My life in travel Alesha Dixon
The TV judge, presenter and singer on positive thinking in LA and beating her fear of flying
AS A FAMILY, WE TRY TO GO AWAY maybe twice a year. Generally speaking, I like to do something in the summer holidays because my eldest daughter Azura gets quite a long time off school, so we like to break it up. I absolutely love to go away just after Christmas. It’s always lovely being abroad for New Year. Occasionally, we might sneak in a weekend to Jersey or visit some friends of ours in Spain for a few days each year.
WHEN I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN AMERICA to do America’s Got Talent, it was a dream. Los Angeles is one of my favourite spots – I love the restaurants (my favourite is Boa), the food, the optimism and the positivity, and the networking out there is fantastic. I also love Runyon Canyon Park. It’s one of my favourite places on earth, and there is so much to do out there for kids. LA is always a win-win for us.
WHEN PLANNING A HOLIDAY, I tend to think of places like the Maldives or the Caribbean, because I want heat, humidity and lots of ocean. If you want complete beauty, nature, stillness and relaxation, the Maldives is the perfect place to go. We managed to go last year to celebrate my partner’s 40th birthday and my nan’s 83rd. My favourite hotel there is the Lux South Ari Atoll Resort.
MY FAVOURITE THINGS ABOUT THE MALDIVES are the beautiful white, white sandy beaches and the gorgeous turquoise-blue sea. I was really shocked once when we went out on a boat there, and I saw some random plastic bottles and bags just floating around on the sea. It took me by surprise because I thought I wouldn’t see anything like that there.
FOR A PERFECT HOLIDAY at the moment, with two daughters, we need to find a place that has lots of activities, or a kids’ club. I think – and any parent can relate to this – that if your children are not happy on holiday, it affects the whole vibe, so the most important thing is that the children are entertained and have things to do.
MY FIRST TRIP ABROAD WAS WHEN I WAS ABOUT 18 OR 19 YEARS OLD, to Brunei with Mis-Teeq. I remember being so scared – it was my first time on a plane! I actually remember saying to my mum once: “I just don’t think I can be in this band anymore, because I can’t bear to get on another airplane.” That’s how much I was afraid of flying, so I love the fact that I overcame that fear. After doing it so many times, I just got used to it.
ONCE I DID START TRAVELLING, IT WAS LIKE WINNING the lottery. We got to go to Australia, Japan, most of Asia. We travelled around all of America and all of Europe. I have been to Norway many times – it is absolutely beautiful – and have also written and recorded with lots of
amazing producers out in Sweden.
YOU CAN’T BEAT LONDON FOR EATING OUT. One of my favourite little bars is Waeska at the Mandrake hotel in Fitzrovia. It’s really cool, really quirky, really chic. I absolutely love it there.
ONE PLACE THAT STOOD OUT FOR ME ON M Y TRAVELS was Mumbai. From the outside, my favourite place to eat in the city didn’t even look like a restaurant, but I remember dining like a queen that night. Even though I had eaten
Indian food many, many times, it felt like the first time I was trying it. It could have been a Michelinstarred restaurant, but you would never have known from the exterior.
I LOVE THE VIBE OF PEOPLE FROM SOUTH AMERICA. I would love to go to Brazil, Argentina and Peru – the food, the music and the culture look really exciting to me, and I would love to explore them one day.
WE HAVEN’T DONE IT FOR A FEW YEARS but I used to love to head down to Cornwall just after we had finished the Britain’s Got Talent live shows. We would go down in a convoy, and we would rent a farmhouse or a couple of different cottages. There would be probably 10 or 15 of us family members, with all of our dogs.
WHEN THE CHILDREN ARE OLDER, ONE OF my dreams is for Azuka and I to go travelling and exploring. I want to go to the best destinations in the world to spot whales and dolphins.
I’m all about seeing animals in their natural habitat.
I ALWAYS TRY TO FIND SOMETHING GOOD ABOUT ANY CITY I AM IN, because everywhere has its own unique thing that makes it stand out. I have spent a lot of time in Manchester over the past few years, working, so that’s becoming like the new London to me.
I HAVE A SOFT SPOT FOR GLASGOW. It’s where my manager comes from, and I’ve performed there many times. The Scottish people are no-nonsense, straight talking, very honest people, and I always enjoy going up there.
I want to go to the best places in the world for spotting whales and dolphins
WHETHER YOU’RE ON A BEACH IN JAMAICA OR IN THE UK, one thing we can all relate to is that feeling when you step onto the sand, looking out at the ocean, and how it makes you feel – that sense of openness, and freedom. It clears your mind.