You can't hurry people and expect things to be done like at home because that's not why you travel. And the worse the experience, the better the stories!

I love Egypt. My partner comes from there and I still haven't spent enough time there. The whole idea of burying all those treasures is so off-the-wall.

I also love Hotel Splendido in Portofino in Italy . . . it's fabulous and really romantic.

The Beverly Hills Hotel is pretty if you're in one of the bungalows.

Whenever I arrive somewhere new the first thing I do is check the place out and, if I know people, call them. If not, I look at a Lonely Planet and a historical guide.

Bad experiences? I hate arriving anywhere with nowhere to stay . . . the main thing then is not being alone. I'd never go back to Lanai in Hawaii. My boyfriend took his entire family. Expensive hotels are only enjoyable if there are just two of you, and it's somewhere romantic. I was also put up once in a run-of-the-mill chain hotel when my flight was cancelled at Palm Beach. That was fairly crappy.

Apart from Egypt, I've also had a great holiday at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico. The walks into the mountains there are unbeatable. And I'd love to go to Tibet and to Cambodia to sketch. That would be a real dream trip because it would be as far away from everyday life as possible.

Next though, I'm probably off to Egypt again as my partner has been invited to visit Alexandria's new library. Then I'm doing a trip to Pakistan with the High Commissioner which should be amazing.