Busabout ambassador Leanne Melody shares her top travel tips

EVEN on a whirlwind 20-country tour, this professional traveller’s luggage stays organised. Her secret will change the way you pack.

SHE went from being a makeup artist to scoring her dream job as a “professional wanderer”.

But don’t be fooled by her youth - this rising social media star has already visited more countries and picked up more insider knowledge than most travellers twice her age.

When Sydneysider Leanne Melody, 23, won Busabout’s competition to find a global ambassador earlier this year, she’d already ticked off 28 countries, funding her passion for travel with her work as a makeup and special effects artist.

Her whirlwind tour of Europe saw her clock up visits to more than 20 countries on “a trip of a lifetime” with Busabout.

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Escape caught up with Melody to suss out her top travel tips - including the $2 tip that’ll change the way you pack and her secret to scoring a seat upgrade.

I SAW YOU LIST YOUR JOB AS “PROFESSIONAL WANDERER” - GREAT TITLE! TELL US ABOUT HOW YOU SCORED THAT GIG?

Earlier this year I won a viral competition called Busabout’s The Best Job in the World where I was sent to Europe for a trip of a lifetime with Busabout and documented my entire journey on social media along the way. This was the start of any experience I had in social media but before this I had been travelling just for pleasure. This trip marked the very beginning of my career path in travel, before this job I had been taking photos for fun on Instagram and saved up all my money to travel for leisure.

WHAT DO YOU NEVER TRAVEL WITHOUT?

Packing for a long haul trip can make it difficult to narrow down your wardrobe, no matter what you pack - never forget copious amounts of undies and socks.

After this trip, I can’t travel without packing cubes. They’re $2 from Daiso and they’re the best thing ever to organise your clothes in, and keep everything compact and clutter free.

- A bar of laundry soap for those times you need to hand wash, and it doubles as a makeup brush cleaner.

- A skipping rope for fitness and it doubles as my clothes line when I need to hand wash.

TOP PACKING HACKS? TIPS FOR PACKING THOSE GORGEOUS HATS?

On the road I’ve learnt there is an art to rolling and stuffing. The trick to packing big hats is finding floppy hats that are malleable and can be bent in any way without losing shape, it takes some serious origami to nail it!

TOP TRAVEL STYLE HACKS? (I NOTICED YOU ROCKING THE BUM BAG LOOK!)

Let’s be real – bumbags are an eyesore. They scream tourist and they’re not cute. But they’re so practical! Working on social media all the time I needed to have my phone out constantly and not risking getting pickpocketed having my phone in my pocket, a bumbag was the most convenient resort. I transformed a small gold purse from H&M, tightened the strap, thread it through my body every day and wore it around my waist. I received so many compliments on it and it was the best hack ever!

TIPS FOR STAYING IN SHAPE WHILE TRAVELLING?

Let’s face it, you’re not going to diet while you’re travelling. Food is such a crucial part of the experience. So when travelling long term you’ve got to stay active, when you’re sightseeing so much that’s not hard at all. Many people don’t know that the iPhone’s health app has a step tracker, as well as dancing all night, jumping off boats and being an energetic hooligan, I’d be trailing 10,000-30,000 steps a day!

FAVOURITE DESTINATION OF YOUR MOST RECENT TRIP?

I can’t pick a favourite but narrowing down 20-plus countries to four, I’d say - Croatia, Turkey, Morocco and Switzerland.

MOST SURPRISING DESTINATION?

Hands down, Turkey. Prior to this trip I hadn’t known much about Turkey and its tourism appeal but this is by far the most underrated country I’ve ever visited. The landscapes are so diverse and the whole country is beautiful and so rich in culture. The people were so hospitable and I felt very safe.

BEST MEAL?

Fresh and authentic paella from our cooking class in Barcelona.

TOP BUDGET HACK FOR EUROPE?

Europe is expensive when you’re paying on a tourist price tag. Around every main attraction is a tourist trap zone where people pay double the price for food for the convenience. Much of your spending money will be spent on food. Buy your snacks at the supermarket and it’s always worth it to spend a few extra minutes researching where to eat. A local restaurant a few blocks down from a main attraction will often be a lot more affordable and authentic – the Busabout guides always had the best local eateries up their sleeve that didn’t break the banks, TripAdvisor has a section for cheap eats and always try to seek local recommendations.

Do a little bit of research on what you want to see, there are many free events, markets, festivals at parks in each city you visit and some of the best things we did cost us no money.

TIPS FOR GETTING THROUGH A LONG FLIGHT / JET LAG?

It always takes a few days to adjust to the daily rhythm of my new destination. I avoid any artificial stimulants like caffeine before and during my flight, this will affect your ability to sleep and hinder jet lag recovery.

When choosing my seats for a long flight I try to avoid crying children who are usually allocated seats towards the front of the plane. And I always make sure I’m nice to the people at check-in. If I’m smiling enough I have a 95 per cent success rate of scoring a seat in exit row, the best seats for extra leg room!

TIPS FOR GETTING TO KNOW A NEW DESTINATION?

I never like to over-research a place. I like to learn about a place when I’m there, but know enough to grasp its history. Before entering a new city, I’ll usually hop on to Wikitravel to learn about the main sites but I always keep my schedule flexible enough to follow local spots and recommendations. Busabout guides and locals always have the best insider tips on what to eat, see and do. If you don’t make any local friends straight away, always ask your hostel/hotel receptionist. I hold their advice highly!

TIPS FOR GETTING THROUGH A LONG BUS TRIP?

I’m always occupied on the bus. I love listening to podcasts! It’s easier to pack than a book and you won’t get motion sickness.

Before I check out of my hostel, I’ll use the Wi-Fi to pre-download movies on the Netflix phone app and watch movies offline.

WHAT’S THE SECRET TO A GOOD INSTAGRAM PHOTO?

Half of the battle of a good Instagram pic is waiting for tourists to move out of the frame! The best way to avoid this is getting to your attraction early in the morning. They say the early bird gets the worm, but when travelling it means the early bird gets to enjoy special places minus the tourist dense crowds and quietly appreciate the beauty and greatness of a monument.

No sleeping in if you want to score shots like this.

WHERE ARE YOU TRAVELLING NEXT? WHERE’S STILL ON YOUR BUCKET LIST?

I’m planning to explore Busabout’s new Asia program 2018/2019 to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.

The next biggest thing in my bucket list is to tackle South America.

Check out more of Leanne Melody’s adventures on Busabout’s YouTube channel.