So if “Life is a Journey, Not a Destination” as highlighted by Ralph Waldo Emerson, then the arrival must surely be an experience to be savoured.

I clearly recall the delicious thrill more than a decade ago of being swept away by a seaplane and being transported magically to a desolate sandbank in the Maldives.

 

This incredible introduction to the Maldives was almost topped by my water taxi to Victoria Falls where we breathlessly sped by water taxi past hippos and crocodiles to The Royal Livingstone on the banks of the Zambezi. Charmingly, the hotel knowing that the experience was certain to get pulses racing had arranged welcome hand and wrist massages on the deck, with the spray of the falls in the distance.

And talking of water taxis, Venice is beautiful even in the rain and the wooden boat that propelled us to the Cipriani managed to retain its charm despite the downpour. Detouring via Venice’s labyrinth of canals and waterways, it was the perfect way to be introduced to Venice.

On a recent trip to Wadi Rum, Jordan we arrived at our desert camp in one piece after an endless tangle of twists and turns via a four wheeled drive into the desert, before continuing the rest of our journey by camel.

I also love the Air Kenya safari bound twelve sweaters which are the signature of any safari in Kenya. The flights always depart early, and nothing can beat the feeling of departing the dust and traffic of Nairobi and soaring upwards. Within minutes the city is a distant memory and you are rewarded by sweeping visas of the Masai Mara and heart stopping glimpses of dark smudges which turn out to be elephants leisurely going about their morning.

Top my wish list for 2015 is Six Senses Zighy Bay where I plan to sweep in via hand glider towards the beach. Perhaps as I get older, my expectations of a grand entrance are getting higher. Like Emerson hinted, it is indeed all about the journey not the destination.