Yvonne Orji is a Nigerian-American actress, comedian, and writer. Orji is best known for her role as Molly Carter in the HBO series Insecure, which has earned her critical acclaim and several award nominations. Now, she’s in everyone’s homes worldwide via Netflix with her animated series My Dad The Bounty Hunter.
Thanks to her latest collaboration with Hotels.com for their digital series called Perfect 10, Travel Noire had the opportunity to discuss all things travel with Hollywood’s next rising superstar.
Yvonne Orji On Travel Traditions and Vacation Style
TN: As you know, Travel Noire pertains to all things travel within the Black diaspora. The best thing about our platform is reading stories on how we all can relate to the topic of travel. We all have our cherished travel traditions before embarking on exciting journeys to unfamiliar locales. What’s your go-to travel tradition? What’s that one thing you absolutely must do before setting off on an adventure?
Yvonne Orji: No judgment, but I go to Trader Joe’s and grab some snacks because I like to bring plantain chips – both kinds, the sweet kind and salty kind – with me wherever I go, as well as chocolate bars and Inca corn. I like a crunch and let’s not forget (and this is not from Trader Joe’s but I always have to have them) the smokehouse almonds. I stock up on my own snack machine before every trip.
TN: When indulging in the finer things in life, we all have our preferences. Picture this: you’re planning your next getaway, and the big question arises—what type of travel experience truly floats your boat? So we pose the question: beach vacation, nature adventure, or posh/luxury travel—which one steals your heart and why?
YO: I would say if it’s a beach vacation, then I am doing some version of luxury travel. How I like to vacation is if I am really stressed, like if I just finished a project, I like to just go away to recharge. It is kind of a luxury situation where I don’t really see anyone, I’m a little isolated, I got my own pool – I do like a private pool suite.
Then, after that, when I feel refueled and recharged, then I am more adventurous and want to go out into the city and connect with the locals, but initially, and especially depending if I’m coming off of a project, it is the beach and luxury for me.
TN: As the hit show Insecure captivated audiences with its authentic portrayal of life’s ups and downs, we couldn’t help but feel a genuine connection to the characters, living and breathing their experiences alongside them. In the real world, as you navigate your own path, we wonder have Yvonne and Issa ever traveled together?
YO: Issa and I have done some European trips together. We’ve done some Italy, some France. We were at Cannes Lions together – that was fun. But we’re always trading destinations. I’m always like, “Girl where you at, here’s where I’m going.” She’s also the one that is like, “Uh-uh, don’t go there, go here it’s bomb,” and I’m like, “ok cool,” so we always give each other travel destination ideas.
TN: As globetrotters, we collect memories with every journey we embark upon. Now, let’s reflect on the past year and the passport stamp that holds a special place in your heart. Among the array of exotic destinations and cultural escapades, which one left an indelible mark on your soul?
YO: I would say my trip to Grenada. I went to a friend’s wedding out there and she basically took out the whole island. Silversands, which is the hotel that was there, was all rented for her guests and it was just really beautiful to see all the people come in to experience this Caribbean island. To eat the food [and] fellowship. It was just really beautiful, and of course, the wedding was stunning. I loved that, and I loved that we could see luxury in different parts of the Caribbean. We could also just experience what other travelers got to experience and almost keep it a secret but nah, we here.
TN: Which Instagram profile, influencer, or celebrity holds the power to ignite your passion for travel? What about their captivating content inspires you to venture into the unknown and explore new horizons?
YO: Even as a child, I’ve had my passport for a while, so I think travel has always been that thing that we just did – if it’s coming from Nigeria to America. In college, I did study abroad in the Dominican Republic. When I got my master’s, I lived in Liberia for six months. I’ve always been on the go, so travel has always been something that I enjoy doing, desire to do, and want to do more of.
My last trip, which was to Belize, was actually influenced by the good homie Jubril and his company Passport Heavy, and that was a movie, that was amazing. I recommend everyone go to Belize. If you’re going to Belize, definitely see how he has his YouTube thing that he puts out and you just watch it, just plug and chug and you’re going to have a great time.
I definitely follow Travel Noire just to see what else is poppin’ and what things people do when they go to different places. So, when TN comes on the timeline, I’m here for it.
TN: Fill in the blank, I love Travel Noire because __________.
YO: I love Travel Noire because of all the dope travel content it gives, especially for people of color. I love that it promotes traveling within the community and introduces us to different places to go to, and how to navigate when we do go to those places. Travel Noire is definitely a go-to when you’re trying to travel. I got my Instagram saves and if you go through a lot of the saves, it’s a lot of TN stuff. So keep the goodies coming because we’re watching and we’re traveling.
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