My name is Andrea, I’m 32, and I love discovering the world through the eyes of those who live it every day: to me, that’s what travelling truly means. Because I firmly believe there’s a fundamental difference between travelling and taking a holiday.

Travelling, for me, means being moved, learning, laughing and sometimes even crying. It means sharing experiences with people you may not even share a language with, yet still managing to communicate through a smile, a glance, a simple gesture.

I’ve travelled across Europe, North and Central America, Asia and North Africa, but I’m sure this is only the beginning. My favourite way to discover a place is on the road: living it to the full, noticing the differences that make us unique, and learning to understand and respect cultures, traditions, flavours and all the little things that make each destination special.

But the journey that changed my life was the one where I decided to leave everything behind and set off for nine months in Southeast Asia. Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia weren’t just stops on an itinerary: they were experiences that made me grow as a traveller and, above all, as a person.

Beyond travel, I have other great passions: animals, horses in particular, and sport in every form.

— Andrea Arnoldi, Tour Leader