Tell us a bit about who you are, what you do, where you've been, and what drives you.

STEVE: Hello, my name is Steve Backshall. I'm a wildlife television presenter, a naturalist, and an author - and I've been lucky enough to be travelling for a living for the last 25 years. Wow, that really ages me! I started off writing guide books for Rough Guides; then I moved to National Geographic. I was with them for five years as an adventurer in residence. I've been with the BBC ever since - mostly working for their natural history unit.

My travels have taken me to 105 countries, which is quite a lot actually. When it gets down to it, it's slightly more than Michael Palin and slightly less than the Queen which kind of puts it into context, I guess. I think I specialise in places which are frontiers - the wildest places we can find - and then obviously places that are fantastic for particular kinds of animals. So, for example, if I'm looking for jungle wildlife, I might go somewhere like Guyana or Brazil or Panama - places that have incredibly high biodiversity. If I don't find the jaguar or the harpy eagle that I'm hoping to find, then I'll probably find something else - even if it is just a very large bug.

For those budding and hardcore adventure travellers out there, are there any not-to-be-missed destinations you'd recommend and why?

STEVE: Destinations that I'd recommend you absolutely should not miss? I would say the Himalayas is at the very top of that list. I don't think any traveller should go through their lifetime without seeing the Himalayas. It is, to my mind, the most stunning of all geographical locations around the world. You know, I love the Alps. The Alps is a sensational mountain range but, when you're standing in the valleys in the Alps, the mountains are maybe a 1000 metres higher than you. In the Himalayas, they can be 4000 metres higher than you - even more! Just the size of →

What is your most memorable safari destination in Africa and why?
STEVE: We've done diving safaris in the Okavango where we've been an arm's breadth away from crocodiles and actually even, unfortunately, hippos, although we did not plan that bit. That certainly was not something I would like to replicate. It's a place that has the most extraordinary sunsets where you can see herds of gazelle just leaping through the waters and elephants coming super close. It's really special. We've done some stuff on horseback in Botswana as well and it's kind of different. You very rarely see other people. You feel like you've got it completely to yourself and that's fantastic.

IMAGE SOURCE: Wikipedia

Any bucket list destinations?
STEVE: My own bucket list destinations I would say the Karakoram in Pakistan has been number one for at least the last decade. I've had two expeditions planned, sorted, all ready to go and then, just weeks before we were due to leave, they had to be pulled because it went to Foreign Office advisory, so it became too dangerous for us to go there. The Karakoram has the K2 and Broad Peak and all these other iconic mountains and stunning scenery. It's somewhere that I will get to eventually and it can't come soon enough!

IMAGE SOURCE: Wikipedia

Ain't no mountain high enough:
Steve Backshall climbing Mount Upuigma in Guyana.

IMAGE SOURCE: Wikipedia

Nature up close.
Steve Backshall swimming with a sperm whale in BBC's Super Giant Animals.

IMAGE SOURCE: Wikipedia

Birds of a feather:
When he's not climbing a mountain, fighting off hippos or at the bottom of the ocean - Steve Backshall can be seen on a number of television shows including BBC's Deadly 60.

IMAGE SOURCE: Deadly 60, BBC