Everyone may recognise Shay Mitchell from hit TV show Pretty Little Liars, but the sexy 30-year-old has added another title to her rather long list of achievements: travel vlogger. Over the past few months Mitchell has been sizzling her Instagram page with stunning shots of her travels, sparking a little wanderlust in us all.
While acting is very much part of her life, Mitchell has clearly been bit by the travel bug and is using every opportunity to hop on jets or take a road trip to some of the world’s most gorgeous places.
From getting lost in Seminyak in Bali, to hot air balloon rides in Marrakech, to skydiving in Dubai, the actress is whetting the appetite of travellers all around the world. On her YouTube page, Shaycation!, Mitchell allows travellers a chance to travel with her through her out of this world videos and cool content.
“Travel the world with me! Explore Bali, Morocco and more exotic places on our #YouTubeShay Shaycations…” she says on her bio.
Judging by her 2,9 million subscribers, everyone is as intrigued about the videos as I am.
The page has already garnered 467, 609 views and counting, and each of her published 30 videos is as interesting as the one before.
Here are 5 things we love about TV's Shay Mitchell's YouTube travel channel:
Family travel is important to her
Mitchell made family travel a trend when she included her parents, Mark and Precious, her brother, Sean, grandmother Romaine, and a couple of friends on a recent cruise trip.
“Growing up, we were the family that cruised. I mean at that age, I was happy to be somewhere where my parents would leave me alone. But now I realise that there aren't many vacations you can take the family on, and grandparents included, where there is honestly something for everyone…” she says in the opening credits of The ‘Royal’ Shaycation: Part1: Meet the Parents video.
What followed was minutes of uninterrupted fun, from sailboating, snorkelling, to seeing the total eclipse.
So those who are trying to draw some inspiration for a next travel trip, take some tips from her family vacation.
The food experiences
Foodies will love watching the videos as Mitchell mixes travel and food seamlessly into her videos. When people travel, one of the things they look out for is good food. Mitchell makes street food cool again as she tucks into Chicken Tikka Poutine at Badmaash and Disco Tots at Wolf at Coachella, Southern food in Atlanta and Cuban inspired meals in Little Havana in Miami. Her food inspired travels are bound to make you a bit hungry.
She showcases Africa in all its authenticity
In Adventures in Africa, Mitchell showcases what a trip to the continent actually encompasses. The 5 minute clip shows her feeding giraffes at Giraffe Manor in Kenya. “This place is unlike anything I have ever been too,” she says.
Her journey also takes her to Cape Town where adventure rules the trip. She hikes up Lion’s Head and skydives in the Mother City. In Rwanda, she befriends gorillas and her safari trips, where she sees lions and cheetahs, are at places that care for orphaned and near extinct animals.
Most travellers often skip Africa because they feel that the continent is filled with crime and disease. Mitchell’s video showcases a side of Africa that embraces its people, culture and animals. She also highlights the fun activities that it offers travellers.
She makes music festivals fun
Mitchell teased viewers with a clip about travel to music festivals in her video, My Coachella Experience, and I have major FOMO. Nothing beats a weekend away with some friends and good music, something Mitchell has done quite well.
She’s practical
While she goes to exotic locations, her videos are practical and something everyone can try, like perhaps a visit to a food festival in their city or adding fitness into their travels. Fashionistas also get to ogle at her travel wear. One of her most notable videos is when she walks up a volcano in Hawaii and reveals some of her summer workout routines that any traveller can enjoy.