'Funny Girl' star Clyde Berning's travelling life

23 April 2017 - 02:00 By Elizabeth Sleith
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Clyde Berning is starring as Nick Arnstein in 'Funny Girl: The Musical' in Cape Town.
Clyde Berning is starring as Nick Arnstein in 'Funny Girl: The Musical' in Cape Town.
Image: Supplied

'Funny Girl' star Clyde Berning talks about small planes, backpacking with his future wife and how he got his one travel essential from his mom

How often do you travel?

Not often enough. We've just had our third child. Time is an issue. As soon as the little one is old enough, we're all hitting the road, our whole mini-cricket team. We'll probably road trip into the Karoo.

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Where next?

The best memory. In 1986, my parents took us to London, New York and Disney World, Florida. For a five-year-old kid it was a dream. I met Winnie-the-Pooh!  

What do you need for a perfect holiday?

Space. Being alone with my loved ones. Access to an ocean, a desert (semi-arid or arid, I'm not fussy) or a forest. And great food. Is that asking too much? I think space is a luxury these days and when you're in a small, ground-floor apartment with a growing family you kinda get a craving for it.

Best holiday ever?

My wife and I went backpacking after graduating and it was magical. We started in Vancouver, working on a ski resort. Once we'd saved up enough we made our way down the West Coast by train and bus to the Baja peninsula in Mexico, where we stayed on an empty beach in the Bahia Concepcion.

The marine life and clear, clean water were otherworldly and we stayed in a small palapa (an open-sided dwelling with a thatched roof made of dried palm leaves), not 5m from the water's edge.

When we ran out of cash, we made our way to London, living and working for five months until we had enough to fly to Thailand.

 

Most relaxing destination?

Koh Phangan in Thailand for the hammocks, empty beaches, warm tropical waters and great food.

Favourite restaurant?

Emily Moon, overlooking the Bitou Vlei in Plettenberg Bay. The food is stunning.

Favourite city?

Cape Town, still. Everything about it, always.

Most adventurous travel experience?

I once went on a flying holiday to the Okavango Delta in Botswana and then on to Zimbabwe to raft the huge Zambezi rapids. The flight there, in a four-seater Cessna, was more nerve-wracking than the rapids.    

Favourite hotel?

A lodge in Kenya called Il Ngwezi. I stayed there after climbing Mount Kenya in 2003 and it is the best place to recover. It's totally isolated and looks out over endless savannah. Samburu warriors built it themselves. They cook for you, take you on walks and give you space to reconnect with nature on your own terms.

Best piece of travel advice?

Keep your friends close and your key documents closer. I almost missed a train from Dar-es-Salaam to central Zambia once as I didn't have my train ticket in my passport.

What's your one travel essential?

My Deuter backpack. From my mom.

•  Clyde Berning is starring in Funny Girl the Musical at the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town. It's on now until June 11.

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