Kristy Alpert is a Paris-based freelance food and travel writer with bylines in Travel + Leisure, TIME, Esquire, Cosmopolitan, Men’s Health, Food & Wine, AFAR, Fodor’s Travel, Wine Enthusiast, Global Traveler and more. She has visited all seven continents – paying rent on three – and takes far too much pride in her spice cabinet, which includes juniper berries from Norway, cardamom from Nepal, and a prized ras el hanout from Morocco. She is also a certified yoga instructor and rookie surfer.
What does a journey mean to you?
The opportunity to find myself or lose myself, and, in the best cases, both at once.
Which other country or location most inspires you?
I have always felt a connection to southeast Asia, specifically Vietnam and Indonesia. The intoxicating smells—be it from street food or incense—become part of the experience in those countries, and I love how you can feel both their grit and their beauty all at once. The whole region inspires me and sticks with me long after I’ve returned home, which is why I try to be there as often as possible.
Where would you go back to, and why?
These days I find myself wanting to go back to destinations I’ve been so I can show my kids the places from the bedtime stories I tell them each night. I can’t wait to bring them with me to Peru to see the llamas at Machu Picchu or the tree-climbing lions in Botswana, but, right now, their number one pick is going to Antarctica with me to bury themselves in snow so they can watch penguins sliding down the “penguin highway.”
Top insider tip for Paris?
I always recommend people visit Les Galeries Lafayette in the 9th arrondissement while in town, but not only for the shopping. It has an awesome food hall where all the big Parisian chocolatiers have a presence and a wine shop with a space for tasting, but the best part is the roof is free to visit and has one of the best views in the entire city.
What journey would you most like to go on?
There are so many! Right now I’m dreaming of hiking the Wadi Shab in Oman. I really want to swim through the caves at the end of the gorge to get to the waterfall that I’ve heard so much about.
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