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The INSIDER Summary

  • Andrew Zimmern is a celebrity chef who's trekked to every corner of the world.
  • He's got a few travel tips up his sleeve.
  • Invest in a bag that has a lot of compartment space to stay organized.
  • Stay hydrated on your flight with creams that will make certain parts of your face less puffy.

You probably recognize celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern from his television shows, like "Bizarre Foods" or "Driven By Food." Zimmern is always on the road filming and traveling to new places, so we sat down with him recently to talk about what he takes with him in his carry-on, his go-to flight entertainment, his favorite travel products, the ingredient he won't leave home without, and more.

Read on, and learn.

His favorite travel bag:

Kira Turnbull

"I have a hundred bags. My favorite is one that I actually designed with some friends, and it kind of does everything for me. I like it because I can put my business-y stuff in one side — it's not over- compartmentalized, it's not under-compartmentalized. And then it's got a big bin. I like something that has slots that can go over my luggage — it just has all the features I want. And it's natural, just leather and canvas. The other thing that I really like about it are these clips and straps; you can roll up a raincoat [or something] and stick it in there. I need the practical advantages of the real world, when it comes to a bag."

His must-have products:


"Kiehl's is great. I use all of their lip balm and their eye stuff, because when you're traveling as much as I do and there's pressurization, the thinnest tissue on your body is the one that is affected the most. I get off the airplane and immediately go to the set, so sleeping on the plane is important, hydrating on the plane is important, but taking care of my eyes so I don't look like I'm dying—you know. Kiehl's Eye Repair Age Defender, I am telling you, really fantastic stuff."

To buy: Kiehl's Lip Blam #1, $7 on and Kiehl's Eye Alert, $23 on

How he passes time while traveling:


"If it's a 14 hour flight, I want to sleep five hours in the middle, and I want to spend all the rest of the time catching up on emails that I've ignored for the previous two weeks. In the hotel at night, I like to binge watch my favorite shows. Right now, I actually watch a lot of 'Survivor.' I watch it and say, 'I could win that, so easily.' Everyone is always walking around starving, and they're walking right past food! 'Peaky Blinders' is one that I kept on my list for a long time, and 'Vikings' on the History Channel is one I just finished. All of my HBO and Showtime shows, like 'Homeland,' 'Billions.'