In the hot seat this edition is Craig Paine. Craig, a knowledgeable, cultured & well-travelled young chap, spearheads sales at on the go’s London office. Originally from New Zealand, Craig is happy in London with a good solid game of All Blacks rugger and a beer in hand, but as an ambassador of on the go; will happily join our people in downing shots of vodka in Moscow, firewater in Beijing and mare’s milk in Mongolia. It’s all in the name of travel, after all.




1) The mountain gorillas in eastern Africa.
Rated by David Attenborough as the greatest wildlife experience in the world, coming close to these creatures is certainly my most memorable travel experience.

2) Varanasi (India)
Taking a sunrise boat ride on the holy Ganges where you can view the ancient religious tradition of ritual cleansing that takes place on the many riverbank ghats (riverside steps) in perhaps the holiest city in India and one of the oldest cities on earth.

3) Xi’an (China) and the Terracotta Warriors
Discovered in 1974 by local farmers digging a well, the awesome 2,200 year old terracotta warriors comprise more than 7,000 life-sized soldiers which stand battle-ready in excavated pits. Made of local clay, no two faces are alike - each said to be an individual portrait.

4) Terelj National Park (Mongolia)
Sitting in a Ger (felt tent) in deepest Mongolia talking to the locals and eating Mongolian food. To be honest the food was terrible but it was an experience like no other. Mongolia is in the middle of nowhere and the scenery is  breathtaking. A great place to horse ride and explore with the local lone rangers. Giddy-up Tonto!

5) Petra (Jordan)
With some 800 registered archaeological sites including some 500 tombs, the Rose City of Petra is one of the most amazing ancient sites on earth. The sight of the façade of the famous Treasury Building as you enter the city through the Siq gave me an Indiana Jones moment. On screen, it was here that Indy sought the Holy Grail.


Travelling through Africa. Up there with the mountain gorillas, the highlight of my time in Africa was in a place called Swakopmund, a coastal town in Namibia and perhaps the adventure travel capital of Africa. In the morning we went sky-diving – a totally fabulous experience! If you are going to sky dive this is the place to do it. With very little wind and the ocean on one side and desert on the other, nothing beats the adrenaline rush of that free-fall feeling as you head to terra firma under the canopy of the chute. In the afternoon, we went dune quad biking across the expanse of some of the worlds best sand dunes. We ended the day with a visit to one of Swakopmund’s local night clubs and danced the night away with the locals.


An internal flight in Russia (Siberia to be precise) from Yekaterinburg to Irkutsk  (approximately 4 hours). Don’t get me wrong, I love flying but this was the scariest flight of my life. We took off at in blizzard conditions in a plane that sounded like a hairdryer on its last legs. Lets just say that it is doubtful that this flight met EU safety regulations & I felt lucky to be alive!


Dead Poets Society...’Carpe diem’. Reminds me of a school teacher of mine.


The legend of Saint Nick had its beginning in Turkey (Finike). The legend began here in the Shape of St Nicholas - a 4th century bishop who gave anonymous gifts to dowryless village girls. He would drop bags of coins down the chimneys of their house, and this ‘gift from heaven’ would allow them to marry.


A busy day in the office tomorrow. Tidying up a few loose ends before travelling to India later in the week.