Places I Remember with Lea Lane
Places I Remember with Lea Lane
Talking Travel With Aesha Scott, Popular Yachtie On 'Below Deck Mediterranean'
Aesha Scott, the dynamic Chief Stew on Bravo's "Below Deck Mediterranean," takes us on a journey from her beginnings in a Kiwi fruit lab in New Zealand, to navigating the luxurious, high-stakes world of yachting.
Discover her secrets to overcoming challenges with her crew and guests, propelled by her adventurous spirit. Get an insider's perspective on the pressures of guest turnover, provisioning, and filming for a hit TV series, along with her favorite yachting destinations.
Aesha recounts her most unforgettable travel experiences, from the picturesque beauty of Croatia, safaris in South Africa's Kruger National Park, to the cultural richness of Morocco and the energy of New York City. We also touch on the unique vibe of London and the allure of England. Through Aesha's stories, we celebrate the importance of kindness, gratitude, and joy -- whether we're exploring the world or navigating our daily lives.
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Aesha Scott is the Chief Stew on Bravo's "Below Deck Mediterranean,"
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Podcast host Lea Lane has traveled to over 100 countries, and has written nine books, including the award-winning Places I Remember (Kirkus Reviews star rating, and 'one of the top 100 Indie books of the year'). She has contributed to many guidebooks and has written thousands of travel articles.
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Our award-winning travel podcast, Places I Remember with Lea Lane, has dropped over 100 travel episodes! New podcast episodes drop on the first Tuesday of the month, on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen.
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Aesha Scott, the lively, outspoken, popular chief stew, is back for her fifth season of Bravo's biggest show, Below Deck Mediterranean, on Bravo. The New Zealand native quit her job working at a Kiwi fruit lab after college and moved to Antibes, France, with her sister, in search of adventure. She spent five years working aboard yachts before joining the Below Deck family and we're delighted she's here.
Aesha Scott:Welcome
Lea Lane:Oh Well, it's a pleasure to have you. Before we talk about some of your favorite places around the world, let's talk a little bit about the TV series you're on. What obstacles did you have to overcome before becoming this glamorous globetrotting yachty that you are?
Aesha Scott:I was having a think about this and I'm very fortunate that I didn't really have any to overcome, because I've always been the kind of person where I follow my gut and I go after what I feel I should go after, and when you do that, the doors just open for you and I'm very lucky that I thrive off change and excitement and pressure and just new things and thanks to the show, that's what my life is full of. It's constantly different, there's always something fun and I feel like I was just made for it. To be honest, I would say the only obstacle, kind of, would be trying to juggle that in my relationship, but I'm very lucky that Scott, my fiance, is very supportive and we're both very independent, so we manage it pretty well.
Lea Lane:So you're engaged.
Aesha Scott:are you going to work?
Aesha Scott:Thank G we've got p n The rest of the time I'm so busy you just don't even think about anything.
Lea Lane:Well, watching the show, I will say you are busy. Depending on the crew you are extremely busy, and this season you're pretty busy. Yeah, they're not the most helpful in many ways, but very interesting to watch it. Now. You've been yachting in the Med and down under in Australia. Where are your favorite ??
Aesha Scott:Definitely h You Definitely Definitely g . You know that's where I first flew into. I was based out of the south of France for years and years and most of my yachting career has been in the Med, so that's definitely for me what I consider the home of yachting and my favorite place to do yachting obviously the south of France. I love Barcelona, I love Italy, but for me, my favorite place that I've been on the boat was actually Croatia and Croatia, pulling into Dubrovnik and walking around that old city with the beautiful stone walls and even, and then cruising down the coast and going to Crooked National Park I just found that whole country fascinating.
Lea Lane:It is on episode 102. We just featured Croatia, and all these places you mentioned are exceptional. Yeah, it's just like a jewel you come into the (it is).
Aesha Scott:Yeah, it's fabulous and I feel like it's still very relaxed and old school, because you've got these places like the south of France which are still charming and European, but it's like Gucci and Fendi and sports cars and all of that sounds horrible. I'm just jealous because I can't afford them. You go into Croatia and it still feels quite relaxed and old-worldy and like how the Mediterranean was, and I love that.
Lea Lane:How much time do you get off? We don't see it, but do you get some time to enjoy it yourself? Besides?
Aesha Scott:Hardly, and that's why it was about my third or fourth year of yachting I started doing just temp work, so I would go and do like two or three weeks on a boat and then take a week off. And then two or three weeks and take a week off. Because I got to that point and I realized, hey, I've been to all of these countries but I've barely even seen them, because you pull up to the port you've got guests on the whole time. You know you'd get maybe a two-hour lunch break. I remember running to a bicycle and I biked to that cricket national park and then I cycled back in under two hours so I would force myself to get out and see it. But it's all done very, you know, very rushed.
Lea Lane:It's rushed anyway, but with a crew there is it very different from what a normal yacht experience would be having the crew and being filmed.
Aesha Scott:Oh, yes, it is, because I actually don't find it that different having the cameras on there, because I just pretend they don't exist, so they don't really bother me at all. But I think what's so weird is we for the show. They're obviously doing nine charters because they want, like, lots of different groups of people and they want us to like the pressure of reprovisioning and changing the fridges and all of this constant change, whereas on a regular yacht I suppose the same guests will be on for two weeks, so you only have to order and change the fridges and get used to a schedule every two weeks rather than every three days. Interesting.
Lea Lane:I didn't realize that that's what's so hard about it, yeah. Well, we love that part. I love to see the provisions come on.
Aesha Scott:I know you guys love that part.
Lea Lane:That part kills me Best part. Now you have a new bunch of guests about every week, or even faster than that, as you mentioned. What's the worst group that you remember? Why, I mean, there've been so many terrible guests on there, I think?
Aesha Scott:The guests that I've not enjoyed the most. It was the second season of Down Under, when it was like Carmen, Alicia, Brandon and that whole group because they were just at each other's throats the whole time, literally just at each other's throats the whole time, like literally. They didn't show like heaps of it, but they were literally walking around the boat screaming at each other and I'm having to stand in the middle like, please, you go over there and you go over there, and it's just not like a lovely environment to be working in. I think as well.
Aesha Scott:Just overall, the groups that I hate which tends to be the people that are people that are on a yacht for the first time and they're overexcited they order the next cocktail when they've just started drinking the one that you've given them, you know, and so you're putting down like eight drinks and then the moment you put them down, they order more. So it's just this endless back and forth. You can't do anything else. And then my heart gets so broken when I'm going and clearing their glasses and every single one of them is half full of the most expensive tequila and all these beautiful ingredients and it feels so wasteful.
Lea Lane:And we can't drink them because we're working, I know, I need to start pouring them into a slop bucket. Now you create a lot of drinks. I've heard you created one. What is this drink?
Aesha Scott:Oh yes, so I have created an alcoholic coconut water called Drop, and it's just launched in Australia, which is so, so exciting. So if anyone is listening from Australia, please go and try it for yourselves.
Lea Lane:Interesting because I drink coconut water and I can imagine a little bit of something in there wouldn't be bad. What is in there?
Aesha Scott:So I'm working with a brewery, so it's the same way that you make seltzers it's a neutral brewed alcohol, so it's not like mixed vodka or anything. It's just brewed mixed with a brewed alcohol.
Lea Lane:So, yeah, it's got a bit of a punch, but that's what I wanted.
Aesha Scott:You know like a hard cider, yeah delicious, exactly, and you know you're hydrating at the same time you're very helpful.
Lea Lane:You're always so helpful thank you. So now, what's your favorite part of being a chief stew? Oh my favorite parts.
Aesha Scott:I just really enjoy being in control of the guest experience because I take my work so seriously and I'm very conscious of the fact that these guests are paying thousands and thousands of dollars to be on board and have this (Can I ask you how much exactly? I don't know if I'm allowed to say how much.
Aesha Scott:I mean, I don't even know exactly, but it's a lot of money, a lot, like you know even the guests that are coming on the show are paying a lot of money, and I think, for someone that is so conscious of that, I I like being the one that's in control of knowing that all the cogs are turning as they should (How much sleep do you get?
Aesha Scott:Oh my gosh. And I tend to not take many breaks because I don't trust anyone. So you know you're working 16 hours running nonstop and then by the time you wind down from that and then get up in time to like do a full face so that I look nice for the cameras, it's like I'm only really getting four to five hours sleep a night for two months, so you burn out.
Aesha Scott:(How can you do that for years and years, I mean Well yeah, that's why stews tend to have kind of like an eight-year lifespan, because it just gets too much.
Lea Lane:It is, but you've got a few years left, yay. (Yes, exactly, I definitely d o.) Let. me ask you about tips. Every week we see a big envelope full of money. Are they told what to give you within you know, a range, or how does that work, with tipping?
Aesha Scott:I think this kind of standard i show, about 10%, maybe. I think that that's kind of the minimum that's expected, although you should never expect we tend to get on the show. In all my time that I've done it, the average would be about 1800 US or euros depending where I am per 48 hour.
Lea Lane:That's not bad (I'm like yeah that's not bad.) I saw what one guy stiffed you. He was a second timer and he he left a note. It's horrible.
Aesha Scott:Oh no, I mean even if such a tricky one, because it's like you shouldn't expect. But then, even if you aren't totally happy with it, it's just recognizing that we've all been busting our asses to try and give you the best possible and we can see that.
Aesha Scott:I was so blown away by the first group of guests that we had this season, those young tiktokers, and remember we had no wine, we had like none of their provisions, and they still left us a wonderful tip and I just they really didn't have to do that, I thought that was wonderful yeah, they were great, they were yeah very grateful and very sweet yeah, I like them too hello.
Lea Lane:You've traveled all over the world. You've said some of your favorite places. You've mentioned the south of France and Croatia. What are a couple of others? You mentioned to me South Africa earlier. What do you love about South Africa?
Aesha Scott:I went to South Africa last year when I did 'I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here,' the Australian version, and we were based in Kruger National Park, which was just absolutely stunning. And when I say I love South Africa, I mean it is a limited statement, because I was just in Kruger and Hutsburt, like I didn't have the opportunity to go down to Cape Town, which is what I really want to do.
Aesha Scott:First of all, doing the safaris and seeing those animals that I'd only ever seen as a child in a zoo was just absolutely mind-blowing, like it felt like this out-of-body experience. I would never, ever, ever forget it and I think everyone should try and do one. And then the second thing, the produce, the food, Like. he quality of the food is insane. I started eating meat again after trying a steak in South Africa, and the meat and then the fruits and vegetables are like the most flavorful fruit and vegetables I have ever tried in my life and that's someone coming from New Zealand, where we have amazing produce and you know you'll get this stunning, gorgeous meal for about eight US dollars. I really want to go back and just eat my way around.
Lea Lane:Maybe, after you finish yachting, you could go into guide tours in a safari. Yeah, thrilled with it, you'd be great. How about?=
Aesha Scott:Morocco my goodness, I have just gotten back from Morocco about two weeks ago and I was blown away. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It's just such a different culture and such a different religion and all of this kind of thing. But I went there and the thing that stuck with me the most was the people. They are the most welcoming, kind, lovely people ever and that you know the indigenous people there. They were saying that they believe that Morocco is a country that is meant for all peoples. It's not just meant for them, it's meant for everyone. And so when they see visitors coming, they really do welcome you with open arms and it doesn't feel like put on to get you to spend money or anything. They're just so proud, yeah.
Lea Lane:I think that's very important. I think that's important to say because we hear about the beauty of Morocco In episode 24, we focused on Morocco and the people are a part of it. I don't hear that all the time, but I agree with you 100% wonderful people. Yeah, South Africa. By the way, we focused on episode 101. All of these places you're mentioning we have done a whole piece on them.
Aesha Scott:New York City, you love New York City.
Lea Lane:What about it?
Aesha Scott:I just find it so magical. You know, it's one of those places where growing up, it was just this whole other world that only really existed in movies. And you grow up watching friends and sex in the city and they show like central park. And I remember my first time going into New York City I was working on a super yacht with my sister and we were standing on the bow and we got to enter New York City on the front of the super yacht and we've got the Statue of Liberty going past us and my sister and I just had our arms around each other, bawling our eyes out because we couldn't believe it.
Aesha Scott:And I remember walking around it and I was like man, every single thing that people have said about this place is true, because often it's really overstated and you're like, oh, it's not that great. But I was like, wow, it's magic. And when you're in Manhattan I love that. Every single block there is a feast for the eyes. You know, every single block that you walk down it's like people watching what's that restaurant, what's that shop? There's just so much to take in and I love that.
Lea Lane:The energy which you have, that's your energy. Have you been back recently? (Yes, And do people recognize you? I'm just curious. New Yorkers are the type that say 'hi Aesha,' just yell it out all the time.
Aesha Scott:Scott's sister works there a bar there. I like to go there to see her and have some girl time sounds great.
Lea Lane:Sounds great. You have a nice variety. You love London as well, a little bit different but also full of its own energy.
Aesha Scott:I just love England in general because I'm someone that's very sentimental. I love nostalgia and all of that, and I love that when you're in England as a whole it feels like you're walking through a calendar. You know, like that cute little photo on a calendar, but boy, that my granny's house, or something like sitting with her and having a cup of tea, and because my granny is British, it just fills me with so much joy, the culture and the tradition there. And when you're in London, I love the little pubs and it's gloomy outside and you can have some bangers and mash and a beer, and I just love everything. You love life. Yes, I do.
Lea Lane:I'm so happy to see that because I figured you did. We mentioned all of this in episode 87 on London, and of course we do an episode on New Zealand. Of course we do episode 28 on that. I'm sure you love your home country. It's one of my favorites in the whole world, so I have to tell you that I love it (Oh, I'm so pleased.
Aesha Scott:What is your favorite place?
Lea Lane:Oh, my goodness, the beauty of the the South Island, of course, but all of it, just the people. Again, we're going to go back to that. It's just, it's got everything - the food's delicious, the wine is great, the people are great, the scenery is fantastic, the cities are wonderful, the culture, yeah, you come from a great plac yo
Aesha Scott:You covered it all.
Lea Lane:I couldn't agree more well, that's what I do, So the name of the podcast is Places I Remember. So, Aesha, with all your many experiences around the world, would you please share one personal memory with us of your travel?
Aesha Scott:One of my favorite favorite memories of all of my travels, all of my yachting life, was when I was working on this boat called Phoenix 2. It's like a 96 meter super yacht. It's massive. There's about 30 to 35 crew on there at one time and I remember we were right at the end of a really intense season. It was like three months straight of just like every I hadn't set foot off the boat for three months. It was every single. We were in the Med and then we crossed the Atlantic and then we'd been in Florida, then we went down to the Caribbean. Right at the end we ended up.
Aesha Scott:The guests wanted to go down to Cuba and so we pulled into Havana and the guests declared that they were going to go. They're like, no, we're actually going to go off and go to some other place on land for like three days. And so the captain said that all of the crew can have the next day off and that they've organized a surprise for us in Havana. So we get all dressed up and get all ready, step off the port and we come out into the street and there are these three big buses there and we were like, oh, what's happening? There's like buses. Here are these for us.
Aesha Scott:And the person comes out and she's like no, no, this isn't it, and I don't know if this was planned or not, but it was like this dream, like the home edition of like Dream Makeover or whatever. When they're like move that bus. And the bus is suddenly all shifted and behind the bus was these 10 gorgeous shining Cadillacs all lined up in a row. And she's like these are for you, guys. And we're like so we all sprint towards these Cadillacs and we're like sitting up on the back up on the back seat, cruising around Havana, the wind blowing in our hair, just feeling like.
Aesha Scott:It was the most magical experience I've ever had. They ended up taking us to Tropicana, which was, you know, the old cabaret where, like Frank Sinatra went there, Marilyn Monroe, and they got us these like the best tables in the house, at the very front, with like cigars and all you could drink. And I just remember that night feeling so unreal. I couldn't believe that this was my life and this was happening to me, and if it wasn't for yachting, I never would have experienced that and I just I'll always be so grateful for that experience.
Lea Lane:Oh, it sounds fabulous. I hope there are so many more of those for you, and I'm sure there will be. I'm delighted. I'm delighted I had a chance to ask you some questions. I've been a longtime fan of your show and of you. You work hard, you have fun and you lead with kindness. And we all need to do just that, because, whether we're traveling or at home, kindness counts. So thank you, (It does) nd I'll be watching you on Below Deck.
Aesha Scott:Thanks so much thank you for having me. You're absolutely delightful.
