"Beam me up, Skattie!" This is Imraan Vagar's travel wish for the future. Gotravel24 chats to the enticing presenter of Eastern Mosaic.

Gotravel24.com: Working in television has exposed you to many different places, which stands out for you the most?
As a presenter of Eastern Mosaic, I have had the good fortune to travel to some truly beautiful and fascinating cities, but I discovered Mnemba Island off the coast of Zanzibar while filming for my first TV series “Chill Out”. It’s how I imagine heaven to be.

As one of SA’s popular television personalities, does it bother you being recognised while on holiday?
Internationally, I think that’s only ever happened in London, India & Rio of all places. Locally, it’s more frequent – but in either case, it doesn’t bother me at all. Besides, I never travel on “holiday” – it’s always for work, so I’m still ‘in character’, so to speak.

Are you a bush baby, eco adventurer, extreme thrill-seeker, beach bandit, or five-star freak?
I think I am a little bit of all of the above, but leaning more towards “beach bandit”. It all depends on my mood at the time.

Local is lekker when you find yourself in...
In the Cape! I absolutely love it there. So much in fact, that I’ve just made it my new home.

My favourite hangout in the global village is...
“La Residence” in Franschhoek. It’s exquisitely beautiful and oh so peaceful.

Your travel nightmare would have to be...
Airports! Particularly crowded and poorly managed ones – and I’ve never met a customs or immigrations official that I’ve liked. I wish we could skip the whole airport thing altogether – and hope that technological advances in the future will enable us to someday “beam” ourselves to our chosen destination. “Beam me up, Skattie!”. 9/11 as a catalyst has taken most of the fun out of air-travel anyway.

Your dream getaway would see you...
On a remote island with no other guests, cooking up the catch of the day, enjoying sundowners & making love under a blanket of stars.

Travelling in style is...
Having peace of mind – without it, all the spoils mean nothing. It is the ultimate luxury.

Are you a walking holiday itinerary or a spontaneous relaxation rebel?
Definitely the latter! I like to go with the flow – because, as in life, even the most foolproof itinerary seldom goes exactly ‘as planned’.

Have you had or made any mile-high club propositions?
Yes (to the former). But I don’t find airplane interiors or the fear of being discovered sexy at all! (I can think of other, far more creative ways to make my partner’s ears pop!)

Your ideal travel companion is...
My partner

You never travel without your...
iPod, wallet, phone, documentation and sense of humour.

Tip to make and not break the holiday...
Leave your ‘glossy-brochure’ expectations at home and surrender to a spirit of adventure and the endless possibilities that come with the unknown.

What keeps you coming back for more...
For me, it’s always about the people. I review a place entirely by the character of its citizens. The rest is just geography!

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