CEO Packing List: Zelia Leong, Anywhr

1. Anywhr t-shirts

This is an easy, no-fuss choice for many travelers. They pair well with other clothing items, and they’re comfortable enough to wear out all day long. Fold the sleeves or tuck it in your jeans - there are a number of ways to style these. Zelia likes to pack five cute Anywhr t-shirts every time she travels.

2. Recyclable bags

Recyclable bags are handy and it’s always good to keep one around for a number of reasons, from unplanned trips to the grocery to having something to keep wet umbrellas from an unexpected downpour. They’re not only eco-friendly but they’re also more durable and more comfortable to tote around. Take it from Zelia, who uses these recyclable bags to store shoes and laundry whenever she’s traveling.

3. Bose noise-cancelling headphones

Earphones are a must nowadays, especially when you’re traveling. Waiting in line at the baggage check? Listen to some music! Three hours left on your flight? You’ve got audiobooks. These are handy for entertainment, but they’re also useful if you can’t sleep with all the noise on the plane. Zelia stands by the Bose noise-canceling headphones - whether music or silence, you can have both.

4. Book

Besides music, a good book can be your best friend for that long line at immigration or for whiling away the hours waiting for your train. Why not psyche yourself up by reading a novel set in your destination? Zelia’s current read is ‘Work Rules!’ by Laszlo Bock so you can take a page from her book and use the time at the boarding gate to read a few chapters from that book you’ve been meaning to pick up.

5. Travel-sized calligraphy set

With the rise of mesmerizing calligraphy videos on social media, this old-fashioned writing medium is making a comeback. Some calligraphers find the practice meditative, while others delight in creating aesthetically pleasing work. For Zelia who often travels solo for work, the time in between getting from one destination to the next is a great opportunity to practice calligraphy.

6. Notebook and pen

Your smartphone may be your usual go-to for notes, but you can never go wrong with a trusty notebook and pen - they’ll never run out of battery. Studies say that writing by hand inspires creativity and helps you retain information. From making checklists to scribbling out a shopping list, these are indispensable. Besides, you never know when a great idea might come to you.

7. Water bottle

For school, work, or travel, reusable water bottles are just like eco-friendly bags in that they’re handy and good for the planet. Take them around when you’re sightseeing and make use of public water fountains, or fill them up at the gate before you board your flight so you have plenty of water on board, which is what Zelia does.

8. Anywhr Travelogue

Many travelers stand by itineraries and like to plan ahead. Whether she’s going on a holiday or a business trip, Zelia likes to bring the Anywhr Travelogue with her to take photos of them against different backdrops. When on business trips, Zelia shows them as samples during meetings too. These are personalized guidebooks tailored to a traveler’s preference, much like the itinerary you’d bring with you. It contains everything from flights and accommodations to directions and restaurant recommendations.

9. Anywhr Swag Pack

Adventurers really can’t have enough luggage tags and t-shirts - tags can get lost and t-shirts wear down so those who often find themselves out and about usually have to replenish these two items every now and again. Zelia likes to pack these Anywhr Swag Packs as gifts for fellow Travellrs and they’re filled with all the essential goodies, including luggage tags, t-shirts, stickers, and more.

10. Nissin Tom Yam cup noodles

Often when we travel we can’t guarantee that the foods we love will be available at our destination. If there’s one snack you can’t go a few days without, just take it with you! Be it specific instant coffee brands or biscuits, you can bring these along - just make sure they’re not perishable. Nissin Tom Yam cup noodles is Zelia’s choice for comfort food. After all, it’s nice to have something familiar with you when you’re in a foreign land.

A chat with Zelia Leong

Trip101: How often do you have to travel for work, and where do you most often travel to?
Zelia: My travels are planned around startup events and partnership meetings. Over the past year, I’ve been to San Francisco for a few weeks because we received a Google for Startups Scholarship to take part in the Blackbox Accelerator. I’ve also been to Bangkok to represent Singapore at Google Asia Demo Day, Brunei as a mentor for Startup Weekend, London for other related events and meetings, and a few other shorter trips.

Trip101: Which is your favorite travel destination and why?
Zelia: Oxford, England is my favorite destination that I’ve recently been to. We went there because of our partnership with Oxford University, working on a project to better understand travelers and their behavior in order to plan better trips for them. It’s a small town away from the usual big cities, and we had a nice tour of the campus from the professor.

Trip101: Name three destinations and/or activities on your travel bucket list.
Zelia: I don’t have specific destinations or activities in mind, but I would like to visit South America in the next few years.

Trip101: Besides traveling for work, what do you travel for?
I travel to take a break from work and seek new inspiration. It’s usually short trips to beach locations, simply to unwind and relax.

Trip101: What do you do on your “off-day”?
Zelia: It starts with some time at the gym, then going to lunch and spending time with my loved ones, and preparing meals for the week ahead. It usually ends with reading and catching up on work that I have not been able to during the week.

Trip101: Do you prefer solo-traveling or traveling in groups?
Zelia: Definitely solo traveling, as I can do things at my own pace and also spend more time reflecting or simply roaming around. Also, nobody has to get annoyed by me as I can be “too spontaneous” when traveling!

Trip101: Do you like to plan your own itinerary or would you rather go with the flow?
Zelia: It depends on the trip. As long as I know that my destination has nice food, convenient accommodation, and sufficient activities I will enjoy, the rest of the plan does not matter and I can simply discover them when I’m there.

Trip101: Have you gone for any trips planned by your team?
Zelia: I’ve yet to go on one, however, I recently planned a ten-day Anywhr trip for our Trip Curator to Europe. Each trip is personalized according to the individual’s preferences, and we made sure that her trip was filled with nature, outdoor activities, and great food - all the things she and her travel buddy loves!

About Zelia Leong

Zelia Leong is the Co-founder of Anywhr, a start-up travel platform designed to give travelers - or Travellrs - a curated and personalized trip to anywhere in the world. She graduated with honors from The University of Manchester with a degree in Business Administration and Management, before taking her Master’s at the National University of Singapore. With a career in hospitality and a background as Head of Marketing for venture capital company Rocket Internet, Zelia has found her calling in the travel business. As a fellow traveler, she describes herself as spontaneous and prefers to discover things along the way instead of planning the details. Similarly, Anywhr likes to give travelers the chance to discover new places and experiences. Zelia has also been a speaker for a TEDxSIT, tackling the theme “Be Bold, Think Different”, which meant to inspire listeners to take a leap of faith and embrace opportunities.