When I’m, not at work or travelling I’m…
Reading, hiking, surfing and exploring my new home in the UK. And if the weather’s typically English, there are enough pubs or tea opportunities.
I don’t often admit this but…
Indiana Jones was my big childhood hero and is partially to blame that I wanted to go out and explore so much since I was little.
My favourite film is…
Probably still the Indiana Jones movies and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I invested a considerable amount of effort into visiting as many filming locations on my New Zealand road trip as possible.
On my RTW trip, I spent longer than expected in...
I left for Australia in 2004 for a year’s work and travel and never really came back to Germany.
Which place exceeded your expectations on your travels and why?
Mongolia! It had always been at the top of my bucket list; when I finally had the chance to travel there and spend a month in this fascinating country, I was just blown away by the vastness of the landscape, the wide horizons and the sense humour of the people living there.
Also, one of the major surprises has been the USA. I went on a 3-month cross-country road trip by van, and it turned out to be one of the best trips I ever made. I just couldn’t get enough of the variety of truly epic landscapes, all those iconic cities along the way which already looked vaguely familiar from the movies, but with quirky surprises at every turn.
What are your top 5 must-pack items?
Visa card, passport, Lonely Planet, sunglasses and emergency coffee. Oh, and hair ties. They always tend to vanish by the dozen!
If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it would be and why?
I picked Brighton in 2016 and am quite happy with the choice and where I am right now.
What was your first great travel experience?
A school exchange to Japan when I was 16. It was quite an experience, coming from rural Germany smack-bang into the high-tech jungle of Tokyo! Although my daily life consisted mainly of putting on a school uniform and sitting in class until 4 pm.
What are your top 3 places in the world?
Dingle in Ireland – my favourite place in the whole world! Mount Huangshan in China – straight out of a Chinese painting, with sheer cliffs and cedar trees. Vancouver Island in British Columbia with its orca pods and stunning coastal rainforests – my home in Canada!
What is your favourite hotel, why and where is it?
I can’t even narrow it down to a specific hotel, but an absolute must-do while in Japan is to stay in a ‘Ryokan’ (traditional Japanese inn). It is a bit more expensive, however it is such a traditional experience that it shouldn’t be missed. You can take a bath in the volcanic hot spring, relax in a yukata, enjoy a delicious local meal and sleep in a very traditional room on a tatami mat. And don’t even think about a Western breakfast: Rice, raw egg and fish it is!
Which is your favourite beach, where is it and why?
Zanzibar, with translucent waters and crystal white beaches – sensational. Also Palawan, Philippines, comes pretty close to my own personal paradise. Or the beaches north of San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua, as my favourite surf spot.
Which passport stamp are you proudest of?
Samoa and Fiji – the furthest away.
What is the weirdest thing you have eaten while abroad?
Monkey brain from a street vendor in Myanmar. Though in terms of weird food, China takes the biscuit.
Where is the most depressing place you’ve found yourself?
Coming to Tacloban and Ormoc in the Philippines to volunteer after they were hit by typhoon Haiyan – I just couldn’t believe the level of destruction. The spirit and the resilience of the Filipinos impressed me like nothing else in the world.
If you had just 24 hours in a big city which one would it be?
Tokyo. Or Istanbul.
What’s the best party you have been to while travelling?
This one night in Istanbul – it started with six strangers meeting via Couchsurfing and starting the night full of bar-hopping, ishkender kebab at Taksim square, old town taxi races and a rooftop party overlooking the Bosporus until sunrise. The best nights out always start unplanned!
What do you miss most from home while you are away?
Not much - except coffee (which tends to be hard to come by, especially in rural Asia). I always carry an emergency stash in my luggage.
