There is nothing like travel to spur you on when you're at the crossroads or stuck in a rut, personally or professionally.

Yeoh Siew Hoon shares some places that do it for her, and her friends.

Philosophers of old have always equated travel with the search for happiness or love or whatever it is we seek to be complete within ourselves.In his book, "The Art of Travel", Alain de Botton argues, "If our lives are dominated by a search for happiness, then perhaps few activities reveal as much about the dynamics of this quest – in all its ardour and paradoxes – than our travels."

Or take quotes such as "A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it" (George Moore) or the famous saying by Robert Frost, "Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference".

Travel has been known to inspire great art – could Gauguin have produced his works of Tahitian beauties if he hadn't journeyed to the South Pacific? Or would Wordsworth have penned his famous prose "… And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the Daffodils" if he hadn't travelled through the Lake District?

In today's fast-paced, stress-filled world, it is even more important that we travel not just to get away but to also learn about ourselves. For it is only when we are travelling that we get out of our comfort zone, and have the time and mental space to think and reflect.

After my father's death and my world fell silent, I travelled to Myanmar for two weeks. I trekked the hills, and it was among the temple ruins of Bagan that I came to accept his life, and mine.

Uttara Sarkar Crees, a friend of mine who lives in Shangri-La (Zhongdian), China and who runs a travel company, Gyalthang Eco-Travel, tells me that whenever she wants to clear her mind and thoughts, she goes on one of her treks. "I have gotten rid of abusive relationships and prised myself out of ruts through my journeys," she says. "And I always begin anew after each journey."

Sometimes you learn to see things in a different light.

Diana Ee Tan, the managing director of Raffles Hotels & Resorts, tells a story of how her daughter who was on a study trip to Cambodia was asked to locate a pair of shoes for a young Cambodian girl who had left them outside a temple.

"My daughter kept looking for a pair of the same shoes. When she couldn't find it, the girl returned and she picked up two shoes which were different. My daughter said she would never forget that moment. It taught her about the things we take for granted in Singapore," says Diana.

Claire Chiang, the founder of Banyan Tree Gallery, who often goes foraging in remote villages to seek out local handicrafts, says, "When you go into the remotest of villages, you see all these women sitting around and sewing and laughing, and you ask yourself, ‘who's got it right?' Us or them?"

Burma – it's the simplicity of life there that will make you realise, life shouldn't be so hard. (Right)

I find that it is usually places of either great scenic beauty or rich heritage and deep spirituality that have the power to spark something in us. So if you are at the crossroads, or stuck in a rut, or just frustrated, and you need a push to make over your life, here are some places to go to that could give you some clarity and, most importantly, that impetus.

1. Dartmoor, England

An unlikely place perhaps and one more associated with convicts than converts but I find the bleakness and harshness of it strangely moving. Nothing like a bracing walk across the moors to clear your head, get that heart pumping, and thoughts racing.

2. Matarangi Beach, New Zealand

A pretty isolated spot on the tip of the North Island of New Zealand. This beach on the Coromandel coastline is flanked by two dramatic coastlines and native rainforests. Yet only two hours drive from Auckland, so not that hard to get to. Go for a run on the beach and walk among the forests, and just listen to the winds and waves.

3. Lijiang, Yunnan Province, China

You don't have to get as high as Shangri-La (as Zhongdian is called) to find your Shangri-La. Lijiang, less than an hour's flight from Kunming, could just as well do that. Splurge on a private villa at the Banyan Tree – why not if you are thinking of starting anew? The villas come with either a Jacuzzi or pool. The Banyan Tree has got to have the most scenic setting of any hotel I've ever stayed in – you open the doors to your villa in the morning and there in front of you is Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, snow-clad even in late May. It's a sight that will inspire you to want to get up there, which you can. Take a chair lift up to 3,700m, trek on the Yak Meadows and visit a Tibetan lamasery.

4. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

These ancient temples are a bit over-visited by now but there are still quiet corners to be found if you are looking for solitude. Just venture out to the temples further afield. Take part in community projects which will make you feel so good about yourself that you will be spurred on to make over your life.

5. Borobudur, Yogyakarta

Most people feel that after Angkor Wat, Borobudur is but a wanna-be. But I find its smaller scale, relative to the Cambodian temples, more intimate somehow. Walk round the shrines and learn about the cycle of life and how you need to move up each level, slowly but surely.

6. The Kimberleys, Western Australia

Now this is a place to lose yourself in. A girlfriend of mine celebrated her 40th birthday here, and returned for her 50th. "There is something about its landscape that makes you feel so connected with yourself," she says. Over 400,000 sqkm and less than 30,000 people … all that space to yourself to explore and think. It was at the El Questro Homestead that I saw an owl in the moonlight and it told me to do something I knew I should do but didn't have the courage.

Yeoh Siew Hoon, one of Asia's most respected travel editors and commentators, writes a regular column on news, trends and issues in the hospitality industry for 4Hoteliers.com.

Siew Hoon, who has covered the tourism industry in Asia/Pacific for the past 20 years, runs SHY Ventures Pte Ltd. Her other writings can be found at www.thetransitcafe.com . Get your weekly cuppa of news, gossip, humour and opinion at the cafe for travel insiders.

This article first appeared in Shape magazine, Singapore.