'The real Carrie Bradshaw' has hot tips for New York City tourists & more

When I tell people I’m coming to South Africa, they all exclaim that I must go on safari and to a vineyard and dozens of other places that sound spectacular. The unfortunate reality is that when I’m on a trip like this — doing publicity, my one-woman show and book signings — there really isn’t much time for sightseeing. So for me, what I’m most interested in is meeting my audiences at my shows and at my book signings. It’s always a thrill to meet fans of Sex and the City, my books and TV shows from all over the world. I know a couple of women in South Africa and I’d just love to meet more. That’s really why I’m coming. 

My thoughts on travel writing ... It’s really fun to read a book about a place you’re visiting, especially if the book, hopefully a novel, names real places, as I do in my novels about New York, like Four Blondes, Trading Up and One Fifth Avenue, which describe the hottest places to go in the city at the time and the interesting characters who inhabit those places. I suppose you might call that a sort of travel writing. For instance, when I went to the South of France I read Tender Is the Night by F Scott Fitzgerald, which gave me an added perspective on the location.

Growing up in Connecticut, my childhood vacations were simple. In the winter we would go to the Florida Keys and stay with my grandparents, who had friends who smoked. No-one in my family smoked so I thought it was cool and chic. My grandfather was a fisherman, so we would go on fishing boats as well. 

In the summer, we’d go to Nantucket, which was undiscovered then, known only to people who lived in the area. It was a hugely historical island, very remote and weather-beaten. Now, apparently, it’s only for the super-rich and it’s crowded, which sounds exactly like one of the places I live — the Hamptons. 

I’d gone to the Caribbean on quite a few trips with my parents, but my first grown-up trip abroad was when I went to the Dominican Republic with a friend who was judging the Miss World pageant. [Singer] Dionne Warwick and [Roberto Cavalli were there. Roberto Cavalli kept lighting my cigarettes with a gold lighter, which was fun, and then afterwards he gave all the women a beautiful leather “envelope” bag. I kept it forever, but eventually, like so much else, it disappeared. 

The most remote destination I’ve ever been to was China. Ironically, this time I was a judge in a Miss Universe pageant, but this one was held in Sanya, at the southern tip of Hainan island in the South China Sea. It was brand new, one of the first luxury resorts in China. I went with a friend who’d travelled all over the world for her job as a movie producer, to remote film locations. I figured she’d be the perfect travelling companion. It was hard to get there. We had to fly to India and then someplace else and then to Sanya Island. When we arrived, there was a long line of armed guards. I get worried when I see a lot of men with guns. 

The resort, however, was exceptional and, best of all, I got to meet Jackie Chan, who was one of the judges. We also met Phil Keoghan, who is now the host of the Amazing Race. We were on the same flight back, and during a long and unexpected layover, me, my friend and [Keoghan] decided to have a drink that turned into several. We laughed for hours. 

My favourite international city would be Paris. Or London. In London, the people are really, really interesting. In Paris, the buildings and the light are interesting. One of the best things to do in Paris is to walk around whereas in London, where I know more people, it would be about being social. 

In my hometown, New York City, a visitor should absolutely not miss Central Park. I live across the street so it’s convenient, but every time I go I’m always struck by how beautiful it is. Check out the mall, where Carrie Bradshaw and Mr Big took that famous carriage ride, and Bethesda Fountain, which is a favourite location for TV and film productions. 

Insider secrets from a New Yorker: Don’t walk slowly. Even if you don’t know where you’re going, act like you do or at least get out of the way. If you don’t know where something is, ask for directions. There is nothing a New Yorker likes better than helping someone out. 

One of my best travel experiences was going to the Hotel du Cap, a resort hotel in Antibes on the French Riviera. I stayed in a junior suite overlooking the sea. It was really beautiful and I’ve never forgotten the experience. Even though I’ve never been back, I’ve written about it several different times in a few different books, especially Trading Up. 

I’m really not an adventurous eater when I travel. I recently went to Thailand and I couldn’t eat anything. I’m one of those people who can’t eat if they get stressed. I’m just not a foodie. 

I don't collect souvenirs either. I always feel like I don’t need more tchotchkes cluttering up my house, as my living quarters are quite small. You can get an idea of what my apartment looks like by coming to my show, True Tales of Sex, Success and Sex and the City. My original idea was that the set should look like my apartment, and coming to the show was like coming to my apartment in New York. That being said, travel shopping is great if you can find a beautiful, authentic item that will last forever. I once went on a yacht around the Turkish islands and I bought three beautiful rugs that I still have over 20 years later. They’re part of the inspiration for the set. 

My perfect holiday involves not having to do anything. 

My best holiday ever was going on a yacht around the Turkish islands. It was spectacularly beautiful and I didn’t having to do anything. 

A memorable restaurant I ate in overseas was Harry's Bar in Venice back in the mid-1980s. 

My best tip for long-haul travel is to bring your own tiny, down-filled pillow with a silk pillowcase. 

• Candace Bushnell performs her one-woman show, True Tales of Sex, Success and Sex and the City, at Montecasino in Joburg on September 23 and at the Artscape Opera House in Cape Town on September 30. Book tickets here.