Famous flyer: Pro surfer Sally Fitzgibbons

MY BEST HOLIDAY is pretty hard to pick because we go to some pretty amazing locations on the world tour. I would have to say my most recent holiday to Vanuatu, which was my first non-working holiday in a long time. I was able to surf for pleasure and just enjoy being on holiday with my partner. I also got engaged during the trip, therefore it's definitely one the most memorable trips I've taken.

THE BEST HOTEL I'VE STAYED IN is a Novotel property. Novotel always looks after me, make me feel comfortable and at ease. When you're in competition mode, it's important to feel at home.

I ALWAYS TAKE my surfboards and sunscreen. Aside from that, jogging gear and my fit ball. I'm a very active traveller and obviously I need to train while on the road.

THE INGREDIENTS FOR A PERFECT HOLIDAY INCLUDE sightseeing, surfing and a great book to pass the time with. Hanging out with good friends and being able to relax is important too.

THE BEST PIECE OF TRAVEL ADVICE is that you can never get to an airport too early and you can never be too organised. Even if you're five hours early for your flight, it's better than running late and stressing before the holiday begins. Allow plenty of time to check in and then relax.

MY WORST EXPERIENCE ON HOLIDAY is losing my boards before having to compete. I was trying to get from South America to Europe and had a few connecting flights in between them. During the journey my huge bag, which contained six surfboards together with my wetsuits and training gear, was lost for weeks. It miraculously showed up three months later in a random destination. I assumed they had disappeared for good, so I was pretty surprised when I received a call three months later telling me they had reappeared – better late than never.

MY BIGGEST PACKING MISTAKE was just recently when I was up on the Gold Coast visiting a surf spot that takes quite a while to drive to and we were all in a bit of a rush while packing the car. You have to get your kit bag, all your training items and multiple boards together and I thought someone in my team had packed my boards so we drove all the way there, were stuck in traffic, finally arrived, opened the boot and realised the boards were not in there. I definitely learnt my lessons that day. Now I always double check my equipment and make sure everything I need is packed.

NEXT ON MY LIST is somewhere that's off the tour path, somewhere in the Caribbean perhaps. Also, I've had a few trips to Japan cancelled in the past, so that's still on my list. It'd be cool to experience the surf and snow in the same day. Plus Japan's culture and food are phenomenal.

Sally is an ambassador for sun safety organisation Pretty Shady. For more information see prettyshady.com