Mr Lawler started his travel business while still at university after having a gap year in Ghana in 1998, where he worked for four months and trekked the west coast for four months.
While there, he also made national headlines when he was made chief of the Shia village in Ghana.
It was this experience that led John to start his own business.
Mr Lawler, 33, who is married and lives in Corbridge, said: “My idea came from when I was at university and the experiences I had in Africa.
