Celebrity Travel: Go Away With Les Stroud

Q. When did you realize you had an affinity for the outdoors?

A. I can't remember a time when I didn't. Even as a teen, I remember going to party in the bush with my buddies, and half the guys were worried we wouldn't be able to find our way back home. I'd say, "Let's keep going and see if we get lost!" I don't know why. It's just always been in my DNA.

Q. To people who fear going anywhere without a GPS or map, what do you recommend?

A. Do not rely on anyone else. Rely on yourself. In outdoor situations, I see a lot of spouses where the husband has the backpack with all the supplies and the wife has nothing. Or where the parents have everything with them and the kids have nothing. No one thinks they'll get lost going to the bathroom, but it happens. Let's say you move away from your group to relieve yourself in privacy and when you come out, you're turned around and can't find your group. If your partner has everything, you're in danger. People want to let me do everything and I have no problem taking the lead. But it's irresponsible to go out into the wilderness without having your own survival supplies with you.

Q. What is a romantic trip for you?

A. You mean something that doesn't involve scorpions or catching bugs? (Laughs) It's not just the destination, but what you make of it. I think it would be fascinating to go to Thailand and spend 10 days in a yoga retreat and get couples massages. I'm an excellent dancer and would love to take a trip where we could dance into the evening. Even a camping trip can be romantic if you do it right. I'm prone to making sure that a woman is as comfortable as can be on a canoe trip. And that when we reach our destination, there'll be some nice wine and fondue or whatever she likes waiting for her.

Q. What is your guilty pleasure when you're on the road?

A. Cheesecake, Guinness (beer) and often a pack of Sweet Tarts (candy). Also, the big, special effects fantasy movies! Last week, my son and I watched a lot of them together. We re-watched the second and third parts of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

Q. What are some memorable trips you've taken with your children?

A. I'd have to say for sure a trip to the west coast of Vancouver. It was a phenomenal trip. I've been fortunate enough to take them to many places because of the show. I took my son diving in Fiji. I took both kids to Africa. They were young and adorable and those trips were a lot of fun.

Q. What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?

A. Best trip memory would be taking part in the ceremonies I did in Peru with all the high priests and shamans. That's a highlight. The worst would revolve around something I mentioned earlier, when I suffered from traveler's belly. I was in Sri Lanka curled up in the bathroom in agony in the middle of the night. I've broken bones before playing hockey and that was nothing compared to what I went through that night.

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Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and travel writer. You can respond to this column by visiting her website at www.jaehakim.com. You may also follow "Go Away With..." on Twitter at @GoAwayWithJae where Jae-Ha Kim welcomes your questions and comments.