What's been the biggest packing mistake you've made?
I'm not bad at packing, and if anything I would say underpacking is my fault. I'm quite minimalist, but sometimes I pack in a rush, so I forget essential things that I then have to go out and buy or borrow. I like to believe I can just throw together a bag the day before I'm due to leave, but really I think being better prepared is the way to go. Having said that, if I had days to plan I'd probably end up taking too much.
Which is the worst hotel you've stayed in?
I've stayed in lots over the years, many of which I've tried to blot from memory, but the worst was probably that one in Delhi in 1997. Back then I was considerably poorer, so I stayed in rather grotty places that I wouldn't want to set foot in again. You name it, I saw it – bugs, cockroaches... plus there was no air con.
Pinpoint travel
What do you avoid on holiday?
Going away without a plan is my idea of a nightmare. I always read about where I'm going to ensure that once I arrive I have some sort of skeleton of what I want to do and see, especially if I'm not meeting someone familiar with the area to show me around. I think it's great to go somewhere where someone knows the place and you can steer clear of all the things that aren't going to work. Search out someone who knows you and your taste.
Freshly honed after the successful first trip, we present a tour to some of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world, lying abandoned in dramatic terrain in one of the least-visited of countries. The museums contain breath-taking surprises, with artefacts and mosaics of the finest quality. The infrastructure for visitors is new and all tours to Algeria are escorted by a police presence.
