The World According to Monty Halls
Fresh back from his great escape to Ireland, Monty Halls gives us his refreshing take on the world of travel
Mountain/desert/jungle/ocean which are you?
It has to be ocean really! The perfect combination is where the mountains hit the sea though – all my favourite places around the world seem to have this. Cape Town, the west coast of Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand – they all have that grandeur about them when the land and sea combine.
First travel experience?
The first I can remember is camping trips in Gozo with my mum, dad and big sister. We were living in Malta at the time, and we’d all pile into the family car (a Fiat 600 – it was like a world record attempt) and rattle across on the ferry to Gozo. I remember hot sun, white sand and clear shallows, not a bad effort as I was three at the time! Amazing the impressions these early trips make on you…
Favourite journey?
Strangely enough it’s really close to home. I think driving down to the south Devon coast, car full of stuff, when it’s a warm spring day, just brings the memories flooding back. That palpable sense of excitement as a kid as the beach gets closer, massive scraps with my sister, getting stuck behind a tractor/caravan/little old lady and virtually exploding with frustration, the dog being sick etc etc. I’ve done this journey countless times since, and somehow the excitement has never faded.
Top five places worldwide?
Blimey, where to begin? Again, close to home is greatly under-estimated. The west coast of Scotland, Ireland, and Devon and Cornwall are right up there. Aliwal Shoal off the coast of Natal in South Africa is one of the most exciting reef dives on earth, the archipelago of Palau is stunning, and New Zealand never, ever lets you down when you visit. British Colombia is very special, the Galapagos is everything it says on the tin, and a little bit more. Shall I just say five places I haven’t been yet, as in my mind they’re awesome – Cocos, Komodo, Bora Bora, Bikini Atoll, and Ningaloo Reef!
Special place to stay?
There’s a place called Ponta Mamoli in Mozambique that is really special – a series of simple beach huts on the fringe of mile after mile of sugar white sand, with rolling Indian Ocean breakers only metres away. The Cary Arms is a real hidden gem in Babbacombe in Devon if you fancy something closer to home.
