My life in travel: Sadie Frost

'Kate Moss's party on the Great Wall of China was outstanding'

First holiday memory?

On Formentera when I was about four. There wasn't any electricity. My parents were young when they had me so they were always taking us to places on the hippie trail, usually in the car. We once drove to Marrakech in a Citroën with my sister in a washing-up bowl to keep her cool.

Best holiday?

My ultimate holiday is relaxing and getting peace of mind. I recently went with my two sisters to Le Touessrok in Mauritius and did lots: bike riding, kayaking and eating amazing, healthy food.

Favourite place in the British Isles?

Last year I took my kids to Padstow and we learnt to surf. It was great, so this year we're staying in a cabin at the Driftwood Hotel near Truro.

What have you learnt from your travels?

Sightseeing is interesting, but I don't like to put pressure on myself to do stuff. I prefer to keep it simple.

Ideal travelling companion?

It was nice to have a holiday without my children, but I miss them when they're not there. My sisters are the best because they like the same things as me, they're not too demanding and I can be myself with them.

Beach bum, culture vulture or adrenalin junkie?

I find travel inspirational – I come up with ideas for my fashion label Frost French or write or read. I'm not great at doing nothing. I'm training to do a bike ride to Paris at the moment so I cycled a lot in Mauritius.

Greatest travel luxury?

I always take my cashmere blanket and a tuberose-scented candle to remind me of home.

Holiday reading?

In Mauritius I read Ian McEwan's On Chesil Beach, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean Dominique-Bauby and Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. It was a luxury to read three books on holiday because that doesn't happen with four children around.

Where has seduced you?

I loved the Maldives, Jamaica, Marrakech, Mauritius, China and Angkor Wat in Cambodia. They all brought out different things in me.

Better to travel or arrive?

I love travelling by train. I took one to Seville with a boyfriend two years ago.

First holiday memory?

I've got a bit of an obsession with looking for adventures so I research trips a lot beforehand, which means I haven't really been disappointed by places or holidays.

Worst hotel?

I don't like snooty hotels. Luxury and chic surroundings are nice, but I don't enjoy places where status is important.

First holiday memory?

I loved Le Touessrok because there was a Givenchy spa, really good vegetarian food, great amenities and some of the best service I've ever had.

First holiday memory?

The drive from Naples to Positano through Sorrento and Ravello is beautiful and I love driving up to Malibu.

Best meal abroad?

A party for Kate Moss's birthday hosted by David Tang on the Great Wall of China. We had a meal in these amazing tents, serenaded by classical musicians; it was outstanding.

First thing you do when you arrive somewhere new?

Have a recce of the joint and orient myself then go and have a drink. I don't worry about unpacking.

Dream trip?

I'd love to go to Mozambique but it's difficult to do with kids. I also want to do some exploring on rivers because you come into contact with communities you wouldn't necessarily see. I love being near water.

Favourite city?

I read Graham Greene's The Quiet American while I was at The Continental hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, which he references in the book. I like cities like that, they seem to stand still. I can still get lost in the architecture of Paris, too.

Where next?

I'm going to Cornwall, then the Amalfi coast. For Christmas I'm looking into going on a houseboat safari in Botswana.