Article - Fardeen Khan

I look at travelling as a learning experience — a chance to understand different cultures, mindsets, mannerisms and everything that goes with it. Nothing gives you the kind of exposure like travel does. Many are of the opinion that travel for a celebrity is easy, what with private jets, business class tickets and chauffer driven cars at their disposal. That being true, I also enjoy just the backpacking mode of travel. Just go to an unknown place and be an anonymous traveller. I like to let my hair down and enjoy the spirit and energy of that place. It's a wonderful experience for celebrities from our country to walk on the streets of say New York or Melbourne and not be recognised and bothered. We can lead a blissful, ordinary existence.

I love London a lot, especially now, since my wife Natasha is from there and I have someone from the city to show me the nuances of the place. There's a lot you can do there, from visiting various historic spots and museums, to just hanging out on the streets and watching the world go by. There is something for everybody. I am somebody who loves to party and am not at all apologetic about that. So I like to check out the happening nightspots in a city when I am there. That's where the youthful energy of a place resides and is a good indication of where the place is going. I love to let my hair down and just have fun.

Thankfully, my profession gives me the opportunity to travel and explore new places while working. I have seen so many lovely places thanks to my outdoor shoots and live shows. I am someone who likes to wrap up my day's work when I am on an outdoor location and get out to see the place and meet local people. It's amazing how you can make friends when you are travelling and some of them last for life.

I am more of a beach person, I love the sea and water sports as well. I love Bangkok and the beaches up there in Thailand. There's nothing like lying on the beach, taking in the sun and reading a book or something. And yes, travelling with someone you love is a wonderful experience, because you take back those special memories for life together. They say, that travelling can be a test of relationships, because you need to constantly adapt to the environment of the new place and when you are with someone who is not equally adaptable, there might be some stress. Thankfully I am very flexible and not rigid at all, so I have no such issues.

(As told to Chaya S.)