The joys of travelling with purpose

Jan Ashworth went to Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Myanmar and Central Asia last year. But when people say they hope she has nice holiday, she admits she "shudders".

"I regard my overseas travels as an educational experience," Jan says. "If I wanted to go on holiday I'd go and swan around on the north New South Wales coast."

"I love going to places that I know absolutely nothing about . . . dress, speech, beliefs, what they eat."

Jan, a single and retired English and history teacher, has travelled a number of times with Leederville-based Travel Directors, finding their style suits her (well organised, interesting places, plenty of knowledge and experience in that country, but having a very local, grounded feel). Most recently it was Central Asia on their Five Stans.

While these trips are carefully planned and prepared, Jan does her own research before leaving "so it's not an absolutely blank page". She is careful with her photography and always has a notebook and pen on hand, taking a selective note of the information local guides are giving, and other impressions.

"When I go home, I go through the photos and then do heaps more research. I have always got more and more questions so I go back to my notes.

"When all that is done, I feel that country is done for now."

But some places resonate more and longer: "Some places jump out a bit more than others and I am still not sure why."

Jan says that though she keeps an interest in a country or region ("six months ago it was Myanmar, eight months ago it was Africa"), she says that in terms of full attention, one tends to replace another - she starts focusing on the next trip.

Being a solo traveller, she also pays a single supplement to book a room alone - "absolutely vital", she says.

After a day of information, observation and education, and of being with a group for breakfast, lunch and dinner and all the hours in between (as pleasantly social as that might be), there is a relief to having a little time and space alone.

Jan agrees that if she couldn't afford to pay the single supplement, she'd rather stay home.

"I used to begrudge it but I don't any more because it's what I want to do and it's where I want to go."

traveldirectors.com.au, 137 Cambridge Street, Leederville, 1300 856 661 and 9242 4200. ·There's more from the Five Stans tour on page 14 where Stephen Scourfield meets the yurt-makers of Kyrgyzstan.