Chef Ross Lusted has travelled the world, these are his highlights
I was 10 and I think I only got to hold it once when we moved from South Africa. I remember the gilded crest and the smoothness of the green cover. I love passports. I used to go through a 300-page one every year when I worked for Aman Resorts, filled with visas and crazy stamps. My first holiday memory is…
Going to the Drakensberg mountains, the range that denotes the border of Lesotho and South Africa, when I was 10. We stayed in rondavels, round mud houses with thatched roofs. It was very wild then. We woke one morning to a very loud scratching noise, a female rhino had entered the camp and was scratching her leathery skin against the rough walls of the rondavels. No one seemed to be the least bit concerned. We'd go hiking or horseback riding, crossing rivers where my parents would put Champagne and beer in the cold water for the return ride. It was my introduction to the breakfast buffet. This was the time I fell in love with hotels. I've been to 39 countries…
And I've lived in seven. My favourite place in Australia is…
Melbourne. I love how easy it is to get into the country. I visit a lot of our producers there and the landscape feels quiet and gentle. The place I'd love to visit in Australia is…
The Kimberley. I lived on the border of Utah and Arizona for a couple of years and I find deserts magical. Lying on the warm desert floor by a crackling fire with the stars so close you feel like you can almost catch them. The place I'd rather be right now is…
Portugal. We have a lot of Portuguese heritage in South Africa, so it has always seemed a bit familiar to me. I love the coastal towns which all seem to have a small fish market, and seaside restaurants serving traditional dishes, regional wine and of course pastel de nata and Ginjinha. The place I've visited most is...
Italy. It is definitely my happy place. My partner and I got married in September so we could go to Alba for the start of white truffle season on our honeymoon. We used to live in Dubrovnik, so it was easy to do quick trips. The place that most surprised me was...
Bhutan – the most extraordinary country I've travelled to. I first went about 20 years ago. The uniqueness of the five distinct valleys, architecture, lively markets and the people couldn't be more proud and welcoming. The place that didn't live up to expectations…
Baja California, Mexico. It was no doubt very charming but is now extremely crowded with one hotel after another. The advice I'd give to young travellers is…
Travel with only hand luggage and don't book a thing so you can be spontaneous. My holidays are devoted to...
Eating, art, architecture and spending time by the sea. Denmark is a favourite. The sickest I've been on holiday…
I was doing a deep dive into Bangkok street food on one trip, with a focus on nahm, a fermented pork street food – absolutely delicious until you relive it at 3am. I still eat it, however now I get it grilled a bit more. The souvenir I always buy…
Ceramics. Our cupboard is like a travel diary of ceramics – pieces that instantly take you back to a time and place. The weirdest thing I've experienced while travelling...
Decades ago I called a friend who was travelling in Bhutan to ask if he needed anything when I came. He said to bring a sleeping bag, flea bombs and Aerogard. It was for me for when I checked into the guesthouse. The instructions were – strip the bed, Aeroguard the mattress, flea bomb the room, go for dinner. I slept well. The weirdest things I've eaten while travelling was...
Oh, so many. Yakitori chicken still in the eggshell, live eel sushi, live squid you douse in sake to slow it down before you eat it, yes, it is still moving, rakija in Croatia I'm sure you could use to run your car. My go-to for room service is...
I don't have one. I always go out, cities are the best as they are waking up – chai in India, hot noodles and roti prata in Asia, jamón and fried eggs in Barcelona. The best hotel I've ever stayed in…
For me it's the destination that makes a great hotel. Amanbagh in Rajasthan, set in the former walled hunting grounds of the maharaja of Alwar, is truly magical. How many flights have you missed?
I've never missed a flight, although I came very close to it in Frankfurt because I left the airport to buy rye bread to take home to Croatia. Passports/visas/wallets/luggage lost?
I lost luggage from New Delhi to London. I then flew to Barcelona, so it was sent there. I had left for Seville when it arrived... it was then sent to Seville. But I had left for London when it arrived. I never saw it again. I still miss those boots. What is your favourite travel companion?
Camera and a Moleskine sketchbook and pencil. Flight/cruise/car or train?
Flight. The only cruise I like to do is the fishing kind. When in India I love the trains. Driving everywhere else.
Originally published as My Travel CV: Chef Ross Lusted has travelled the world, these are his highlights
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