We're so lucky – we can just go to the supermarket and buy all these things

MARTIN Clunes went from one extreme to the other for his latest travel series.

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The presenter got to go to locations across the Atlantic Ocean. That included experiencing a very hot climate in São Tomé off the west coast of Africa and the chilly temperatures in Greenland.

Martin, 63, says: "From tropical lost worlds to the feeding ground of whales and the thundering glaciers of the Arctic, I'm thrilled at this chance to explore their astounding diversity, their stories of humans and animals, the changing climate and the beauty of our planet."

Over three programmes, the actor's odyssey takes him to a spectacular array of ocean islands where he immerses himself in their cultures and hears the little-known stories of the resident humans and animals.

His first ports of call are the remote tropical islands of São Tomé and Principe, known as the 'African Galapagos'. He learns about their dark slave past, how Angloares are making a living from wine and gin, and how Principe islanders have devised a green solution to a global shortage of building sand.

Here the Doc Martin star talks about why he enjoys travelling regularly, how he copes on long-haul flights, and some of his most memorable experiences.

Do you enjoy travelling frequently for work?

I love it. I really love it. And I start to miss long-haul flights.

Most people hate long-haul flights. How do you cope?

Sleeping pills, a huge glass of whisky and travelling up the front as well. That’s the real secret. Everyone's really nice to you. And then you get pyjamas on, go to bed and wake up in another country.

I did four trips back and forth to Australia in one year.