Lloyd Martin was born in 1960 in England, but as a child he lived in Malta, a small island in the Mediterranean Sea. His parents allowed him to travel alone when he was just 15 – and this was the start of his wanderlust.

At first, due to financial difficulties and the restrictions of his education, this wanderlust was limited to Europe. However, in 1985, Lloyd had his first experience of travelling further afield, when he flew to Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). A local man worked with him as a guide; he used a machete to clear the way through the jungle to reach a Pygmy village, where Lloyd stayed.

The people who live in this village are Pygmies. These ethnic groups are notable for their short height – the average man is less than 150cm tall – and many live in Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. This was a very memorable experience for Lloyd as a traveller.

On one of his visits to Nepal, he came across us, the Mountain Children’s Home (MCH) in Dandaguan, Kathmandu. He said that the instant he arrived, he fell in love with the home and the children. Every year, he tries to return to visit his new-found family, where some of his favourite times are spent teaching, playing, eating and joking with the children at MCH.

Lloyd said that the 1980s were exciting times, because both China and the USSR were opening up to foreign travellers. Lloyd wanted to enjoy “immersive travel” by himself, but at the time, sadly for him, both countries did not permit independent travelling, so he had to travel with a group. He managed to explore the Soviet Union to an extent, when he worked as a stage manager with the Moscow State Circus, but he wanted to see more of the country.

I asked Lloyd Papa (as we call him), “Why do you like to travel?”, and his response was: “I enjoy meeting new people, experiencing new cultures and tasting new foods. Every country I visit has something exciting and different to offer.”

On being asked his favourite country, Lloyd said that it was impossible to say as each country has something unique to offer. Two of his favourite countries are India and Nepal. He explained that India has so many states, each offering different foods, costumes and culture, so that one can travel for years and not see it all. He says that Nepal is a fascinating country and the people are very friendly.

Lloyd has visited more than 100 countries around the world, including places as diverse as Cuba, Ethiopia and North Korea. When we asked him where he would like to go next, he replied Papua New Guinea. We wish him good luck with his future trips!