Victoria’s Secret Models Josephine Skriver and Jasmine Tookes have mastered #fitspo—they have the joint fitness Instagram account JoJa together with nearly 600,000 followers—and #friendgoals. But, they’re also giving us a serious case of #FOMO with their vacation pics. The pair not only gets to jet set around the world for modeling gigs, but they also have become travel buddies venturing off to remote destinations together.
The beauties recently returned from Ecuador and the Galapagos and trekked all the way to Antarctica last year. Now, the two besties are hoping to make at least one big trip together each year. They've opened up to Departures about where they want to travel to next and why they make such good travel companions.
Why do you two like to travel together?
Josephine Skriver: "We have a major passion for working out and that healthy active lifestyle. We bonded a lot over that. But, we also have this shared passion for adventure. So, when I got the opportunity to go to Antarctica, Jasmine was the first person I thought of. I called, and she was on board. We're super alike and super different at the same time. I know when I pick up the phone she's always going to like jump on any crazy idea. I can't say that about a lot of friends."
Jasmine Tookes: "Josephine gets me out of my comfort zone. I think it's fun to go on these new adventures and see how far she can push me to do all this stuff that I normally would never do."
Unfortunately, friends don’t always make the best travel companions. What makes you guys such good travel buddies?
JT: "We mesh really well together. We have the same sense of humor. We love to travel. Some of my friends at home never travel or step out of their comfort zones. Josephine pushes me to that, and that’s what makes us the perfect travel buddies. We're always up for anything. It's nice to have a friend that you can do anything with."
JS: "I think it even comes down to the way we work out together and bonding over that. We created this account JoJa because we want to show how important it is to have that person in your life who is pushing you whether it’s off the couch and on to the treadmill or down to Antarctica. Jasmine gets me going."
Do you naturally fall into a pattern where you want to do the same activities when traveling?
JS: "There are those days where we want to do different things, but we’re also super open about letting the other one do what they want. Just because we’re on vacation together for a week, doesn’t mean we need to spend every single minute together. There will be days where I’ll need an hour to myself and will go hiking. There’s something about not having to do everything together; it’s that supportive friendship we have. We have that balance."
How do you go about choosing your destinations?
JT: "I'm always looking for something different and exciting. My whole life, I've always done the tropical vacation in the Caribbean, relaxing on the beach. Now, I'm more active in my lifestyle so I want to find places where you can go and be active and be relaxed at the same time. Josephine watches a lot of National Geographic though!"
JS: "Yeah! That's actually how we discovered the Antarctica trip. And that was funny because we meet people on these trips who then you recommend other trips. So, you start being part of the travel community, and it opens up with his old circle of people who suggest places. And the Ecuador trip happened because Jasmine's boyfriend is from Ecuador. So, he suggested it, and we added on the Galapagos."
What was the best part of Ecuador?
JT: "It was Galapagos. I had been to Ecuador a few times before. So, the only place that I hadn't been was the Galapagos. It has so much beauty, so much life and I didn't expect it to be as beautiful as it was."
JS: "I agree with that. Ecuador as a country had so much to offer. I hadn't been to a country that was that diverse."
What was the funniest moment on that trip?
JS: "Watching Jasmine go through a jungle of bugs. But, that’s what I love about Jas. She might not feel super comfortable, but she's always willing to push her limits."
What was the best part of your Antarctica trip?
JS: "I've ever been to such a remote or a magical place. It blew my mind. The thing that surprised me the most was how quiet it was. Plus, the color seemed brighter. You’ve seen a pretty sunset, but all the colors there were like high definition. It was like you weren’t on planet Earth anymore."
JT: "My favorite part about Antarctica was just like how clean it was. You never see a more clean place in the whole entire world. They take such good care of it, and it's so well protected. I've never experienced that before."
What was the standout moment from that trip?
JS: "The penguins! I fell totally in love with them. They were like little comedians on land, would jump in the ocean and become the most elegant things. It reminded me of the job we have. You might be a little awkward at times. But, you put on that whole glam outfit, and you become a model. I could relate to the penguins."
JT: "Thank God there's no smell in pictures!"
What have you learned about each other from traveling together?
JS: "I don't think there's a better way to get to know someone when you travel because you see each other out of the comfort zone. I'm not a routine. It's a really amazing way to get close to each other."
It seems like you are making these big trips an annual thing.
JS: "It happened that way because we're so compatible in traveling and our boyfriends get along so well too. When we have an idea of a place to travel, we immediately think of each other."
JT: "We always find things online and text each other. So, it'll probably become an annual thing or maybe twice a year."
JS: "We already have a full group chat going of where we want to go next. The list keeps growing."
What are some of your other bucket list destinations that you want to see together?
JS: "I think the big thing we're trying to put out in the universe is safari. I’d love to do the Big Five and the gorillas. Or, the Big Five and the hippos and crocodiles. But it's like a month and a half of digging deep into it. So, we want to make sure we do it right."
Now, I have to ask, how do you still have these incredible wardrobes despite being in really remote places?
JS: "I think the key is having versatile pieces you can mix and match different ways, so it looks like you’re bringing a lot. For example, you would bring three different colored outerwear jackets. But, then you can mix up your beanies and scarves. It looks different every day, but you're basically wearing the same thing. We're also super lucky that we are the exact same size."
And you’re obviously huge workout fans. Are you able to maintain a routine in these crazy places?
JS: "We try to incorporate as much as we can. But, it’s really a matter of just being active. In Ecuador, we were hiking almost every day for two or three hours. It's so much more about a lifestyle rather than worrying about getting to the gym. Feel healthy and feel great about yourself, but it's also about just going for a hike on vacation because it's just part of what makes it fun."
