Travel Bits: July 2019

Vacationing....... in your home city's less visited neighbourhoods.......

When we think of going on a vacation, it is usually about taking off to some distant destinations. While it is the much accepted idea of an "ideal" vacation, there are times when we couldn't just pack our holiday bags and go off to that far-flung dreamed destination. We are all bound by commitments such as family, work or budgets.

So if you only have the luxury of a day or two for a break and are limited by constraints such as family and budget, how do you take a "vacation"?

Over the years, I had found myself in similar situations. When budget permits, I typically booked a nice local hotel for a luxurious staycation. In times when budget got a bit tight for me, I just took a day off work and visited local neighbourhoods for walks. Often,  I found that I could enjoy myself just as much as going off on some distant holiday trips.

A throw-back to what Singapore was like in the 1960s and 1970s, Pulau Ubin, Singapore (2016)

During some of these local neighbourhood walks, I had discovered or re-discovered long lost traditional shops and crafts that had been confined to the deep recesses of my memories. I re-lived my childhood days growing up in those neighbourhoods, recalling the times of my younger days spent catching grasshoppers with my then-toddler brother and those occasions when I had to walk home from school because I was too poor to afford the public transport. Yes, for nostalgic purposes, I had intentionally walked that same road on my visits, even though I could now afford the public transport. Actually, I have my own car now but walking that same route brought back so much memories of my childhood years.

Grasshopper, a reminder of the my younger days when I brought my then-toddler brother to catch grasshoppers to keep as pets, Pulau Ubin, Singapore (2016)

And there are the local nature parks. To walk around with not a care in the world, cut off from social media but re-connected with Mother Nature. The sounds of insects and birds accompanying me instead of the office chatter. Trading my office attire for just a pair of bermuda shorts and a backpack as I hiked the nature trails, enjoying the pleasures of solitude.

Just the forest and me, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore (2000)

Rock climbing at the cliff face of a disused granite quarry, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore (2000)

So, the next time you find yourself with a couple of "free" days but are unable to go for a "real" vacation, why not take a trip to your childhood neighbourhood? Or visit that nature park near where you live? You may just discover a whole new world of nostalgia....... and happiness!

The Lunar New Year (a.k.a. Chinese New Year) period typically transforms Singapore's Chinatown into a bustling myriad of colours and festivities, Chinatown, Singapore (2017)

Visit a local museum on you day off from work and discover the rich world of history and culture, Asian Civilisation Museum, Singapore (2015)