My favourite places

Have you ever been somewhere so exceptional that it became part of your identity?

Where the memory of what you did and the people you met is so vivid it makes time stand still?

When the experience was so incredible you tell anyone who will listen and try send them there?

This page is dedicated to these places.

Sharing my top picks across the 32 countries I have been fortunate enough to explore, it is my attempt to spread the word and create further moments of magic.

Please let me know if you test drive any of my favourite places, I would love to hear you thoughts. Especially if anything has changed so dramatically since I went that you think it's spot isn't quite so deserving.

Enjoy!

top picks: restaurants

zanzibar - the rock

A location, so unique and romantic, it is almost painstakingly perfect. Dining at The Rock is a moment to remember: Time your meal to wander along the breathtaking island shoreline and arrive appropriately sun kissed for sunset cocktails with unparalleled view.

morocco - dar yacout, marrakech

Tucked away in the depths of Marrakech's medina is sumptuous Dar Yacout. An institution in its own right, the restaurant is a dark and moody assault on the senses. A nondescript building with no sign houses an interior of trickling fountains and shimmering candlelight, leading the way to an intoxicating banquet of heady scents and bewitching flavours.

cuba - villa paradiso, baracoa

Cuba has its own category of accommodation which sits somewhere between a hotel, hostel and B&B. The gracious owners/hosts Roberto and Manuel blend these traits perfectly at their aptly named casa particular: Villa Paradiso. Impeccable service, delicious breakfasts, and so friendly you can't help but invite them to your home - don't leave without watching the sun rise from their lovingly tendered garden.

climbing kili - abel kitundu and aggrey shao

Summiting Kilimanjaro, all 5,895 metres to Uhuru Peak, is an unbelievable privilege and a challenge I could not have achieved without my superhero guides. Abel and Aggy did far more than simply lead the route; they provided the physical and mental stamina for the journey above Tanzania's clouds.