Johannesburg - Casper Urhammer is CEO if Contiki Travel. Here he chats about his fondest holiday memories.
First holiday memory?
I was four years old. Skiing in France – I will never forget the taste of the hot cocoa after a full day of skiing, breathing in the fresh mountain air.
Best holiday?
A really hard question – almost like asking, “What’s the best meal you’ve had?” A recent trip to Barcelona, where I proposed to my fiancée, is] up there, so is going through the Sahara on a motorcycle a few years ago and, of course, each of the Contiki tours I have joined. I truly love spending time with the young travellers, experiencing it all for |the first time; truly an incredible experience every time..
What have you learnt from your travels?
Cultural awareness and confidence in exploring even the most remote parts of the world. A quote says “travel is the only thing you buy that makes you rich”. Not sure it’s true that it’s the only thing but it certainly does make you rich seeing the world, experiencing cultures and having fun. That’s what Contiki is all about.
Ideal travelling companion?
Camilla, my fiancée, for a relaxing holiday or exploring new places, childhood friends for adventures and Ernest Hemingway for a chat and a cocktail, preferably in Cuba in |the 1950s.
Beach bum, culture vulture or adrenalin junkie?
Part beach bum and part adrenalin junkie.
Greatest travel luxury?
Travelling with no delays, something I cannot control, but when things go according to plan that is a luxury. Business-class seats are great, so is a nice hotel, but not having to waste time waiting for a delayed plane or not worrying about lost luggage is the best.
Holiday reading?
E-mails and plenty of them! Being in the people business running a global organisation, there is never a quiet moment. There are people in all time zones and it is always peak season somewhere, so e-mails keep me busy 24/7/365.
Where has seduced you?
Tobago and Cuba are up there, both such beautiful and unspoiled places, with the kindest people. Living in Switzerland, I have to mention the Alps. Whether in Switzerland, Austria or France, it simply is mind-blowing landscape. New Zealand is one of my favourite places – the beauty of Queenstown and the vast landscapes around Lake Tekapo are breathtaking. The opportunities in big cities, such as London or New York, are incredible too – there is nothing like a good restaurant, good company and a cold glass of white.
Worst travel experience?
Any travel experience made with only profit in mind always saddens me. Sure, profits are important |but in this industry it is all about exciting people and giving them the time of their life. This is the heart of everything we do at Contiki and, hence, I expect the same when I travel myself.
Best hotel?
Any Red Carnation Hotel – I always stay there when I can. |The service is unbelievable and they know what I like and what |my habits are. You really feel at home there.
Favourite walk, swim, ride or drive?
Driving the Pacific Highway from Los Angeles to San Francisco is always a treat.
The previously mentioned trip on motorcycle through |the Sahara was incredible too, something I would like to do |again some day.
Swimming at Sa Trinxa in |Ibiza is the best on a sunny day and doing the coastal walk from Bondi to Bronte in Sydney is incredible too, especially when the whales migrate. It just has to be experienced.
Best meal abroad?
A nearly impossible question to answer – there are so many good ones and all for various reasons. Eating freshly-caught fish or languster ( lobster grilled over a bonfire on a simple beach, to me, often beats the best restaurants in the world. At the same, I will never forget some of the more exclusive experiences, such as a vineyard dinner in South Africa or on Waiheke Island, near Auckland in New Zealand.
Favourite city?
London always puts a smile on my face and, luckily, I get to go there often for work. A small place in my native Denmark called Skagen is special too and so is Stockholm on a sunny day, in particular on a boat sailing into the archipelago.
Where to next?
I travel for work more than half the year and am incredibly lucky to have seen every corner of the Earth. I board more than 200 flights per year, so “where to next” I can ask myself every week. For private travel I hope to jump on a Royal Enfield (motorcycle) with some good friends and drive the Khardung La road across the Himalayas.
l Casper Urhammer is CEO of Contiki Global
Saturday Star