Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler rates Cape Town as her favourite city. She shares the highs and lows of jet-setting around the globe How often do you travel?All the time. There hasn't been a week in the last year or so when I've not been on a plane, travelling from Britain, and also from the Algarve where I live part of the year, to different parts of the world. Recently I've been to Istanbul and Bucharest.Your earliest memory of travelling abroad?My dad was a coal miner and my mum was a housewife. I was one of six children, growing up on the Welsh coast, so my early childhood holidays consisted of caravan breaks at one of the nearby beaches such as Happy Valley or Trecco Bay in Porthcawl, South Wales. I loved clambering over the rocks, collecting shells, and in the evening there was a dance hall we'd go to. I never used to dance. I'd just sit by the side and watch the adults.mini_story_image_hleft1Favourite place you've performed?A few years ago on New Year's Eve, I sang to nearly 50 000 folk at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The atmosphere was incredible.Favourite place to record music?Nashville, where I recorded my latest album, "Rocks & Honey". It's great for music lovers because it's loaded with musical talent. You must head to the Bluebird Café, a tiny place where you have to queue to get in, as there's no favouritism. It's where songwriters get to showcase their songs, in a very intimate acoustic setting, to talent scouts and record companies as well as singers. I once heard my song "Mom" being performed there by a wonderful American country-music gent called Wynn Varble.Favourite holiday destination?I love New York City. It really is the city that never sleeps. I like to be bang in the middle of Times Square. But in Europe, it would have to be the Algarve. I made an album there in the late '70s and I fell in love with the place straight away. I find the area and the way of life incredibly relaxing. As soon as you get off the plane, you forget about everything else. The beaches and scenery are gorgeous and I have a 50ft-long Princess yacht with a fly-bridge that I love taking down the coast to explore. I feel very at home there.full_story_image_hleft2Favourite city?One of my recent favourites is Cape Town. I was there to perform a few years ago but also got to visit Table Mountain and did wine tasting in Stellenbosch with friends. Then I met up with some other people I knew in Johannesburg before visiting the immense Kruger National Park.What are your must-have travelling essentials?I've got to take my make-up with me. I don't feel dressed if I don't have any on. I'm not one of those people who tries to give their skin a rest because they're on holiday! I also need my husband Robert wherever I go - we've been married since 1969 and we haven't killed each other yet.Are you an adventurous traveller?I'm not really the sporty type but I did do a week of skiing in Austria with a couple of friends. I was there the first day it snowed but we travelled higher up the glacier, where the conditions were very good. I fell several times on the first day but after that I improved and only went tumbling once. I'm not a particularly confident skier - I like sticking to the blue runs and I love to take regular stops in the bars to have a grappa. I prefer a more leisurely pace. The snowboarders whizzing by really scare me.Favourite hotel?The Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. The rooms are tastefully decorated, the bar is great and it has a Wolfgang Puck restaurant [called CUT]. The Rodeo Drive area is also great for shopping. On the east coast, when I'm in New York, I always stay at the DoubleTree Suites Hotel in Times Square - it's right in the middle of the mayhem of the city.story_article_left1Favourite airline?British Airways, if I'm travelling long-haul - their first-class lounge is fantastic. But if I'm flying to New York, I tend to go on Virgin Atlantic out of habit. And in Europe, I travel around quite frequently, so I usually go on a budget airline.What was your worst travel experience?Nearly 20 years ago, I was on a flight travelling across America when one of the plane's engines stopped working without any warning. We lost altitude very dramatically and it felt like the plane was plummeting from the sky. Then all of the oxygen masks above the seats popped out - I thought I was a goner. I was squeezing Robert's arm in a panic, people were screaming hysterically, and it was horrendous. Then all of a sudden, the plane levelled out.Your best piece of travel advice?Take good headphones with you so you can drown out the noise of any children being naughty nearby. It really annoys me that some parents let their children get away with misbehaving on a flight and other passengers around them have to put up with it.What do you hate about holidays?The only irritation is going through security. You have to take off so much now, including your boots and belt, and if you're wearing an underwired bra, there's a beep when you go through the scanner.Where next?I'd love to see China. I've never been and I'm told my music is pretty popular there. Thankfully the country is opening up more now to tourism. - The Telegraphvideo.instagram, img.instagram {width: 100% !important; height: auto !important;}..