Society Spotlight: Richa Prasad
[Editor’s Note: We met Richa at Y Combinator’s Female Founders Conference last winter. She co-founded Coach Viva, a personal weight loss coaching team — anytime, anywhere. The Coach Viva team spent the summer living the Wanderlust Society dream ––working remotely from a tropical locale (Mexico!) so naturally we wanted to spotlight her. Check out Coach Viva!]
Hometown?
Jakarta, Indonesia! I was born in Mumbai but my family moved to Jakarta when I was 3. I grew up there until I finished high school and then moved to the US for college. If any of you are considering spending your childhood in Indonesia, I highly recommend it ;) It’s beautiful, the people are friendly and laid back, and who doesn’t want to live next to tropical beaches, volcanoes and rice paddy fields.
What trips did you take using Wanderlust Society?
The Mexico trip with my team. Most of our time was spent in Puerto Vallarta which is beautiful! Although it really is very hot in the summer — we’re talking 93F. My favorite food places were Pancho’s Tacos and Capitan Cajun. We rented out a condo in the La Aurora neighborhood which is a really good choice because it was away from the main noise of the hotel area but only 15 minutes away by bus. We also got to hang out at the markets nearby where the locals dine while being just a 10 min walk from the beach.
We visited Guadalajara which is the tech city in Mexico. It has a lot of history since the Mexican Revolution began nearby to there. We stayed in the Tlaquepaque neighborhood. It’s really adorable and has a cozy colonial feel. You must try the Birreria while there! Birrieria Las Nueve Esquinas is where we went and it was excellent. We also took a day trip to Lake Chapala. Totally recommend Viva Mexico Tia Lupita in San Juan Casala. They have this traditional Mexican dish called Chile En Nogada that is amazing! There are also hot springs nearby which is a lot of fun.
The other place we checked out was Guanajuato City. Mostly Mexican tourists go there it seems. The city is very picturesque with its colorful houses in the hills. It’s a university town and definitely has a very Seattle Capitol Hill kind of vibe. Bossa Nova Cafe has delicious crepes overlooking the beautiful San Fernando Square. Panadería la Purisima is a delicious bakery. The Mummy museum is very interesting and also eerie. I love that vehicles have to go into a tunnel to get around while most above-ground streets are pedestrian only.
What’s your favorite piece of luggage?
My hat. I mostly travel over the summer which means lots of time in the blazing sun. I would be in so much trouble without my hat. True story: I once got sunburned at the parting of my hair. I am gonna cheat and add: my Kindle comes in a close second :)
What type of traveler are you?
I really like to take my time exploring every corner of the country / city / island I am on. For example, when I visited Bali last year, I loved traveling to different parts of the island and just staying there for 3–5 days and then moving to another part of the island. We even visited West Bali which relatively very few people visit because it’s so remote and “there is nothing to do”. I find this style of traveling gives me time to really immerse myself in the place and enjoy my days without feeling like I need a vacation from my vacation!
Where do you find your inspiration for where to travel?
Usually, from the person I am traveling with. I am open to any place as long as it’s not going to be freezing there during our trip. I’m not much of a solo traveler :)
Best travel tip?
Skyscanner.com and scottscheapflights.com. Subscribe now. They really do have mind blowing deals. A friend of mine traveled round-trip to Japan AND Thailand from NYC for $500!
