Tom

Favourite places

Region: probably the Middle East and North Africa. Each country I visit seems to be more fascinating than the last, and not much can beat my recent trip to Iran, a place we are recommending for 2011 and beyond. There’s everything from fantastic souqs in Marrakech to funky clubs in Beirut, stunning ruins at Persepolis, vast dune seas in Oman and wonderfully evocative culture in Damascus and Aleppo. Add a whole range of serious beach hotels for winter sun getaways and that’s pretty much all bases covered. And on the subject of beach hotels, Soneva Fushi in the Maldives is still far and away my favourite hotel on the planet.

Travel things I want to do before I die

All far too tempting when you work in this industry and spend all day listening to people wax lyrical about amazing destinations around the world! My wish list – or tome, more like – includes Libya, Vietnam, a Skeleton Coast flying safari in Namibia, New Zealand, West Coast America, Argentina and the many bits of Central America I didn’t see last time.

Best moments

Very, very difficult because I’ve been spoilt rotten, but among others was enjoying Zimbabwe’s incredible game reserves about 20 years ago when it was about £5 a night to stay in (admittedly quite basic) lodges. Watch out for a Zim comeback, by the way. A wonderful trip to Guatemala and Belize a couple of years ago saw my wife and me in the atmospheric city of Antigua for the amazing Holy Week festivities before seeing eight whale sharks on one dive in Belize. Actually, another diving highlight was Neptune’s Arm off Vamizi in Mozambique which must be the best dive in the world, complete with schools of sharks and amazing canyons. What else? Travelling around wonderful Sri Lanka on a cricket tour, surfing in Brazil etc etc etc!

Worst moments

Being violently ill on my year off after a beautiful poolside dinner party courtesy of an Indian maharani. I was on a drip for two days! Being chased by an irate hippo while canoeing on the Zambezi, before crashing straight into the opposite bank as we tried to escape, and having a ten foot croc slide into the water a foot away.

Strangest trip

‘The Quest for O’. Two friends and I travelled round Eastern Europe searching for the missing ‘O’ from when Czechoslovakia became the Czech Republic and Slovakia. We eventually discovered a perfectly circular island in the beautiful Lake Bled in Slovenia, and claimed it as a new republic. Ah, those crazy student antics.