Midweek Interview with Experience Oz’s Samantha Kamala

We recently joined Experience Oz’s head of brand and strategy for a pint, a pie and a chat… actually, it was just a chat. The pic was supplied.

The challenge for the industry is…

Competing with international giants backed by impossible amounts of funding. This may not be the case for all tourism businesses, but it certainly impacts the experiential space.

The things I like about my job are…

The freedom to steer the brand as I see fit and the days spent out of the office testing out some of the 3000-plus experiences we offer. At the moment, we’re making the most of having Sea World Cruises whale-watching tours on our doorstep.

And the frustrations are…

Navigating the ever-changing trends and algorithms of social media and digital advertising.

If I didn’t work in travel, I would be…

Back in India focusing all of my energy into my little Ayurvedic lifestyle brand, Monsoon Blooms.

My favourite airline is…

China Southern Airlines. A few years ago, I flew with them to Nepal with my mum and sister. I requested a vegan meal at check-in, and they managed to accommodate with a delicious full-sized meal complete with a sachet of nut butter and all. I’ll always hold them in high regard for having that available with just a couple of hours’ notice.

My proudest moment was…

Receiving an e-mail from Lonely Planet asking if I would be interested in an editorial project with them covering the island of Bali. That’s career-wise. On a personal level, nothing beats holding a tiny human you’ve just pushed out of your body. I still can’t believe that’s possible.

The naughtiest thing I ever did was…

Oh geez, hmm. I won’t tell you the story about the police and the sniffer dogs on a bus ride from Amsterdam to Berlin. And you surely don’t want to hear about the time a hostel owner in Istanbul woke me up to talk about the Mercedes I crashed into a pole. Perhaps I’ll skip this question?

I try to relax by…

Not thinking about the naughty things I’ve done in the past! Meditation, wine and salt and vinegar chips also help my zen.

The last time I feared for my life was…

During a hideously shaky flight from Madrid to Santorini. I’ve been a pretty nervous flier since having a baby three years ago, but this was a genuinely awful three hours and 40 minutes. The attendants didn’t stand once – not even to comfort the vomiters and criers.

If I can, I always try to avoid…

Meat, shopping centres and mundane situations.

I really wish I had…

A never-ending pool of first-class flights to India. Singapore Airlines, if you’re reading this, my e-mail is samantha.a.kamala@gmail.com.

The best advice I’ve ever received was…

Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. Thanks Dad!

I don’t understand why people…

Work in abattoirs.

My greatest weakness is…

Geographic restlessness (and salt and vinegar chips).

And my greatest strength is…

Multi-tasking motherhood and work.

If I won a $1 million lottery, (aside from travelling) I would…

Set up a self-sustaining community akin to Auroville in my husband’s motherland of Kerala. There are architects over there like G. Shankar doing incredible work progressing the earth home concept (check out his Siddhartha House). It’s the perfect place for this sort of project.

If I was prime minister, I would…

become far too familiar with the feeling of a panic attack.

If I could be someone else for one day, I would be…

Someone like Donald Trump or Kim Jong-un or Pauline Hanson. That way I could sift through their memories and try to understand what went pear-shaped.

I’ve always wanted to travel to…

Argentina, Bhutan and Israel.

My favourite holiday was…

A trip through Central America that started in Panama and ended in Jamaica. There is something particularly special about that part of the world.

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experience oz midweek interview Samantha Kamala