Paul Medley
Job Title
Product & Commercial Director
About yourself
Having lived and studied abroad I have always had a desire to travel and discover new places so it was not long before I left London life behind and hit the road to lead tours in Latin America, Europe and North Africa. Returning to the UK I was lured into the office and now head up the team ensuring we offer a great range of trips for our passengers.
What do you love most about your job?
Hearing back from our passengers about how fantastic their trips were - mind you it can be a bit like being a kid on a diet working in a candy store!
What is your most memorable travel experience?
Standing on the deck of an Antarctic expedition cruise ship surrounded by towering icebergs and glaciers as dawn broke. The water was dead calm with everything perfectly reflected in hues of aquamarine; then, as if to announce the new day, a Minkie whale gracefully broke the surface of the water and expelled air through his blow hole. Magical.
Where have you been?
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Croatia, Crete, France, Monaco, Germany, Slovenia, Sweden, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Malta, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Turkey, UAE, Botswana, Libya, Kenya, Tanzania, Morocco, Namibia, Nigieria, South Africa, Tunisia, Zambia, Zanzibar, Pakistan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, USA, Canada, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, India, Afghanistan, Antarctica, Antigua, Kazakhstan, New Zealand - PHEW!
Best travel tip
Pack a shesh (a long piece of material used as headgear in North Africa) - I picked one up in Libya that now goes everywhere with me as a hat, scarf, towel, visor, sunblocker, blanket, sweatband, rope, bag …
What inspires you to travel?
The desire to see, touch, feel and experience all the amazing things that the world has to offer. It is very easy to become cocooned in our daily lives and for me travel - whether it be trekking in the mountains, marvelling at an incredible ancient civilisation or being blown away by the diversity of the natural world - is a way to break away from the usual and everyday. There's also a bit of fear in there - that I might not be able to see and do everything that is out there to.
Which Adventure Company trips have you been on?
Realm of the Maya – Mexico & Guatemala
Active Pyrenees – Andorra
Salsa Cubana – Cuba
Moroccan Experience – Morocco
Delta & Dunes - Namibia/Botswana
Kilimanjaro Trek - (Machame Route) Tanzania
Brazilian Adventure – Brazil
Tropical South - India
Antarctic Peninsula - Antarctica
Which Adventure Company trip is on your wanderlust?
Mera Peak Trek - A chance to visit Nepal and break the 6000m mark
Lhasa Overland - have been fascinated by Tibet ever since reading Harrer's Seven Years in Tibet
Land of the Thunder Dragon - a more remote version of Tibet.
