How often do you travel?
I travel a lot with work, though I never really know when that’s going to happen. It could well be two or three times a year work-wise and then maybe two or three times for pleasure, or it could just as easily be 10 times a year for work and the same again for pleasure.
My work is very sporadic, so I kind of slot things in and around it. I tend not to go on organised holidays as such, and I tend to go abroad specifically for an activity.
When I stepped out of the boat I quickly realised I had stood on a crocodile, and that we had come to a halt on its back
Where do you like to go on holiday?
I predominantly go to Switzerland and Italy during the summer. My son lives in Austria during the winters, so I’ll generally go to Austria to visit him and therefore go to ski resorts.
Which cities do you like?
Cities I’m not so big on, but in terms of where I go in Switzerland and Italy, it’s generally just north of Lake Garda in Italy in a place called Arco, and in Switzerland it’s generally Lauterbrunnen or Walenstadt, purely because of the topography for big cliffs and the opportunity for wing suit flights.
What’s the most memorable location you’ve ever performed one of your stunts?
That doesn’t necessarily come into travel, because my most memorable thing, I suppose, is either the Olympics opening ceremony or my wing suit landing, which were both UK-based and both very different in terms of the location and visually what they looked like.
For my wing suit landing it was quintessential British countryside, beautiful little villages, rivers and so on, but for my Olympic landing it was the madness of a new stadium. So both were very different but equally memorable for me.
What is your idea of a perfect day?
If I picked out all my favourite things, I’ve never really had the perfect day on holiday. I’m vegetarian, it’s sometimes difficult to go abroad and eat vegetarian comfortably, whereas in Greece in particular there is an abundance of vegetarian food, the people are wonderful, and it’s close enough to the UK to be able to fly there for the week and not really have the travel time encroach on your holiday too much.
My perfect day though, if I could have it, would be to go for a run in the early morning sun, do a stunning wing suit flight off a cliff, and then chill out for the rest of the day chugging from bay to bay on a little moped, eating lovely fresh vegetarian food and enjoying a glass of wine on the beach as the sun goes down.
What is your favourite cuisine?
In terms of travelling, Greek is my favourite, because you know you can walk into lots of places and get an abundance of vegetarian food. I like Thai and Indian, but I don’t know that I have a favourite cuisine because certain cuisines have a wintery feel and others more of a summer vibe. Certainly for hot weather I like Greek food.
Are there luxuries that you can’t do without?
No, I don’t hanker for little luxuries, it’s just not for me.
What makes your accommodation great?
For me it’s the location. I’ve spent a lot of time by the ocean and lot of time in the mountains, and I always steer back towards the mountains. I think it’s not so much about the hotel itself, it’s about the people around you and the location you’re at.
Do you travel light?
I always think that I travel light, however I always come back and think to myself: “I could’ve travelled much lighter there.”
I’ve just come back from Hong Kong for a week working on a UK-based TV show, and not having been before I didn’t know what to expect. Honestly I could’ve got away with three or four T-shirts, a couple of vests, three or four pairs of shorts, and wouldn’t really have needed much else.
Do you collect souvenirs?
No, pictures and memories are souvenirs to me.
What is your favourite method of transport?
One of my favourite journeys has been from Geneva down to Malaga and that was via train.
As you age you change, and maybe it was a very memorable trip because, relatively speaking, I was quite young and maybe hadn’t had such an adventure before. Whereas if I did that now, I may well think: “Oh God, I wish I’d flown.”
I’ve also travelled the length of Pakistan by train, which again was phenomenal: visually it was wonderful and culturally, a very interesting experience. Travelling short distances, I actually like to walk. I love hiking from [a] valley, up into the mountains and staying there for the night. Walking can be beautiful and more rewarding than doing it, say, by bus.
Do you have a favourite place to stay domestically?
Purely because I have friends there and it was where I sort of grew up as an older teenager, New Quay in west Wales. I’ve taken my son there over the years, and he’s sort of grown up going there too. I’ve got good friends there, and I was actually part of running and tow-behind-a-boat sausage ride on the seafront there so I’m quite well known among the locals.
What is your all-time holiday highlight?
A while back when I was in the parachute regiment I stayed in Kenya as part of a six-week training operation and had one week off to spend doing whatever I wanted. A few of us stayed in an area known as Lake Baringo and went open kayaking across some very muddy water when the boat suddenly grinded to a halt. It was a very shallow lake, so naturally I thought we’d bottomed out. However, when I stepped out of the boat I quickly realised I had stood on a crocodile, and that we had come to a halt on its back. So, that’s pretty unforgettable for me. It’s not necessarily something I’d like to happen again, but it certainly sticks in my mind.
