We have all stood there, at the start of something new, with the adventure beckoning and the excitement literally pounding in our chest. But there are only a few of us who have placed their feet behind the starting line at an Olympic event - and even fewer who have made it past the finish line. Image: The Olympic Park, Copyright CIO - Lydie Nesvadba Home of the Olympians Every fourth year, 205 Olympic Committees send their athletes to the most sought-after sports event in the

Here's three things I learned about Georgian people during my trip to Batumi, a beautiful coastal town in Georgia where the beaches are lined with pebbles and the air is filled with the salty scent of the Black Sea. 1) They really know how to enjoy life. Here, life is meant to be a pleasure: Drink the wine. Stop and smell the roses. Bask in the sunshine. Smile at a stranger. Make the city - and your life - beautiful. Fall in love. Woo your loved one. Breathe. Eat the bread an

I honestly can't remember the first time I ever travelled alone. Perhaps it's because I grew as the child of an expat life - I took my first-ever flight when I was younger than the age of three, although obviously I was accompanied by my parents then! - and, as a third-culture kid born to two parents who weren't of straight-shot ethnic origins themselves, the world has always felt like a rich tapestry of places to explore, rather than one bound by borders that I was fearful t

When you're going to a garden that was once owned by Yves Saint Laurent, you know it's going to be good. This 12-acre botanical garden is a place of fantasy. Designed by French artist Jacques Majorelle then later owned by fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent (like we need an introduction as to who that is!), Jardin Majorelle is probably one of the most whimsical, intriguing and enchanting gardens I've ever been to. The Medina of Marrakesh is often referred to as the pink city,

The first time I ever flew on a plane, I was about 2-3 years old. One of the great perks of growing up as an expat kid means that you're not only instilled with a love for travel from a young age, but also that you do tend to grow up with a certain level of savvy for it. By the age of 10, I had a list of my favourite airports in the world already picked out. Obviously, as a kid, the winner at the time was Singapore's Changi airport - it boasted the best gaming area you could

Located in one of the furthest, most remote spots of the Maasai Mara (very close to the border between Kenya and Tanzania), Sala’s Camp is a a tranquil haven located in the heart of the Mara. For someone like me – who loves nature just as much as I love high heels and lipstick – this is camping made perfect. A cozy spread of luxurious tents dotted between the trees, the camp is located where two rivers converge. The main mess tent overlooks the Sand River, and its green surro

I really love a good craft market. Something about the buzzing energy in the air, the excitement of the possibility of unearthing some sort of buried treasure (maybe even at a bargain), and the happy hustle and bustle of it all, just puts a smile on my face. I also think it has something to do with the fact that I tend to associate markets with festive seasons, like Christmas, which just happens to be one of my favourite times of the year. So naturally when I went to Delhi se

Ever since I was a teenager, I've dreamed of visiting Marrakech. Tales of its old winding streets, ancient buildings and bustling souks with their glittering wares and colourful spices captivated me, and as I grew older and developed a deep love for fashion, realising that many designers had visited the pink city for inspiration or even to build a holiday home there, I was even more intrigued. The hotel was named "The Ultimate Hideaway" by the US edition of Harper's Bazaar i

The last time I was in Florence, in the summer of 2011, I hoped to visit the San Lorenzo Mercato Centrale, a famous food market in the heart of the city. I love food, I love markets, and it sounded like a treasure trove of exciting new discoveries. Alas, I made the rookie mistake of forgetting to check if the market had different opening hours during the month of August when I was there, and assumed I still had a couple of hours left to see it on my last day. Everyone warns a

The scene at the end of Memoirs of a Geisha (the film, not the book) where we see a flashback of Sayuri, the main character, when she was still a little girl known as Chiyo, running through hundreds and thousands of stunning vermilion gateways is one of my favourite movie scenes of all time. I loved the book, but to be able to see it come to life, visually it was stunning and a really beautiful ending to a powerful movie. So when I took a trip to Japan with Kyoto as one of ou