By Holly Mei-Yu Stafford
Meet the globetrotting doggy influencer who only stays in five-star hotels and has a bigger wardrobe than his owner.
Bao, a three-year-old Chihuahua, has visited Paris, Mexico, and Alberta, over the last two years.
His devoted owner, Xa Thi Ngoc Tran, 37, refuses to settle for anything but the best for her beloved pooch.
Their most recent retreat was to the Walford Astoria Hotel, in Cancun, Mexico, where Bao was “treated like royalty” with gourmet custom meals, unlimited treats and even poolside massages.
The dynamic duo wear matching outfits when exploring their travel destinations and even have custom-made matching silk pyjamas.
When they’re not travelling, Bao is still ”spoilt rotten” and has his own wardrobe as well as eating a raw food diet- complete with homemade bone broth.
Ngoc, who works in finance, said: “Bao is a diva; he knows what he likes and I don’t blame him.
“He’s grown to love travelling because we started with short domestic flights and went from there.
“I’ve always been very particular about where I take Bao because I want him to everywhere when we’re on holiday.
“Some resorts say they’re dog friendly but pets are limited to a certain area of the premises which doesn’t sit well with me.
“Taking him back to the roots of his ancestors in Mexico was amazing, he was treated like royalty.
“He has the best time and it melted my heart to see him so happy.
“At home, he has his own styling rack, he has a bigger wardrobe than me!”
Welcoming Bao from a breeder in Ontario in October 2020, Ngoc waited for Covid-19 restrictions to lift before taking him on his first four-hour flight from Toronto to Lake Louise, Alberta, in October 2022.
Since then, the dynamic duo has travelled to Paris where they stayed in Hôtel Louvre Saint-Honoré and dined in the iconic Café de Flore and Café de l’Homme with the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower.
They even hit up the Champs-Élysées where Bao was treated to his very own Channel silk neck scarf and dazzling broach which he shares with Ngoc.
“I never wanted to travel without him because he’s my baby boy,” Ngoc said.
“He’s so well-behaved on flights and enjoys the fuss the cabin crew give him.
“From then, we’ve built up the distance and he’s been able to stay in some luxury resorts.
“But the luxury doesn’t stop when we’re back home in Toronto, his diet consists of nutritious raw food and I give him homemade bone broth to support his little joints.
“Some may say I’m extra with Bao but he’s our everything- I want him to have the very best.
“Taking your pet abroad does include additional costs for the airline, hotel stays, meals out and essential pre-flight health checks, but it’s more than worth it.”
Bao has a 75-piece wardrobe complete with jazzy jackets, exquisite shirts and even chic turtle-neck jumpers- all worth around $2,500.
In March 2021, Ngoc created Bao’s own Instagram and his platform now boasts over 162K followers, showcasing his ”sassy personality”, stylish outfits and foreign adventures.
Ngoc said: “It started a visual diary to document Bao growing up, I never thought he’d gain such a following.
“He loves the camera, and the camera loves him back.
“Since he was a puppy, I’ve liked to match his clothes to my neutral aesthetic with trench coats and denim but Bao is partial to a Hawaiian shirt when on holiday.
“We’ve since released Bao’s own bespoke range of pyjamas and it’s so lovely to see his community send snaps of them wearing the collection.
“Owners message me about how much they love Bao- it’s wonderful to connect with fellow pet lovers.
“He’s honestly my best friend and the best companion- I’m over the moon that the world has fallen in love with him too.”
Bao and Ngoc can be found on Instagram and TikTok @baothechi
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