Phil, 48, is married to Fiona and they live in Hampshire with their sons, Ben, 12, and Jake, 14.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE HOLIDAY?
Last summer we had a two-week family holiday to Costa Rica.
We went to Arenal, a volcano, enjoyed a day horseback riding, white water rafting and repelling, which is abseiling down waterfalls, which was exhilarating.
In Rio Perdido, which is the middle of the jungle, we took a wildlife tour and spotted sloths and toucans.
I remember a fabulous long beach in Santa Teresa, strewn with driftwood.
We did a long off-road ride on quad bikes, as everyone rode those to get around because the roads were so bad.
To end our trip, we went on a whale-watching tour and spotted a humpback whale which leapt very close to the boat and gave us the shock of our lives.
AND YOUR WORST?
When I was about 24, I was robbed in Peru.
My plane ticket, traveller’s cheques, and passport were all taken, so I had to go to the British Embassy for help.
And we almost cancelled a winter holiday to Saint Vincent about four years ago because there was a huge storm there just before we flew out.
The hotel advised us not to go, as they were flooded but we went anyway and had a brilliant time.
BEST SOUVENIR?
Some Aboriginal art, which we picked up from a gallery not far from Byron Bay.
Every other year we go to spend Christmas with Fiona’s family in Melbourne. We usually start off the break with a few days in Byron Bay, which is beautiful, to get over jet lag.
BEST HOLIDAY READ?
Any of Wilbur Smith books will make me happy.
I read one this year when I was training in Verbier, Switzerland for a four-day ski challenge for The Brain Tumour Charity, which took place back in February.
HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME ON HOLIDAY?
My sons tend to want to be active, so that is what we end up doing.
We swim, ride horses and explore. They prefer to go on winter holidays and we have skied in Lech, Austria and Méribel, France.
WHERE WOULD YOU REVISIT?
My favourite resort, which was Parrot Cay, in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The food was great, there was a gym, fishing, a beautiful beach and it was very chilled.
WHERE NEXT?
Sri Lanka and the Maldives over the summer.
Sri Lanka will be all about culture and history – castles and monuments, tribes, plantations and an elephant reserve and white-water rafting.
We’ll be diving in the Maldives.
My wife and I have four or five days booked in Formentera, without the children in September.
The Ideal Home Show Scotland is at the SEC Centre, Glasgow, May 31 to June 3. Visit idealhomesshowscotland.co.uk
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