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SCMP Reporter

What's your favourite destination?
My dream destination would be Bhutan or Member Island, off Africa. I can never decide between the mountains or the beach.
What's your travel horror story?
I have so many travel horror stories I don't know where to start. The worst ever, that I know I will never forget, was when I was flying to a small island off Fiji on Sunflower Airlines. We hit really bad weather and the pilot told us that he had a 'small' problem and we had lost all our electronics. What I discovered that meant was we basically had no instruments, flaps and potentially no landing gear.  I prayed like you wouldn't believe and by some miracle we managed to manually pump down our landing gear in order to land. As the fireman pulled me out of the plane after a very fast landing I knew we were unbelievably lucky.
What kind of traveller are you?
I love to travel and explore. I love being exposed to different cultures. When I travel I like to always combine it with some form of sport. For example, when I travelled through Argentina taking in sights such as Iguazu Falls, I also went to learn to play polo for a week. It was a humbling experience to say the least.
What's one destination you've returned to again and again? 
I always return to Bali. I love going to Bali because I lived in Jakarta for two years when I was a child and I learned to speak a bit of Bahasa so even though I've forgotten most of it, in my mind I'm a local. Going to Bali really feels like you're in Asia; it has a very distinctive smell that I love. The surf beaches are great and, of course, I love Ubud, with its varied scenery.   
What are your quirky plane habits?
I have very quirky plane habits. I never wear a black T-shirt as that was what I was wearing when I was on my Fiji experience and I don't want a repeat of that. I always wear a tracksuit because, for me, being comfortable is paramount, especially now as I travel with my daughter Isabella. I drink tons of water and I only ever eat bread and  cheese on the plane.
What's your most memorable travel experience?
My most memorable experience was when I just finished climbing Vinson Massif in Antarctica. We had 24-hour daylight down there and the scenery was breathtaking. I had finished the climb and I was sitting at base camp drinking a beer and eating pizza, feeling utterly exhausted yet exhilarated waiting for our little plane to fly us to Patriot Hills. I had one of those moments which you wish you could freeze in your mind forever - it was 10pm, the most spectacular pinky blue sky and a white wonderland and it just felt incredible to be so remote, witnessing how amazing our planet can be.
How do you record your travels?
When I was climbing I would record my travels through my satellite phone. I would send a picture and a dispatch to my website designer in Aspen and he would put it on my website so everyone knew where I was and what I was doing. No matter how exhausted I was, I wanted to make sure my family could see and read what was going on. It's amazing to be in some of the most remote places on  earth and yet have access to such technology.
Given US$100,000 to travel, how would you spend it?
I would take my daughter with me and teach her as much as I could about the world we live in and the different cultures. There are so many places off the beaten track where you learn and experience so much about life and not necessarily in a five-star hotel. Nepal is a place very special to my heart, so as soon as she is old enough I would like her to go there with me.
What item from your wardrobe do you not leave home without? 
I would never travel without my sunglasses, a lipstick and my face creams. You can always look vaguely glamorous with those items. I live in sports clothes most days and all my sports gear is from Brazil as they have great colours, feminine designs and hi-tech fabric.



Jet set: Annabelle Bond, explorer