My Life In Travel: Charley Boorman

'I really admire the nomadic lifestyle in Mongolia'

First holiday memory?

First holiday memory?

Being in South Carolina with my family and playing near a river where the soil was very red.

Best holiday?

Going around the world on a motorbike. Ewan McGregor and I travelled 20,000 miles from London to New York by bike. It was incredible.

Favourite place in the British Isles?

A friend's farmhouse in the Black Isle, north of Inverness. The countryside is beautiful and I have good memories of spending time there with great friends.

What have you learnt from your travels?

That meeting new people is what makes a trip fun.

Ideal travelling companion?

My wife. I get to travel with her a fair amount but it's never quite enough.

Beach bum, culture vulture or adrenalin junkie?

My ideal holiday would be to spend the first week doing lots of fun stuff, then to spend the second week relaxing on a beach.

Greatest travel luxury?

Baby wipes. Especially when you've been driving a motorbike all day and have to camp overnight. We took quite a few with us on our trip.

Holiday reading?

I don't read when I'm travelling.

Where has seduced you?

Mongolia. I really admired the nomadic lifestyle that the people have there. To be able to be a part of that for the three weeks that we were in Mongolia on our round-the-world trip was fantastic. The people seemed so content with the way that they live and with what they have. The food is a different matter - if you like eating testicles, you'll like Mongolian food.

Better to travel or to arrive?

Travelling is fantastic fun and you see far more of a country journeying through it.

Worst travel experience?

Sitting on a bus from London to Edinburgh; it took so long and the seat was so small. It was very uncomfortable.

Worst holiday?

Thankfully, there hasn't been one.

Worst hotel?

A hotel that we stayed in for three nights during our trip in Russia. It was three nights too long; the hotel was absolutely rank.

Best hotel?

The Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles. It's very old-fashioned by LA standards - nothing has changed since the 1920s.

Favourite walk/swim/ ride/drive?

Off-roading in Wales preparing for the trip was fantastic. But I suppose my round-the-world trip is my favourite drive, it was unbeatable.

Best meal abroad?

A meal that I had in Prague. It was delicious. I had venison carpaccio with truffle oil followed by medallions of beef. The setting was beautiful, too.

First thing you do when you arrive somewhere new?

Check into a hotel! Then I like to go out and have a couple of bottles of wine. That usually sets the precedent for the trip.

Dream trip?

I've already done it, but I'm planning to participate in the Paris-Dakar Rally. It's a desert race with motorbikes, cars and trucks. I'll be doing it on a bike on 1 January 2006.

Favourite city?

London. It's home and I love it for so many different reasons. I always look forward to coming back.

Where next?

Off to the Black Isle, which is always great fun.

Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor's video-diary DVD, 'Long Way Round' (EMI Virgin, £17.99), is in shops now