Comforts

What the World's Greatest Living Foreign Correspondent takes on the road...

"I take Chinese Keemun tea bags, which are hard enough to get in the UK let alone in those countries with no proper tea tradition. On long, difficult trips, I also like to take a plastic bottle of single malt whisky – the plastic makes it less detectable – and Cuban cigars in case there’s time to relax and look at a view. And when I go to countries where the oysters are good, I try to remember a little bottle of Tabasco sauce."

And presumably some extra cushions to make the howdah more bearable.