Louise Redknapp, the singer and television presenter, talks to about unspoilt beaches in South Africa and how superstitions led to panic on a flight from Hawaii
Since my sons have been in school, we (Louise is married to former England footballer Jamie Redknapp) mainly travel when everyone else does, outside term time as it’s tough to take them out of school.
We normally spend about eight or nine weeks in Majorca every summer and also aim to visit Barbados or somewhere hot at the beginning of the year.
I love exploring new and different places, such as South Africa, but Jamie likes a more traditional family holiday with a big golf course and a few good restaurants. He’s not somebody who wants to sit on a beach and read all day.
Jamie and I also try to grab a few cocktails in New York once a year just for three nights or so, without the children.
Most memorable tour during your travels with the band Eternal?
We visited a lot of different countries in a very short period of time including New Zealand, Taipei, Taiwan, China and loads more. New Zealand was one of the most beautiful countries to drive through for the scenery and the vast scale of the place.
Most beautiful destination?
I was on a beach in Hawaii for a video shoot once and it was incredibly beautiful. It had very fine black sand with a silver sparkle running through it.
Beaches are truly idyllic for me when you can walk 20 minutes and not see a soul, which happens in South Africa, and there aren’t many places in the world where you can get that.
What do you need for perfect holiday?
A holiday that offers something for everyone in our family. So for Jamie, we’d need some amazing golf courses, as he loves his golf, and for my sons, kids’ clubs as they’re very social children and also love all water sports. As long as they’re all happy, I’m happy.
My son, Beau, got very ill when he was just four months old in Majorca. He contracted a really bad case of gastroenteritis.
Everything feels so much worse when you don’t speak the language and you need that reassuring conversation as a mum but you can’t have it.
It was incredibly tough but the doctors were great and he was home again in four or five days.
Are you a nervous flier?
I’ve had some bad moments with turbulence. Coming back from Hawaii once was terrible.
Being quite superstitious about flying, I warned the video crew I was traveling with not to take any of the rock home because they say it’s bad luck to take volcanic rock off the beaches in Hawaii.
I don’t know if that was true but it was what I was told and I just wanted to get home safe, so I made sure all rock bits were off my clothes.
The turbulence became worse and I started crying and panicking. Then I noticed a massive piece of volcanic rock wedged into the shoe of a video team member sat next to me and I screamed: “You’ve got volcanic rock in your shoe, we’re going to crash!”
She replied: “What do you want me to do? I can’t throw it out of the window.” But obviously we were fine in the end.
Favourite airline?
I like flying with British Airways or Virgin because I can have an open conversation about my fear of flying with the cabin crew who help me to feel less crazy and paranoid.
Favourite hotel?
The Sandy Lane resort in Barbados. They have the best kids’ club in the world.
There’s nothing that is too much trouble for your children to do. It’s just a very, very luxurious holiday and a real treat.
Best piece of travel advice?
I don’t ever heed my own advice but aim to get everything into one bag. I always seem to
Flight delays. I hate it when you’ve just checked in and they say there’s a three hour delay. With two young kids that’s always a very long three hours.
The first 20 minutes are okay but when you finally arrive at your destination, It takes about four hours to get back on talking terms with the whole family before you can enjoy your holiday.
I have also had days ruined on holiday because of some football team or another’s results, and had days that have been a complete write-off due to a football score.
What has travel taught you?
To enjoy yourself but also remember that you are in a foreign country and need to have your wits about you when it comes to watching your kids.
Where next?
I’ll be spending more time in Saudi Arabia this year for my new makeup brand. I’m also trying to talk Jamie into a Mauritius or a Maldives holiday.
I’d love to do a safari holiday somewhere in Africa, maybe Kenya or Tanzania.
I have never been and we’ve deliberately waited until the children are older so that they could appreciate it.
I recently read by Gregory David Roberts which explains India really brilliantly, so I’d love to go to there one day.