CURRENT MISSION

To meet people from around the world, learn a bit about their culture, and share travel experiences. From August 2017 my then girlfriend Akhona (now my wife) and I began a great life adventure - we have sold our businesses and our main house and have bought my family home from my 90yr old parents. We tried to embrace the nomadic lifestyle, spending 6 months of the year traveling, but after 2 yrs Covid kept us in Cape Town. We will travel the world once again in the future, volunteering our skills with NGO's, charities, and with interesting projects who can offer us a place to stay and a meal in exchange for amazing photography, video's and social media/web expertise...Of course we will also be Couchsurfing in between these jobs, so look out for our couch requests :) We are now back in Cape Town. Follow our journey on www.travellernomads.com
and check out the cool camper vans we now hire out to travellers at www.nomadscampers.co.za. as well as our photographic day trips and road trips at www.nomadstours.co.za

ABOUT ME

Having travelled extensively myself, I realise how valuable a personal contact in a city can be. We now live in the leafy suburb of Bothasig in Cape Town, about a 25min drive from the city centre. Public transport on the My City bus system is available from Century City, about 10mins from our house. Uber and Taxify can be used to get around as well. My Italian heritage has blessed me with a passionate, lively nature - nothing I do is done half-heartedly. I am renouned for my cooking skills, and regularly have groups of friends over for large plates of tasty food from all corners of the world. I have in the past produced and directed 10 documentary films - titles include LOVE FOOLS?, CULTURECLASH, CAPE OF RAPE, WHITE WORKING CLASS and "nudecapetown". I was known as a controversial filmmaker on the cutting edge of social documentary production.

Now I am focussed on my other passion - photography, shooting mainly fashion and art. Check out www.derekantonioserra.com to see my work.

I also owned Central Castings, the oldest casting agency in South Africa, so life used to get pretty hectic on productions during summer. I have now given the business to my manager of 22 years..

At present I share my home with my girlfriend Akhona, my 92yr old dad Billy and my 85yr old mother Denise.
PHILOSOPHY

Life is an adventure to be lived from day to day. I enjoy meeting people from diverse cultures and gaining an insight into their daily lives and philosophies.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've been hosting surfers quite frequently in recent years, and really enjoy listening to traveller's tales - being a storyteller of note myself :) I have also surfed when travelling in Mauritius, Reunion, Indonesia and Philippines...

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Having hosted over 80 couchsurfers in Cape Town, and having surfed myself in four countries, I can honestly say that I have experienced a positive outcome around 95% of the time. I've learned a lot from listening to the experiences of fellow travellers, and I've tried to share my experience of travelling with others as well. It's been great!

Interests

Photography, filmmaking, art, music, travel.
Check out my websites:

www.travellernomads.com
www.derekantonioserra.com
www.controversifilms.co.za
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCypfDZC5HU1-c-Uc3Myvvzg?feature=mhee

• cats
• dogs
• arts
• culture
• fashion
• photography
• documentaries
• film making
• dining
• cooking
• nightlife
• movies
• traveling
• socializing
• music

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Swam with 30 giant manta rays in Maldives

What I Can Share with Hosts

Lots of travel stories, insight into South African culture and politics, a good meal :)

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, China, Cuba, Cyprus, Ecuador, Egypt, Fiji, France, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Réunion, Singapore, South Korea, Swaziland, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City State, Zambia

Countries I’ve Lived In

South Africa

• 

•