Nasser Hussain: My Life In Travel

'My family all caught salmonella at a hotel in Sri Lanka'

I went to Spain with my brother when I was about 17. We stayed near Barcelona and it was terrible. There were floods and I ended up missing my flight home.

Best holiday?

I have a split life because I travel with the cricket so much, formerly as a player and now as a Sky Sports commentator. It's nice to go away with my family, though, and I stayed at Le Touessrok in Mauritius with my wife, which was exceptional. The beach, food and weather were perfect.

Favourite place in the British Isles?

Sharrow Bay in the Lake District. It's a hotel on Lake Ullswater that has a lodge up the road from the main house, which was where we stayed last year. I quite like my privacy so it was perfect.

What have you learnt from your travels?

To be organised and immerse yourself in and respect the culture of the country you're in. You shouldn't expect everything to be the same as it is at home.

Ideal travelling companion?

My family. I go away far too much with work, so I end up sitting in hotel rooms on my own a lot. The time I spend with my three children is the most precious. Fortunately now I'm not a player I have weeks between test matches when my family can come out and meet me. They came to see me in Delhi earlier in the year, which was great.

Beach bum, culture vulture or adrenalin junkie?

A mixture of things. Now I've got children, beaches are quite important, but I'm also into food and soaking up a bit of culture; I like to get out and see places. When we were in India we did a tour of Old Delhi which was fascinating.

Greatest travel luxury?

When I played for the England cricket team we were ferried around in business class and thankfully I still am now that I'm a commentator. We recently flew to India with Virgin and the lounge at Heathrow was like a hotel. I don't get complacent though - I do realise how lucky I am.

Holiday reading?

I'm a terrible reader. However, in India I read Holy Cow: an Indian Adventure by Sarah MacDonald, which was quite funny and seemed appropriate.

Where has seduced you?

Everywhere has its good and bad points. I tend to go back to the same places because of the nature of my job. I enjoy India whenever I go and Sri Lankans are overwhelmingly friendly.

Better to travel or arrive?

Definitely to arrive. When you've done as much travelling as I have, it becomes hard work - I probably spend 90 per cent of the year travelling. Even checking in to a hotel becomes a pain when you've got three small children with you. We recently stayed at a hotel in Cochin, India and we were ferried to our room by a small boat, which was the last thing we wanted to do after being on a long flight.

Worst travel experience?

When I was on a cricket tour, my family came out to meet me while I was in Sri Lanka. We travelled up to Kandy and stayed at a hotel where they all caught salmonella.

Worst hotel?

When I was on an under-19 tour in Sri Lanka we stayed at a couple of really dodgy guesthouses in Colombo and Galle. Hardly any of them had mosquito nets and they weren't especially clean either.

Best hotel?

Le Touessrok in Mauritius, the Lighthouse in Galle and Dolphin Square in London. I really love The Taj in Mumbai, which overlooks the Gateway of India. It's a beautiful old building that hasn't changed its character.

Favourite walk / swim / ride / drive?

We've recently got into walking in the Lakes. I also love swimming off the west coast of Barbados. Warm water is a must for me. I tried to swim in Camps Bay, South Africa, which was beautiful but absolutely freezing.

Best meal abroad?

I keep going on about it but it was a meal at Le Touessrok. They put on a buffet, which I'm usually not keen on, but the atmosphere was fantastic and the food was incredible. They're great with children there too.

First thing you do when you arrive somewhere new?

I'm a real TV geek, so I run through the channels. I hide in my room away from Botham and Gower!

Dream trip?

There are lots of places I would love to go to in Europe and North America. I'd really like to go skiing too and to take my kids to Canada when they're a bit older because my wife has family over there.

Favourite city?

My kids love London because there's always something for them to do there and I still enjoy going. I would love to see more of places like Rome and Paris.

Where next?

I'll be travelling around the UK covering the test matches this summer then spending winter in Australia followed by the World Cup in the Caribbean.

Nasser Hussain is a commentator for Sky Sports, which is broadcasting the test matches live and interactive this summer.