Sohelie Zafar

A bit about me…

Before working here at DTWE, I was a Head of Department for Modern Foreign Languages and taught French and Italian for 10 years in secondary schools in inner-city London. Prior to that I completed my PGCE at the Institute of Education after having graduated from University College London with a degree in Modern Languages.

During that time I spent my Erasmus year studying abroad completing additional courses of Art History, Linguistics, Literature and International Relations. I’ve loved languages ever since I can remember and I feel really proud to be able to speak 6: English, French, Italian, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu….but I still want to learn more. Next on my list is Arabic and Japanese. For me, it’s through a learning a language that you get a true insight into the depths of its culture.

What drew me to the travel industry?

Anyone who has studied a language at university level will tell you that the best part by far is the year abroad! Doing a degree in both French and Italian, I was lucky enough to be able to split my year between both countries. So I spent 6 months in Rome and 6 months in Lyon – the best year of my life in so many ways. It was here that I realised just how important travel is to building life-long skills that are otherwise unteachable.

What do you love most about your job?

I love that I get to be a part of something that brings both my passions together: Languages and Education. It’s such a privilege being able to share my love for language learning with like-minded people, who see how crucial a language is to both the development of young people but also the wider world.

What are some of your most memorable travel moments?

Mountain bike riding along the infamously named “Death Road” in Bolivia – the world’s most dangerous road…I still can’t believe I let myself do that to this day! The feeling I had arriving at the summit of Macchu Picchu at sunrise, after completing the Inca Trail – my first ever hike. The sound of the claxon on the streets of Bũnol, just before a hundred tons of tomatoes were thrown into the streets at La Tomatina. I lost count of how many showers it took to get that tomato juice out of my ears! Listening to the sounds of dolphins underwater while swimming in the oceans of Zanzibar. Camping in the Amazon knowing I could wake up to any animal inside my tent. Watching the most breath-taking views of the ocean in places like Santorini and the Amalfi Coast. I’m a sucker for a sunset!

What is your must-pack travel item?

Tea bags so I can have my morning cuppa wherever I am in the world!