On The Wright trek

Ian Wright is a busy man, a very busy man indeed. The world traveller, known for his hit television series Globe Trekker on the Discovery Channel, spoke to tabloid! from his home in London while taking a break from filming his latest series, Ian Wright: Out of Bounds.

Wright, who visited the capital city recently as part of a celebrity line-up for the Gourmet Abu Dhabi festival, said: "I only spent one night in Abu Dhabi - mostly in my hotel and a quick trip to a shopping mall that was expensive.

"I love the fact that the UAE is only 37 years old. It's extraordinary. I've never been anywhere in the world like that. When I was there, we drove past Shaikh Zayed Mosque and I thought it looked amazing," he said.

But Wright added that he wasn't sure if he would return, as Abu Dhabi struck him as being more of a business destination than a tourist one. Although he hasn't visited Dubai yet, Wright said the city also didn't catch his interest. "It doesn't strike me as a nice place to chill out."

The globetrotting television host had wonderful experiences in some of the locations he visited for his latest show, such as Syria, Venezuela and Okinawa.

"Syria is going to be a fabulous programme. We went to Damascus and now [the atmosphere] is relaxed and people are going to restaurants and bars. It's a nice mix of people - some look like they're from Glasgow, that is they are pale, while others are more exotic," Wright said excitedly.

He enjoyed the food too, adding that he'd tried a dish of meatballs in a cherry sauce that was delicious. The only downside was that it was not as spicy as he had hoped. "I love spicy food. Even in the UK, chicken tikka is now the most eaten meal."

One country that Wright hasn't visited yet but would love to is Afghanistan. His production company had filmed a documentary there over four months. It subsequently won awards for best director and audience choice at the Sundance Film Festival.

Having seen so much of the world, Wright finds it difficut to choose a favourite. "That's hard, because everywhere is amazing.

"When I went to Mongolia I loved it. The landscape was incredible and there were only two roads, one that led to China and the other to Russia.

"I also love going anywhere above the Arctic Circle, the landscape is beautiful there. What's nice is that it's isolated, there's no media, television... so the people are honest. Everyone just gets on with it and there's no bulls**t," he said.

One experience Wright will not soon forget is trip with his crew to film an episode about Mount Yasur, the world's most accessible active volcano located on Tanna, one of the islands of Vanuatu.

"The soundman's ears were bleeding because of the sound and a piece of lava suddenly flew out and nearly hit our heads.

"We all started running and our director was shouting to keep to the trails, but we were having none of that - we just wanted to get out of there," he reminisced, laughing.

Wright also remembered the strangest thing he had eaten on his journeys: rancid shark meat in Norway. "It's something that goes all the way back to the Vikings," he said.

"They would capture a shark, kill it and bury it for nine months. Then they'd dig it up, hang it in a shed for one year and then eat it.

"It was the most disgusting thing I had ever eaten."

When it comes to souvenirs, Wright always makes sure that he gets something that he knows his family and friends would enjoy.

"I never buy that much, and if I do, I make sure that they'll like it. One thing that no one will ever get sick of is free presents. But they will moan when I start talking about my travels," he laughed.

Supplied