Me and my travels

I never travel without...

A notepad to jot down what people say and what happens, a camera and a tape recorder. I also travel with my iPod and computer now so I've got music with me. If at all possible, I also try to travel with my family - although there have been a few places I wouldn't want them to come, such as Afghanistan.

My top travel tip is...

Keep an open mind. It's easy to get stuck in what you know and like and I think it's important to travel outside your comfort zone. I could never understand people who would come back from a holiday and tell you what McDonald's tastes like in France.

When I'm travelling i always miss...

Safety. While making Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? we went to some particularly dangerous places and you really do just miss being somewhere safe. When not in a war zone I really miss my bed. It's such a comfortable bed and it's broken-in now so it truly is the best bed ever.

My idea of paradise is...

Waking up with my family somewhere exotic. My wife Alex and I got married on Tavarua Island in Fiji and that was paradise. The locals caught fish all day so we just ate fresh food and relaxed. There's something great about being in a place where there's no TV, no internet and no cell phones - all those things you think are important, but aren't. I can just read and spend time with my family.

The best place I've stayed is...

A series of tents in the desert outside Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. People head out into the desert on Thursday nights to sleep in these Bedouin tents. All the guys go motorbiking and dune bashing and then cook lamb and sit around under the stars telling stories around campfires. That was pretty special.

My most treasured souvenir is...

The Eye of Fatima which is supposed to ward off evil spirits and protect my young son. It was given to me by Prince Hussein of Jordan whom I met when I was making the movie. We had dinner and got talking about how my wife was pregnant. He later had it delivered to my hotel as a gift.

My most memorable meal was in...