As a guest dancer I've become a global nomad and pretty much live a minimalist life out of a suitcase. I get a call and I am there. Sometimes I find myself on a plane every other weekend.
Ethiopia is the most adventurous destination I've been to. I went to perform in a ballet gala in Addis Ababa, which raised money to feed 217 children for one year. I was taken to a remote Ethiopian restaurant out in the bush, where apparently Angelina Jolie had also dined with her kids - #funfact.
After a long-haul flight, I love to immerse myself in nature - go for a hike or a walk. I love doing bike rides too, to get the feel of a place and see the lay of the land.
This is my 15th trip to South Africa and I really love it. My first visit was as a competitor in the 2008 South African International Ballet Competition in Cape Town. It's one of my favourite destinations of all time - I feel very connected to it.
I have had the luxury of being at the pointy end of the plane and been totally taken care of when I reach whatever destination it is. However, there is nothing quite like roughing it at times - that's where we learn and grow the most. If it's all handed to us on a silver platter, what can we learn from any situation in life? I feel striking a balance is key for when I travel.
My worst travel experiences have entailed delayed flights and missed flights. I once left my passport at the check-in counter. Another time I left a passport in the back of a NYC cab so I had to fly out to South Africa on an emergency passport, which one can't do these days.
In Joburg I was held up at gunpoint in my car. But clearly nothing can stop me from travelling.
The oddest thing I've experienced while travelling was was that time I was in Istanbul when the airport blew up - and there also happened to be a coup, all in the same week.
The first holiday I remember as a child was to the UK. My mother is British and she took me and my sister on a holiday from Australia, where I'm from, to the UK. That was my first experience of travelling and it was to the other side of the world. It was a massive eye-opener and I knew then, at age 12, that travel had to be part of my future life.
My best piece of travel advice is to go with the flow. I don't plan any more. There is something so freeing and exciting about going to a place and not knowing who you're going to meet and what you're going to see. Accept the mystery.
That was my first trip abroad, followed by Vanuatu, a beautiful island off the coast of Australia.
I hate jet lag and farewells. I'm constantly on the move and I say goodbye quite a lot, not sure when next I'll see someone again. I'm quite a sensitive soul so that's hard for me.
For me, a perfect holiday is made up of people, food and a good view. Yeah, I love the ocean and the beach and can totally connect with a beautiful sunrise and sunset.
One place I really want to go, now or at least some day, is the south of Turkey. It really intrigues me and I'd love to see the Northern Lights.
• Smyth is guest starring in Mzansi Ballet's 'Bengingazi' at the Pieter Toerien Theatre at Montecasino from October 31 - November 4. He also features in Disney's 'The Nutcracker and the Four Realms', in cinemas from November 2...