Travel Bits: January 2024

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New Year and new Travel Plans...... 


2024 is in full swing and January is always the time when I map out my travel plans for the year. 

What's been cooking in my travel plans pot? Nothing much really! At least not for the time being. Between the last week of January and first week of February, I am likely to embark on my annual road trip to Ipoh to spend Chinese New Year (a.k.a. Lunar New Year). This year's Chinese New Year falls on 10th and 11th February. I usually will start my trip before or after the festive period. This is to avoid the traffic jams at the border crossings between Singapore and Malaysia. This year will be similar, I will travel early to avoid the peak travel season chaos.

Photographs of my trip to Ipoh in February last year, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia (2023)

Next up will be a 4-nights round-trip cruise onboard the Royal Caribbean's Spectrum of the Seas from Singapore to Penang and Phuket. This will be my fourth time cruising on the same ship and probably the last time before the ship re-position to its new home ports in China. The cruise is scheduled for March and I have paid up everything. Thus, it is basically waiting for the dates and going on the trip.

After March, I have nothing planned. But I know for sure I will be traveling to Japan at least once this year. This will either be in May or October. I wanted to travel on a tourist train during this trip. I traveled on the Kairi Tourist Train when I was in Niigata in August last year. This trip, I hope to be able to travel on the Spacia X Tourist Train from Asakusa (Tokyo) to Tobu-Nikko (Tochigi). Of course, there are also the many places in Tokyo I wanted to shop at because I could not do so in last August's trip due to itinerary and time constraints. 

Besides the yet-to-be confirmed Japan trip, nothing more for travel. A Taiwan trip is a small possibility. If I do visit Taiwan, I would love to travel by train from Taipei to Tainan, literally traveling from the north to the south of the island, with stops in-between to enjoy the local culture and food.

Looking forward to my few trips on the horizon for the new year. These may not be everybody's idea of a travel bucket list to far flung places or the roads less traveled, but I know I will enjoy the trips. I travel to broaden my mind and to enjoy myself, not to score "likes" on social media. 😆

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