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. 

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! 

Carl has been with Regent holidays since 2004 and is one of our leading experts on the Caucasus and North and South Korea.  He has led dozens of tours, and knows some of our more uncommon destinations like no one else. With 20 plus trips to North Korea alone under his belt, Carl is regularly called upon by the BBC, The Times and other media outlets to comment on the country.

From Carl: I joined Regent in 2004 after two years living in Mongolia. From Bosnia to Burma, I have always enjoyed more unusual destinations - and that’s why I love leading tours for Regent. In my time here I have had enough weird, wonderful and memorable experiences to fill a lifetime; whether posing as a scientist to get our inaugural Chernobyl tour group into “the zone,” being given a private train carriage for the 9000km journey all the way from Pyongyang to Moscow or being followed by the Turkmen KGB. My tours are always an adventure.

My true labour of love is developing our North Korea tours and I have had the opportunity to visit this unique, propaganda-filled country more than 20 times. In many cases, we have been the first ever western tours into certain cities and regions.

One of my favourite tours at the moment is our pioneering North Korea tour – exactly for that reason – we’re visiting regions and cities very few people get to see. Our trip up to the provincial capital of Chongjin is especially rare, while the chance to visit an everyday market in Rajin is completely unique. If you want to see North Korea beyond Pyongyang, this is the tour to take.

I have also worked on creating a pioneering tour that travels through Abkhazia, a forgotten, ex-soviet breakaway state in the Caucasus that offers visitors the opportunity to watch as a region unofficially recognised as a country begins to flourish following a turbulent past few decades.