Rajan Datar, the host of Fast Track, BBC World News’ flagship travel program, voyaged to over 50 nations on five continents in six years. His suggestions for travel, cultural appreciation, and survival:

• Suspend judgment on a new country until after your first night there
• Try to prepare for what you might want in the most way out places e.g. the layout of a city or Earl Grey teabags
• Meet people – they make a place special and also know more than any travel book about new developments
• No matter where you go in the world – football, personal politics and music are common languages. My personal fave: “Who’s playing reggae round here?” You’d be surprised how many reggae and ska gigs/clubs I’ve found from Beijing to Berlin and Bogota