We had the good fortune of connecting with Maya Alexandria and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maya, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk are scary, but thats what makes them worth it right? At the moment I feel like we’re all taking risk. For me, being in the business of travel has been tricky through out the pandemic. However, taking risk and creating content for brands I never imagined has been a huge rewarding risk in disguise. As a

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Originally, years ago, I started out as a travel blogger. I didn’t know many people, let alone females, who traveled very far, or solo at that point. I think i originally started this concept of helping people to travel because I wanted to share these amazing, mind blowing experiences with others in hopes that they would too! I am still a firm believer that anyone can travel on any budget, so I have always loved to find the best deals around! Over the past few years I think my work has expanded into not only helping my fellow travel bugs on what their next destination should be, but also more content creation on where to sleep, dine, and wine as well as products/cocktails, and more we can experience from home (especially in these pandemic times) There is so much more to travel than just getting on a plane, and I think that sometimes we forget that. The culture of your destination includes food, drinks, events, and so much more! I believe what really sets me apart from others however, is the fact that I live to find those hidden gems! Its easy enough for anyone to get on tripadvisor and look up the top ten things to do, but having the time to really speak to locals and discover a new place where you can fully experience the location your’e in is really something special; and I want to share that with the world! It not always easy to discover something new, but hey thats half the fun! I also believe in helping the “little guy” there are so many places that offer quality food, cocktails, shows, and more. The best way to help a business grow is always word of mouth. When I showcase certain locations, products, businesses on my page its because I genuinely want them to be tried out by anyone tuning in!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh, I love this question! There are so many places to check out in this city and I swear I find one new place every week! So if I had a friend in town these would be my current top recommendations! (covid hours considered) Monday: Breakfast at Three Palms, North Miami (its local and low key!) no better way to start your trip to Miami than a classic cuban breakfast! Beach day at 27th and collins, It is local, quiet, and usually has a sandbar! walk over to La Leggenda for a true Napoleon style pizza (the best in the city!) walk over to Showfields for a cool artistic shopping experience on Lincoln road, end the evening at Monty’s for a pain killer cocktail and live music! Tuesday: Breakfast at Little Hen, Midtown. (lets get dressed up!) Head to The Vizcaya for some cool photo ops! Afterwards head to American Social, Brickell, for lunch and happy hour by the water Then up to Sugar at EAST hotel for one last cocktail with a sunset view of the city! Wednesday: Start the day with some fresh juice from DEVIAs juice bar, buena vista grab a few things from Publix, and set up at southpointe park for a picnic with a view! try heading to the pier afterwards as well! Head to the “Oh so famous” Wynwood for an artistic pub crawl starting with my favorite fresh mojitos from the Miami Mojito Company (happy hour 3-6pm) and make your way through all the cutest breweries in the area (J. Wakefield, Veza Sur, and of course the ever so classic Wynwood brewery!) Have fun in between each stop and check out all of the graffiti on the walls! (did someone say photo opportunity?!) continue your evening at Le Chick, Wynwood, for a fantastic meal and lounge vibe! (vegetarian options included!) Its hump day, So end your evening with some tunes and cocktails at BOHO House, this small local bar has an outside club atmosphere where you can safely dance the night away. Thursday Wake up early and head over to the Perez Art and Frost Science museum where you can grab a coffee and/or snack at verde (located inside) Try walking out to the back of the museums for a nice view on the water Head few blocks down to CVI.CHE 105 for an amazing ambience accompanied by great food and service! Head over to Coconut Grove where you will find Vickys House famous for their old school decor, and large milkshakes! Not only are their desserts delicious and photo worthy, but they have also added a large amount of craft and local beers to their menu! Located not to far from Vicky’s House you can end your evening with some Jazz at Tiger tail & Mary Friday: You cant go wrong with another beach day, especially when visiting Haulover! The water is always beautiful, and although its a well known local beach it isn’t as crowded as north beach giving you plenty of space to lay out (There’s even a nude beach here, if your’e feeling risky!) Next stop lunch at Sushi Republic. This is one of my favorite spots in surfside! The Quality and prices are the best around! Later on, Walk around the historic streets of Calle Ocho where you can find the best cafecitos around, along with music and dancing! End the evening at the Wharf for drinks, dancing, and snacks! (try to get there in time for the sunset!) Saturday: Head to Lincoln Road for the local farmers market where you not only buy produce, cheese, and fresh bread, but you will also find yummy snacks like ceviche, avocado toast, and fresh juices! Then head to “The Strip” of Ocean drive to sightsee the Versace mansion and all of the Miami Deco styled buildings! Later head to one of the most underrated food halls in Little Hati, The Citadel. Here not only will you be able to encounter multiple food options (Manjay, and Pokesan are my favorite!) but you can also enjoy their rooftop views with a cocktail from the bar! End your evening with with a fancy cocktail at CHICA for a live DJ, and performance! Sunday: Sundays are for Brunch! In my personal opinion you can’t leave Miami without experiencing a drag brunch! In this case I would highly recommend R House, Wynwood, where the meals are decent but the bottomless mimosas along with the performances are entertainingly astonishing! (bring cash and get ready to tip, because these girls put on a serious show!) Sunday funday is a huge thing in Miami, so after brunch head to either El Patio or Racket or even The deck, depending on your music preference for the chance to dance off those mimosas! Wind down and later head to over to Midtown where you can do some Sunday shopping and end with a dinner at Negroni, this restaurant is Argentinian owned with a menu inspired by Italian, Peruvian, and Japanese cuisine. If that doesn’t scream how multicultural Miami is than I don’t know what will!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I always thank the same person, and thats one of my dearest friends from middle school, Marcos Rodriguez. I was only in my early twenties when I first decided to really travel, and not only was he living in Spain when I came across this idea to take a solo trip to Europe; but he was also so inspiring in the way that he encouraged me to check out his new city and another while I was there. He really pushed me, in the most loving way, to travel to another country solo; and so I did! I went to Belgium where he somehow convinced me to stay in a hostel, in a shared room at that, and explore all on my own. Was I nervous, HELL YES, but in the end it was the best decision I could’ve made. Not only was I inspired by my travels but I returned back to the states thinking.. “why wasn’t everyone doing this?” (in terms of traveling more) From there on I went to share my stories as my travels progressed and after getting those “How did you do it”, “Where did you stay”, “Where did you eat?” questions I finally decided to become the growing influencer that I am today.

Website: under construction

Instagram: Travelbymaya

Yelp: Maya A.

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMiami is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.