My holidays: Carl Fletcher

Carl Fletcher (left) with ZM Breakfast co-hosts Megan Sellers and Vaughan Smith. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

What was your greatest holiday?
Colombia, without a doubt. A country is only going to be exciting to visit if you're warned off large parts of it by Mfat. I spent two months there between jobs and it was incredible. People thought I was mad going there. Sure, you travel on your toes like anywhere in South America, but I don't think it deserves its old reputation of drugs and violence today. I never felt unsafe, the people are friendly and live life passionately, and the country is breathtaking. Tayrona National Park for the win.

And the worst?
Being on holiday is never bad, but there was a time when I spent more time on a toilet than exploring Vietnam. Try the street food, they said.

If we could teleport you to one place in New Zealand for a week-long holiday, where would it be?
Doubtless Bay, near Kaitaia. It's an amazing place. Short drive to Cape Reinga and the sand dunes too.

How about for a dream holiday internationally?
Canada - I want to explore the Rockies.

Complete this sentence - I can't travel without...
My noise-cancelling headphones - goodbye crying babies and crappy airline headphones.

What's the dumbest thing you've ever done when travelling?
Left the boot of a SUV open (I'm blaming my friend James, and he will blame me) and lost all the bags out the back. We realised after a kilometre and we got all of them back except one - the one with a laptop, passport and cash packed in it. Luckily, a little old lady doing the work of God drove 15km to drop it off at a police station. God bless America.

What's the best travel tip you've ever been given?
Hide enough money to get back to your hotel in your shoe. Works well with shoes, not so well with jandals.

What was the most memorable meal you've had while travelling?
I had barbecue chicken in Hawaii with barbecue sauce made from the tears of gods. It's made all barbecue food taste less superior ever since.

What's the best thing you've brought back from a trip?
Deep vein thrombosis - turns out it's actually a thing. Get up and walk around the plane and do your inflight stretches.

Favourite airport at which to land?
Once I landed in a tiny plane on a runway strip in the middle of the jungle in Costa Rica. I expected to be met by an old ute full of armed militia, but there was only a guy from Avis.

What's the next trip you've got planned?
I'm keen to check out Bali, while packing my Aussies-wearing-Bintang-singlets repellent.

• Carl Fletcher hosts ZM Breakfast with Vaughan and Megan.