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Home/Our Experts/Asia/Maria C. Spitman
Maria C Spitman
Asia
Indian Ocean

Maria C. Spitman

I picked up the taste for adventure at nine years old, visiting my relatives in Sicily for the first time. When I later qualified as a teacher, I knew I'd be living abroad. I spent years in South Korea and then England, immersed in both cultures and wandering across Asia and Europe at every opportunity. One brimming passport later, I retired my teacher's hat, entered the travel industry professionally, and have never looked back.

In Korea, you do everything with two hands to show respect. Handing a cashier your money? Topping up your friend's drink? Being handed a towel at the gym? Two hands! The "short form" is physically handing it over with one hand, having your other hand touch your forearm.

"Jobs fill your pockets, but adventures fill your soul." - Jaime Lyn

On my first visit to Naples, we were heading from the museum to the castle, where I found myself chatting with our taxi driver while stuck in traffic, using the little Italian I knew. He found out that I am Sicilian just from my accent, and he offered to take us on his own tour of Naples, absolutely free. We thought it might be a scam, but what followed was the best four-hour tour of the area I could have asked for. Fontanelle Cemetery, the best cafe for espresso and sfogliatelle, and Castel Ovo, just to name a few. We wound up driving down the coast to Sorrento at sunset, where he invited us for dinner with his family. Regrettably, we had the evening train to Rome already booked, so we had to decline. Everything about that experience, including small gestures like his refusal of our offer of gas money at the end of the day, showed me just how much love locals have for their home and how warm they are in wanting to share its beauty with visitors. This memory stays with me to this day. has stayed with me years later.

Some of Maria's Favourite Places

01

Phuket

Aerial view of Big Buddha viewpoint at sunset on Phuket with a view of the water and coast below
02

Killarney

Scenic view of Gap of Dunloe
03

Rome

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican
04

Yorkshire Moors and Dales

North Yorkshire Moors
05

Seoul

Sunset view of Seoul City Skyline, South Korea
06

Bali

Famous temple with morning mists over the Danau Beratan lake
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