Each issue of the Wanderlust travel magazine showcases three people who answer questions about their travel plans, their preferences and their experiences. I thought it’d be good fun to do this with Ali (my hubby) and document his responses in this blog.
Mountain / Jungle / Desert – which are you?
My heart says jungle, but it’s actually mountain because I like the challenge of climbing and finding new perspectives. My favourite is Blomsterbukten in Greenland… whilst wandering the hills alone I stumbled into a pair of Arctic Hares and had the whole experience to myself. I had a lovely view over the bright pink lake and out towards the sea.
What was your first greatest travel experience?
Waking in the night at Hippo Hollow (in South Africa whilst on honeymoon) to find hippos right outside our balcony. We were fairly new to safaris and had not expected these types of encounters at all. It was unexpected and a pleasure to have that kind of proximity to wild animals.
What has been your favourite journey?
Antarctica! Because it truly was a journey – it took a long time to get there and we had a rollercoaster of emotions along the way when flights were delayed and we wondered if we would get there in time. The experience of a three day Drake Passage crossing made it feel even further away.
Which are your top five places worldwide?
Kenya – because of the abundance and diversity of wildlife, the smell you get when you step ff the plane and the happiness and friendliness of the people
Greenland – because of the sheer scale of the place, the outrageous landscapes and the comforting solitude
Antarctica – because of the penguins!
Hong Kong – because it feels strangely like home.
Scotland – because it is a reliable friend.
Which passport stamp are you most proud of?
Russia. Because both times we visited I tried hard to learn the language and alphabet and for once it paid off. I am proud to have tried to understand the place before we visited.
What passport stamp would you most like to have?
Ethiopia. Because it is still under-travelled, and I think we have a connection with it from growing up (recalling the famines and fund raising from school ages) – it’d be nice to see the places decades on.
Where or what is your guilty travel pleasure?
Camera lenses 🙂
Which place would you not go back too?
The Ishtar Kempinski Hotel at the Dead Sea in Jordan because it is such a polar opposite to the rest of Jordan – too opulent, too over-facing, not genuine enough and not all that friendly (compared to the rest of Jordan).
Any travel regrets?
I don’t think I have any. I don’t ‘do’ regrets – to have any travel ones would be silly!