Silent Walking Journeys in the Desert of Abu Dhabi | Creator of The Silent Box
Orchestrator: A Moment of Zen in Dubai | Founder: Away Expedition
In a world driven by speed and noise, Arno Gazo chose a different rhythm. He chose silence. He chose presence. He chose purpose. But this choice didn’t emerge from nowhere. It was built step by step—from lecture halls to boardrooms, from remote trails to desert dunes. Before he became a guide for the soul, Arno was navigating the structured world of sports business and strategic management. Arno earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Sport Management and Sports Marketing from the University of Strasbourg (F3S) in France. Over five years, he immersed himself in the world of sport sciences, marketing, and event strategy. The program, taught in both French and English, blended academic theory with professional internships, training students to lead within sports organizations while sharpening their strategic planning and leadership skills. Yet, even while building credentials, Arno’s mind wandered—to mountains, to trails, to faraway places most people only visit in their dreams. His early professional life was rooted in business. He interned at an adventure travel agency in Montreal, where he was often confined to a desk while daydreaming about the very landscapes the company sold. But Arno was never one to sit still for long. With limited funds, he turned to a side hustle—renting out rooms to travelers. That small move quickly grew into a business, and in 2017, he co-founded Travel Homes, a serviced apartment company based in Alsace. In just a few years, the company blossomed into a multi-million-euro operation.
Yet success, Arno realized, doesn’t always equal fulfillment.
While running a booming business, he also took a daring academic leap: he authored a bold thesis titled “How to Become an Infinite Traveler.” Far from conventional, the thesis challenged the linear life model—arguing instead for continuous evolution and intentional living. It was a personal manifesto disguised as academic work. That thesis, once considered rebellious, became a seed for his next chapter.
After five successful years, Arno stepped away from Travel Homes. He wasn’t chasing an exit—he was following a call. A quieter one. In 2023, he founded Away Expedition, a silent walking movement guiding people through the raw, untouched landscapes of the Middle East. These weren’t just hikes. They were transformative pilgrimages—designed to reconnect people with nature, self, and silence. Arno didn’t just guide routes—he curated personal journeys, preparing travelers emotionally, physically, and spiritually for what lay ahead.
And Arno made sure he was prepared too. In May 2024, he completed the Leave No Trace Level 1 Instructor Course, deepening his knowledge of sustainable outdoor practices. Even as an experienced nature lover, he approached the training with humility—learning new techniques for achieving harmony with nature and teaching others to minimize their footprint in fragile environments. That same year, from July to August, he earned his Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification from NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School)—a gold standard in remote first aid training. The course equipped him with life-saving skills, including medical emergency response, risk management, and outdoor leadership. For Arno, safety wasn’t optional—it was sacred. Guiding people into faraway deserts and isolated places came with great responsibility, and he wanted to be fully prepared to meet any challenge the wild could present.
But Arno’s journey didn’t stop in the dunes.
In 2024, he launched A Moment of Zen in Dubai—a gathering space rooted in sensory awareness, sound, stillness, and deep connection. Musicians, healers, and speakers came together to help people reclaim calm in a world addicted to urgency. And in May 2025, he unveiled his most innovative creation yet: The Silent Box. This urban oasis recreated the essence of the desert in the middle of the city. It was not a place to escape—it was a place to return to yourself. A sanctuary of silence in the noise of everyday life.nThrough every venture, Arno has remained true to one core belief: the greatest journeys are not outward—but inward. With formal degrees in sport business, field-tested leadership in entrepreneurship, and deep credentials in wilderness education and environmental awareness, Arno Gazo stands at the unique intersection of purpose, practice, and peace.
He is not just a guide—he is a storyteller of silence, an architect of stillness, and a reminder that real power often speaks in whispers. To the next generation seeking more than just a job or a title, Arno’s life is a radical invitation: to explore deeply, lead responsibly, and listen to the places within that the world forgot to teach us about.