Nick French

I have been pretty lucky in the last year or so with a trip in September last year to Ethiopia, then to Argentina and Antarctica in November and, finally, a trip in April to Botswana! A tough life! My wife, needless to say, hasn't spoken t me for a while now but, in fairness, with a new baby on the way (second) I am now hunkering down for the next 6 months before we head to Morrocco in September for some r&r!

As explained above, I have had a pretty good run of things in the last year or so so am firmly 'at home' for the next few months and the rest of the year from a work perspective. The next trip for the family is with our new addition to Morrocco and the coast in September for 10 days of relaxation and, hopefully, sleep!

I guess I am a bit superstitious as I was given a simple wooden carving of a giraffe when I first went to Kenya and I take it on every trip I go on these days! I have also been travelling with a broad rimmed hat since i was 18 and started travelling. It has become a bit ragged but it is still there with me wherever i travel and is one of the most useful items of clothing i have i would say.

I have always been a sucker for Beho Beho in the Selous and it is where I took my wife when we went on our honeymoon a few years ago…there is something about the place! I must admit, though, that there are thousands! Old Mondoro in Zambia, Vamizi in Mozambique, Tierra Patagonia in Chile, Las Balsas in Argentina…not really answering the question am I!?

I have eaten all sorts of game meat in Kenya and South Africa, but I would say the strangest thing was in Vietnam drinking shots of the local bootleg whisky out of a bottle that had a cobra biting a viper in it. Apparently, the more deadly the snakes that are in the bottle the more prized the whisky…needless to say I don’t remember too much more of what was told me that night!

Has to be an elephant…no other animal creates the same sense of respect in Africa where everything waits to see what the elephants do and then they decide what to do! Such a sensitive and caring animal.

Get involved with local people. Try and learn a few words of local dialect to be able to say hi to people and they will really make an effort to interact with you. “My favourite phrase” I hear you ask….“poa kichizi kama ndizi”….crazy cool like a banana…guaranteed a riotous laugh anywhere along the East African coastline!

The dark and stormy…especially during a storm!

I am a big fan of wandering into a town square and just sitting and watching as it is a great way to get a feel for a culture and a town. South America has loads of town squares!

Again, this could have around 50 answers. For work I think it would have to be somewhere like Democratic Republic of Congo as I have long read about its tumultuous history and would like to take a look for myself!