Worldwide travels with model and TV star Calum Best

Worldwide travels with the model and TV star

By Claire Muffett-Reece

MY TRIP TO… THE BAHAMAS

 

Seeing the pigs was sad

‘When I visited the Bahamas we took a boat out to see the famous pigs, but that was pretty screwed up! My understanding is that the locals realised that they could make a business out of taking tourists to see pigs on an island. They took a load of pigs out on a boat and left them there, and then started to charge tourists to go and see them. The pigs were angry and aggressive!’

Our villa was insane

‘We were in the Bahamas for a fitness retreat, staying on a private villa on a private beach – it had the picturesque white sand and insane blue sea you see on postcards. There were about 15 or 20 of us in total. My mate Wayne Lineker and I were the bad influencers in the group, as we did sneak out for a night to go and drink wine in a local bar!’

It was nice not to party

‘The best thing about the trip was having that time to bond with one of my close friends. Wayne and I have both always been known for our partying, so it was great to actually spend that time together in a non-party situation.’

Go and explore

‘My top tip is to get off the beaten track. The locals are amazing and so happy to talk to you. They’ll want to show you their culture and the less-known areas of the Bahamas, so get to know them and this can lead to the most incredible experience.’

MY TRIP TO… BALI

Fitness in paradise

‘I went on an adventure holiday and fitness retreat with Fifth Element Escapes. The business was created by these two insane fitness fanatics – Gemma is a well-known yoga instructor, and Buddy used to be a Royal Marine Commando, so the trips they put together are pretty unique. I can honestly say that this was the best fitness retreat I have ever been on.’

I loved every minute

‘The whole week was so special and while you didn’t have to do anything you didn’t want to take part in, I didn’t want to miss out on anything! From the moment you stepped off the plane, every detail had been thought of, and we travelled to an area of Bali that I’d never been to before, so I was made up to be a part of it.’

The yoga was unreal

‘Gemma took the yoga classes to a new level. As a part of the YIN practise she does, we were taken through one yoga pose that basically cuts off your circulation for a few minutes, so that after you’ve held that pose, you get this crazy rush of energy. I’ve never experienced anything quite like that before.’

Climb Mount Batur

‘We set off at 3am and hiked through the night, reaching the summit in time to watch the sunrise over the mountains. It’s just the most incredible experience and worth every second of the early start.’

MY TRIP TO… IBIZA

I don’t go mad like I used to

‘When I was younger, I used to go to places like Ibiza to party hard, but I can’t keep up anymore – I like to go for three or four days and I’ll set aside one day to have a party, then I’ll go and relax and enjoy what the island has to offer for the rest of the time.’

I mix where I stay

‘I stay in two places when I visit Ibiza – the Wi-Ki-Woo when I want to party, and the 7Pines resort in Cala Tarida when I want to relax. The Wi-Ki-Woo is the place to be when you want to really be in the mix of things, but the 7Pines gives you that bit more luxury when you’re ready to get away from it all.’

I supported Wayne

‘I flew to Ibiza to celebrate Wayne’s birthday and to visit his club. The best thing about my trip was definitely being there to support my friend at an important time in his life.’

Take things easy

‘My number one tip for Celebrity Secrets readers when visiting Ibiza has got to be… pace yourself!’

MY TRIP TO… MARBELLA

Marbs was so glam

‘I’ve been going to Marbella for a long time – I moved to the UK when I was 20, and Marbella was the first place I went to on holiday from there. Back then, it was so glamorous. I was 19 years old, and there were all these amazing girls in their bikinis, and I was like, “wow, this is where it’s at!”’

I stayed for a month

‘When I first visited Marbella it was my first real experience of being a “celebrity” – at that age, I felt like I’d made it! I was meant to only be there for two days for a club appearance at Linekers, which is where I first met Wayne. I ended up missing 22 flights home, stayed for four weeks, and was given a set of keys to Wayne’s apartment – and for his Ferrari!’

I’m so grateful for Marbella

‘Without Marbs I’d never have met Wayne and built up what has become a great friendship. That first time I arrived at Linekers, Wayne told me that he’d previously arranged for my dad to come and do a book launch for him, so it was great that he was now getting to work with his son. That felt special to me, like it was somehow meant to be that I was there, meeting him.’

MY TRIP TO… CHAMONIX

I climbed Mont Blanc for charity

‘I did the climb to raise awareness for the charity I’m a patron of, The National Association for Children of Alcoholics (Nacoa). We had to start climbing this training mountain, Gran Paradiso, which I thought was going to be easy. I put my 30kg bag on my back and halfway up, I thought to myself, I can’t do this. We had a team of 15 people and three had already dropped out. The guides told me that this is that point when it’s really a test of your mind, and that was what spurred me on to get to the top.’

There was no luxury

‘We spent the nights in little lodges with minimal water and soup and bread for a meal, then we’d just carry on climbing. We had to pass over a ravine known as the death ravine, because people have died there many times, which was terrifying.’

I was so proud to finish

‘When we eventually reached the top, I felt so elated. I don’t pretend that I’m an inspiration to people, but if I can use my platform in any way to help a situation that is important to me, then I’ll do whatever I can. Nacoa is a small charity and this awareness, and the fact that I could talk about them, really helped their cause.’

Make sure you’re prepared

‘If you think you want to climb Montt Blanc, don’t go ill-prepared. Get on the Stairmaster with a 40kg bag on your bag, because you are definitely going to need that training!’

Calum visited Bali with Fifth Element Escapes, a luxury travel company offering adventure, yoga, fitness and wellbeing escapes to some of the most beautiful destinations on earth. For more information visit fifthelementescapes.com