[10 Things I Love About...] Being airborne

By Janie van der Spuy, head of FIVESTAR PR, luxury travel & hospitality PR specialist and ex-SAA flight attendant

1. The travel bug bit me with a vengeance when, after varsity, I took my first job in the '80s as a flight attendant for SAA. This directed both my life and career, and since then my love for travel has turned into a 'chronic condition', which has taken me to more than 50 countries. Thing is, there is always somewhere new to add to my travel bucket list, currently being Columbia, Chile, China, Guatemala, Alaska, Madagascar and the backwaters of India.

2. Visiting the Boeing plant in Seattle to see how they build airplanes was a highlight of my second job - as PR for SAA, based in Cape Town. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be part of a media delegation to 'fetch' one of SAA's (then) brand new, state-of-the-art Boeing 747-400's for its maiden flight to South Africa. First class, VIP treatment and French champagne all the way across the Atlantic! http://www.boeing.com/commercial/tours/index.html

3. My flying career taught me to pack well, fast, and for all weather conditions. I could have my sturdy, airline-proof Delsey ready in 10 minutes flat, for anything from an island getaway, or a stop-over in any of the world's great cities, to a skiing weekend, or six weeks' holiday travelling around the US. Packing practise does make perfect!

4. The great cities of the world. New York, Tokyo, Istanbul, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, Barcelona - no need to say more!

5. Trains, planes and automobiles - travelling really is a way of life for me. From zipping around Monaco with my husband Dave trying out the F1 circuit on a rented Vespa; and catching the lux Eastern-Oriental Express from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur; to hot-air ballooning over the Serengeti to follow the Great Migration; and taking a slow cruise down the Nile from Luxor to Aswan, or around the islands of Halong Bay in Vietnam. Locally, highlights include a helicopter flight over the Cederberg to Bushmans Kloof; or most recently - renting a campervan to drive through the Tankwa Karoo to the AfricaBurn festival. www.orient-express.com/web/eoe/eastern_and_oriental_express.jsp, www.bushmanskloof.co.za, www.afrikaburn.com

6. It was very special to see Hong Kong Disneyland through the eyes of a child, with my daughter Jaz a few years ago. TIP: this is by far the easiest Disney to navigate in the world - we had the entire theme park to ourselves mid-week, when the Chinese kids were at school, and we conquered Space Mountain three times in a row, with no queues! http://park.hongkongdisneyland.com/hkdl/en_US/home/home?name=HOMEPage

7. Exploring my favourite continent: South America, as well as Central America. The perfect holiday for a heady mix of culture and architecture, beaches and sightseeing, shopping and cuisine. I particularly loved taking the back roads through Uruguay, Barbados, Cuba and Peru, and also Mexico, where we spent our honeymoon in 1995.

8. I loved the amazing opportunities presented by international travel, to unlock, explore and enjoy some of the greatest things on offer in the world. Good food and wine, dance and the arts, design, fashion and architecture. The mind boggles at the creativity of humankind and I have amazing memories (and stacks of photo albums) full of enriching discoveries and unique, unforgettable experiences had in restaurants, markets, galleries, museums and theatres all over the world.

9. Discovering the wonders of Africa. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda, tiger fishing on Lake Victoria and a Singita safari in Tanzania - these are some of the great, life changing experiences to be enjoyed on our continent. www.singita.com

10. And finally, a distant memory now. The joy of boarding an airplane and only ever having had to turn left (into First/Business class!). Working for the airline had its perks in those days...