Before i turned 21st, the furthest i have been too was Genting. Since primary school, my family would visit Genting at least once a year, being able to go on a short holiday was a privilege, even though it meant enduring about 6 hours on a bus. I never really thought of taking a plane to somewhere further. Maybe i was too young during that point of time.
I know of a lot of friends who traveled with their family when they were young, to places like Australia, to Hong Kong, taking the plane when they were like maybe 12 years old? I never got that privilege. But i'm not blaming anyone.
I know of a lot of friends who traveled with their family when they were young, to places like Australia, to Hong Kong, taking the plane when they were like maybe 12 years old? I never got that privilege. But i'm not blaming anyone.
I took the plane for the very first time when i was 21. It was not with
my parents, i did not pay a single cent, and it was to one of the
countries that most people would want to visit now - Korea. It was an all expenses paid sponsored trip by LG, all thanks to this blog of mine - which i'm very thankful for. And this Korea trip, fuel the wanderlust in me.
I started reading up on different places in the world, the interesting places to visit in each country and i decided to start small by beginning with Asia countries. With budget airline now, i would say it's really affordable to travel now. Everything can be done online, booking of air tickets, accommodations, admission fees to places of interest etc.
Going to Korea was really an eye opener for me. I get to meet people from all over the world, i had to step out of my comfort zone and interact with my team mates for this "amazing race" around Seoul, i got to see real snow fall from the sky right in front of my eyes. There was a lot of "first times" for me in that trip, LOL Two word - Simply amazing.
As much as i want to travel, i told myself - "If i want to travel, i have to depend on myself. No taking of money from my parents." Why should they be paying for me when i'm the one traveling? Start small by going to nearby countries. The easiest would be across the border - to Malaysia. Went to Kuala Lumpur once in awhile (took the 45mins plane ride over a few times to experience the joy of being on a plane, LOL), secretly went to Malacca with my poly mates...
Genting with my air force mates over the weekend...
Bukit Tinggi in Malaysia which alot of people have not heard before...
Treated my BFFs to Batam for a weekend getaway since we haven't been there before...
Recently the newly opened Lego land in Malaysia, another excuse to get out of the country!
All these little little trips above are nearby Singapore and they don't cost much time (most of them are just over the weekend) and money but the feeling of being able to cross the border, scan/ chop your passport, using foreign currencies, taking photos and enjoying yourself with your friends in a foreign place is always a brand new experience!
Moving on to somewhere further. I love to plan itineraries although they take up alot of time but having a good itinerary makes your overseas trip much easier! It takes at least 1 month in advance to plan (or more if you want cheaper airfare because as the date of your departure gets nearer, the more expensive the airfare would be!) Definitely not easy.
Trip to Hong Kong with BFFs! Single handed-ly planned the entire 4D3N trip. Checking the different airline for ticket prices, sourcing for good yet affordable accommodation (triple room in this case because there's 3 of us!), places of interest to visit etc. Ended up taking Singapore airlines on the Airbus A380, visited Disneyland, Ocean Park and more!
Went snorkeling in Phuket! It was another experience, swimming in crystal clear water and looking at so many fishes swimming around you. Definitely want to experience it all over again! Went for elephant riding, Cabaret show and more!
Went Hong Kong again, this time planned by Wendy who did a really good job as it was a totally new experience from the previous time i went with my BFFs! Visited the other attractions in Hong Kong such as Lantau island, Madame Tussauds museum,, had delicious dim sum, and bought a lot of stuff! Great companion throughout the trip!
Taiwan! Another destination that i always wanted to visit. Had a bit of problem planning for this trip because i had no idea what to expect but thanks to my friends who provided me with suggestions and their itineraries, this trip went really well! Visited a lot of places and ate a lot of good food! It felt more like a eating trip than a shopping trip!
Can't believe i'm saying this but it's Hong Kong for the 3rd time! Went with Matthew and the thing is, for this time, there wasn't much itinerary planned! It was based on where we felt like going and we ended up at places like the science museum, LOL I should stop going to Hong Kong and explore other places that i haven't been instead.
This is one place that i always wanted to visit. Didn't manage to get the chance to visit Macau for the past 2 Hong Kong trips and finally went on the 3rd! I remember seeing a photo of the Ruins of St. Paul and i told myself that i must visit it someday. Finally visited it last December. Had another scary experience at the Venetian casino too :|
Not sure if it's counted as i visited part of China because i went for a half day trip to Shenzhen, China! All because i wanted to visit the "Window of the World" themepark which showcases the world landmarks at a fraction of the actual size! Hopped over to Shenzhen from Hong Kong through the train. Spent half a day at the attraction and went around Shenzhen to walk, but don't really like the place. Felt slightly uncomfortable, and uneasy to walk freely, LOL
Bangkok last month! BKK is like one of the few countries you would visit before exploring further countries because it's quite cheap to go over but apparently, i'm one of the last few among my friends to visit! I literally went crazy over there because there's so many things to buy and they are so cheappppp!!!! Gonna blog about my trip after this post soon!
That's all i have for a not-so-short summary of the places i have been too. The remaining countries that i would love to visit in Asia would probably be Japan before i venture out to the more western countries. I'm thinking of Australia - most likely gold coast/Melbourne at the end of the year. I'm also thinking of traveling alone but i need the courage to do so!
As for even further places like Paris, London etc, i think it would take a lot more planning and the right companions. For every overseas trip that i go, i would definitely take lots of photos and blog about it (checkout the sidebar!) so next time when i'm bored, or when i'm old, i can read back at the fun and enjoyable times i had when traveling. Wanderlust.
Went snorkeling in Phuket! It was another experience, swimming in crystal clear water and looking at so many fishes swimming around you. Definitely want to experience it all over again! Went for elephant riding, Cabaret show and more!
Went Hong Kong again, this time planned by Wendy who did a really good job as it was a totally new experience from the previous time i went with my BFFs! Visited the other attractions in Hong Kong such as Lantau island, Madame Tussauds museum,, had delicious dim sum, and bought a lot of stuff! Great companion throughout the trip!
Taiwan! Another destination that i always wanted to visit. Had a bit of problem planning for this trip because i had no idea what to expect but thanks to my friends who provided me with suggestions and their itineraries, this trip went really well! Visited a lot of places and ate a lot of good food! It felt more like a eating trip than a shopping trip!
Can't believe i'm saying this but it's Hong Kong for the 3rd time! Went with Matthew and the thing is, for this time, there wasn't much itinerary planned! It was based on where we felt like going and we ended up at places like the science museum, LOL I should stop going to Hong Kong and explore other places that i haven't been instead.
This is one place that i always wanted to visit. Didn't manage to get the chance to visit Macau for the past 2 Hong Kong trips and finally went on the 3rd! I remember seeing a photo of the Ruins of St. Paul and i told myself that i must visit it someday. Finally visited it last December. Had another scary experience at the Venetian casino too :|
Not sure if it's counted as i visited part of China because i went for a half day trip to Shenzhen, China! All because i wanted to visit the "Window of the World" themepark which showcases the world landmarks at a fraction of the actual size! Hopped over to Shenzhen from Hong Kong through the train. Spent half a day at the attraction and went around Shenzhen to walk, but don't really like the place. Felt slightly uncomfortable, and uneasy to walk freely, LOL
Bangkok last month! BKK is like one of the few countries you would visit before exploring further countries because it's quite cheap to go over but apparently, i'm one of the last few among my friends to visit! I literally went crazy over there because there's so many things to buy and they are so cheappppp!!!! Gonna blog about my trip after this post soon!
That's all i have for a not-so-short summary of the places i have been too. The remaining countries that i would love to visit in Asia would probably be Japan before i venture out to the more western countries. I'm thinking of Australia - most likely gold coast/Melbourne at the end of the year. I'm also thinking of traveling alone but i need the courage to do so!
As for even further places like Paris, London etc, i think it would take a lot more planning and the right companions. For every overseas trip that i go, i would definitely take lots of photos and blog about it (checkout the sidebar!) so next time when i'm bored, or when i'm old, i can read back at the fun and enjoyable times i had when traveling. Wanderlust.