Born in Rome from an Italian/Ethiopian family, Dario moved to Ethiopia at the age of seven. After graduating in 2002, his Ethiopian origins and the fact that he is multilingual helped him find work as a freelance translator/guide around Ethiopia. What started off as a part time job, ended up turning into a passion for travel.

By the age of 21, Dario was working with different Ethiopian tour operators and organising tours and had traveled extensively throughout Ethiopia. However, in 2005 Dario decided to continue his studies and moved to London to complete a BA Hons degree in Travel and Tourism at the University of Westminster. His love for travel could not keep him in the UK once completing his studies and went back to do what he loved, travel! Dario is also a keen swimmer with a life saving badge and plays football during his free time.

He was also involved in voluntary work in Ethiopia such as giving swimming lessons to HIV/AIDS orphans and teaching English to children suffering from polio.

In 2013 Dario was awarded Bronze in Wanderlust's World Guide Awards.

INTERVIEW

Q: How did you fall into tour leading?

A: I first started working as a translator for French clients, mainly in Addis Ababa, as there weren't many French speaking guides. Once I started taking clients out of Addis Ababa and seeing how diverse and fascinating my country was, I never looked back.

Q: What do you like most about tour leading?

A: I love being on the road and not working in an office. I also love the challenge of having a group of people who might be completely different to each other and taking them successfully around a country.

Q: Where is your favourite part of the world?

A: I am not extremely well travelled but I think it would be Sub Saharan Africa.

Q: What was your biggest travel highlight?

A: My biggest travel highlight is standing on the rim of the Erta Ale Volcano and staring down at the lava. It always feels like the first time.

Q: What’s the craziest request you've ever had from a client?

A: My strangest request from a client was that she demanded to have a bidet in her room.

Q: What’s the one thing you couldn't travel without?

A: Probably my first aid kit.

Q: Which famous person would you most like to travel with?

A: I would love to take David Attenborough to the Danakil Depression, although I think he has already been there.