Where would you recommend for a money-no-object holiday?
Papua New Guinea. It has everything. You can dive in crystal-clear water in Madang and see wrecks and Japanese planes from the Second World War; hike and look for birds of paradise in cloud forests; go on a lovely boat down the Sepik River or have a cocktail while birdwatching at Ambua Lodge.
Your favourite hotel?
Luxury hotels are not me. But after I was rescued I got very spoilt by the Airways Hotel in Port Moresby, which is perched above the airport. You can watch planes take off from the balcony, which is rather magical. The hotel washed my jungle clothes, which was very brave — most room services wouldn’t go that far. Plus, it serves Papua New Guinea coffee, of which I am a big fan.
The best beach?
Constantine Bay in Cornwall, which always has waves crashing in. I love the wildness of it. It also has rockpools where I have spent hours with my children, all being explorers in new territories together, finding crabs, anemones and shrimps.
Which historical figure would you like to travel with?
James Cook, undoubtedly. He was a man of the Enlightenment, a navigator of genius and great at getting around. He had the ability to see people simply as people and he travelled so lightly in terms of cultural baggage. I always wanted to be like Cook, which is why I always try to see eye to eye with people.
The best meal you’ve ever had?
I used to say roast lamb, which is what my mum used to cook when I got back from expeditions. But now I’d say a meal I had in Papua New Guinea just before I was rescued. I was very ill, and local children gave me sweet potatoes that had been roasted on a fire. I was so grateful, as I needed food and company and they gave both.
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Your favourite travel book?
The Snow Geese by William Fiennes, in which the author goes off in search of snow geese that migrate across America and, on his way, learns to enjoy and be appreciative about the world again. It is what I yearn to do.
Best wildlife experience?
When I was walking the length of Namibia I came across elephants in an oasis in the Kaokoland, then ostriches and zebras. It was a bit of paradise and the only things there were me and all these wonderful creatures.
Favourite island?
Siberut, one of the Mentawai islands off Sumatra, which has exquisite beaches and the Mentawai, who are hippie-like people whose philosophy is about being in balance. In their world everything has a spirit, and it’s important to keep them all in harmony. It’s incredibly peaceful being with them.
Best place for a swim?
I was once marooned in Indonesia at night when the boat I was on started to take in water. We stopped on a sandbank to fix the boat and the water was thick with luminescence. It was like being in a swimming pool with the lights on, it was so alive.
Best view?
From the top of the Central Range in Papua New Guinea. It’s pretty special looking out through the sphagnum moss, lichen and cloud over thick, pristine forest.
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Most romantic destination?
New York. In winter it’s so sparkly and I love the energy. I went there on one of the last journeys on the QE2 and seeing the Statue of Liberty with the snow coming down, welcoming us as it has done to immigrants for centuries, was special. It’s where I proposed to my wife on a horse-drawn carriage.
Your wonders of the world?
Khuvsgul province in Mongolia, where I met a blind shaman reindeer herder. Rincón de la Vieja, a volcano in Costa Rica, which when we were there was pretty undiscovered. Brunei, because its rainforest is full of gibbons, whose whooping gives me goosebumps. And the Baring Strait in Russia, where I saw the northern lights.
Your favourite piece of luggage?
Photos of my family. When you need to survive, you have to know what you are fighting for. Survival is all about your mind. You can do things if you believe you can — children staring out at you makes you believe.
What camera do you take?
A Canon Eos, which ended up in the River Sepik on my last trip. Luckily I managed to retrieve it and the chip is OK, but for the rest of the journey all I had was my phone.
Paradise on earth?
A lake in the Peruvian Amazon where the locals believe a huge snake lives, so they never go. They canoed me so far, then I walked alone to it for the next two days. It was wonderful. Because no one goes there, so animals aren’t hunted, it was like an Eden.
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Hell on earth?
In the Colombian bit of the Amazon I was shot at by Pablo Escobar’s people. He was hiding in the lowlands and he sent people to chase and kill me, which was pretty scary.
Advice for the first-time adventurer?
Leave as much at home as possible. You will learn more. And try to plug into how locals see as quickly as possible. You will be open to kindness, experiences and all sorts of things. You need to think of being vulnerable not as a problem, but as an opportunity.
What do you always take with you?
In my kit I will always have the rudiments, like the compass, a knife with a flint, fishing line, tinder, cotton wool to light a fire, loo paper, chocolate, a silk sleeping-bag liner and photos of home. In my twenties I used to take postcards of the Queen, which opened up conversations. I have phased that one out . . .