Michael Franti shares his top travel tips and highlights

American rapper, musician, poet and activist Michael Franti now runs a wellness retreat in Bali, and says packing one little extra can make all the difference on a flight.

Musician and wellness retreat co-founder Michael Franti.

The American rapper, musician, poet and activist has made a new home in Ubud, Bali, where he is the co-founder of wellness retreat Soulshine Bali. He shared his top travel highlights and tips with Escape - including the little extra he packs that makes flying better for everyone on board.

I grew up in…

California. In San Francisco.

I got my first passport…

When I was 14. My mum got a job as an exchange teacher in Canada. I went from California sunshine to really, really cold Edmonton. That experience expanded my world view and was a big part of who I became today.

My first holiday memory is…

When my parents packed all five of us kids into a big mobile home and drove all the way from California to visit the Navajo Nation Indian reservation in New Mexico. I was about five, and my most vivid memory of that trip is surviving a sandstorm. We had to pull over to the side of the road and the mobile home was getting blasted sideways by sand and wind.

When I fly…

I like to pack chocolates, which I give to the stewards on every flight. I always say the same thing when I get on a plane: “How is the best crew in the world doing today?” And that always gets a smile. And it makes it go better for everyone on the plane. It sets the tone.

See also: 12 amazing spa retreats around the world

See also: The A to Z of holidaying in Bali

Michael Franti always packs chocolates to give flight crew as he boards a plane.

I’ve been to about 35 countries…

I’ve been to Iraq during the Iraq War and then to five or six countries in Africa and the Middle East. I’ve also travelled all through Asia, the Americas, Australia and New Zealand.

The place I’ve visited most often is…

New York City.

The place that most surprised me was…

Lamu Island off Kenya. Lamu has this incredible mix of Middle Eastern and East African cultures. The architecture is amazing and there’s no streets or cars so people walk or ride donkeys.

The best hotel I’ve ever stayed in…

Hotel El Ganzo. It’s a boutique hotel in San José del Cabo, Mexico.

Hotel El Ganzo in Mexico rates as Michael Franti's No.1 hotel in the world.

My favourite place in the world is …

It’s Soulshine, the music and wellness retreat I run with my wife, Sara, in Ubud, Bali (as featured in Escape's top wellness spas hotlist). This really is a special place. Sara and I love living here and raising our son, Taj.

I have lived in Bali since 2019…

When the pandemic hit, we had to make a choice: go back to the US or stay here. We have so much open space and we thought it would be a good opportunity for our son Taj, four, to be here together as a family since we weren’t able to tour.

A stay at Soulshine Bali is special because…

People come here to hit the reset button on life and have transformational experiences. We offer everything from yoga-based retreats to music retreats, but the common thread is about having a shared experience through travel.

Michael Franti runs Soulshine Bali wellness retreat with his wife Sara.

The place I’d love to visit most in Indonesia is…

Yogyakarta, in Java, which is said to be a super-spiritual and artistic city. Indonesia is so fascinating. There are more than 14,000 islands in this archipelago and a lot to see.

The advice I’d give to young travellers is…

Just go. There’s so much fear that people have about travel, but travelling to other countries where you’re an outsider is very important. It gives you a first-hand perspective about the rest of the world and different cultures.

The most interesting person I met on a plane was…

An elderly woman whose husband had died in a helicopter crash. It was her first time back on a flight and I could see she was trembling. She told me the story of her husband and I just offered her my hand for take-off and landing. It speaks to the words I live by: there’s no one that you wouldn’t love if you knew their story.

The Byron Bay Bluesfest is Michael Franti's favourite festival. Picture: David Harris

My favourite place to perform with my band, Spearhead, is…

Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. But my favourite festival is actually Bluesfest in Byron Bay, Australia. The music fans who flock to Byron are so open-minded – they come to appreciate every genre of music.

The one thing I collect on my travels is…

Culinary experiences. My bass player, Carl Young, and I have been playing together for 30 years and we like to just go find a place where we can sit and have a great meal.

The worst thing that’s happened to me while travelling was…

When I narrowly avoided getting on the Pan Am Flight 103, which exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. I got to the airport early to try and get on Flight 103, but ended up on the next flight an hour later. That was a narrow miss.

Travel has taught me…

To listen.

Michael Franti with wife Sara and son Taj.

See also: 

World's best wellness destinations for 2023

Wellness travel has changed, and Australia’s No.1

Layne Beachley’s top tip for wellness travel

Originally published as Michael Franti shares his top travel tips and highlights