Why Travel? Part 2

FINALLY, I will now take some basic travel challenge questions to share my passion to visit places around the world, and in some way I could be able to impart my experience to my readers who would like to be a frequent flyer/traveller like me!



Q: How many times a year do you travel? I do it at least twice a year for overseas between 1-4 weeks holiday depending on the locations; and unlimited for local destinations which normally take a day or just a weekend trip.

Q: Do you stay in your home country or do you go abroad? Both, as I mentioned in the first question. For example, living in my home country with 7,107 islands to explore, the drive to visit places is high. I have already visited most of the major tourist destinations in the country located in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Further, the opportunities derived from my professional work and further studies are the main reasons why I have to explore other places overseas. For instance, when I was in Australia for my research program from 2002 to 2004, I was fortunate to travel around the country – Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. From Australia, I was able to travel to New Zealand, London, Sweden and Finland. Hopefully for next year, I am planning to visit South Africa and some part of EU members’ countries like Spain, Germany and Italy.

Q: Do you organise your holidays yourself or do you go to a travel agency? Combination, but mostly I do my itinerary both locally and abroad. I only use the travel agent for ticket bookings for major point of destinations and to maximise the flight package (in terms of the number of stop over).

Q: Do you prepare your holidays in advance by reading guide books and studying maps?Absolutely yes to ensure that my itinerary will be hassle-free and I will really enjoy my trip especially for major destinations. As soon I reach my destination, and then I do the necessary adjustments in terms of what places to visit. For local trips especially over week ends, I do not practice advance planning; it is always a quick decision as long as my resources allow it.

Q: Do you travel alone/with family or friends/with an organised group? For international trips, I always travel alone and with friends for local short tours. Mainly because I will be visiting relatives and friends living on that particular destinations; and will be accommodated by them during the entire duration of my holiday.

Q: Do you prefer the sea/mountains/plains/cities as destinations? No preference depending on the destinations’ attractions – what these places can offer. But mostly, I prefer to visit the city centres (like in the UK, US, and Europe) to see the urban form/settlement; coastlines/beaches in Indonesia, Thailand, Fiji, and Australia; and mountains of Scotland, New Zealand, Nepal, Japan and of course the Philippines.

Q: Do you mainly relax or are you an active holidayer? I can do both: relaxation and being on the go to explore the place. But mostly, I always look forward to do things that I have not done before which I can freely accomplish during my holiday. Going to a beach for a swim and sun bath is a way of my relaxation. Having good times with relatives and friends that I have not seen them for so many years is also a worthwhile thing to do.

Q: If you go abroad do you learn at least some words of the foreign language? Yes. Not only learning their language/dialects/slang but also the ‘accents’ as well. Maybe I can learn few words during my stay, but eventually I will forget later. But luckily, I still do speak basic Thai words after spending almost 3 years in the country. I also remember some slang words that are commonly used in Australia and Northern Ireland. For my home country travels, having 38 dialects within the 7,107 islands, it is also tempting to learn some of them especially for places that their dialects are quite similar to my mother tongue. Not only the language, but I will always find ways to understand and experience every culture that the host destination can offer.



Q: Are you interested in the cuisine of a foreign country? Definitely, being a guest/tourist, I think my travel will not complete if I have not tasted any menu from the host country. So far, I love Thai food and to some extent the Japanese food. I also love to eat Vietnamese food, even though I haven’t visited the country, but of course it can be found elsewhere.

Q: Which means of transportation do you prefer? I always take the air transport for long distance travel. But local travels, either bus or ferry. Since I am temporarily residing in Northern Ireland, I prefer to travel by train and ferry. Again, it depends on the availability of the transport system in the country destination.

Q: What kind of luggage do you take with you? Have you got problems packing? Do you tend to take too many/too few things with you? I regularly use an ordinary wheeler bag with a pad-lock for travelling overseas. I don’t have any difficulty for what things to bring during my trip. Being restricted with 20-25 kg by airplanes, it is logical enough to pack the basic personal things for the entire journey, which means for one day, I need 3 shirts (one for sleeping), 2 underwear, 1 pair or pants/jeans for two days, and 2 short pants (including for sleeping) for two days. Aside from this, I need to include 3 pairs of shoes/slippers with socks, handkerchiefs, laptop, camera, 2 mobile phones, toothpaste/brush, scissor, condoms, shaves, perfumes, and of course my passport with the valid visa, insurance policy and tickets.

Q: Do you send picture postcards to your family and friends? 100% yes! Not only sending them to close relatives and friends but also collecting them as souvenirs to remind me of my holidays. Honestly, the first thing that I buy either in the airport or malls are postcards and look for the nearest post office to have them delivered quickly.

WELL thats it! Hope you learned something about my traveling experience. How about you, can you answers these questions as well? Have fun and make your travels enjoyable and memorable experience!