The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
MONICA GALETTI MY LIFE IN TRAVEL
The London restaurateur-chef was born in Samoa, raised in New Zealand, and finds foodie inspiration all over the world
SEEING WATER IS SO FREEING whether it’s the sea or rivers. I love being able to see the water wherever I go in New Zealand. I visited this summer (which is their winter) with my daughter – I hadn’t been back there for three years.
I DID MY FIRST BUNGEE JUMP at Lake Wanaka, which was incredible. Marlborough Sounds is breathtaking, too. We were based in the Hutt
Valley area of Wellington, where the majority of my family live.
NEW ZEALAND WAS A HUGE CULTURE SHOCK when I moved there as an eight-year-old. I’d never seen so many Westerners before and I had to wear shoes and learn a new language. I also found it very cold. Being born in the Pacific Islands, the most travelling I did when I was little was getting the ferry over to the next island. That was very exciting.
SAMOA HAS THE MOST UNSPOILT BEACHES and a unique culture revolving around family, dancing and food. It’s such an interesting destination to explore.
I FIND IT HARD TO SWITCH OFF.
It takes me at least three or four days to unwind when I’m on holiday. A perfect holiday for me is somewhere warm with a beach because I love swimming in the ocean. My husband and daughter prefer splashing about in a pool. Great produce is essential – somewhere with good, simple food. It doesn’t have to be gastronomic.
DIVING IS SO PEACEFUL because you really have to switch off to take in everything around you. I first tried open water diving in Vanuatu. A bunch of us trainee divers jumped in the water – then jumped straight out when we saw the sharks. But our instructor reassured us they were friendly, harmless sharks. I went swimming with manta rays and turtles, too.
THE MOST UNUSUAL FOOD I’VE EVER EATEN was guinea pig in South America. It tasted like a fatty duck. I didn’t enjoy it. I couldn’t get the image of the guinea pig out of my head.
OMAN EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS in terms of food. Their use of spices, how they rub them into the meat before baking it in the ground – it was fascinating. It’s quite similar to the traditional way of cooking in Samoa.
I LOVE THE STREET FOOD SCENE IN SINGAPORE as well as the nightlife. You can go anywhere and feel safe. I saw families walking along the beach at 2am.
I’M ADDICTED TO HOT SAUCE and I always take Hot Mama’s Belize Habanero Hot Sauce with me to put on grilled meat or fish. I have a travel-size bottle and carry a larger one in my suitcase.
I COULD SEE MANKIND’S DESTRUCTIVE IMPACT on nature when I visited Ecuador. I was blown away by Mashpi Lodge, an ecofriendly property in the Ecuadorean rainforest, run by the ex-mayor of Quito and staffed by former loggers. They’ve put tremendous effort into the country’s preservation, teaching generations of locals about sustainable practices. It was incredible having breakfast on the balcony in the trees, surrounded by birds, butterflies and exotic animals.
THE MALDIVES FELT LIKE A SANCTUARY away from my hectic London life running my restaurant, Mere. I was there recently developing a unique six-course tasting menu for the luxurious Coco Bodu Hithi, and adding some new dishes to the menu.
I LOVE CORNWALL AND SCOTLAND. They’re so beautiful and have great food – especially fresh fish. They’re my favourite places in Britain.
GREECE AND PORTUGAL ARE GREAT FOR FAMILIES. I also love France – my husband is from the Jura. And I’d love to spend more time in Spain. The weather is amazing and the food is simple yet delicious. Great olive oil, freshly-made bread and olives are enough to keep me happy.
‘Samoa has unspoilt beaches and a unique culture revolving around family, dancing and food’
I’M LONG OVERDUE A TRIP TO SAMOA. Life’s taken over and it’s been six years since I’ve been home. I travel for work every other month and I’m heading to the Maldives, Mallorca and Perth before December. But I’m lucky to have three countries – Samoa, New Zealand and Britain – I can call home. Monica Galetti unveils a new six-course tasting menu for Coco Bodu Hithi in the Maldives this month. For more information see cococollection.com