Travel Bits: September 2018

Sightseeing vs Self-rejuvenation.......

This issue of Travel Bits is about two vastly different types of vacation. Sightseeing vs self-rejuvenation. 

We all know that friend or two who will meticulously researched on the travel destination weeks or even months before a trip. That person will have read and knew so much about the destinations that by the time he or she hits the location, each and every corner of the city will already be known by heart, including all the must-see places, must-visit museums or malls and must-eat diners or cafes. The travel itinerary of this person will be jam-packed with activities, typically starting from early in the morning until the wee hours of the day or the last hours when the places to see, to visit or to dine at have long closed for the day. Each day of the vacation will be a long checklist of to-do activities. The benefits of such trips will be that one gets to see, visit or eat at all the places that people talk or wrote about. One trip does it all! And the next vacation will be a totally different city with its very own to-do list painstakingly crafted and customised to see, visit and dine 'em all. The disadvantage is that it all will feel like an amazing race and the person will more often than not return from the vacation even more tired out than when he or she started out.

The National Palace Museum in Taipei houses close to 700,000 pieces of ancient and historically important Chinese artefacts and artwork and is one of the must-visit place for any visits to the city, Taipei, Taiwan (2016)

Then there is also that friend or two who will take things so easily before a trip and who will leave us wondering whether he or she is still planning to go for that trip or if the trip has long been cancelled or postponed. This devil-may-care attitude may include even booking that return air ticket, getting the hotel accommodations sorted out or even applying for the vacation leave days from his or her supervisors at work. The benefit of such trips is that it is all no stress and no fuss. The disadvantage is that things that may go wrong during the trips will happen and thus what was supposed to be a relaxing holiday ended up as an exercise in damage control.

I personally prefer a little of both types with my vacations typically having certain key aspects pre-planned but with the rest totally unplanned and allowed to go with the flow of the day.

Flights - This will certainly include my return air tickets down to flights and seats selections; not all planes are built and configured the same and the type of plane used to service a particular flight may offer vastly different travel experiences from another plane type even if the fares for both are almost exactly the same and from the same airline.

Early booking provides a better chance to reserve that preferred seat on the flight. View from the window of my seat onboard Flight SQ860 arriving from Singapore on 20 January 2018, Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong (2018)

Accommodations - My accommodations are usually pre-booked. This way, I have a broad idea of where I will be on which day of my vacation. Pre-booked accommodations also provide the added benefits of being a lot cheaper than the last minute rush for a hotel room.

A very delightful stay at a family-run Ryokan which was booked months before the trip was the highlight of my visit to the mountains of Okuhida, Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, Japan (2014)

Administrative Matters - I always make sure my passport is current and has enough validity period remaining so that I will not be faced with issues at the immigration counters. Double checking whether visas or any other pre-approved travel authorisations are required is important. If these are needed, advance applications will save a lot of pain associated with the last minute rush to apply and get the necessary approvals, especially during peak travel periods.

What about the rest of the travel-related stuffs like packing the luggage; the types and amount of clothing and travel knit-knacks to bring along? Those are not typically high on my planning list; I usually pack my luggage just the night before my flight. Unless I am traveling to some really isolated parts of the world, I can and will purchase that piece of clothing and travel knit-knack as and when they are needed. I am definitely not stressing myself out on this kind of stuff.

Buying an extra t-shirt or a new pair of slippers is never an issue if you are visiting any cities in the world, options are always plentiful including here at the Namdaemun Market, Seoul, South Korea (2011)

How about that research on the destination? The world we live in today is well-connected. Have access to the internet and destination research can be performed on the go. 

My personal advice is always to plan ahead on those major items associated with any trips and leave the minor details to chance. After all, we travel to experience a destination and not to clock the actual mileage. Some may have differing opinions on this but this mantra has served me well over the many trips that I had taken over the past 10 years. :-)

To conclude, I would say my preferred type of vacations will be more towards self-rejuvenating. When I am on holidays, I want to make full use of the time and space to relax and to re-discover myself. Vacation is the time to take that leisurely stroll and smell the proverbial roses by the sidewalk. 

Flowers blooming in spring, London, England, UK (2017)