Five minutes with… Charley Boorman

Travel writer, entertainer and modern-day adventurer Charley Boorman is preparing to set out on his next jaunt.

The popular presenter is following up previous motorcycling adventure series Long Way Round and Race to Dakar with his new project Ride Africa with Charley Boorman. We caught up with him to discuss his travel loves and hates, and how you can get involved in his trips.

On his ideal two week holiday...
My ideal two weeks would be a week in Kenya on safari and then a week on the beach in Watamu. It’s the idea of doing something really active and fun for the first week and then totally relaxing for the second.

On his favourite city…
There are too many to choose from! If I had to choose a country to recommend it would probably be Mongolia, it’s one of the furthest away places in the world and one of the most difficult to traverse. But it’s one of the most beautiful places with the nicest people you’ll come across.

On which country has the best national cuisine…
On my travels I get to experience some incredible food and I’ve picked up a lot of different recipes along the way. One of my favourite dishes is bresaola dried beef on a bed of rocket with shaved Parmesan, olive oil and balsamic which I discovered in Italy. One of the most surprising countries that I went through is Georgia, I was shocked at just how amazing their food and wine is.

On his favourite thing about travelling…
The people. I love meeting people and experiencing new cultures, there are so many rich cultures around the world that I am yet to encounter. But it’s also great spending time with a great bunch of mates exploring new countries.

On his frustrations with travelling…
Airports! I’m actually pretty relaxed about travelling and about the places I go to. I never try to have my expectations too high so that I don’t get disappointed when I arrive. But obviously, a filthy dirty hotel is not very nice!

On the three things he hates spending money on when travelling…
Buying the tickets, paying for the hotel and car rental!
If I could remove all that I’d be a happy man!

On his motorcycle trips Ride Africa with Charley Boorman…
I take a group of motorcycle enthusiasts from Cape Town to Victoria Falls and onward into East Africa, Malawi, Mozambique and SA. Our trip last year was fantastic and we all had such an amazing time. We ride through exquisite terrains alongside countryside, winelands, canyons, nature reserves, national parks, dunes and desert plains and go on all these fantastic excursions.

On who can get involved…
Anyone can go! The tour includes a two day off road course at the BMW Off Road Skills school in Wales training with Dakar legend Simon Pavey. www.offroadskills.com Simon trained me and Ewan so we were prepared for the Long Way Round (2004 series in which Boorman and Ewan McGregor journeyed across the US, Europe and Asia on motorbikes).

Charley’s Big African Adventures run in August and September 2012. To get involved just go to www.charleyboorman.com and sign up!

Charley Boorman was speaking to Gareth Morris from TravelSupermarket.com. Use TravelSupermarket to find a great deal on hotel accommodation.
 
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