Muhammad Ali's daughter says Bermuda is her favourite destination.

Speaking to the Chicago Tribune, Laila Ali, who has appeared in the top rated US television show 'Dancing With the Stars, said of the Island: "It's the one place I've been to that I love to death, and I always look forward to going back to.

"The Island is not only beautiful but the people are so kind and sweet. I started going every year to take part in a tennis fund-raiser (the Celebrity Tennis Classic) that benefits the Island's junior players.

"I don't like to lose, but I'm horrible at tennis. I can't play tennis, and I just make a fool of myself at it. But playing tennis in Bermuda makes losing bearable. With boxing, I was always so serious about everything. But I can have fun with tennis."

And the boxer told the US paper, read by just under a million people, the Island was not what she had initially expected.

"Before I went to Bermuda that first time, I didn't expect it to be as unique as it was," she said. "Since it's just a couple hours from New York, I kind of imagined it would be like Florida or something. But it's an amazingly beautiful country that's lush and laid-back.

"I've been to Paris, and I thought it was a beautiful city, but the people weren't nearly as welcoming as the people in Bermuda or Hawaii, where Curtis and I went on our honeymoon. Bali's nice, but it's so far away! Can you tell that I tend to like Islands?"