The Chic Trek Ethos

I have grown up between cultures (American, Chinese, British, French and Portuguese). So I have always been fascinated by culture in both senses of the word (the customs and rituals of a group, and refinement and enlightened style + taste).

As much as I like the 'Small World effect,' and the transparency and democratization that social networking and the Internet have provided, I am an unabashed believer in exclusivity, privacy and quality over quantity.

That means giving up the sheer numbers of faux Facebook 'friends' in pursuit of the few but golden real friendships and connections of the real world. It is important to find a place in the moment--even during your travels--for private thoughts (shared with yourself or someone close), and save the broadcasting for a more appropriate time and place.

We live in an era of over-stimulation and inundation. Travel blogging and online travel writing have similarly become numbers and notch-post games--with journos rapidly hitting as many locales as they can.

I believe in selective, quality experiential interactive travel from a Third Culture perspective. I like to focus on my favorite areas an immerse myself in their cultures' quirks, people and languages for a deeper, a-la local experience.

So, Chic Trek is about all of the above and about the experience of 'the best,' the most unique and the most stylish, and travel philosophy. In short, a holiday from the medicocre.

Photo by Kiino Villand

Editor-in-Chief and Founder, Shana Ting Lipton

Shana Ting Lipton was born in London to a Chinese mother and American father. She attended pre-school in Hong Kong before moving to Los Angeles with her parents and Portuguese nanny. Shana attended a French Lycee, then did her undergrad at Columbia University's Barnard College in New York; and received her M.A. in European Cultural Studies (cum laude) from the University of Amsterdam.

Shana's travel videos have been on the Travel vertical of Huffington Post (where she has blogged since 2008). She has written about travel and culture for The Robb Report, The Daily for iPad, LA Times, Blackbook (as editor of "The Blackbook Guide to LA"), Men's Journal, Variety, Wired magazine, GQ (Korea), About.com LA and About.com's Travel Channel, Salon.com, Avant Guide travel books, and in airline magazines for KLM and United.

Throughout her career, she has interviewed pop culture and art figures, travel entrepreneurs and visionaries like Virgin founder Richard Branson, entrepreneur George Soros, restaurant/ hotel survey publishers Tim and Nina Zagat, comedian Bill Maher, artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, architect William McDonough, Grammy Award winner Josh Groban, eco-visionary Dr. James Lovelock, musician Beck, actor Dennis Quaid and explorer David de Rothschild.

Shana's work has been published in magazines throughout the world: the U.S., France, The Netherlands, Korea, Turkey, Italy, Great Britain, Germany, and Belgium.

She is a multi-national who divides her time between Los Angeles and London.