Education chief Richard Marett warns against hiring a car while on a business trip to Vietnam, where he found himself in a life-threatening situation at every major junction.

“Traffic lights were introduced about seven or eight years ago and the local population thought they were just for decoration,” he says. “They have a continuous flow system and at major junctions people just drive straight through. You think you are heading for certain death, but somehow it just works. I can remember being with a taxi driver who went through a junction, realised he had gone too far and, without blinking, just put it in reverse and went straight back the same way. It was heart stopping stuff and I certainly wouldn’t advise driving yourself.”

Marett, 34, is the chief executive of Whizz Education, which makes computer programs that teach maths to 5-12 year olds, using interactive animations. Used in 2,500 schools, the company currently has a market value of over £9 million and employs up to 30 staff and 15 contractors at any one time. Marett spends several months a year travelling the world sourcing new programmes and updating its current services.

What else stands out about the country?

If you ever want to visit a school with a difference, go to the Mekon Delta in Vietnam, where so many Americans got slaughtered during the war. You see 15-16 year olds chopping up coconuts at a mind-boggling speed. In the west, we tend to learn things conceptually, so we need to understand before we carry out tasks. In Asia they learn by repetition and, after following instruction, they become very good at performing various tasks. It’s not that they are better or worse than westerners, but the difference comes from the education.

How do you find working in the US?

The interesting thing about the US is that business varies massively from state to state. We’ve been working in San Francisco and Seattle and in those two areas the people are warm, friendly and down-to-earth. You have a clear process and they are great to do business with.

In Florida, people are also very friendly but if they say something will happen, that isn’t necessarily the case. Maybe it’s something to do with the climate, but it does seem as though tomorrow will do. It’s the same in Marbella, come to think of it. These hot places do tend to attract fly-by-night characters, but obviously that’s a bit of a generalisation.

You also work in India.

Yes, and I find the people very hard-working, genuine and great to do business with. To be honest, I was very pleasantly surprised, because I was told to expect something quite different. But the people we work with are three hours south of Bangalore, in a quiet community, so perhaps that makes a difference. It might be more difficult doing business in a city.

The other thing I’ve found is that often a company, particularly a small business, is a reflection of the person who is running it. The Indian company we work with is run by a very honest, straightforward person.

Where would you avoid?

I’ve experience of being in Nigeria and I can imagine that would be a tough place to do business. ()

How do you book your travel?

I travel by myself or with a colleague and basically we just go online, search around for some good deals and book it that way. Does anybody do it any different these days?

Which airline do you prefer?

I love Singapore Airlines. I used it constantly for seven years flying to Singapore and it was always on time. I hate hanging around at airports, so it was a real bonus. The service is also great. But with any carrier, you really want direct flights because if you have to get into changing planes it can all take ages. I always go economy and in long-haul you also need decent seat-back entertainment. The rest of it is much of a muchness. I’ve also tried Emirates to Dubai and that was good. I went Virgin Atlantic and was a little disappointed. I don’t know what I expected really. Perhaps I’d read too much about it, but it was not that spectacular for me.

How do you pass the time on flights?

I sleep and watch a few videos. But the best thing is being able to turn off the laptop and mobile. When I get on a plane, I’m anti-social because I want my time and my space. I read magazines that I usually just don’t get the time to see and, it may sound harsh, I don’t really want to spend time talking to someone I don’t know and won’t see again. I don’t drink too much because you just get dehydrated. It’s all right if you’re 21 and going for a party to Ibiza, but I’m afraid I’m well beyond that stage.

Are you a light packer?

Light and quick. I’ve just got back from Seattle and San Francisco and had a small suitcase because I was away for three weeks. But anything less and I’d try to take hand luggage.

What do you look for in hotels?

I’m not overly fussy. I need somewhere central, that is clean, and where I can crash out and access emails. In Singapore, I’d recommend the Goodwood Park, which is of colonial style and offers excellent service. It’s not as well known as some other hotels in the area, but just as good.

What innovations would you like to see in travel?

Well, it’s a bit of a plug for our products, but I think it’s a valid one. We’re talking to Singapore Airlines about putting some of our maths programmes into the seatback televisions. They will keep children entertained and teach them something because the maths programmes are fun. It’s got to be better for them than just playing games or watching X-rated films, hasn’t it?