Phaedra Parks Says Dehydration Is the Real Traitor When Traveling (2024)

• Travel
• Travel Tips

Published on June 5, 2024 at 9:17 AM

I have always loved to travel. I think it really is better than any book you can read. I'm an avid traveler, and my sons are great travelers, too. We have made it our business each year to visit a different continent and we have been to some of the most beautiful places in the world.

I'm from a very conservative Christian background and so my vacations as a little kid were going to the PTL club. It was like a Christian amusem*nt park, in Fort Mill, South Carolina. We were members and big supporters of Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Bakker, so I remember going there and they used to do these Christmas wonderlands. It was almost like a Christian Six Flags on steroids with all these extravagant decorations, fake snow, and of course you had Tammy Faye Bakker, a woman who loves glam. I remember, even as a little girl, her singing and all her lashes. They put together acres and acres of rides and little places you could stop. It was a wonderland for families to just go and see all this fabulousness.

Today, when it comes to great food, great people, and great shopping, I love going to Italy. It has everything. We always get a villa and we have a complete staff and it's a wonderful time. I've been with my mom and some of my closest friends, and I've been with my kids, too. I love to let them see things that they've studied in school from a historical perspective. It gives you so much history and great wine and cheese, no tannins. My sons love Japanbecause it's so safe and clean, and they love a bidet. I do too. The shopping is so good and everyone is so sweet and kind, but it still gives you city living. The food is so good, and that's the one place that I'll allow them to sort of meander around without me being close behind them.

I've also been on a drag tour, so it seems like I've been everywhere lately, and a lot of time in New York and LA. If I didn't live in Atlanta, I would definitely live in Los Angeles. The traffic is much worse than Atlanta, but the weather is absolutely perfect and a lot of people are interested in what I'm interested in: entertainment and fashion. The girls take care of themselves very well in Los Angeles, and I've got wonderful friends there as well. They've got some of the best spots there, in particular theBeverly Hills Rejuvenation Center. That's one of my favorite places to go and take care of myself and relax.

Rapid fire

Window, middle, or aisle seat?

Aisle, because I usually take longer flights and I want to get up and go to the bathroom without asking people to excuse me and get out of my way.

Pack light or overpack?

Overpack. Honey, I never go anywhere without three full-size Louis Vuitton bags. Even if it's just a weekend visit, I'm coming with a plethora of bags and carry-ons. You would think I'm moving away.

Favorite way to pass time on a plane

I'm the worst movie watcher in the world, so this is when I watch movies. If I go to the movies and I'm not on a flight, I go to sleep instantly. When I'm traveling, I can wake up and rewind it, and I can actually watch the whole movie. So I’ve now caught up on all of the movies that won Oscars. I’ll watch them, and then I'll watch them again. I'll watch them three times sometimes because I'll fall asleep.

Biggest travel fear

Someone losing my bags and my luggage not making it. That’s the nightmare. When I was going to Bluestone Manor for The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, someone had actually gone through my luggage and pilfered quite a few items. Obviously I was filming a show and I think I had six full-size Louis Vuitton bags at that time. One of them came through the airport and it was totally open with the covers off. All I could think of was all my great outfits and not having my accessories with everything. Thankfully, we had such great cast members and Jill Zarin let me borrow a little workout outfit because they took some of my workout stuff. I guess you cannot have too many Chanel sneakers.

Best tip for fighting jet lag

Try to sleep on the flight, even if you have to take some melatonin. I love the Airbus A350 and A300, which have the lie-flat beds. I will do whatever I have to do to make sure I get a cabin where I can actually recline for total sleep mode.

Favorite travel snack

I loved it when they used to have those Walker shortbread cookies on Delta flights. Some time along the way they stopped carrying those, but that's my favorite.

Go-to drink order on a plane

My favorite travel drink is always club soda mixed with cranberry juice, half and half.

Must-have travel items

You can take it with you, and it keeps you hydrated and healthy. I travel so much and planes are so dehydrating, and there’s nothing worse than being dehydrated. It makes your skin look bad and you just don't feel good. So I'm a big proponent of alkaline supplements, particularly this one.

It is the best thing to put on your face—not just for taking off your makeup, but also for hydration, because the worst thing you can do is have a dry face and dry ass. It's thick enough that it hydrates the skin so you can have a perfect makeup application, but it also gets the makeup off and your skin is supple after you use it. I always have to have it in my bag, because of course I love a little makeup, honey.

When you travel as much as I do, you're not always eating the best food, so I love vitamins. These are filled with collagen and everything that makes your skin look good. Being on television, your skin and body are so important. Viewers are so critical that it’s something you have to be very concerned about. I tell people makeup is a great thing, but makeup only looks good when it's sitting on beautiful skin.

This is a three-in-one body butter. You can put it on your lips, you can put it on your body, and it’s sold in little tiny packs and bigger sizes, too. It gives you such a natural sheen wherever you put it, it's really soft, and it's all natural. The scents are so good and the packaging is so neat and convenient, too. It's a small female-owned business and she's a sweetie pie.

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