#anis ibrahim

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What would you give up for cheaper flights?

I DON’T think I have met anyone who would not love to spend less on flight tickets, no matter how wealthy they are. Even budget travellers will splurge on expensive meals and luxury accommodation once in a while, but flights — we’re always hoping for a good deal.

According to a survey conducted not too long ago on 3,200 travellers from the Asia-Pacific region, 94% said they were willing to sacrifice some of the perks provided on flights in order to save money. Some of the things they wouldn’t mind doing away with include in-flight entertainment, meals and the ability to choose their seats.

In fact, 47% of travellers from countries like Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, India and Japan — who were polled as part of the Expedia 2015 Asia-Pacific Low Cost Carrier (LCC) Airline Index — said they would even be prepared to give up snacks and beverages if that would mean lower-priced flight tickets.

Here are a few things I’d like to suggest that airlines do away with in exchange for cheaper flight tickets. 

Safety videos

There were no in-flight safety videos when I was growing up. All we had was a line of flight attendants holding up safety procedure cards and oxygen masks. Not very high-tech, but I’m sure airlines wouldn’t have to spend as much as they do on all those elaborate safety videos we see everywhere if they went back to using flight attendants.

Full meals (for flights under four hours)

A full in-flight meal service, especially on flights of under four hours, isn’t really necessary. Menus should be simplified on short flights to comprise only a light snack and soft drinks — only flights beyond four hours need to come with meals. We’ll be sitting down most of the time so we don’t need to eat a full meal with mains, salad and dessert on short flights.

In-flight shopping

I’ve always considered in-flight shopping as highly unnecessary. I’ve never bought anything on a plane and I’m not sure if that’s something too many passengers do very often. How much cheaper are the prices anyway, compared to what one would have to pay at the airport? Getting rid of in-flight shopping means that no costs will be incurred towards the shopping catalogue, including printing and photography costs, and models’ fees.

Blankets and pillows

This is a bit of a grey area because there are some of us who need blankets and pillows when we fly. I’m willing to do away with them and to rely on my own jacket if I get cold on a flight, but instead of getting rid of blankets and pillows completely or assuming that everyone needs them and charging for it, airlines should provide these items as an option, with a separate charge.

Snacks and drinks

Once again, another grey area. As I mentioned, nearly half of the travellers who were polled said they wouldn’t mind going without snacks and beverages in exchange for cheaper tickets, but some passengers will want at least a coffee. As long as there is an option to buy light food on board, I don’t think anyone will mind.

Your airline tickets could very well be your largest travel expense, so it isn’t surprising that such a large number of travellers prefer cheaper tickets.

What airlines need to do is to pay atte

ntion to the Expedia study and perhaps have a second look at the perks they provide.

Anis Ibrahim

*Anis also writes at Five Foot Traveller.

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Achieving a work-life balance

WORKING from home might not be ideal for everyone, but I can safely say that leaving full-time employment was one of the best decisions of my life. I don’t earn as much as I used to and I no longer receive a regular income, but the time I get to spend with my family (and the ability to travel when I want to) is priceless.

I’m not here to push you to leave your job, but what I have benefited from it is having a very healthy work-life balance. Here are some ideas on achieving as much of a balance as possible. 

Don’t be defined by your job

Remember that your job is not your life, unless that’s what you want. There is no need to stay in the office until late night if you have completed your assignments or tasks for the day, and be wary of being influenced by bosses or colleagues who stay in the office just because the only friends they have are the ones they work with. Nobody ever said “I wish I had stayed longer in the office” in their old age.

Disconnect

Consciously set aside time for people and things that are special to you. If that means making a rule to not check work emails on public holidays and weekends, then so be it. If you can spend five days working, surely you can spend two days not working. If, however, your job requires you to be contactable 24/7…well, I can’t do anything about that.

Take regular breaks

By regular, I mean every two weeks or so. They don’t have to be trips to foreign or faraway destinations, a simple road trip to Penang or a flight to Kota Kinabalu or Kuching will do. The idea is to get away every now and then, either by yourself or with those who matter most to you.

Stick to your priorities

Every office and organisation has them: the hard worker who does not mind being recalled on weekends or public holidays. They’re probably nice people and deep inside very proud of how hardworking they are, which is a good thing, but if you’re not willing to lose out on your free time, then that’s a good thing as well. There is nothing wrong with not wanting your work to cut into your weekends, so don’t allow your superiors or colleagues to make you feel bad for setting your own priorities.

Do something that you love, every week

Everyone has interests outside of work. For me, it’s watching movies and going hiking. For just one day a week, do something that makes you happy, whatever it is. Whether it’s rock-climbing, watching senseless B-grade movies, taking a foodie road trip or going out to buy the latest graphic novel, just do it. It’s easier to do this if you have a family, but if you’re single, you have to push yourself to get out of your house.

Catch your sunsets

A friend of mine used to work as a banker in her younger days. She did not mind spending long hours in the office, coming in soon after sunrise and leaving long after sundown. One day through a stroke of luck, she managed to leave the office early and on her way home saw something she had not seen for years from working in the city: a beautiful sunset.

That was the defining moment for her. She realised that she had missed out on so many sunsets, and from that day on decided to catch sunsets every day for the rest of her life. Whether it’s a sunset, a sunrise or going home early enough to hear your baby laugh, set aside the time for something special every day.

Simplify your life

Someone once said this: The best things in life aren’t things, and it took me a long time to realise how true this is. The best things in life are the people who matter to you, your time with them and the memories that you gather in your living years.

Stop adding to your collection of material possessions — expensive items that serve no purpose other than to make you feel good about yourself or to impress others (let’s be honest here). Your memories and adventures are the real things that will stay with you. Take those trips and holidays while you can.

Like I said, leaving a nine-to-five job and working from home is not for everyone, but what is important is to get a more balanced life. The way to do this is to see beyond your work desk.

Anis Ibrahim

*Anis Ibrahim also writes at Five Foot Traveller.

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Everyone is a tourist, everyone is a traveller

THERE is a Facebook group made up of Malaysian backpackers where postings range from queries and trip photos to statements of opinion, but one issue that crops up time and again is the perennial ‘Tourist vs Traveller’ argument.

I’m not a member of this group and have no desire to be part of it, but whenever this issue crops up, I hear of it, thanks to the network of friends I have.

The debate, if you aren’t aware of it, presents the view that there are two types of people who travel: Travellers and Tourists.

Travellers, apparently, are enlightened beings and travel for a deeper reason, fully absorbing and imbibing all that the destination and its people can offer.

Tourists are the opposite: everything they do is superficial and frivolous. They’re noisy and disrespectful at tourist attractions and expect everyone to know how to speak English. Tourists, I have also heard, don’t always know where they’ve been.

At the centre of the Traveller vs Tourist issue is “Who is what?” and “Which is better?” and it comes as no surprise that these questions are always introduced by those who regard themselves as travellers, and, therefore, superior over everyone else.

The problem I have with this pointless debate is simple — it’s already 2015. We should stop being so insecure and stop trying to label and categorise people and presenting ourselves as “better travellers” or “real backpackers”.

In the group I referred to, the often-used Malay term is “backpacker tegar”, or “hardcore backpacker”, thereby denoting degrees of backpacker worthiness.

The idea is that if you haven’t faced hardship on your travels or slept on the floor in a grimy train station, you’re not a real backpacker or only — God forbid — a mere tourist, which is the ultimate insult for some people.

In reality, the root words of “Traveller” and “Tourist” — travel and tour — have little to do with the image that is associated with each person.

Travelling isn’t exclusive to the Traveller; Tourists don’t necessarily take tours, they could very well be travelling independently and yet be rowdy and ill-mannered.

I cannot count the times I have stayed at hostels and met independent travellers who went no farther than mixing among themselves and getting drunk every night. They were very proud to have nearly run out of money and to have got away with wearing shorts in a temple, which sounds a lot like examples of the behaviour associated with tourists.

I may call myself the Five Foot Traveller, but that is because that’s what I am. I am five foot tall and I travel, so that makes me a traveller. I get great satisfaction from planning my own trips and making my own decisions so I prefer not to go on organised tours, but I have taken tours before and at times, doing so is the only way to travel in certain parts of the world. And that’s perfectly okay.

People who go on tours, whether they are annoying or absolutely lovely, travel as well. So, by right, they, too, are travellers. Travellers are tourists, just like how tourists are travellers.

To many people, labels and titles are a big deal. For some travellers, this is reflected in their need to define their status as “real travellers” when in reality, such labels don’t mean anything.

Having said that, I don’t think we’ll hear the last from these travellers and how they’re much better than the rest of us.

Anis Ibrahim

*Anis also writes at Five Foot Traveller.

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How to score cheap flight tickets

THE cost of travel, pretty much like most things, is unlikely to drop dramatically anytime soon. Your flights and accommodation are likely to make the bulk of your expenses, but the good news is that if you’re willing to be flexible and spend more time searching for flights, you should be able to get cheaper tickets.

Here’s a list of things that other frequent travellers and I do to get lower-priced tickets.

BEFORE BOOKING

First things first: Follow major airlines on their social media accounts

Chances are you’re already doing this if you love to travel, but if you’re still not following the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram accounts of major airlines, then do it now.

Airlines and travel companies use social media to spread the word about promotions and competitions, so you’ll be losing out on great opportunities if you don’t follow them.

It goes without saying that in addition to the international accounts, you should be following the airlines’ Malaysian accounts, if any.

Get on the mailing list of major airlines

International brands love social media, but they know that updates and posts no longer go viral the way they used to, especially on Facebook. Email newsletters reach their fans and customers far more effectively than social media, which means that in order to be among the first to hear about cheap fare promos, you will need to sign up for newsletters of your favourite airlines.

Sign up for airline rewards programmes

If you plan to travel a lot in the future, one thing you should do, together with the two I mentioned earlier, is to register with your favourite airlines and join their reward programmes. By doing so, you’ll be able to collect air miles and be able to use them later on to get free flights.

Airline alliances — groupings of international airlines with code-sharing agreements and other mutual arrangements — are another way for you to collect miles. Try to be a member of one or two airlines in Oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam alliances (look up these networks if you’ve never heard of them).

Not only can you collect miles for the airlines you’ve registered with, if you happen to fly with another carrier in the same alliance, you’ll get miles as well. Membership is free.

WHILE BOOKING 

First things first: Clear your web browser cookies and cache

This is what happens when you go to airline and travel websites: your visits and preferences are tracked, and as a result every subsequent visit or every time you change your dates, you’ll see a higher price. If you don’t want to keep on clearing your cookies and cache, you can open two different windows (not just different tabs) and use one window to survey for prices and the second window to make your final purchase.Some people go to the extent of opening two computers –one for surveying and the other for booking — but that’s not necessary, as cool it sounds.

Don’t book too early or at the last minute

Most of us start dreaming of trips months in advance, but that doesn’t mean we should buy our tickets that far ahead. Certainly don’t buy your flight tickets a year before, and definitely not six months either. I start surveying for prices three months before my departure, but only buy them about six or eight weeks prior to leaving.

Pick the right day of the week

I always fly out on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and unless it’s unavoidable, never on a Friday or Saturday because weekday flights are cheaper than weekend flights. You can try this out now — go to an airline website and play around with an imaginary booking.

Be flexible

Always consider flying out of another airport other than KLIA or flying to an airport that isn’t your final destination. For example, if you’re planning to fly to London’s Heathrow Airport on Malaysia Airlines, don’t be surprised if you find flights from Singapore’s Changi Airport that are cheaper than those from KLIA. That’s just an example, but the point is to consider different departure and arrival airports. I’ve saved close to RM1,000 just by being flexible.

Look at the big picture

If you’re going on a long flight or planning to be away from the country for a long time, it’s likely that you’ll be packing a large suitcase or rucksack. In this case, it’s probably a good idea to go on a full-service carrier with luggage and meals included rather than a no-frills airline where you’ll have to pay extra for those two. There have been many occasions when I’ve paid less for a full-service flight than on a low-cost one.

Start by surveying travel websites, but book on airline websites

If I’ve already decided on a destination, my next move to figure out which airline to fly on. To do this, I go to websites like Skyscanner or Kayak and occasionally, Routehappy, which grades flights based on the overall flight experience instead of just price. When I’ve identified a few airlines to choose from — most of the time, these are airlines with which I have frequent flyer accounts — I head straight for their websites to book my ticket. Not only can I collect miles this way, when airlines have promotions they’ll only advertise them on their own websites.

Getting cheaper flight tickets takes extra effort and time, but if you’re willing to wait, be flexible and do your research, you’ll be glad you made the effort.

Anis Ibrahim

*Anis also writes at Five Foot Traveller.

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ओबामा के भारत दौरे से पहले दाऊद के भाई अनीस पर अमेरिका ने लगाई पाबंदी-Dawood-Ibrahims

वाशिंगटन: अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति बराक ओबामाकी भारत यात्रा से पहले अमेरिका ने डी कंपनी से जुड़े दो लोगों पर प्रतिबंध लगा दिया है। अमेरिका ने शुक्रवार को दाऊद के भाई अनीस इब्राहिम और अजीज मूसा बिलाखिया पर प्रतिबंध लगाने का ऐलान किया। अनीस और बिलाखिया दोनों मुंबई में हुए 1993 बम धमाकों में भारत में मोस्ट वांटेड हैं। इनके अलावा पाकिस्तान की एक पेपर कंपनी को डी कंपनी से संबंधों के कारण भी प्रतिबंधित किया…

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Celebrating the human spirit and will to survive

THE human body is amazing. When placed in a new environment, it pays attention to the changes it’s going through, retains a memory of these changes and then adapts to the best of its ability.

This has been a rather strange summer here in New Zealand.

It has been cooler than I thought it would be, with the temperature ranging from 11 to 18 degrees Celsius.

Not exactly freezing, but not what one imagines summer to be.

But a week after arriving, the days no longer seem as chilly anymore. Not exactly summer, but unlike seven days ago, I am now comfortable in a t-shirt, even when the wind blows. My body has learnt to adapt.

Getting accustomed to 11 degrees is not a big deal, though.

On my first visit to China, I whooped with joy when I saw that it would be a balmy two degrees on the weather forecast.

It was winter; we had seen below zero temperatures for a week and for the first time in days there was no minus sign for Xi’an.

You know it’s time to start getting worried when two degrees Celcius is your definition of a lovely day.

Humanity has always learnt to adapt to extreme situations.

The coldest place on earth is Vostok Station in Antarctica, which recorded the lowest temperature on Earth at -89.2 degrees Celsius in July 1983 and has an average of -42 degrees in the “warm” season (November-March).

Conditions are unimaginably harsh, and yet there are actually people living at Vostok, a research station founded by the Soviet Union in 1957.

The coldest inhabited place is Oymyakon in Russia, which once hit a low of -91.2 degrees in 1993, making the days I spent in Beijing and Xi’an seem like a joke.

Unlike Vostok Station that only has researchers, this small town is inhabited by ordinary people living everyday lives — there are schools, playgrounds, shops, a bank and post office.

If you’re planning to visit, you’re in luck — there’s an airport in Oymyakon that operates in the warmer months, while tours run from the nearby city of Yakutsk (Don’t forget to send me an email if you do go).

Like the severe cold, living in extreme heat can be equally oppressive.

The hottest place on record is California’s Death Valley, where the mercury has been known to hit a high of 56.7 degrees Celsius.

The hottest temperature I have ever experienced was 40 degrees in Africa’s Namib desert, and that was hot enough for me.

The hottest inhabited place in the world lies in Dallol, in northern Ethiopia.

Here, daytime temperatures can hit 46 degrees, but Dallol is different from other hot spots in that the heat does not only come from the sun above.

This part of Ethiopia is volcanic, so heat also rises from under the surface from hot springs, steaming gas vents and boiling acid pools.

In spite of the cruel environment, the Dallol is home to the nomadic Afar tribesmen, known for their savage nature.

At times, however, challenges come from within and not from around us.

In November 2007, exchange student Christoph Rehage decided that he would walk from Beijing, China, to his hometown in Bad Nennhorf, Germany, as a 26th birthday present to himself.

Rehage did not complete his walk to Germany, but when he stopped walking upon reaching Xinjiang a year after he started, he had already covered more than 4,000km.

Conditions were harsh and cruel, and he faced may obstacles along the way.

Rehage’s famous “one photo a day” time-lapse video of his trek across China went viral soon after he released it.

The video shows his incredible transformation over the 12 months, with the varied landscapes he passed through as the backdrop for each photo.

I guess what I’m saying here is this — no matter how severe the environment or harsh the living conditions, mankind has learnt to adapt and survive as best as it can.

Mankind is probably the only living creature that has learnt to adapt in any environment on earth.

The human body is a masterpiece, no doubt, but it needs the human spirit and will to survive.

It is the human spirit that gives the body the strength it needs, whether it is putting up with a mind-numbing -91.2 degrees in Russia or a scorching 46 degrees in Ethiopia.

  Anis Ibrahim

* When she’s not thinking about social media, watching movies or travelling, Anis writes at ‘Five Foot Traveller’

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Destinations for first-time solo travel

WHEN you are travelling alone for the first time, your choice of destination is an important one. If a first-time solo traveller chooses a country that is too dangerous or challenging, he or she may be put off from travelling alone in the future, which would be a real shame.

An ideal destination for first-time solo travellers should be one that is easy to get around, should not present too many language problems and should not be a country with soaring crime rates. The idea is to not burden the traveller with too many problems on his or her first solo trip. The big problems and language headaches can come later.

Here are my recommendations for your first solo trip.

New Zealand or Australia

I have put these countries together because they are fairly similar. Whether you choose to explore New Zealand or Australia as a whole or to focus only on certain cities, getting around will be very easy.

Both countries have an extensive accommodation network, public transport is efficient and far-reaching and there are plenty of car rental options.

Locals in both countries are very friendly and will be happy to help if you get in a fix.

New Zealand was my first foreign destination when I started travelling alone.

The only possible challenges you may face are with regard to weather.

Australia is a large country — it’s a continent, in fact — so when you’re planning a visit, bear in mind that the weather in Perth will be different from that in Darwin and Melbourne.

Crossing the continent from one end to the other will require research on temperature, rainfall and suitable clothing.

A picture of Lake Taupo, New Zealand. — Pic by Anis Ibrahim

Seoul, South Korea

Seoul is very manageable for a first-time solo traveller. It has an efficient underground train system with some of the most helpful attendants I have ever met.

Language could be an issue but it’s nothing you won’t be able to sort out with sign language and a smile. Seoul is a very walkable city with lovely canals and parks.

Also, free Wi-Fi is widespread, so you won’t have problems staying connected with friends and family.

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Amsterdam is a fun, laid-back city. You’ll make lots of new friends in hostels and you won’t have any language problems because English is widely spoken here.

This is an easy city to explore on foot, by bike or by boat if you’re thinking of taking a canal cruise.

Some people have reservations about going to Amsterdam alone but there are lovely museums, art galleries and cafes for the solo traveller to enjoy.

If, however, you’re a solo female, avoid the Red Light District because you will be harassed if you’re wandering around by yourself. Otherwise, Amsterdam is a pretty safe city.

Istanbul, Turkey

Thanks to its history and location on the doorsteps of Asia, Istanbul has an exotic flavour, making it a very unique European city.

Istanbul has a lot of pluses: English is widely spoken, it has a underground train network, a tram service and lots of attractions to keep you occupied for one whole week.

Istanbul is generally very safe — I had to go out after dark more than once and I never felt worried at any time.

As long as you use common sense (don’t walk into dark, unlit alleys whether you’re male or female and always have your hotel phone number), you’ll be all right.

I would just caution you to arrange an airport transfer with your hotel or a transport company instead of relying on airport taxis, because it will be cheaper and the chances of you being scammed will be lower.

Bali, Indonesia

Many people don’t like Bali for how commercialised it has become, but taken in small doses at the right time of the year, Bali can be a good destination for solo travellers.

Language won’t be a problem and if you stay in a hostel, you’re bound to meet other travellers you can share a car with to explore the island.

My only advice is to watch out for scammers, who tend to congregate in Kuta (better still, forget Kuta altogether) and to avoid visiting Bali during the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, which is held in October. Bali, especially Ubud, is packed with visitors during the festival.

Otherwise, places like Ubud, Legian and Sanur are very pleasant to visit. Just remember to bargain on car hire rates.

Other ideas: Tours

A picture showing a giraffe taken on a safari in Namibia. — Pic by Anis Ibrahim

Trekking in Kathmandu, Nepal

If you’re worried about not knowing what to do or not meeting anyone, go on an activity-based tour. A trekking tour in Kathmandu, for instance, will allow you to meet like-minded people and do something exciting in a new country.

Going on an organised tour or excursion also means that you’ll have fewer language or safety issues to worry about since you’ll be in a group.

Animal safari in Kenya, Botswana or Tanzania

The idea of travelling alone to Africa sounds daunting but I have done it before and survived, so it can’t be too dangerous. If you want to make Africa your first solo jaunt, choose a country you have researched on and go on a safari.

Once again, being part of a group means that your transport, safety and security are taken care of. Better still, if you can arrange an airport transfer with the tour company.

If you have never travelled solo before, do try and travel alone at least once. After you have done the “easy” countries, you can move on to the more difficult ones.

Anis Ibrahim

*Anis Ibrahim also writes at ‘Five Foot Traveller’.

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Travel trends for 2015

It is around this time — the start of October and the last quarter of the year — that I start thinking about where to go in the following twelve months, if I haven’t thought of that already.

The end of the year is also an indication if certain travel-related trends that developed over the past few months might carry on into the following year.

Fads like glamping, or “glamourous camping”  (think: safari tents fitted with plush carpets and luxurious beds with Egyptian cotton sheets) come and go, but now and again certain trends will arise out of a change in lifestyle or a shift in preferences.

Mobile services in travel

Over the next few years, travel-related companies are expected to introduce new uses for customers to use smartphones when they’re travelling.

I’m not just talking about mobile hotel or flight bookings, which we have been able to do for some time already and which are expected to double in 2015.

A recent development is that passengers on Delta Airlines have been able to make in-flight purchases via smartphones since August 2013.

As for future developments, travel website McCoolTravel says that international hotel chains, like Starwood and Hilton hotels, are presently working on mobile apps that will allow smartphones to be used for self-service check-ins and as room keys.

The increasing reliance on smartphones all over the world will only mean that we can expect more of such developments in the years to come.

The shift towards more specific, activity-based travel

I would not say that the days of travellers being content with a day at the beach or just sightseeing are over, but nowadays more people travel with a specific activity or goal in mind.

Trips are made to Tanzania to climb Kilimanjaro, hikers go to Kathmandu to climb Mount Everest or at the very least to hike to Everest Base Camp and divers book trips to diving spots around the world.

This is not what only young people do — one of my grand aunts climbed Machu Picchu in Peru in her 70s.

Travelling somewhere to do something clear-cut is not new in itself, but we’ll see more of that happening for the simple reason that travellers, quite rightly, have become fussier now and are particular about what they want to see and do.

Greater control over travel plans

With the preference for specific travel experiences, comes the freedom to plan.

Even though a traveller may have bought a package from a travel agency, the better agencies understand that its customer might like to be given an opportunity to plan his own trips.

It is likely, therefore, that over time, it will be the norm to provide travellers with the option to choose routes, activities and day trips within their tour packages.

Exploring in greater detail

The world has grown smaller and unless you’re travelling to Antarctica, which thousands of people have already gone to, there isn’t any country in this world that hasn’t been explored.

So what’s happening and will continue to happen is that instead of just finding new places to visit, travellers will explore their surroundings in greater detail.

Nowadays nobody can say, “I’ve been somewhere nobody else has,” and because travellers want something more from their travels, they will choose to go deeper into their adventures.

This applies to Malaysian travellers as well.

More Malaysians are hiking, trekking, living with locals and camping in the great outdoors, in other words, travelling in a more challenging style.

While there will always be people who are happy to go on tours, travellers generally will continue to become better independent explorers.

Anis Ibrahim

*Anis Ibrahim also writes at ‘Five Foot Traveller’.