Staff on Tour: Loren, Customer Experience and Operations Team Leader

The Stans were unlike anywhere else I've travelled. Ashgabat in Turkmenistan hits you straight away with majestic white marble buildings that don't seem real, followed by an adventure through the desert, with camels on the side of the road watching you travel out to the Darvaza crater. Here you get to watch the sun set and see fire dancing under a sky full of stars. A surprise I didn't expect was hedgehogs wandering around camp at night, trying to see if they'd get lucky with some dinner scraps.Uzbekistan was absolutely full of history and the most amazing buildings, from the walled city in Khiva to the vibrant blue buildings in Samarkand, I was blown away by the colours and the work that went into them. The food was a highlight too: plov, fresh bread, some of the best melon ever (they even have a national melon holiday!), endless tea and mojitos (the non-alcoholic kind!).For me personally, Tajikistan's Seven Lakes topped it all. The bluest water tucked into dramatic mountains, absolutely stunning to see. And everywhere we went, the people made it: warm, curious, always ready to offer a smile and say hello. It's such a raw, different part of the world, and absolutely worthy of a visit.