Gellert Baths in Budapest.Credit: Alamy
Performer Marika Aubrey loves returning to old favourites.
WHAT WAS YOUR BEST HOLIDAY?
It's my annual family ski trip. We've been hiring the same lodge in Jindabyne for 36 years and we look forward to it all year. My phone goes off, my skis go on, and every evening I eat and drink too much, surrounded by family and friends. Bliss.
Marika Aubrey.
THE BEST HOTEL YOU'VE STAYED AT?
Hotel Gellert in Budapest, Hungary. My Hungarian godfather booked it for me as a treat when I was living in London in 2005. I was on my own in the fancy hotel with a thermal spa downstairs and a balcony overlooking the Danube. I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman all weekend.
WHAT DO YOU ALWAYS TAKE WITH YOU?
Books - usually more than I need but I'm an avid reader and being on holiday means losing myself in a good book for hours. I always take extra vitamins because the plane airconditioning is a worry for any immune system. And I swear by a beautiful pashmina for all types of travel.
WHAT'S YOUR BEST PIECE OF TRAVEL ADVICE?
Try to stay in unique places rather than chain hotels (I love airbnb) and make the effort to get out of the main cities. It can be a bit of a hassle to get there, but it's usually worth it.
WHAT WAS YOUR WORST EXPERIENCE ON HOLIDAY?
In my mid-20s I was travelling around Europe for four months with one of my oldest friends. In Amsterdam the guy we were staying with turned up totally high - manic, agitated and nonsensical. We were not too bothered by this until he started making racist comments about people in the street. We immediately made an excuse to leave and bolted.
WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO NEXT?
I'd love to re-visit the Ukraine with my partner; I have a vast number of extended family there and I'd love watching him be engulfed by them. My family live in the very remote village of Rakiv, near Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine, so it would be a delicious culture shock for him.
Marika Aubrey stars in Sing A-Long-A Sound of Music, at the NSW State Theatre on February 21, 22 and 23.
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