Deported after a romantic break & other travel tales from Craig Urbani

The best place for a night out is Berlin. I was lucky to be there with someone from the city, so that may have helped because they took me to all the remote, out-of-the-way places I may not have gone to had I been there as a tourist. Berlin has the most incredible clubs, bars, cultural activities, shows, festivals and markets. You have to know where to go and I really enjoyed it.

I'm a sun worshipper, so the thing I remember most about my childhood holidays is, after snorkelling and swimming the whole day, lying at night with cream all over me, all shiny in my shorts under the ceiling fan because it was so hot. In Ballito we used to lie there with that smell of cream and that feeling of freshly sun-kissed skin like a little shiny ball on the floor enjoying the cool air from the fan.

My first trip abroad was to London. I didn't go for a holiday but to find out about a job. I'd been promised the role of Buddy in the Buddy Holly Story but nothing had materialised so I went to remind the producer about me. What I remember most about the city is the number of theatres, pubs, buses, cabs and people. It was the busiest place I'd ever seen.

My hometown is Johannesburg. If I were hosting a tourist here, I would take them to the Pilanesberg, Sun City for a little fun and maybe the Cradle of Humankind.

The most remote place I've been to is Chiang Mai in Thailand. It's all scooters, markets and strange foods. I loved it. 

A bizarre thing that's happened on my holidays. Well, it was after a romantic getaway in Paris. I came back into Waterloo station in London and was told I was not allowed to leave the UK on my visa and I was going to be deported back to Paris. I eventually talked the immigration officer into deporting me back to South Africa, which is what happened, and I spent three or four months in SA before I was able to go back to the UK and carry on working. Thankfully it was in between contracts.

My favourite city is New York. I love the bustle, the sounds, the sirens, the theatres, the coffee shops, the jazz venues, the intensity. I've only been there once, but I remember I was so aware that I was in the metropolis, this hub of energy and culture and music. I would love to spend another day there, just to wake up and walk around the museums, enjoy the coffee shops,catch some live music, take in a show on Broadway and have a late dinner. I feel like a steakhouse in the New York style. It's an incredible city

I'm not the most adventurous eater but I have had mopani worms. I didn't try some kind of beetle — a crushed, dried, insect-type thing — when I was in Thailand. I'm a bit safe when it comes to what I eat.

• Craig Urbani stars as Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music at The Teatro, Montecasino, from January 27. Tickets cost between R200-R550. Book here.