Take a Look Inside Margaret Cho’s Passport

For comedian, actress and activist Margaret Cho, travel is no joke. Over the years, she has mastered the art of combining work trips to Shanghai with spiritual journeys to Tibetan temples and flavorful discoveries in Rajasthan. “I have a travel wardrobe and a home wardrobe—never the twain shall meet.” This month, she kicks off her nationwide Live & Livid comedy tour, with more solo global adventures to come. “I want to experience places and food where it’s just me and the destination. That’s not changing.” Here, a rundown of Cho’s favorite travels to date.

Reykjavík, Iceland

Reykjavik Iceland / Photo: Boyloso/iStock/Getty Images

“Iceland itself is so stunning and hard to describe. It’s like a moonscape, but verdant green and dark most of the time. To me it’s like another planet, yet Nordic. It’s one of the most unusual places I’ve been. The lagoons are exotic, cold and yet hot. It’s a place that you can discover and rediscover. I was doing some training there for a fight scene in The Flight Attendant, and you’re working with trainers who have long red beards. The gyms have a very specific Norse-Viking aesthetic. It’s giving Viking for sure.”

San Francisco

San Francisco, California / Photo: Jason Doiy/E+/Getty Images

“It’s one of my favorite places to perform stand-up comedy. It’s where I’m from, and I’ve been performing there forever. It’s my spiritual home. I love the Castro area—it’s a landmark for gay history and a place so full of memory and life for me, like seeing movies at the Castro theater. I also love Japantown. My parents had a business there so it’s very familiar and homey, great for ramen and Japanese sweets.”

Morocco

Morocco / Photo: Mariusz Prusaczyk/iStock/Getty Images

“The food is transformative, and to me it’s all about eating. I mostly buy food from street vendors or eat what’s provided at riads. And the architecture and design are incredibly inspiring. I try to bring back as many light fixtures as I can, but they’re very heavy and fragile. It’s challenging because I’m a light traveler and try not to check anything.”

Jeju Island, South Korea

Juju Island, South Korea / Photo: Quynh Anh Nguyen/Moment/Getty Images

“It’s Korea’s Hawaii. The tangerines this time of year are off the chain. And the seafood is incredible. Women go every morning to dive for abalone or shellfish, and they’re all women who look like me. They’re in their 50s to 70s, free diving without tanks in frozen waters to gather these treasures, which they sell to restaurants. There’s also an amazing amusement park/museum dedicated to the history of sex. To have that in Korea, which is the most puritanical nation, is incredible.”