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. 

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Travelling along the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan and the Karakorum Highway in Pakistan introduced me to some of the most stunning landscapes I’ve ever seen. I’ve always found such remote areas enchanting, so perhaps it’s no surprise that I fell in love with the wildernesses and endless steppe of Mongolia, where there is no contact with the rest of the world. The beautiful mountains, cheesebreads, wine and hospitality found in Georgia puts the country high on my list of favourites but Iran always continues holds the top spot. I visited when it was against FCO advice and tourists were rare, although even now crowds of travellers are delightfully uncommon. The incredible friendliness of the Iranians will always stick in my memory, accompanied by the awe inspiring mosques and rice adorned with saffron and barberries.

I have recently returned from Jordan, a country I have visited on several occasions and adored even more with each visit. The friendliness of the Middle East is found everywhere in Jordan, whether you're walking down the candle-lit siq in Petra to see the iconic Treasury facade at night, floating in the Dead Sea (a strange but must-do experience that should be on every traveller's bucket list) or hiking through the Great Rift Valley in the stunning Dana Nature Reserve. 

If Central Asia doesn't excite you as much as it interests me, Borneo is a fantastic option for a unique holiday with plenty of potential for adventure, but without having to step quite so far out of your comfort zone. The view from the top of Mount Kinabalu after a long (but well worth it) hike to watch the sun rise is an experience I would recommend to everybody, before you set off to catch a glimpse of some of the world's last remaining wild orangutan populations in the virgin rainforest. 

I was a Regent Tours Manager for the Baltic States and Russia for many years starting back in 1995. As a Russian and Soviet Studies graduate, I have always been fascinated by this vast country and love discovering something new on every return visit. One of my favourite Regent tours is the Great Siberian Sayan Ring and I heartily recommend including a visit to Siberia or at least seeing more than just the major cities when travelling in Russia  - being in the wide open space of the tundra, picnicking beside shimmering birch trees and visiting provincial towns is to experience the real Russia. One of my most memorable trips was an incredible journey along the Trans-Siberian Railway with my family. My travel advice for this epic journey? Don't try and keep up with the Russians when vodka drinking!

In 2009, I led Regent’s inaugural tour to Kosovo and was overwhelmed by the generous hospitality of the local people. More recent travel adventures have taken me to Iceland – one of my favourite ever destinations. Iceland is simply one of the most visually stunning countries I have visited with its thundering waterfalls, ice-filled lagoons, fjords edged with steep, flat-topped mountains and jagged glacier tongues. And how I can forget the northern lights? What an amazing, awe-inspiring spectacle.

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