Jan, from Emmen in the Netherlands, has been on the road with us in the Nile Route, East and Southern Africa, Central Asia, India, South-East Asia, and South America since November 2012.
- What did you do for a living before becoming crew?
I was a field technician on a 24-hour emergency service for factories.
- Why did you become Dragoman crew?
This is what I wrote on my application form, and it remains true today - "Always when I'm travelling I get more and more energy. I love overlanding because everyone is part of the crew - I love to meet interesting people, make friends, and enjoy adventures together! I've met many tour leaders on my travels and they've asked me why don't you do this job, so I thought... yes!"
- What's your favourite destination?
Ethiopia - the Gondar to Addis Ababa and the Addis Ababa to Nairobi trips are incredible, and so different from what I had in my head (ideas formed by the media).
- What has been your favourite or most memorable occasion on the road?
Wine tasting in Georgia!
- What's the most essential item in your backpack?
A passport and money!
- What is your one piece of advice to future overlanders/passengers?
Come with an open mind - in other countries they do it differently, not wrong.
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