What Cheeky TV Travel Host Tracee Ellis Ross' Looks For When Picking A Solo Vacation Destination

Award-winning actor, producer, beauty brand CEO, and TV travel host Tracee Ellis Ross is a force of nature who relishes her downtime on luxurious solo travel adventures. The jet-setting daughter of Motown songstress Diana Ross has been solo traveling for years, first venturing out at age 24 to Pink Sandals Resort on the Bahamas' Harbour Island, which boasts one of the 25 best beaches in the Caribbean. To this day, Tracee still carves out "me-time" to travel the world on her own terms at least once a year. With her show on Roku, "Solo Traveling With Tracee Ellis Ross," the globe-trotting dynamo transports viewers right along with her on solo adventures to places like Spain, Morocco, and Mexico. After two decades of indulgent individual adventures, Ross knows exactly what she's looking for when picking a solo vacation destination.

Trip planning begins with a simple question: What kind of experience does she want to have? No matter what experience or far-flung corner of the globe Ross chooses, her unapologetically decadent nature usually lands her in one of the world's most luxurious resorts. "My career is very much do, do, do, and when I'm on vacation by myself, I get to sit and be. Which is why I love a good resort. Everything is taken care of, and I don't have to think or plan anything," the star of the TV show "Black-ish" told Conde Nast Traveler.

Ross is all about a balanced and well-planned itinerary. She relies on friends and family scattered around the globe to advise her on where to eat and play in a destination. She never packs too much in. "You don't want to need a vacation from the vacation. I come home from my solo trips and I'm, like, ready to jive back into my life," she shared with the BBC in a recent interview.

Safety is a major issue for all solo female travelers, which is why expert safety tips from Rick Steves' female staffers are essential reading before embarking on any solo journey. Ross, a Black, LGBTQ, non-binary woman, is especially careful about researching and selecting travel destinations that support and embrace her identity. In an interview with The New York Times, she advises all solo travelers to do the same pre-travel soul-searching. "What are the places and the ways you might be vulnerable in spaces that are not your home? And if the goal is to be yourself, by yourself, out in the world, how can you do that safely?" Safety also factors into Ross's predilection for resorts. If she's feeling anxious or out of sorts, everything she needs is right there without ever having to leave. And if she does feel like staying in, she has a simple request: "I love a hotel that has really good French fries."

Ultimately, Ross views solo travel as an essential opportunity to connect with herself and truly tap into who she is in this world. The destinations she chooses are a reflection of this, places that encourage her to disconnect, minimize the noise, and challenge her comfort zones: "I learn a lot about myself but mostly I gain this emotional muscle of how to hold space for myself even when things don't go according to plan. I can do uncomfortable things and find joy."