Travel Connections: The Best and the Worst
Another one of our speakers at the Travel Bloggers Meetup (#TBM2015), Zarah aka Jard, gives us a brief overview of some of her most memorable travel connections.
written by Jard
Even as I venture out alone on many of my overseas travels, I never once felt I’d be alone. Lonely? Sometimes, but never alone. I knew that the world is full of people who are friends just waiting to be met and made. With the help of the world wide web and couchsurfing, I have stayed with numerous locals during my excursions to South Korea, India, Europe and Indonesia. I don’t really have the luxury of months of work leave to enjoy extensive stays in the countries I’ve been too. But it is totally made up by staying with locals and enjoying their help in times of need. Here are some of the best moments I’ve experienced with my travel connections.
The Best:
Taj Mahal, India
Delhi and Agra, India: I managed to enter some of the main attractions by posing as an Indian wife to an Indian looking friend who is actually from Maldives. All I did for my part was wear a colourful ladylike Punjabi suit and a pashmina covering all but my eyes while my posed husband paid for the tickets. The difference between the prices of a local and a foreign ticket is exuberantly ridiculous! Haha.
Varanasi, India
Varanasi, India : Stayed with a host there with two of my other friends and he brought us to attend an authentic Indian wedding. Loud music, crazy dancing and wild crowds!
Jaipur, India
Jaipur, India : Lived with a Indian Muslim family who keeps an elephant right inside their house! Divided from their living quarters by just a wall!
South-Korea
South Korea : Stayed with a host in Jeju for three nights and the host brought us to Udo island with her car. We also got to visit various places there with her.
Helsinki, Finland : Stayed with a host who helped me to plan my trip there and suggested I do a daytrip to Tallin via ferry. She helped me understand the Finnish language ferry site and also helped me purchase return ferry tickets. Much appreciated!
Batam, Indonesia
Indonesia : Am now confident to say that I can go anywhere in Indonesia and will meet friends who are willing to bring me up mountains, visit the less visited regions and plan local trips together to almost anywhere. I sometimes plan a visit here once every month due to my strong travel connections there.
The Worst:
I have yet to experience a negative experience with my hosts. But once in awhile, from pure curiosity, they’ll question about my religion and why I wear a scarf to cover my head. So be ready to have an open mind in answering them! The most bizarre question was why I was still virgin at my age and why wait till I get married! They’ll argue that it is supposed to be natural. Gahhh!
Tibet
Traveling has taught me many things and helped me to be more open minded on things in my life. For half of my life, I have mostly led a cluttered life, knowing only things in my own backyard and being strictly supervised by my pious parents. But once I started traveling and meeting this colourful variety of people who lives so differently from me, I began to realize that life is more beautiful and peaceful if we respect and accept one another’s differences. And only with that, will we be able to fully enjoy the foreign places we visit, through its people.
Jard has been travelling since age 3 and is a frequent traveller. Having had a nomadic upbringing, this has cultivated her zest of travelling. Read about all her travel stories here >>











