Jeffrey Xu Is Going Glamping Soon And This Is How He Plans To (Over)pack

Jeffrey Xu, 29. The China-born actor counts Korea and Japan among his favourite holiday destinations, and often travels back home to Shanghai, where girlfriend Felicia Chin and her mum visited last year. “I’ve never been to English-speaking countries due to the language barrier,” he says. That’s set to change in June when he makes his first trip to Australia, where he will lead a glamping tour in Melbourne. “I’m quite excited about this trip. I’ve always had the impression that Australia is all about being close to the nature and the wild, so a glamping tour is really interesting,” he quips. Jeffrey, who has never stayed in a tent before, admits that he’s got reservations about roughing it out in the wild. Thankfully, then, he’s helming a glamping rather than a camping tour. On how he’d prepare for the trip, Jeffrey says: “I’ll bring more sweaters in case it gets cold at night. I like to be more prepared when I travel (smiles).”

Fill it to the brim. “I like to travel with a full luggage, which is why it’s always overweight when I return. That’s why I carry a huge duffel bag with me too — I’d stuff as much as I can into the duffel bag and bring it onboard so that I don’t have to pay the overweight charges,” he muses.

(Over)pack early. “I usually pack a week before I travel. I’d put my sweaters, shoes and jackets in first, and add in more stuff along the week. I always pack more than I need so that I have options when I’m overseas. Sometimes, I’d leave my old clothes behind and not bring them home after the trip to lighten the load,” he says.

“It has definitely changed over the years,” Jeffrey shares. In the past, he’d spend his time overseas shopping, hunting for “limited edition goods” and “staying in a good hotel”. However, a trip to Thailand recently changed his perspective on travelling. He says: “I stayed in a backpackers’ inn in Hua Hin, and got to know the tourists staying there. Everyone didn’t care much about what brands they were wearing, but instead, they were living in the moment and enjoying the simple life. It made me realise that experience is a lot more important than material goods.”

“I’m bringing several sweaters, jackets and windbreakers. Since I’m going for work this time round, I chose nicer clothes as I want to look presentable in front of my tour group. The Off-White sweater (far right) is a gift from Felicia. She bought it for me when she was in Europe as I’m a fan of this brand. I decided to bring it along so it feels like she’s on the trip with me too (chuckles).”

"We are going during winter and I think the weather would be quite dry, so I’m bringing along a moisturising body cream, just in case. I’m also bringing sheet masks for my face, even though I may forget to use them when I’m there. The lip balm is an essential item as I have very dry lips and that will help prevent them from cracking.”

“I read quite a bit — on the plane, in my room at night or when I have free time while travelling from one place to another. I also bring a notebook whenever I go, to jot down random thoughts I have while on the go. The journal is a present from Felicia and I’ve been using it for a while now (grins).”

“Some hairdryers in hotels can be very weak, so I’d rather use my own. As for the poncho, I’m going to bring it in case there’s bad weather.”

"I always go running when I’m overseas so the limited edition New Balance shoes (top) will come into good use. I’ve decided to bring boots as well since we’re going camping. I may throw in another two pairs before I fly off."

“I love music and would always play songs in my hotel room while I’m doing my stuff. Romeo [Tan] and Ian [Fang] gave me this speaker. It’s really cool ’cos it’s analogue, not digital. It’s made of wood and amplifies music when I put my phone on top of it. It’s not too heavy so I take it with me wherever I go.”

“I like to have some snacks on hand as I get hungry very easily. These snacks are organic and are healthier compared to chips. These days, I also bring instant kopi O sachets when I travel as I like the taste of Nanyang coffee. Since I’m going to be staying in a tent and they may not provide food at night, I can munch on these snacks!”

Go glamping with Jeffrey on the Chan Brothers Travel 7-Day Glamping Up Melbourne And Beyond Self-Drive Convoy trip. ​​​​​​​