Fashion, Lifestyle and Travel Consultant Andleeb Rana, who embodies #NoNonsenseNighat, recently went to Bangkok and in our tete-e-tete, she shares the need for me-time as a mother, packing right for the tropics, her favourite GENERATION look and much more.

1."To travel is to live". How liberating is travelling for you?

Very very liberating. It’s the best education you can give yourself and to your kids. To observe people, to see different cultures, to converse with people who speak different languages....it’s all so liberating and teaches you so so much!

2.What do you miss about Pakistan the most when you are abroad?

3.Tell us a bit about your recent Bangkok trip. How is travelling with family different from travelling solo?

I am a freelancer and work out of home, which also means I am with my son all the time. This was a trip for me to disconnect and enjoy things I don’t get to do on family trips (when was the last time you got a peaceful massage as a mother?!) This was a shopping trip with two of my besties! We went for 4 nights, shopped our lungs out, ate fabulous street-food and got massaged out! My husband is an amazing support and understands how important it is for me to disconnect from my day-to-day schedules with my kid, while he took care of our kid back home. It was fabulous bonding time for them too!

Every mother deserves time away like this, where she gets to do things that she won’t be able to do when with family...and I am blessed to have a family that understands this. However, I absolutely love my family trips. We try to always go to kid-friendly destinations so that we can lock in a couple of activities for him every day. Barcelona, Malta, Thailand, China, Italy, Germany etc are places I have thoroughly enjoyed with my boys. Traveling solo or with family, both kinds of travels have their own charm!

4. What sartorial choices should one make when packing for the tropics?

Tropical weather calls for clothes made of pure fabrics, silhouettes that are lazy and fuss-free... with not much drama on them! I love packing Kaftans, sundresses, boxy tunics and loads of sarongs whenever I am heading for a tropical country! I love accessories ... the more colourful they are, the better! And don’t forget flip flops: my new love are Kolapuri chappals ....and I love wearing them in hot summer weather!

5. What was your favourite look in GENERATION and why?

I loved wearing all the pieces, especially because they were made of pure fabrics, were colourful and so fuss-free. However I absolutely loved the orange Angrakha dress and the yellow tunic: because i am really into solids this season, I love tangerine colours and they were made out of light-weight crinkle cotton... which is the best thing for traveling.... just make a ball and throw them into the suitcase, because the more crinkly they are, the better they look!

6. What are your top 3 tips to all the rest of us who would LOVE to become a travel influencer? Where do we start?

One fine morning I woke up and I was a travel influencer. It was literally like that! After I shut down my magazine (Xpoze Monthly), my social media accounts became my voice and I have an amazing audience that loves interacting with me. From suggestions to reviews to random thoughts, we talk about everything! Turkish Airlines was the first that collaborated with me, then a renowned leather accessories brand and since then, it’s been a domino effect!

So I guess my only suggestion would be that whatever you do, have an honest voice. Don’t copy content, don’t sell your soul, be original and most importantly...be honest...to yourself and your followers. Everything else will follow!

7. What's the next destination on your bucket list?

We have been to Italy a million times but never to Florence. My boys love this band called “Imagine Dragons” and they have a concert in Florence, so we are heading there this summer! Although I have been begging them for a beach holiday: nothing like the Thailand beaches for holidays with kids! While no matter what, the Mediterranean water is too cold to jump in! Italy is best in off-season! Let’s see if I’m able to convince them!