel das Cataratas.
Most breathtaking scenery you've ever witnessed:
Franz Josef Glacier on the South Island of New Zealand. You feel as if you are in Antarctica, which is weird because it’s not cold. Future generations won’t get this opportunity because the glacier is melting so fast.
You wish you would have traveled here sooner:
The Grand Canyon. I was really against it because I’m a “rest of the world” snob, and I felt like it was in my backyard. I learned that there’s so much here in the U.S. that we should take advantage of.
Andrew Harper members have access to full travel-planning services through Andrew Harper Travel.
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