The John Walker & Sons Voyager -- the beautiful 1920s-inspired yacht celebrating the release of the John Walker & Sons Odyssey whisky -- has now completed its round the world journey, having traveled thousands of nautical miles from Shanghai, through Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Europe, to it's final port of call in Edinburgh.

It has been many months since my travel and photography television series, Around The World With Voyager, concluded on the HISTORY Channel.  And since then I've been busy with other endeavours -- including hosting another creative photography project that will launch online soon -- and I've had an opportunity to reflect on the experience.

As a keepsake of my adventure, my good friend David Flood over at Persistent Productions put together this fantastic highlight reel of my time hosting the series.

It's been fantastic for me to relive this experience through David's video edit, and it makes me thankful for the unique opportunity The Moving Visuals Company and The HISTORY Channel provided me to step out from behind my lens and appear in front of it instead.

As I've expressed to anyone who's asked, hosting the series was a challenging transition for me to make, especially as I

still maintained all photography responsibilities throughout production.  It was a steep learning curve for me, but I absolutely enjoyed the experience and demands of bringing these two worlds together in Around The World With Voyager.

Without a doubt, the most rewarding part of my job was meeting the five icons: chef Sean Anson Xu (徐安昇) in Taipei, action star and movie director/producer Stephen Fung Tak-Lun (馮德倫) in Hong Kong, film director Brillante Mendoza in Manila, fashion designer Raghavendra Rathore in Jodhpur and musical talent, Mỹ Linh in Hanoi.  It was a privilege to learn about their lives and document their personal journeys by photographing a series of definitive portraits at each of five milestone locations in their respective cities.

I feel fortunate to have experienced hosting a television series, but even more to have met and spent time with each of these remarkable people.  The highlight reel that David made for me is a wonderful keepsake of the time I spent together with these personalities, exploring their cities through their eyes, and making photographs of them in each of these interesting and meaningful locations.

Visit my website to see all my portraits from Around The World With Voyager.

The Voyager's last port of call is breathtaking Halong Bay, Vietnam.

In this, the fifth and final episode of The HISTORY Channel's Around The World With Voyager, I travel to the buzzing capital city of Hanoi where I meet Mỹ Linh, one of the nation's foremost musical talents.

Mỹ Linh’s beautiful voice has captivated hearts across Vietnam and beyond.  She is one of the country's most recognizable performers, as well as a musical ambassador to the world, having performed concerts throughout Asia, Europe and the Americas.

Last year marked the 20th anniversary of Mỹ Linh’s career as a musical artist and performer.  Together we celebrate this remarkable milestone by exploring the city she has called home her entire life.

Born into a working class family at the end of the Vietnam War, Mỹ Linh brings me to meet her mother in the old Hanoi neighbourhood where she grew-up.  As she recalls her formative years, we stroll down a memory lane dotted with traditional snacks, old limestone walls and bicycles in narrow lanes.  Mỹ Linh’s late father has been a great inspiration to her, and to honour him I decide to photograph Mỹ Linh and her mother together holding a

portrait of Mỹ Linh as a little girl in the arms of her loving father.  Here, Mỹ Linh also comes face-to-face with her childhood inspiration and the revisits traditional Vietnamese music of her youth.

Mỹ Linh’s formidable musical talent was evident from her teenage years.  In 1991, she was named Best High School Student Singer and Best Singer in a Pop Band.  These awards were a sign of success to come and, when she scored first on her entrance exam, Mỹ Linh enrolled in the prestigious Hanoi Conservatory of Music.  To date, she has released more than ten albums and, in 2006, her “Chat Với Mozart”, an innovative fusion of Vietnamese and classical Western music, was named Album of the Year.  Ever grateful for her successes, Mỹ Linh brings me to the Hai Ba Trung Pagoda where she continues to keep in touch with her spiritual side.  Together we make a dramatic portrait of her in prayer inside the beautiful Buddhist temple.

Mỹ Linh then escorts me to Long Bien Bridge to introduce me to her husband, acclaimed Vietnamese composer-producer Anh Quân.  Long Bien Bridge is significant as it's where the couple -- now parents to two children, as well as Anh Quân's daughter from an earlier marriage -- shared their first date on the back of a scooter many years ago.  I capture them, perched on a vintage Vespa, as they recreate the romance of that first date.

From here, Mỹ Linh invites me to her home in the Hanoi countryside.  It is here that Mỹ Linh and Anh Quân continue to record her bestselling albums together in their state-of-the-art recording studio and where I create a series of photographs of Mỹ Linh singing one of her many hit songs.

Mỹ Linh has dedicated her entire career to the pursuit of excellence.  Her styles range from opera and classical music to R&B, soul, funk and pop.  Naming the late Whitney Houston as one of her influences, fittingly Mỹ Linh herself is renowned as one of Vietnam’s "Four Divas".  To celebrate her life in music, I decide to make my final portrait of Mỹ Linh performing on the stage at the iconic Hanoi Opera House, one of the city’s historic musical landmarks.

To experience Mỹ Linh's journey through my lens, catch the fifth and final episode of Around The World With Voyager, which premieres on Monday 4 March at 11pm on HISTORY and HISTORY HD.

Watch promotional trailers for the first, second, third and fourth episodes where I meet and photograph chef Sean Anson Xu (徐安昇) in Taipei, action star and movie director/producer Stephen Fung Tak-Lun (馮德倫) in Hong Kong, film director Brillante Mendoza in Manila and fashion designer Raghavendra Rathore in Jodhpur.

The Voyager's next port of call is the dazzling 'Blue City' of Jodhpur, India.

In the fourth episode of The HISTORY Channel's Around The World With Voyager, I meet renowned fashion designer Raghavendra Rathore and explore with him this majestic city on the edge of the Thar desert.

Born in Rajasthan, India’s “State of Kings”, Raghavendra is a proud bearer of his heritage as one of the descendants of Jodhpur’s royal clan, the Rathores (he is the great-grandson of Sardar Singh, 34th Maharaja of Jodhpur). Raghavendra shares stories of a childhood spent in Rajasthan before leaving India as a young man for further studies in the United States.

Fearing that academia might stifle his pursuit of creativity, Raghavendra studied Human Anthropology and Robotics at Hampshire College in Massachusetts, then Arts and Philosophy at Marlboro College in Vermont, before enrolling at New York's acclaimed Parsons School of Design.

When acclaimed fashion designer Donna Karan visited Parsons, she handpicked Raghavendra to work for her as an assistant designer at DKNY's sportwear division. Raghavendra went on to work with other famous

Manhattan labels Oscar de la Renta and Bill Blass before returning to Jodhpur and launching his eponymous fashion label, “Rathore Jodhpur”.

Inspired by his hometown of Jodhpur, Raghavendra's personal designs integrate the heritage and charm of classic Rajasthani fashion with modern styling and aesthetics.  He is best known for reviving the traditional Jodhpurs and Bandhgalas, making them internationally fashionable, while also preserving and promoting Rajashtan culture.

In 2011, Raghavendra was honoured by Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, for promoting the heritage and culture of Rajasthan through his fashion designs and for making his designs synonymous with Indian heritage.

I first meet Raghavendra at the regal sandstone Ajit Bhawan palace, his distinguished home filled with family photographs and other heirlooms.  It is here that I learn about his family -- and, in particular, his father, who had a significant influence in shaping Raghavendra's life -- and I make a portrait of him in his drawing room.

We take time to admire his family's remarkable vintage automobile collection, but it is one car in particular -- a beautiful 1947 MG TC -- that Raghavendra lovingly

and personally restored that catches my eye for our photo shoot.

Next, Raghavendra takes me to the historic and imposing Mehrangarh Fort.  Towering on a hill more than 400 feet above Jodhpur, this is one of the largest forts in all of India. Celebrated for its elaborate carvings and expansive courtyards, it is here that Raghavendra's cousin, His Highness The Maharaja Gaj Singh II, invited Raghavendra to host his first fashion show, changing the trajectory of Raghavendra's life.  Together we create a fashion-inspired portrait in one of the citadel's stunning courtyards.

When Raghavendra was a boy, his father would take him to the countryside, exposing him to village life and allowing him to experience indigenous Rajasthani customs and tradition.  Pukraj is a village weaver that Raghavendra and his father met many decades ago, and together we visit him at his humble home.  Although Raghavendra's designs are contemporary, here with Pukraj I witness firsthand how he continues to draw inspiration from his cultural roots.  In an enjoyable twist, I photograph both Pukraj and Raghavendra together.

Our final location is a couple of hours' drive outside Jodhpur in the vast Thar desert.  With some help from some local young men, we drag a giant seven-foot mirror up a

massive sand dune to create a more conceptual portrait of our subject.  Just as the sun sets over the Rajasthan desert, I capture Raghavendra in reflection, both literally and figuratively.

Raghavendra is an incredibly interesting person to meet and a fantastic subject to photograph.  I admire how his contemporary design principles have been strongly influenced by his cultural heritage, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about his family history and his creative and life philosophies.

To experience Raghavendra's journey through my lens, catch the fourth episode of Around The World With Voyager,which premieres on Monday 11 February at 11pm on HISTORY and HISTORY HD.

Watch the promotional trailers for the first, second and third episodes where I met and photographed chef Sean Anson Xu (徐安昇) in Taipei, action star and movie director/producer Stephen Fung Tak-Lun (馮德倫) in Hong Kong and film director Brillante Mendoza in Manila.

The Voyager's next port of call is the frenetic Philippine port city of Manila.

In the third episode of The HISTORY Channel's Around The World With Voyager, globally acclaimed auteur Brillante Mendoza, a man who’s forged the path for Filipino filmmakers on the world stage, tours me around his nation's capital of 12 million people.

First, Brillante brings me to the University of Santo Tomas, the oldest university in all of Asia, where he majored in advertising.  It was here that Brillante launched a successful career as a production designer, working on television commercials for renowned Filipino and international brands.  However, Brillante reveals how he wanted something more from his life.

In 2005, he received a script for a movie, reworked it and with just USD$10,000, made Masahista (The Masseur).  The film would win Mendoza various awards including the Golden Leopard at the 58th Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland.

I then follow Brillante to Mandaluyong, one of the 16 cities comprising Metropolitan Manila.  It was in these streets that Brillante filmed Masahista -- and here that he realised filmmaking was his true life's calling.

In Mandaluyong, Brillante also filmed scenes for Kinatay (Butchered), a hard-hitting 2009 effort that earned him the Prix de la mise en scène (Best Director) at the Cannes International Film Festival, making him the first Filipino to ever win this prestigious award.

From here, Brillante brings me to visit the Quiapo Church, Manila’s famous Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, where he regularly attends mass.  Mendoza's personal life remains important, and here he explains that his greatest achievement beyond all his film awards is being a father to his adopted daughter.

I then follow and photograph Brillante in the packed streets of Quiapo, Manila's old downtown, where he filmed Tirador (Slingshot).  He explains to me that it is here, among the ordinary people living in these neighbourhoods, that he finds the inspiration for his films; he seeks people in extraordinary situations to reflect life's realities and inspiring change.

From the bustling streets, I retreat with Brillante to his personal Eden.  It is inside this lush, green hideaway -- known as the "Secret Garden" -- where Brillante continues to make films with honesty.  In this serene location, in one of Asia’s most unique cities, I conclude my time with a truly distinctive Filipino voice: Brillante Mendoza.

I found Brillante to be a remarkable subject; his passion for his craft, his country and his fellow Filipinos is both palpable and admirable.

To experience Brillante's journey through my lens, catch the third episode of Around The World With Voyager,which premieres on Monday 14 January at 11pm on HISTORY and HISTORY HD.

To learn more about my time on Voyager in Manila and with Brillante, read these articles in The Philippine Star, The Philippine Daily Inquirer and Rappler.

Watch the promotional trailers for the first and second episodes where I met and photographed Sean Anson Xu (徐安昇) in Taipei and Stephen Fung Tak-Lun (馮德倫) in Hong Kong.

The Voyager's next port of call is Hong Kong.

In this episode of The HISTORY Channel's Around The World With Voyager, I meet actor, singer, musician, model, writer and director Stephen Fung Tak-Lun (馮德倫), one of the territory's most versatile talents.

Stephen first rose to fame in the 1990s as one half of the music duo Dry, before moving into acting in and directing action movies Gen-X Cops, Enter the Phoenix and Jump! which cemented his popularity with the Hong Kong public.

Stephen is a multifaceted personality, and has continued to cross genres with his film work.

Stephen takes on the role of my tour guide, leading me to five different locations that represent significant milestones in his life in Hong Kong.  My mission is to photograph five definitive portraits of Stephen at these locations around the city, capturing and revealing his phenomenal rise through Hong Kong's competitive and acclaimed entertainment industry.

Revealing his unlikely beginnings as a star, Stephen brings me to Hong Kong's iconic Peak and the German Swiss

School he attended as a teenager.  Here we reminisce about his youth and growing-up in this bustling city.

Stephen loves heavy metal music -- bands like AC/DC, Guns 'N Roses, Metallica -- and as a youngster he dreamed of being a rock 'n roll star.  We visit the Tom Lee Music School where Stephen learned to play and we talk about his passion for music and how it influenced his life.  Stephen even rips a few chords for me on his electric guitar.

He then takes me on a tour of Happy Valley and to his first home.  Aiming to get access inside, he provides me some insight into the community and what his modest first apartment meant to him after many years of hard work.

To uncover the beginnings of Stephen's movie career, he brings me to the trendy On Lan Street in Central where he filmed the first scene of his directorial debut, Enter the Phoenix, in which he also co-starred alongside his close friend Daniel Wu.

And, for his final portrait, Stephen and I visit Diversion Pictures, the production company that he recently started with Wu.  Here we talk about their acclaimed inaugural film, Tai Chi Zero, and how this complex

project has been such a huge step for him, signaling yet another new and exciting phase in his life.

It was a pleasure to meet Stephen and have an opportunity to explore Hong Kong through his eyes.

To experience Stephen's journey through my lens, catch the second episode of Around The World With Voyager, which premieres on Monday 10 December at 11pm on HISTORY and HISTORY HD.

Click here to watch the promotional trailer for the first episode where I met and photographed Sean Anson Xu 徐安昇 in Taipei.

This past August, I received a phone call from The Moving Visuals Company, a television and film production house in Singapore.  They were contacting me on behalf of The HISTORY Channel, who was searching for a photographer to host a TV series, and they wanted to know if I was interested in such a role.

I can honestly say I hadn't awoken that morning thinking I wanted to be on television.  However, as my father always says, "you never know if you never go", so I agreed to a meeting to discuss the opportunity further.

One thing led to another and a few weeks later -- following a screen test with the show's Creative Director and countless phone calls with the series' Executive Producer -- I learned that I had been selected as the program's host. And so began a three-month (and counting) adventure filming the television series Around The World With Voyager.

Sponsored by John Walker & Sons, and inspired by the rare 1920s travel guide Around the World -- a journal that documented cities and countries across the globe nearly one hundred years ago -- the TV show follows me on the 187-foot custom designed luxury yacht, Voyager, as I sail across Asia, from Shanghai to Mumbai, recreating the epic

journeys of the early 20th Century traders.  The series will comprise of five episodes, one created in each of Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, India and Vietnam.

The show is one-half biography and one-half travelogue, as I disembark and meet with local icons -- a celebrity, an entrepreneur or an entertainer -- who define their cities as much as their cities have defined them.  Each personality acts as my tour guide, taking me to five different locations that represent significant milestones in his/her life and have helped shape his/her professional and personal successes.

As host and photographer, my role is to learn about the icons and their lives, while at the same time documenting their personal journeys by shooting a definitive portrait of them at each of their five milestone locations.

Historic yet contemporary, Around The World With Voyager strives to uniquely document the evolving history of modern Asia.

This is the promotional trailer for the premiere episode, where my first port of call is Taipei.  Here I meet Sean Anson Xu 徐安昇, one of Taiwan's most admired and ambitious entrepreneurs.

Candidly, stepping out from behind my lens to host a television series has been quite a journey in its own right for me personally.  It has been a challenging transition, but it has certainly been a rewarding opportunity.  And although making television is a completely different endeavour from my world of still photography, I have absolutely enjoyed the experience of bringing these two worlds together in Around The World With Voyager.

Around The World With Voyager premieres on Monday 26 November at 11pm on HISTORY and HISTORY HD.