How many holidays do you take a year?
I am notoriously bad at taking holidays. After many years of travelling for work the ritual of packing and unpacking lost its magic. However, I am obsessed with finding small, locally owned spas without the jet-set price tag. In 2007 I had two spa holidays, one in Madeira and the other in Malta.
Do you book your holiday online or with a travel agent?
Definitely online, because the only time I have to think about holidays is after 10pm.
Your best holiday and why?
In Bali at Nur Salon, which is Ubud’s original spa. No Balinese holiday is complete without sipping ginger tea in a Mandi Susu, or milk bath, strewn with rose petals and frangipani.
Where do you still most want to go?
Cuba, to take dance lessons.
Worst holiday experience?
A package holiday in a Tunisian hotel. The waiters were fasting while the tourists gorged on tasteless meals that didn’t remotely resemble local cuisine.
Typical day on holiday?
Something to bring harmony to mind and body like a massage or swim and something cultural to get a sense of place and history. No maps – I just wander the lanes getting lost, discovering what you can’t find in guidebooks.
Best holiday companion?
A blend of geranium, patchouli and lavender oil in a tightly sealed bottle. Just fill the wash basin with hot water and sprinkle a few drops, or drip into the bath or shower.
ECPAT UK is the national wing of the international charity that battles the commercial sexual exploitation of children.
