 |
| See the world - Universal Studios, Singapore |
Travel to foreign countries
far and near
Taste different exotic dishes
without fear
Marvel at the world’s great
wonders
Appreciate people and their diverse culture
Pack up your bags, book the plane tickets and fly off to exotic
destinations for exciting vacations.
Retirement at last! The children
are grown-up and working. With time and money at hand, heed the rhyme above and
go travelling.
Jetlag
disorientates my routine. I cannot sleep
on strange beds. I have flying phobia.
Cold is bad for my bones. Fears like these run through the senior
citizen’s mind.
Let me share
some travelling tips with you. Problems
will exist wherever you are. If you are
prepared and plan wisely, such fears will melt away.
Health
First get the green light from your family doctor. Take a month’s supply of medication. If you need to swallow pills daily, continue
with your routine.
Have some pills
for airsickness, headache, diarrhoea and some medicated oil. You may find yourself not needing these
especially when you are having a whale of a time.
Travel Agency
Use only
reliable travel agencies. Good rates abound during travel fairs and big discounts
are offered during off-peak seasons.
Plan your itinerary in such a way that your last stop will enable you to
spend time with family or friends who live abroad. They will welcome you with open arms.
Travel documents
Is your passport valid? Don’t
wait until you are at the airport to check the expiry date.
Remember that your passport needs to be valid for at least six months
before you can travel overseas.
Make sure you have proper
documents before flying off to countries, example visas for certain countries.
Seasons
Choose summer time, late spring or early autumn if you don’t like the
cold. Once you are satisfied with the
place, price and package, book your ticket and don’t turn back.
 |
Summer in Antelope Canyon, Arizona, USA
|
 |
| Spring in Canberra, Australia |
 |
| Autumn in Gent, Belgium |
Companion
Your choice of a companion is crucial – he can make or mar your whole
holiday. Go with your spouse, relative
or friend who has similar likes and dislikes.
 |
Travel with spouse - Stadpark, Vienna, Austria
|
 |
| Travel with family - San Francisco, USA |
 |
Travel with ex-classmates - Hokitika, New Zealand
|
 |
| Travel with friends of similar interests - Quanzhou, Fujian, China |
You don’t want to miss savouring smoked salmon or genuine Italian pizza
while your companion insists on hunting for fish head curry or Chinese food on
a free day.
Plan your packing together so that you don’t duplicate items that can be
shared.
Insurance
Buy a medical and travel
insurance from a reputable company. Read
the fine print carefully to ensure that you are covered for emergencies,
medical treatment and loss of luggage. Be informed on any in eventualities that
may occur, like if you cannot travel, what is the penalty or deadline for
cancellation and is there any refund.
Carry the
insurance card with you and leave the policy and a copy of your itinerary with
your next of kin.
On the plane
Check in early
for good seats and minimum stress. For some airlines, you can check in online. Front
seats have good legroom while aisle seats offer easy mobility.
For long hauls,
exercise in your seat and walk up and down the aisle. Drink to your heart’s
content, but only fruit juices and water. Bring a small empty water bottle and
get the cabin crew to fill it up for you – better than the small cups they
offer you which can spill liquid easily.
Keep awake if your arrival is at night; listen to your own favourite
music on your MP3 player or bring a good book to read. Sleep throughout the
journey if you arrive during the day. Have your own ‘security pillow’ if it
adds to your comfort. Wear comfortable clothes and bring a sweater/shawl/blanket
as the air-conditioning can be quite cold.
The above helps some people to minimise jetlag, caused by immobility,
dehydration and time difference.
Apparel
Travel light. Just make sure you
pack some pants and shirts, warm garments for the cold weather and cotton for
the tropics. Recycle undergarments and stockings.
 |
Warm garments for the cold weather - Gent, Belgium
|
 |
| Cotton clothes for the tropics - Singapore |
Invest in good thermal wear – they are useful when the weather suddenly
turns cold, even during summer.
Good support shoes and bedroom slippers will keep your feet comfortable
throughout the tour - many hotels provide bedroom slippers though. Don’t forget
your dancing shoes if you like to ‘cha-cha’ in exotic night clubs, or dance traditional dancing with the
locals.
 |
| Dance with the locals - Tashkent, Uzbekistan |
Luggage
Bags with wheels are kind to back muscles. Do not lift when you can push
or pull otherwise get help. Get lightweight bags with four wheels so that they
are easy to wheel and manoeuvre.
 |
| Get a lightweight luggage with 4 wheels |
Good locks will deter pilfering.
Try the new “secure wrap” service at KLIA where luggage is wrapped in a transparent material for a fee. This gives you a worry-free journey as any
tampering can be detected easily.
Pack a spare set of clothes in your hand luggage, just in case your
check-in luggage gets lost. Keep
valuables in your hand luggage, and never in your check-in luggage. For hand luggage, get a 4-wheeled bag (easy to
wheel) or a backpack (hands are free for grasping or holding on to a support).
 |
| Get a durable backpack |
Food
Inform the airlines early if you require any special diet or if you are
a vegetarian – but do not expect your favourite asam laksa to be served!
Fill a thermos flask with a hot drink and pack some snacks in case of
delays.
Watch what you take into a country.
The United States prohibits fresh fruits and any form of meat, so finish
your dried meat tit-bits before arrival.
Australia is also quite fussy about the type of food you can bring in.
Check with friends or the Internet, on what can or cannot be brought in
to a country to prevent problems at the immigration counters.
Be adventurous. Sample local
cuisine, then come back and share the flavourful experience with others.
 |
| Whole barbecued lamb - Urumqi, Xinjiang, China |
 |
| Baklava - Tashkent, Uzbekistan |
 |
| A yummy dessert in Manila, Philippines |
 |
| Clams in Danang, Vietnam |
 |
| Abalone in Guangzhou, China |
The tour
Read up on the places
you will be visiting. This prepares you on what to expect and what to look out
for, like iconic places, local food and the culture of the people.
 |
Iconic place - Lombard Street, the most crooked street in the world -
San Francisco, California, USA
 |
Iconic place - Opera House - Sydney, Australia
|
|
 |
| Iconic place -Angkor Wat -Siem Reap, Cambodia |
 |
| Iconic place - Hero's Square, Budapest, Hungary |
 |
| Iconic place, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia |
Carry your hotel card – its name and telephone number - with you
wherever you go in case you get lost. If
you are, hop into a taxi and show the driver the hotel card. It’s best not to try the local public
transport to get back to the hotel, especially in countries where you cannot
read or speak the language and you do not know the bus or train routes.
Keep your passport and money next to your skin. You can keep them in little passport bags or inside a
zipped inner vest. When keeping your
passport and wallet in your pocket, be careful that you do not get pick-pocketed.
However, most hotels have safes in the room for passports.
 |
| A cloth passport bag for passport and money |
 |
| An inner vest with zipped pocket in front |
Be cashless and cautious; use credit card or traveller’s cheques. Don’t waste time converting to ringgit (Malaysian
currency) every time you want to buy something – it’s a sure way to spoil your
holiday.
Forget about shopping, shopping and shopping. Visit more than shopping malls. Take lots of pictures. Photos are
irreplaceable memory refreshers.
Make sure your camera is loaded with film and fresh batteries. If you
use the camera on your mobile phone, make sure it has enough storage space, and
remember to bring your phone charger.
With so much fun, you will not miss your family. But if you do, call or email home. Just remember to register with Yahoo or Gmail before you depart. In these modern times, you can
install What’s App or WeChat in your smart phone, which will connect you with
family and friends back home. Make sure the place you stay in has free wifi.
Ignore small irritations and bring along your sense of humour. Be
optimistic and adapt as you go along. Talk and make friends with the local
people. Marvel at the sights before you.
 |
| Marvel at beautiful flowers in Cockington Green Gardens, Canberra, Australia |
 |
| Marvel at the different varieties of Chrysanthemums - Singapore |
 |
| Marvel at the largest flower in the world, Rafflesia - Sabah, Malaysia |
 |
| Marvel at Crater Lake, Oregon, USA |
Have a great holiday!
..................................................................................................................................................
This article
was published in the Star (Malaysian Newspaper) on February 26 2001.
It is
edited and photos are added.
