Frequent Flyer: Walter Mason

Walter Mason is a writer, spiritual adventurer and author of Destination Cambodia and Destination Saigon.

HOTEL

I'm afraid I always splurge and stay at the Le Meridien Bangkok on Surawong Road. Sleek and groovy, it has perfumed air and its own soundtrack in the lifts and lobbies. The best breakfast in Asia with chilli and lemongrass hangover cures thrust into your hand before you even sit down.

AIRLINE

Cathay Pacific business class has spoiled me for life. It feels like you are in your own little room, with nooks and crannies for all the essentials on a flight.

RESORT

The Meritus Palangi Beach Resort in Sarawak, Malaysia is its own little village, right on the beach. Friendly, laid back and unpretentious, it provides the perfect excuse for doing nothing at all. And for lazy lumps like me it has dinky little buggy trains that deliver you straight to your room - you need never use your legs.

LUGGAGE

I am the type who packs 30 kilograms for an overnight trip, so I have a vast silver Samsonite suitcase that can contain multitudes. It's quite indestructible and stands out on baggage collection belts. I lug this with me everywhere, including on local buses to Cambodian villages and ferries down the Mekong River. Backpackers stare at me with disdain but I smile back, content in the knowledge that I have a formal outfit ready to go. You just never know.

KIT

I travel with balms and liniments bulging out of every pocket. Peppermint Field green tea balm stick from Thailand is something I simply must have. When things get tough I have two small statues that turn any hotel room into a shrine - one of Ganesh and one of Kwan Yin, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. I also buy flowers for my room to keep it smelling sweet.