BEING in the travel business invariably means that you're constantly thinking of new holiday ideas for your customers. But for Nicholas Lim, regional director for Contiki Holidays, one perk of the job is that he gets to experience some pretty memorable travel adventures himself.

One of his best dining experiences, he says, was in the Canadian Rockies, 'riding a horse through the forest for a cookout in the wild - absolutely unreal'.

He adds: 'It's one of those cowboy scenes of rolling hills and winding rivers that you think you'll only watch on TV or in the movies. We rode through the forest and into a clearing where there was a tent with real cowboys and cowgirls preparing your meal. For entertainment, we played a traditional game of tossing horseshoes at a spike in the ground. Not easy, I tell you.

'The cookout was traditional Western fare - steak, pork, chicken, sausage, baked beans, baked potatoes and hot coffee or tea.'

At another stop in the Rockies, 'we were brought to an observation point where you have a 360 degree view of the mountains - lo and behold, there was a restaurant with hot food waiting and the occasional soaring eagle. Can you imagine anything better than that?' Well, maybe the hot American breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausages, beans, bacon, toast and a piping hot cup of coffee.

The 33-year-old reckons that his love affair with travel and food was probably sparked when he was a toddler.

'I remember my mum would take me to Paya Lebar airport when I was just four or five, to have a sandwich and watch planes take off and land all morning,' he says.

His unpretentious approach to food means that 'simple, everyday dishes are my indulgence, such as curry, chicken rice and a good burger now and then. I like my food colourful and it definitely has to be full of flavour.'

Not for him, then, fancy garnishes or dry ice presentations. 'I like to cut to the chase! My favourite food now would be a tie between curries and dry minced pork noodles or mee pok. I can tell a good mee pok from a bad one just by looking at it. My favourite stall is in Ang Mo Kio Street 41 - the coffee shop is perched on a hill located next to a school. The noodles are al dente and portions generous. I've been eating there since I was 12 and the recipe hasn't changed a single bit.'

Obviously, Michelin star cooking would be lost on him as he would only pay good money if such chefs could come up with, say, 'the ultimate curry'. He would rather put his money on Singapore cooking. 'Food-wise, Singapore would probably rank 9 out of 10 for quality and pricing - a bowl of noodles and coffee isn't going to cost you over $10 a head. This is in contrast to other countries where dining out can be an expensive affair, especially in Europe and Down Under.'

While his best meal was the cookout in the Rockies, Mr Lim still has memories of his worst - 'it was during the first week of basic military training where we had one piece of chicken wing, three strands of vegetables, a mountain of rice and regular scolding from the cooks'.

Those days are far behind him now as he can have all the curry he wants at his favourite restaurant Samy's, while dreaming of riding with cowboys and taking part in a good old-fashioned cookout.