Johannesburg - Bryan Miles’s knack for entertaining has seen him jet-set all over the world. He chats to Debashine Thangevelo about his best and worst holiday memories.
First holiday memory?
Travelling up the Garden Route in the family’s blue Ford Sierra. Dad driving; mom asleep in the passenger seat; brother reading in backseat and me vomiting the lunch-time Wimpy burger out the window. I never enjoyed holiday car trips.
Favourite place in South Africa?
Somerset West: my hometown. I love being surrounded by the Hottentots Holland mountains and having the ocean at my door-step. All the benefits of the “city life” without the traffic or carbon monoxide.
Best holiday?
Las Vegas. I have had the luxury of visiting Sin City several times, but on one occasion I got to spend time there with some friends from South Africa. It was an absolute blast and the photos I took prove that we had a good time!
What have you learnt from your travels?
Get used to tolerating the following: The Chronic Cougher; The Aggressive Sneezer; The Crying Baby; The Persistent Perspirer and The Strident Snorer. These are your new friends, they will be on every flight you take. If the law allowed, I would hypnotise all of them before they got on the plane.
Ideal travelling companion?
I cannot travel without my MP3 player, Notebook and 52 pasteboards.
Beach bum, culture vulture or adrenalin junkie?
Beach bum… kind of. As a child I spent a lot of time at the beach swimming, surfing, observing people and throwing seaweed at my relatives.
Greatest travel luxury?
Having 100 percent battery life on my phone.
Holiday reading?
Mortality by Christopher Hitchens.
Which place has seduced you?
The city of Los Angeles. So many creative people and so many opportunities…
Worst travel experience?
After travelling on a direct flight from Cape Town to Los Angeles, I got off the plane to find one of my knees had become swollen. I could barely walk and had to use a knee brace for the entire duration of my time in LA. I ended up looking like a mind-reading pirate.
Best hotel?
The One and Only in Cape Town; incomparable. I almost got lost in my room.
Favourite walk, swim, ride or drive?
Nothing beats a leisurely walk with the dog through Radloff Park in Somerset West (this is when I like to clear my mind). One of my favourite drives was the highway out of New York City up to the Catskill Mountains.
Best meal abroad?
Bacon Mac-n-Cheese Burger from Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen and Bar in Las Vegas – it will fill your mind, body and soul!
Favourite city?
Cape Town. I have travelled quite a bit, but nothing compares to the Mother City; Table Mountain, the ocean, the animals and a good sense of belonging. There is nothing better than being South African!
Where to next?
I’ve spent a lot of time in the USA, so I’d like to explore Europe a bit more. Perhaps, Denmark or Switzerland. I would love to mess with some European minds.
l Bryan Miles, hailed as a master of the wicked manipulation of the mind, has bagged his own show on SABC3, called One Day with Bryan Miles (Sundays at 5.30pm). His knack for entertaining has seen him jet-set all over the world.
Saturday Star