Name: Edward Duca
Age: 29
Occupation: Publications developer and editor at the University of Malta. Project manager for ‘Science in the City’.

My best holiday ever…

China was an unforgettable experience. I went to Beijing for three weeks with my then partner and her family; she is half-Chinese – the perfect companion.

Because of this I could chat with locals, taste food I would have missed, andstart to understand this vibrant, ancient capital city.

China is definitely not how the media portrays it. We hung out in independent cafes, bookshops and art centres, talking to some of the most interesting and hospitable people I have ever met.

One day we ended up in a bizarre drinking competition over a meal of jiaozi (steamed dumplings) and chilli chicken intestines.

A film producer showed us around the Great Wall of China, then the beautifully built China National Film Museum.

I also ended up giving an alternative science career talk to students at the University of Agricultural Sciences. Few places have matched these experiences.

We went to China in December when the temperature in Beijing plummets to way below 0ºC. At one point it hit -11ºC during the day, which meant everything liquid turned to ice. Ancient lakes crossed by jade bridges froze over and families went ice-skating.

Beijing offered some of the best street food I’ve ever tasted, such as noodle soup, millet soup and rice porridge flaked with salted fish; not to mention lamb kebabs from Xinjiang dunked in chilli and herbs.

That said, China isn’t perfect. I saw migrant construction workers, knowing they were underpaid for their 12-hour shifts, far away from their families.

And I wouldn’t call this trip ‘my best holiday’; since I’ve had so many great holidays. I screamed my lungs out on rollercoasters as a teen in America; saw perfectly preserved Punic ruins in Libya, and recently experienced a taste explosion in Tuscany. I have an addiction to travelling.

I would never return to…

Leicester, unless I feel like Indian sweets, curries and festivals. In 2006, I experienced Diwali, the festival of light filled with street dancing, special food and thousands of decorated bulbs. Apart from that, not much goes on there (I’ve got friends who think otherwise).

The most dangerous place I’ve visited…

London. I’ve seen muggings and fights, and once I was on a train as some teenagers tried to set fire to it. I stillvisit London regularly, including the dodgy areas.

My favourite city…

Edinburgh. I lived there for four years while studying for my Ph.D. I loved it.

It’s the only city with a centre dominated by a wonderful green valley; one side filled with Georgian shops, the other with 16th century buildings, all looked over by Edinburgh Castle. Whenever I stepped off the train, I smiled.

Edinburgh has two faces. One is agentle, quiet city, although being acapital means there is always something going on.

It has some of the best independent cinemas, such as The Filmhouse and Cameo.

The second face of Edinburgh is the revealed during the Fringe Festival in August.

Open spaces become beer gardens, graduation halls turn into silent discos, and hundreds of venues are filled with entertainment that pushes creativity to the max.

My most memorable experience on an aircraft…

The flight to Beijing. We were shocked that Air France had good food and coffee. It was the first time I’d really enjoyed plane cuisine. The 12-hour flight was the ideal time for me to brush up on my Chinese, and I started with food-related words.

My most treasured holiday souvenir…

My memories, photographs and the things I’ve learned by being exposed to other ways of life.

My biggest gaffe abroad…

Gaffes tend to be my trademark. I never know a place until I get lost, at least once. Mentioning this to first-time travel companions can be fun.

I never travel without...

Wallet, ticket and cash. Everything elseis secondary.

The taxi ride I will never forget…

The one I cannot talk about because I lost a gift given by someone dear to me. If I reveal too much, they will know.

All I can say is that I ran after the taxi and yelled at it to stop, but the driver didn’t speak English. When I had nearly reached the taxi, my lungs gave out.

My all-time favourite holiday photo...

The photos I have lost because memories make them sweeter. I remember seeing the sunset over a frozen lake while on the top of the Buddha temple in the Summer Palace, Beijing.

The Scottish Highlands also make the perfect holiday snapshot backdrop. Scotland only has five million people, mostly concentrated in Edinburgh and Glasgow, close to the border with England.

The further north and west you go, the wilder, more desolate and more beautiful the country gets.

An unforgettable hotel...

The resort which hosted us in Phuket, Thailand. I remember lying in a naturally warm pool as rain poured down on my face. The food was excellent and we were close to James Bond Island, used for the film The Man with the Golden Gun.

I return most often to...

London. I was born there and have lots of friends still living there, which makes accommodation cheap and the pubs a lot more fun.

My ideal travel companion...

Probably my best friends and my long-time partners. Holidays place you in stressful situations constantly. If you can’t get along on holiday, you definitely won’t make it work back home. Travelling with someone special who understands you is the best experience in the world.

Travelling on your own can also be great. I’ve never done it for more than a couple of days, but it’s always fun. You do get to meet much more people that way.

Country with the best cuisine...

Thailand due to my addiction to chilli; who knew there were so many varieties?

China comes a close second. The food there can be bizarre, but an open mind can lead to some delicious surprises.I still refuse to enjoy chicken feet,however.

Italy and Sicily are a close third (don’t kill me).

My next holiday plans…

Back to Scotland, to the Isle of Skye.

My dream trip…

A year travelling the world with friends, loved ones, and some time on my own.

I partied hardest in…

The Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, for three years running when I was studying for my Ph.D. Numerous hours in the lab would be followed by beer and stunning shows – what more is there to life? There were also memorable trips with my brother to Rotterdam and Madrid.

In Rotterdam I was lucky enough to go for the Queen’s Day celebrations one year.

In Madrid there was no special event, but we made it special.

My travel tip…

Smile and say hi to the locals. If you’re afraid to speak, use hand gestures; they usually work or make them laugh, either way you’ve made a good start.