Dear Asma,

The drive from Mandarin Oriental to The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort in Costa Navarino took no more than 10 minutes. Very convenient. A short ride away, an entirely new world awaited. And with that new world came five incredible people waiting at the entrance simply to greet me and express their appreciation.

“Mr. Radonjic, welcome to The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort in Costa Navarino. I will be your personal butler, and I am so happy to have the opportunity to welcome you,” said the gorgeous Athina from Greece.

You might think greetings like these could feel scripted, but I believed every word Athina, as well as Tassos, Thanasis, and many others I would soon meet said. She was genuinely happy, and in being so, she provided the kind of service one can only hope for, at the very start.

I was instantly escorted to my two-bedroom villa, complete with a private pool and direct access to the bluest beach I had ever seen. Thanasis and Athina were explaining the functionality of the villa, but the moment I opened the terrace doors and found myself gazing directly at the ocean, they understood it was time for a few minutes of pure silence.

Breathe in, breathe out. Hear the waves. Feel the salt in the air. Be at peace. Press the reset button and start fresh. We are good to go.

The villa could accommodate many. However, since my friend Ivan was leaving that same night, it became the most spacious oasis in which to indulge in beautiful solitude, eyes wide open, day and night.

On my first day, I met the lovely Giota, who had been with the Costa Navarino destination since it was merely an idea in the mind of a visionary owner. Proud of the area, he established his businesses in Athens before investing in Costa Navarino, building a destination that now hosts four luxury hotels: The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort; Mandarin Oriental; The Westin; and W Costa Navarino, which does not resemble a typical W at all, It’s more of a lifestyle resort, then a hotel.

Not only did this destination become a massive success offering high-end accommodation and extraordinary experiences, but it also transformed people’s lives. New jobs, new opportunities, new sustainability initiatives, and overall, new people rediscovering the area.

And those people, my dear Asma, are the true “in the know” crowd. Costa Navarino has no ambition to become the next Mykonos or Ibiza. It is perfect precisely because of what it already is: a heaven for those who appreciate the finer things in life. For those who are, or are about to become, comfortable with their own thoughts.

I love how Costa Navarino proves that one does not need to choose between ultra-luxury and genuine care for the planet.

They built three massive lakes to collect winter rainwater, ensuring their enormous golf courses never use drinking water intended for local villages. Even more beautifully, they actively protect loggerhead sea turtles, safeguarding around 47 precious nests along the beach.

Their wonderful Navarino Pet Community rescues local stray dogs and gives them remarkable care.

It truly feels like a destination with an enormous heart, where high-end design exists in harmony with nature and community. Sustainability here is not an afterthought. It is owned, with a capital O.

You remember how I started playing padel in Seychelles? (And once again, I realize I return to the Seychellois Diaries far too frequently.) Well, the hobby survived. Can you imagine? I had not played for a couple of months, but apparently that was not too much of an issue, according to the utterly charismatic coach Ilias. And we trust coaches, don’t we?

The lesson was supposed to last an hour, but somewhere between forehands, backhands, lobs, and all the other moves I still cannot name, combined with laughter and bonding over Donna Vekic, whom we were both fans of, the session stretched almost 30 minutes longer.

“I must go!” Ilias finally said, realizing the time.

“You do what you must, coach,” I barely managed to pronounce through complete exhaustion. Exactly the way I like it.

Dinner took place at Parelia at W Costa Navarino. Word comes from “Parea” which is togetherness, and “Paralia”, which is beach. It is a celebration of Messenian cuisine, culinary tradition shaped by the area, the people, and the rich cultures.

There is a specific variety of tomato grown only in this area. Massive and irregular in shape, as though undecided about what it wants to become. Yet unlike its confusing appearance, its taste is something I will remember forever. Sweet and salty at the same time. Lingering endlessly on the palate. It barely required anything else, but my overly generous hosts filled the table with an entire feast.

“You must experience local food in order to understand this place,” Giota insisted with a smile.

How could I resist?

I even ate octopus. And you know exactly how I feel about octopi. I enjoyed every single bite.

But Asma, just when you think the food stole the show, I turned toward the sea.

I am attaching a photograph to this letter because I genuinely do not believe I will ever find the right words to describe this scene, despite all the talents I was gifted with.

The sun burned like a heated sphere in the sky. Fires were lit along the beach. I almost felt as though there were two suns. I circled around one while the Earth circled around another. Somehow, I felt in sync again.

There was a pier stretching deep into the sea, and I could not resist running toward it. There was no explanation. I had no idea what I was doing. Giota and Ivan watched from behind (Ivan took a photo, so there is proof!) while something shifted inside me.

I ran to the edge.

Breathe in, breathe out. I am free.

Once again, I pressed the reset button. I was good to go.

Giota’s fascination with the area is endlessly inspiring. The following day, she organized a sequence of activities that could not have been better.

We began with a visit to Nestor’s Palace. It was extraordinary to witness the remains of something that existed more than 3,000 years ago. Something built by human hands, once serving human purpose.

I found myself unable to stop staring at a line of pots that once held olive oil, the country’s currency at the time. I imagined people pouring oil into them, strangers arriving to exchange goods for something considered essential for medicine, beauty, and everyday life.

It was here, in this very palace, that the concept of “hospitality” in Western culture was first recorded.

According to myth, King Nestor hosted Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, who visited the palace seeking news of his father after the Trojan War. Nestor’s hospitality became legendary in Homeric epics. In “The Odyssey”, he and his people welcomed the young stranger on the beach, fed him sacrificial meat, and provided luxurious accommodation, perhaps the first recorded hospitality experience in history.

How mind-blowing is that?

Later, we visited the archaeological museum collection, the New Castle, and the city of Pylos.

Asma, Pylos stole my heart.

I genuinely hope it never changes and forever remains raw, honest, vibrant, and youthful in spirit exactly as it is. We had lunch at a local restaurant on the main square. Surrounded by tourists, locals, and young people working across the resorts of Costa Navarino, while speaking with Giota about the similarities in our upbringing, I genuinely felt at home.

It is incredible how certain connections instantly feel strong. Incredible how quickly some places resonate with us. I feel as though I have been here before, although my passport insists otherwise. It is a beautiful confusion, though.

The evening ended at Flame restaurant. As it usually happens, I became friendly with the associates. (They do not call them employees, because everyone contributing to the idea of Costa Navarino is considered an associate, a creator of their beautiful reality, and I absolutely loved that.)

My waiter Mihalis took care of my dinner from beginning to end. I genuinely think that is the best thing one can do when visiting The Romanos and the surrounding area: simply exist and allow these people to do what they do best – host.

High on quirky conversations, delicious food, and views one can barely imagine, I ended the day asking myself repeatedly: “How lucky am I?”

The following two days became a collage of gorgeous views, exceptional gastronomy, endless blues, Olivia Dean’s soundtrack, the sound of waves, and experiences I could only have had here.

One of those experiences was guided by the extremely knowledgeable, sweet, and charismatic Dimitra. Dimitra is a mathematician. Yet during the summer she leads biking and hiking tours in Costa Navarino, while in winter she works as a ski instructor in the mountains.

“How is that connected to mathematics? How did this happen?” I asked while we cycled toward Omega Beach.

“I love mathematics, and I always will,” she replied, “but the mountains were calling me.”

Unable to answer, I sped up instead, letting the wind hit my chest and my eyes. Perhaps afraid that a tear might escape, and that would not have been appropriate, right?

When was the last time you accepted a true calling, dear Asma? What are your “mountains”? I pray to (re)discover mine.

We eventually reached Omega Beach, the popular nickname for Voidokilia Beach. It earned this name because its round shape resembles the curved belly of an ox. The story also ties back to the myth of Hermes, who hid his brother Apollo’s stolen cattle inside the cave overlooking the beach. To make amends for his trickery, Hermes invented the lyre using the shell of a local loggerhead sea turtle. He gifted the instrument to Apollo, who became so enchanted by its sound that he forgave his brother, sealing the birth of music in Greek mythology.

I am now back on my Emirates flight to Dubai, and to complete the circle that began in my letter from Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino, I am once again working while flying. Only my second time experiencing this impossibly fast onboard internet connection, and already I cannot imagine flying any other way.

Earphones in. “Liked Songs” from Spotify on shuffle. Olivia Dean sings once again:

“I’m not leaving, just feel tightly squeezed in
Love needs breathing
I’m not his, I’m not hers, I’m not yours
All or nothing
I’m more, can we still be something in-between?”

With love from Costa Navarino,
Milo