Last year, I said it was time to start travelling less for work. Needless to say, just like when you talk about wanting to eat better and you immediately crave a Magnum, this backfired horribly. I’ve found myself travelling for work more than ever before. However, all that living out of a suitcase gives me a certain insight into making the most of travelling. Here are my best pieces of advice.

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Everywhere has something great to eat

Maputo in Mozambique has one of the world’s best steak sandwiches, sold out of a shack in a park. Meanwhile, a cheese-filled flaky börek pastry in the outer suburbs of Split in Croatia, a dish of teeny broad beans with trimmings from the jamon leg in a Madrid backstreet, and a silky spiced tea in the boondocks of Agra in Northern India are all proof that good friends and good intelligence are as important as a little bravery when finding such culinary gems.

Make friends with waitstaff

People who work in hospitality are the most generous with local tips on where to eat (if you treat them with respect). So, pluck up the courage to ask them what they like to eat and where.

Never miss the hotel breakfast

Sure, there are horror stories of cardboard bacon set in congealed fat over the guttering flame of a bain-marie, but having someone else lay out all the breakfast things and do the cleaning up afterwards is one of the great joys of a hotel stay.

My children have taught me the four secrets of a successful breakfast buffet raid:

1. Get your coffee order in with the person who takes you to the table – it may not be their responsibility, but they know who can action it.
2. Survey all the stations and load up on a tiny bit of everything. Then only concentrate on the best stuff – whether that’s the steamer full of prawn dumplings or the waffle stand with the chocolate fountain.
3. Ordering fresh from a cook station or the kitchen always trumps a bain-marie.
4. Order the local breakfast at least once. But beware that too many pancake stacks with syrup in Chicago or too much white butter on your ragi dosa in Delhi might mean you’ll be returning home with a little unwanted extra baggage.

Ice is nice

Best sound I’ve ever heard? The rattling of a big esky of ice as the owner of the unpowered remote huts where I’m staying jogs up through the steaming jungle track towards me. Forget opposable thumbs; having ice for chilled beers and to pop into gin and tonics is what sets us apart from the animals. The only other things that can matter as much are a mosquito net and a clean toilet.

Don’t compare

Of course that oat flat white made on a mountainside in Sri Lanka isn’t going to taste like the one back home. And yes, other beaches are not going to as stunning as ours. So don’t moan, don’t brag – just be thankful. Travel shouldn’t just broaden the mind, it should also renew your appreciation of home – whether that’s the refreshing bite of a southerly as you step out of the airport, the perfection of a large glass of cold milk with crushed ice that’s my regular return ritual, or the fact that few places love, respect and celebrate fresh vegies the way we do.

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