Actually it was a couple of coffees, as our co-founder’s Peter Duncan’s adventures and life journey are so fascinating, so there were lots of questions coming his way. Like, how do you go from being a presenter of the iconic children’s TV programme, Blue Peter, to co-founding The Natural Adventure? In short, he did it in the same way he does everything else in life – with a sense of exploration, a commitment to cultural exchange, and a sense of empathy and understanding. He’s a one-off, for sure and, with a generous smile and spirit during this chat, it’s clear that this Peter must never get blue in life for too long. Because there’s always another adventure waiting.
What made you decide to set up a travel company, Peter?
Well, it really began with our co-founder Alex who approached me, as we had mutual friends. I’d been doing Blue Peter as well as a TV series travelling around the world with my family. So I was already known as an inveterate traveller, really. And setting up The Natural Adventure also seemed a kind of family-friendly thing to do.
So, to ask the question that we all want to know of inveterate travellers, what has been your best holiday ever?
It’s hard to choose but I think the best one was when we went to Chile to visit my son, who was working in a remote restaurant there as a chef. We just loved Chile, and then we all went down to Patagonia, stayed in some beautiful hotels with the most incredible scenery all around as we were on the edge of Tierra Del Fuego. One hotel, in particular, was just overlooking the range, and so you’d get up in the morning and see the iconic shape of Mount Darwin.
And where was your son working as a chef?
It was a hotel by Lake Yelcho, quite a remote spot. But actually at the time there was a massive landslide across all the roads so, when he got there, every booking in the hotel had been cancelled. He was about to leave, but then about 150 workers came to clear up the landslide and so he ended up cooking for all of them, and so he stayed! The lovely thing was that he was then able to introduce us to lots of local people, and we got to learn about the place with people who live there. So that was a thrill.
How did you discover your love of travel?
My parents were nomadic theatricals really, and I followed that of course by becoming an actor. They used to do the summer variety or Christmas pantomime seasons. So, as a child I used to go to lots of British resorts and I’d be there for the summer in places like Brighton, Scarborough and Blackpool and watch them do their shows as well as their Christmas shows. And then I got the Blue Peter gig which was famous for its expeditions. The first one I ever did was to Japan and it was, in some ways, the first culture I’d ever visited that was so different to my own. Even though I was 27 then, and had done a few holidays, I never quite realised that Japan had such an extraordinary history, and I just loved it. So it was that trip which really gave me the travel bug.
Tell us more about travelling around the world with your family?
I left Blue Peter at the end of the 1980s and then, during the 90s when I was appearing in many big musicals, I also did a round-the-world TV series called Overland to America. When I got back from that, I realised that there was huge potential to film stuff myself, as cameras had got so much smaller and you didn’t need a film crew.
After my mother died, my wife and I decided that we’d go around the world for six months with the children, film it and then try and make a TV series out of it. We’d always had family holidays, of course, but we’d never gone with the intention of telling stories to camera about them. We did another filming trip to China where we travelled for a few months, and then to India, and they got great coverage. They were a bit different to everything else because the kids were reporting.
How was it travelling in China as a family?
Well. the interesting thing was that Lucy, the eldest who was around 15 or 16, desperately didn’t want to go to China where the social mores are very different. Anyway we went, and she hated the lack of personal space and the way people would look at her. So she nearly went home but, she stayed. In the end, when she went to university, she studied Mandarin and went to live in China for a year. So, these travel influences are hugely helpful.
And are your children all still keen travellers today?
Yeah, they are all travellers but I’m glad to say that they travel with such a different perspective of the world. They travel with a purpose and with an almost ingrained interested in the culture and people.
Are you a mountain or coast person?
I like them both at the same time. I love walking up mountains by the coast such as in northern Spain, in the Picos de Europa mountains. I was also UK Chief Scout for a long time, and one of the expeditions I did with them was with a mix of older and younger scouts to Everest, where we took them up to Island Peak (6,189m) in Nepal, before the older scouts climbed Everest and that part was a proper expedition. I was asked to climb Everest with them but I had to return to the UK to play Macduff in Macbeth.
I still dream of climbing mountains really. But when you’re at 6,000m and you can’t breathe, you realise how difficult it is. But walking in Nepal has been a great thrill, especially with the family.
What is your favourite walking trail?
Well, if I’m honest, I like walking in Wimbledon Park just near my home in London. Perhaps that sounds a bit dull but I went running there this morning and I know all the tracks and trails, and all the trees. There’s something about walking in a place that you know so well, and just going off and still finding something new.
Where was your most memorable sunset?
It was in Siberia, we were staying in a yurt with a fire in it, and the sunset was quite beautiful. But we had been told that it was going to be a great night for the Northern Lights, so we sat there waiting for the sun to go down. And then suddenly the heavens opened. It was like the sky was full of every type of colourful firework. And it was all night long. We just sat there looking at this colourful activity across the vastness of the dark skies. I’ve never ever forgotten it.
What do you always pack?
A very good small film and stills camera. Oh, and binoculars.
What took you in the direction of appreciating responsible travel as a way to visit the world?
I think it started off with a basic realisation that, when you’re in a country, it’s good to show an interest in local people’s culture, and not to just take your own culture there. You need to respect the world and just be a bit nicer to people and accept their differences really. Also, I like to think that I am very conscious and try not to damage the biodiversity where I am travelling, nor pollute, and there are simple ways you can do that.
Woven into all of this is the climate aspect of course, and I have finished reading Greta’s Climate Book this year. It’s a very hard read because, even if you’re an expert, you don’t quite know what’s going to happen. It’s important to think about how you travel and if you care about the effects of travel. There are ways to do it that are more climate-friendly, like travelling by train, but I don’t think you can ever stop people travelling. But we mustn’t fly too much, that’s for sure.
What aspect of responsible tourism do many people not get?
I think it’s the fact that we shouldn’t isolate ourselves when we travel. We should travel with the intention to understand and discover something new. Sometimes you have to immerse yourself and learn about other people’s lives by staying with local families if you can.
Which negative impact of tourism makes you do a silent scream?
I think the giant cruise ship industry does that to me really. It’s a prime example of what I said above, where you just transport your culture into a place. They sail into port, jump off for a day, grab a bit of the local culture and then jump back on the boat and leave. And then there’s the pollution caused by them too, of course.
Which region/town/city disappointed you as a traveller and why?
I love China and, when we went there with the family it was such a leap into a different culture. We went there in 2003, and it was sort of extraordinary to be travelling there at that time with a four child family in a one child country. And although the people were definitely warm and respectful, there was a real lack of space sometimes. I’m not saying that they should behave any differently but we found it difficult. In the countryside we had much more genuine interest but, in the cities, there were some tough times.
What do you think is our USP at The Natural Adventure?
I think the fact that we now offer self-guided holidays in so many different places really is fantastic. But I think the most brilliant thing is that we have holidays where you can get up in the morning, pack your bag and water, and then just walk or cycle to the next destination, where your bags are waiting for you. That’s perfect.
Where is next for you on your travels?
We’re off walking along the Cilento Coast in Italy, which is south of the Amalfi. Then we are also going to spend a few days in Naples. So, watch this space for news on how that goes.
If there was one thing that you could change about the travel industry, what would it be?
I think a realisation that carbon footprints do matter when you travel and that some personal responsibility should be considered and mitigated for in the holiday you choose. There should be no holiday greenwashing anymore.
