Johannesburg - Gavin Tollman is chief executive officer of Trafalgar Travel.
First holiday memory?
Without a doubt, my first, penetrating memory of travel was at the age of 10. I grew up in Joburg. It was my first time leaving South Africa for a holiday – I travelled to London. I discovered a whole new world. The enormity of the differences from my life in South Africa were immense – I recall visiting the war rooms, overflowing with stories and sensory stimuli, bringing history to life. Witnessing the Changing of the Guards gave me goosebumps, seeing all of the pomp and pageantry. And, of course, the nightmares that I had following our visit to the Tower of London. I remember when I came back, so many friends told me how I had grown in a short few weeks. There is no doubt this was the first time I was bitten by the travel bug. I continue to love travelling, my senses and imagination coming alive, venturing out to discover more.
Favourite place in South Africa?
There are many places that I love – the beauty of Franschhoek at sunset, the wildlife in the Kruger National Park – but coming “home” to Cape Town holds a special place in my heart. Regardless of where I travel in the world, there is nowhere like it for me. Cape Town is where I feel truly at home and at peace. I love the people, the energy, and the sense of balance that comes from being there. Standing on my balcony in Mouille Point, shutting my eyes, listening to the sound of the waves, and breathing in deeply the scent of the sea air with its touch of kelp, that is when my soul feels “I am home”.
Best holiday?
I must admit that running a travel company gives me an unfair advantage, as so often holidays and work merge into one. The perfect holidays revolve around making new discoveries, feeling like I am truly getting “inside” the places I am visiting, getting closer to the people who live there. Meeting and understanding locals, eating their traditional foods, getting a sense of the rhythm of their lives, breaking bread with them – that to me is the best holiday. Seeing a place is not enough for me. I need to feel it. For me there is no better way than to become immersed and live it.
What have you learnt from your travels?
I have a quote behind my desk from St Augustine: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” This is a philosophy I adhere to. It is the greatest gift – it broadens my mind and enlightens my soul, and this is possibly the greatest education I know I can experience. I am a better person because I travel, no doubt about it.
Ideal travelling companion?
I am firm believer in trying to find locals who can unlock the secrets of a destination for you – this is the ideal I have brought to how Trafalgar tries to run its trips today.
Beach bum, culture vulture or adrenalin junkie?
Definitely not beach bum. The latter two I cherish equally, but would be determined by the destination I am visiting. New Zealand’s South Island and Switzerland, it’s adrenalin junkie, Italy is culture vulture, Japan a solid tie!
Holiday reading?
It’s all about my iPad – any time I travel I will be reading a number of books, magazines and newspapers. Travel time is the perfect opportunity to ensure one gets through the reading that has been piling up while work priorities take over. Having it on one device has been transformational.
Which place has seduced you?
I am completely in love with Japan, and particularly the western part of the country. Recently, I again found myself captivated by how elegantly and honestly the people of Japan have created a fusion of past, present and future, allowing history and tradition to live in perfect harmony with modernity, innovation and commerce. I have seen some of the most spectacular landscapes across the globe in Japan, tasted some of the most delicious food and been touched spiritually by some of the magnificent and humbling Buddhist temples I have ever had the blessing of encountering.
Worst travel experience?
I travel endlessly, and often it is on business trips that are long-haul with only one-night stops in many cities. Without a doubt, worst travel experiences involve lost luggage. It’s an expensive exercise – the money spent having to buy clothes, not to mention the time and energy wasted chasing airlines to find my bag! I am a critic of undermanned queues at immigration. I never understand how airports can get it so wrong – no aircraft just mysteriously appears!
Best hotel?
Ireland’s Ashford Castle. There really is no greater, grander, more captivating hotel in the world. I love, just love, hotels that lovingly bring history and heritage to life. This 800-year-old castle has been sensitively restored to a level of magnificent preservation, incredible luxury and exceptional hospitality and yet it has an innate feeling of humility, charm and graciousness that allows one to feel completely at home on its 142 hectares of lush, rolling Irish grounds. It is not a hotel – it is a beloved destination.
Favourite walk, swim, ride or drive?
I have become an avid snowboarder. I love it! Nothing brings my inner child out to play like hitting the slopes on my snowboard. Last year, a snowboard guide friend introduced my wife and I to heli-boarding on the Glacier du Trient. The glacier is part of the Mont Blanc Massif and separates France from Switzerland. The vastness, tranquillity and beauty have remained with me, not to mention the incredible perspective from that elevation and aerial position.
Best meal abroad?
I was recently in Capri and we went to one of our family’s favourite restaurants for lunch – La Conca del Sogno. They make a special pasta with zucchini, that once you’ve eaten it there, nothing compares. It truly is a meal worth travelling the world for.
Favourite city?
Trying to answer this is like asking me to name my favourite child. Choosing one would just be wrong. Cities and destinations all have their good and their bad sides. I am a traveller at heart and, as with my kids, I love them all the same.
Where to next?
In the last quarter of this year, I am scheduled to visit six continents, and much as it will be exhausting, it will be exciting. What excites me most is the time I have booked to visit Myanmar for the first time. So much has changed in this deeply religious, hopeful nation. Myanmar is a truly ancient civilisation.
What is a place which is close to your heart?
I adore, just adore, spending time at our family vineyard, Bouchard Finlayson – the wines are magnificent, one can see the sea in the distance, and walking around the vines is healing. The location, Hemel-en-Aarde, really is a place between Heaven and Earth.
l Gavin Tollman is chief executive officer of Trafalgar Travel
Saturday Star