Oh Boy! 'Buddy Holly' star Jethro Tait on camping, Kalk Bay & vegan burgers

As children, my brother and I went on a lot of holidays with my uncle and aunt. They would always find cool places in and around the Western Cape to take us camping. Those trips are still memorable. Pitching a tent, cooking dinner on a fire, coffee and rusks in the morning. I loved just having this thin piece of material between us and the outdoors. I loved sleeping cozily in a tent while feeling the ground beneath. They weren’t fancy vacations but I’ll always be grateful for some of my fondest memories.

My hometown is Fish Hoek, a small suburb in Cape Town, where I lived until I finished school and moved to the city. If I were to show a tourist around, there isn't much to Fish Hoek but the areas around it are great. Boulders Beach is cool to spend the day and see penguins and swim. A drive on Chapman’s Peak is always beautiful. A walk around Kalk Bay harbour and the interesting stores. Noordhoek is nice if you feel like a chilled afternoon. The whole of the Deep South is a beautiful area to visit and take it easy. It’s relaxed with some great beaches.

Of the international cities I've seen, my favourite is New York. The vibe is incredible. No matter the weather, people are out and about living life. There really is something about being among those skyscrapers.

I also love Brighton & Hove. My brother lives in Hove, a town next to Brighton. I could see myself living there. It reminds me of Cape Town. Everyone kind of keeps to themselves but they’re also friendly. My perfect day there would be something as simple as walking on the beachfront with my brother and his dog Lola, stopping for a pint along the way and enjoying the energy.

My first trip abroad was to the UK. We went to the Lake District to a place called Cumbria. It was my first time flying and seeing snow. We went in winter so it was a full-on white Christmas as well. I remember pulling over on the side of the road and having a snowball fight with my brother in an open piece of land.

Most of my travelling experiences have been good but the worst was when we went to New York. We got to the airport and our flight was cancelled until the next morning, which delayed our trip by over 12 hours. Our connecting flight was from London, which was also delayed by 14 hours and we had to spend the night in London. Again, it’s not the worst thing, but we lost a day and night of our trip in New York. We also got there super tired because of all the delays. On the plus side, we didn’t have jet lag.

Brighton is great for a night out. I spent this New Year's there with my brother and it was crazy. We started out at an Eva Lazarus gig and then went to a club. I can’t remember what it was called but we left at around 7am and the party was still going. I made the mistake of going out with white sneakers though. When I got home they were black. I also lost my voice, which was a little scary considering I make a living by singing. Luckily it came back and everything was fine.

I would love to go to Egypt. That’s at the top of my list and has been for a long time. I’ve always been obsessed with Egypt’s history. I’d love to see the pyramids and the Sphinx and explore the ancient sites.

When travelling, I’m a sucker for the food. I am quite indecisive and I can never make up my mind what to eat so I just end up ordering everything. I’m vegan so I’m always interested in trying the local options. Places like the US and UK have so many. I definitely get caught up in trying all of them and just eating the entire trip.

I recently went to Las Vegas and had the vegan burger at Gordon Ramsay Burger. I’ve always been interested in trying one of his restaurants because if you know Gordon Ramsay, you know how he can tear down food. I wanted to see if he really knew flavours. All I can say is, wow! It was the best burger I have ever had. 

• Catch Jethro Tait in the hit rock 'n roll jukebox musical BUDDY: The Buddy Holly Story on stage at the Teatro at Montecasino until May 28.