'New Zealand is an amazing place to ride a motorbike'

First holiday memory?

When I was able to afford a plane ticket and hire a car, I went on my first real holiday to Ibiza, which was in 1982. My sister and my girlfriend came with me and we all slept in a small Fiat for three nights until we gave in and booked into a hostel. We would go into San Antonio and enjoy the sun and the foreign culture. It was a real experience and obviously I've been going back ever since.

Best holiday?

I have family in Barbados, so that's another place I go to a lot. It's a very small island but I love seeking out the parts that are cooled by the trade winds – because it gets so hot there – and then sitting there getting slowly trashed on rum punch. I like the pace of Barbados – people are very chilled but they like a good party and they're very inviting.

Favourite place in the British Isles?

I was born in Manchester, but moved to Carshalton in South London when I was six months old. I never got to see the British coast until 1984 when I went to Brighton. The multicultural vibe there was so great that I moved there. I lived there for nearly 10 years then moved to inland Sussex in Horsham but I missed Brighton so much that I moved back a couple of years ago. It's my favourite place to be.

What have you learnt from your travels?

I love the idea that I'm able to travel to go to work – not just commuting, but from country to country; I'm very lucky. I've learnt to be patient because things go wrong – I've been delayed and I've been robbed while I've been travelling.

Ideal travelling companion?

It definitely isn't a wife or girlfriend, because I've argued with both, so it'd be my mates. We have the best time possible.

Beach bum, culture vulture or adrenalin junkie?

Because I travel so much the last thing I want to do is jump out of a plane and I get to soak up a lot of culture through work; so to be able to lie on a beach and do nothing at all is my ideal holiday.

Greatest travel luxury?

I love music and I don't often get the opportunity to listen to the music that I grew up with like funk, soul and jazz. So I really enjoy recapturing my youth by listening to songs from Tamla Motown and Atlantic Records on my iPhone.

Holiday reading?

I have the attention span of a gnat so I'm not a great reader. However, I am looking for a reason to get an iPad and I think that might be it – I might start dipping into books if they're all stored on that.

Where has seduced you?

I love Thailand. It was high on my list to have Thai food in Thailand and about seven years ago I went to Phuket and was able to order Thai food on room service, which was brilliant. It's a lot hotter than it is in the UK, but delicious. There are some amazing restaurants – the food was exceptional nearly everywhere I ate.

Better to travel or arrive?

I prefer to arrive. When the plane is about to land I have a big smile on my face, especially if it has been a 13-hour flight and I've been wearing the same clothes the whole time. I've watched all the movies and I don't want to eat any more nuts, thank you.

Worst travel experience?

A flight from Houston to Atlanta that we had to take twice because of a heavy storm. The plane was dropping 20ft or so in the sky for an hour, then turned around before we landed and went back to Houston. I had to get to Atlanta to DJ so I got on another plane and sat through the same experience while we went back, but the second time we managed to land.

Worst holiday?

I went to the Maldives with my wife at the time in about 1991. I didn't have a credit card so I'd taken cash for the week, which I hid in our room. Unfortunately someone found it and took it. It was the only money we had and the hotel thought we were trying to scam them. We ended up having to borrow money from honeymooners and lived on Coca-Cola and fishcakes for a week. I also got earache and did my back in.

Worst hotel?

The hotel in the Maldives. Everything was overpriced, our room was full of geckos that would land on me in the night and the service didn't live up to expectations. I've heard it's since been completely renovated so maybe it has improved now.

Best hotel?

The Amanpuri in Phuket is just sensational. The food and service are amazing and they really make you feel like you're on holiday. I ended up doing yoga and meditation, which I'd not ever done before.

Favourite walk/swim/ride/drive?

I ride motorbikes and one of my favourite holidays is in New Zealand. It's an amazing place to ride a bike; the scenery is phenomenal.

First thing you do when you arrive somewhere new?

Find out where the best restaurant is. Everything else comes after that.

Dream trip?

I've been to the most dreamy places, so I don't have any more on my list.

Favourite city?

I like New York. It's so fast-paced and grand and doesn't pretend to be anything. You shout for cabs, you get grief if you don't tip people and I like that.

Where next?

I'm flying back to London from Melbourne, then on to Beirut, Italy and finally Ibiza for the summer.

Carl Cox's The Revolution Continues opens at Space, Ibiza on 6 July, and continues every Tuesday until 21 September ( carlcox.com).

Carl also plays SW4 on Clapham Common, London on 29 August ( southwestfour.com).