Halle Bailey knows how difficult it can be to get these groups talking travel dreams come true. You know the ones: those constant back and forths with friends or family about a vacation you all say you've always wanted to take, but life keeps getting in the way. Although there is much to savor in the travel planning processThere comes a time when you just have to take the plunge and go.
Bailey's extended family recently texted about a group trip to Mexico, she tells PS. Everyone was excited, but no one wanted to take the first step. “This happens so much with my family because we're everywhere, we all work, we all have different schedules,” she says. It took a while, but eventually his brother-in-law dropped his ticket in the chat, causing a chain reaction. “Sometimes you just need someone to kick things off,” she says.
Although this trip to Mexico was purely a vacation, Bailey, 24, has been traveling for work since she was a child — and at 16, she and her sister Chloe joined Beyoncé on the “Formation” world tour. Since then, the singer-turned-actress has more than made a name for herself in Hollywood, playing Ariel in the 2023 live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid.”
This year, Bailey gave birth to her first child, Halo. And while motherhood has changed a lot of things in her life, her passion for traveling remains the same – except now she has to make sure she always has space in your luggage for baby soap and hand wipes.
Ahead of the launch of its partnership with Marriott Bonvoy and the new Chase Bold Credit CardBailey sat down with PS to talk about her favorite travel moments, travel tips for vegans, how to take international trips with a baby, and the new travel memories she hopes to create this year and beyond.
PS: What was it like being on tour with your sister in 2016?
Halle Bailey: I have so many childhood memories of my whole family traveling together, but especially of my sister and I playing on the “Formation” tour at such a young age. We traveled all over Europe, which was so special for us. It was the first time we took a tour bus and had our own bunks, while continuing our studies on the road. I remember thinking how cool that was.
PS: What are your favorite travel memories from touring with your sister?
HB: One of the most fun parts of exploring a new place was trying all the new foods. Chloe and I were both vegan at the time, and I remember being really surprised by the vegan options at Amsterdam. I'm no longer vegan, I'm all over the place diet wise post pregnancy. I eat whatever I want now, but I still love eating vegan.
PS: Was it stressful trying to find good vegan options on the road?
HB: No, it was really cool. We went to these little hole-in-the-wall places you never thought you'd go. We used the HappyCow app which showed us all the cool vegan places wherever we were. Honestly, it wasn't stressful, it made things more fun.
PS: How did you entertain yourself during your trip?
HB: Reality TV was our guilty pleasure. We watched a lot.
PS: You recently went to Italy with your baby, Halo. How did he do it?
HB: He flies very well, he flies very, very, very early because of the nature of my job. He is now used to traveling by plane and loves looking out the window.
PS: What advice would you give to new mothers traveling with their baby?
HB: I always bring my melatonin and ashwagandha gummies to make sure I get some rest. I always bring my own hand wipes because I'm a germaphobe and need to make sure everything is clean on the plane (for me and the baby). This was always a priority for my mother who cleaned everything when I was a child. And now, with my own baby, I do the same thing.
When you have a baby, it's about planning, organizing everything, making sure you don't forget anything. It's easy to forget something as simple as baby soap, but it's so important. Planning and organizing helps with little things like that. And my partner and I do a really good job of sharing that.
PS: Will Halo be traveling with you again soon?
HB: I take it everywhere with me now. It is my greatest joy to be able to see the world through his eyes, especially when he sees things for the first time.
If you could drop everything right now and go to any place in the world, where would it be and why?
HB: Return to the Maldives. I went there once, four years ago, and it was my favorite place to visit. It's like an alien planet, no one was there, it was so beautiful and it was the best scuba diving experience I've ever had.
PS: Oh, it's so fun! When did you get your diving license?
HB: I got my certification around the time of (filming “The Little Mermaid”). It sparked this passion for diving in me by making this whole film.
PS: I imagine! So on a trip like this, how do you typically balance your time between business and pleasure?
HB: This trip was just a vacation. It's definitely a priority to have those moments of zen and relaxation when I'm traveling for pleasure, because when I'm working all the time, it's go, go, go. I prioritize special trips like Saint Lucia or the Maldives where I will strictly relax and sleep. It is so essential to have this time. I'm really good at switching off.
PS: What advice would you give to someone who is having trouble “disconnecting” while traveling?
HB: Give yourself breaks. This is a theme I give myself a lot these days. Sometimes we overwhelm ourselves with so much going on in our brains, with all the things we need to do, that we don't stop to breathe for a second. You are allowed to just relax.
Emma Glassman-Hughes is the associate editor of PS Balance. Prior to joining PS, his roles as a freelance journalist and journalist covered the entire lifestyle spectrum; she has covered arts and culture for the Boston Globe, sex and relationships for Cosmopolitan, travel for Here Magazine, and food, climate and agriculture for Ambrook Research.
