Travel: passport - Danny Rampling: 'I haven't got a stamp from the moon, yet'

In Tel Aviv I had my worst encounter with customs officials. They took everything apart - my records, clothes, shoes, everything. There was this backlash against dance culture in Israel at the time of my visit. I played at a party for 5,000 people during the clamp-down. As a result, I think they might have wanted to give me, or any DJ, a going over."

As a jet-setting DJ, Danny Rampling is constantly passing through immigration controls. During a stop-over in Miami, on a flight from Jamaica, Rampling ran into more problems. "These customs dogs sort of jumped on me. The officials asked me why I'd been to Jamaica. I told them it was because I wanted to absorb the atmosphere." Needless to say, he was thoroughly searched.

He attributes customs officials' interest in him to his job. "You've got to expect it, travelling so often, and in the line of work I am in. Unfortunately, it's not the most respected profession. I'm sure rock'n'roll bands often get a going-over too."

Rampling owes a lot of his current success to the international club scene. During the summer, he travels every week to clubs all over the Mediterranean, though he is probably best known in Ibiza. "I've been to Ibiza a lot and it's given me a lot of good times. I had an active role in the club scene there. It helped to establish my career as a DJ here in the UK so I owe a lot to the island and I respect it."

It is no wonder that he's quick to make excuses for the current uproar over the robust British club scene on the island. "There are two sides to Ibiza. I've been to the good side. Sadly, the good side is never represented in the media. Lately it has had unnecessary attention and it has got a tacky tag."

Despite his frenetic travelling itinerary while DJ-ing, Rampling doesn't stay at home during his holidays, choosing instead to explore Asia. He claims that visiting Asian cities such as Varanasi and Kathmandu has deeply influenced both his spiritual outlook and his music: "Kathmandu is in a time warp. A land that time forgot. The city in the early morning mist is an incredible sight."

However, the intrepid traveller is not content with just his collection of passport stamps from Asia. Now, Rampling is looking further afield: "I havn't got a stamp from the moon, yet. That's the one I want in my passport. I'm hoping to achieve that in three or four years. I've looked into space flight. There's one company that is advertising to do it, but it costs pounds 60,000 because you have to visit a space centre to pass a strict medical test and undergo rigorous astronaut training. We'll see how much cash I've got in three years' time."

DJs Danny Rampling, Carl Cox and Judge Jules will be playing at Lynx Location Apollo at Jodrell Bank, Cheshire, on 17 October. Other artists performing include Run DMC, Republica and Space.