During their Christmas / New Year hiatus, our Tour Leaders had some downtime to consider a series of prying questions about their personal proclivities. In this issue, we feature three of our leaders, simply the best in the business!

PETER BARATHAN

1. What can't you travel without?
   I hate to say it but I can't travel without my phone. It's my compass, my camera, my alarm clock, my book, my wallet, my pen and my paper, and anything else I want it to be. Still trying to figure out how to make it my cocktail.
2. Favourite beach?
   Pre-tsunami, I'd say Unawatuna, Sri Lanka, but it hasn't been the same since, so I'll say the beaches of Palawan, Philippines, specifically El Nido beach.
3. Favourite secret getaway?
   Tsoi-Lik Island, Papua New Guinea, a true island paradise.
4. Favourite food item or cuisine?
   Favourite cuisine is easily Malaysian/Singaporean food: Hainanese Chicken Rice, Laksa, Paper Dosa, Char Kway Teow, Satay and Roti Prata. YUM!
5. When on the road, what home comfort do you miss the most?
   Without sounding too sappy, I'd have to say my future wife (I might get in trouble if I didn't).
6. Which country makes the best coffee or tea?
   Although I've never been, I haven't tasted anything better than the wild beans from Ethiopia, and yes, I had Luwak coffee in Indonesia.
7. Best sunset?
   I've yet to see the sun create a more beautiful setting than Angkor Wat, Cambodia and Bagan, Myanmar.
8. Favourite city or town?
   Impossible to pick just one, but right up there would be Florence, Italy and Cape Town, South Africa.
9. Where do you want to get next?
   I would love to tour the ancient sites of Israel.
10. What's the worst piece of travel advice you've received?
    I haven't received bad advice first hand, but the worst I've ever heard is: don't go to South Africa, you'll get ebola.
11. What's the longest you've been away from home?
    Longest I've been away from home is probably about one and a half years.

PAM SCHEWE

1. What can't you travel without?
   My headlamp. Helps with finding your way in your dark and works so well for reading your guide books in bed.
2. Favourite beach?
   Too many to name just one but those on Fraser Island, Australia and on Aitutaki in the Cook Islands are right up there.
3. Favourite secret getaway?
   Albert’s Place on the Fijian Island of Kandavu.
4. Favourite food item or cuisine?
   Mango sticky rice for dessert!
5. When on the road, what home comfort do you miss the most?
   My favourite people.
6. Which country makes the best coffee or tea?
   Southern Vietnamese coffee is the BEST.
7. Best sunset?
   Near Darwin in Northern Australian—I’ve never seen a sky that colour of purple ever since.
8. Favourite city or town?
   Hoi An, Vietnam
9. Where do you want to get next?
   The Maldives and/or Madagascar
10. What's the worst piece of travel advice you've received?
    “Trust me!”
11. What's the longest you've been away from home?
    16 months through Australia, New Zealand and Fiji
12. Fan or air conditioning?
    That depends. Is it a hand held fan being waved by a handsome young man??
13. Window or aisle seat?
    Window. I love being able to look out the window and be reminded I’m in a chair… in the sky!
14. Swimming with dolphins or shark diving?
    Definitely dolphins
15. Last tour led?
    South East Asia—Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia
16. Next destination?
    Malaysia and Indonesia

ANDRES FERNANDES

1. What can't you travel without?
   An alarm clock
2. Favourite beach?
   Manuel Antonio
3. Favourite secret getaway?
   I'm good KEEPING secrets
4. Favourite food item or cuisine?
   Italian or Mediterranean
5. When on the road, what home comfort do you miss the most?
   Do cats count?
6. Which country makes the best coffee or tea?
   Please don't say Colombia
7. Best sunset?
   Cape Sounion forever
8. Favourite city or town?
   I like to keep my mind open to new discoveries
9. Where do you want to get next?
   Italy and/or Greece
10. What's the worst piece of travel advice you've received?
    Can't remember
11. What's the longest you've been away from home?
    7 weeks
12. Fan or air conditioning?
    I'd have to say AC
13. Window or aisle seat?
    Aisle seat
14. Swimming with dolphins or shark diving?
    Diving, anytime!
15. Last tour led?
    With AA Morocco
16. Next destination?
    San Salvador