CELEB TRAVELS | Checking in with Madame Zingara’s daredevil Axel Perez

Hi, my name is Axel Perez and I am a sixth-generation circus artist. For the first five years of my life, I toured with circuses with my family around the United States, mostly juggling. I have performed in Canada, the US and Mexico. I have been with The Royal Countess Zingara since we opened in October 2025. Rola Bola is a traditional circus act that involves balancing on pipe-like objects, balls and boards. The performer must manipulate these objects while balancing on top of them.

My first trip abroad was to Canada and what stood out for me was how kind Canadians are. I’ve toured from Vancouver to Toronto — it is a truly beautiful country. When you’re there, go catch a hockey game.

The most difficult, remote or adventurous destination I’ve ever been to was honestly right here: South Africa. I travel consistently for work, but this is my first time leaving the North American continent. I am loving it.

If I were hosting a tourist in my “home town”, that would be Vegas. First up I’d take you to Red Rock, one of Vegas’s most famous hiking spots — a national park where you can drive through the canyon. People train free-climbing out there and if you’re lucky you can see a fair amount of wildlife. Fremont Street is the original ‘Strip’ and is steeped in history, with a lot of nightclubs and weird entertainment options. Finally, you can’t go to Vegas without seeing a show on the Strip, and I’d be doing my industry a disservice if I didn’t say go watch Cirque du Soleil.

Paris was pretty damn cool. I left about 10kg heavier than when I arrived, and I have zero regrets.

My perfect day there? Obviously, I’m waking up on a bed of $100 bills next to Scarlett Johansson. My real answer: I call a friend — we are going out. We longboard down to a local brunch spot and order ourselves into a coma. Once breakfast has settled, we hit up some local thrift stores. Then I hit up a jujitsu class — great exercise — and from there I grab a Thai massage. At sunset, I board down to the beach, roll some “devil’s lettuce” and watch the day slip away with friends, music on the speaker and fish-and-chips takeaways.

New York is best for a night out! There is something for everyone. Every borough in New York is like its own country. Go for a walk in Bushwick at night and it is like a scene from Transformers, with massive trucks on hydraulics standing like they are on their hind legs. And at 4am, on your way home on the metro, the doors will open and suddenly there’s a crew of acrobats flipping, sliding and breaking all over the bars. What’s not to love?

One thing I always make sure I do on holiday is take my speaker with me. You can turn any situation into a scene from a movie. But I don’t recommend playing Danger Zone whilst going through airport security — but if you’re a little lonely, it is a wonderful way to get a pat-down.

My favourite souvenir is a babushka doll I bought in Prague. I bought two sets, one for my mum and one for my girlfriend at the time. I gave the doll to my mum and I kept the other — luckily, because she is my ex now.

Coming to SA has been pretty crazy. Like, dude — I’m in South Africa. I have seen baboons and ostriches, and there was a snake in the mall the other day. Oh, and if you think the wildlife is crazy, then you haven’t seen Zingara on a Friday night. That is truly wild.

My best holiday ever was this year. I did five European countries in 10 days. One thing I love about Europe is how interconnected countries are. You can catch a train for an hour and be in a different country. You can catch a train for an hour in New York and not even make it two blocks.

My most relaxing destination is probably Malibu. The sunsets there are beautiful, the beaches span as far as the eye can see and there is always a restaurant within walking distance.

One tourist attraction that surprised me was the Eiffel Tower. I thought, ‘Oh crap — they have one here too!’ It was much larger than the one in Vegas, obviously.

One place everyone should see before they die is the Grand Canyon in Nevada. Seeing its magnitude really puts everything into perspective.

My favourite museum is the Louvre in Paris. I love any museum where a priceless painting can be stolen by two men in high-visibility jackets and angle grinders. Just joking — I love going to galleries and being inspired by everything I see. I even have a pair of socks with me that I bought at the Louvre gift shop.

What I love about Cape Town is Clifton Beach. It is important to switch the bedazzled pants for a towel and board shorts. I played football with some locals — so many people here are from all over the world. The city is truly a melting pot.

People in my country think that South African people are lovely, but that you also have to be careful as it can be dangerous. So far, South African people have been amazing to me. Everywhere has stereotypes — I am American, so you may think I’m just a gun-toting cowboy. I’m not. As tourists, we should travel beyond stereotypes, be inquisitive, learn from the locals and step away from tourist traps. People and places hold multitudes, but it takes effort to find the treasures.

• Catch Axel Perez in The Royal Countess Zingara at Spiegeltent at Century City until May 31 2026. Thereafter in Johannesburg. New Year’s Eve bookings are open. See www.zingara.co.za