Travel has always been in my blood. Having been born and brought up in Hong Kong I boarded my first long-haul flight aged 6 months. I spent my childhood being taken to exotic, off the beaten track destinations by my parents and as I grew older my desire to explore the world only increased.

I knew that a career in travel was for me when I returned from backpacking around Japan, South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. If I could provide amazing travel experiences and memories for others, like the ones I had, then why would I want to do anything else? It’s a treat every day to be able to share my passion with others.

Recently I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to embark on a fly-drive around Route 1, the ring road circling Iceland. A country that I am completely in awe of. It beggars belief that around every corner there is a new and equally spectacular waterfall, lava field or glacier to feast your eyes upon. It’s hard to put into words how breathtakingly beautiful the scenery is, how friendly the people are and how fascinating the history, geology and nature of Iceland is. A particular highlight of mine was travelling down the south coast and visiting Reynisfjara black sand beach and Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, never have I experienced anything quite like it. There is so much more to Iceland than the northern lights! 

Having worked in travel for over 10 years I’ve been lucky enough to visit all the continents except Antarctica (which is definitely on the list!) but there is something that keeps drawing me back to South East Asia - ever since first stepping off the ‘plane in Bangkok as a recently-graduated student back in the 1990s.  It’s hard to know what exactly it is, the mouth-watering food available both on the streets and in the restaurants or the miles of stunning coastline across the region, the orang-utans hanging out in Borneo or the awe-inspiring temples rising out of the jungles in Angkor Wat, or even the temple-studded plains of Burma, but they all play a part in drawing me back. All that without even mentioning the warm-hearted and sincere welcome you receive from the locals.

It’s hard to pick a favourite place but Danum Valley in the Sabah region of Malaysian Borneo really is special.  As the only area of virgin rainforest in the region it feels like you’re staying in the Lost World. After spending the day trekking through the forest with the peerless local guides on the look-out for the Old Man of Borneo swinging through the trees or any number of hornbills taking flight, to return to the Lodge and sit back and await the chorus of 6 O’clock cicadas, monkey-chatter and birdsong is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Unless you’re lucky enough to go back which I definitely hope I will be. 

Read more about my travel experiences in the blog

Born and raised in post-communist Bulgaria, my love for travel started when I was only 10 on my first trip to Western Europe (back then, we had to queue for hours and hours to cross any border and collect multiple stamps on our passports before we are allowed to enter any country; it was years before Bulgaria joined the EU, so travelling back then wasn’t easy at all). I remember that during that first trip, I was so fascinated by everything I got to see and experience, that I decided that my goal in life will be to see as much of the world as possible.

A decade later, fresh out of University, my career in travel started with my first job in a travel agency: I fell in love with the industry from day one. So far it's given me so many incredible experiences and I've met many amazing people from all over the world. Before moving to the UK, I spent a year working in Paris, led groups to more than 15 different countries, spent three summers in a bustling resort in northern Corfu and earned an international degree in Tourism in beautiful Italy. 

Since joining Regent, I have been lucky enough to travel to Iceland - a country that‘s been on my bucket list for years and I‘m completely in awe of. The country is so stunningly beautiful, no picture you‘ve ever seen does it justice, but what I love about it the most is how different it is from any other place in the world.

It's incredible how travelling to such a remote place, with one of the most severe climates in the world, opens your mind - it was a great opportunity to see just how powerful nature really is. I am blown away by it and will definitely be visiting again as soon as I can. My favourite part of the country, without a doubt, is the north, home to beautiful Akureyri and Lake Myvatn, though the absolutely mesmerising Glacier Lagoon comes in a very close second. My top tip: make sure you go on a glacier hike, it was definitely one of the coolest things I‘ve ever done!