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In Wanderlogue

10 Actually Useful Flying Hacks Noone Seems to Be Talking About

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10 Actually Useful Flying Hacks Noone Seems to Be Talking About

Even though I only started properly travelling in my twenties (for obvious financial reasons, and also there isn’t much independence you can gain as a daughter raised in a stereotypical strict Asian household until you actually leave home to live abroad for the first time), I’ve been extremely fortunate to have been on probably countless flights since. In my first few trips, I would collect as many travel and flying hacks from various sources to try to make each trip as smooth as possible. However, as I went on with more travels, I started gathering some on my own as well, including those that, to my surprise, barely anyone seems to be talking about – even though they are absolutely worth doing! Lucky for you, I am no gatekeeper for all things nice, so I will be listing below some of my favourite ones that I would not skip on any trip.

Whether you are a novice or a seasoned traveller, I believe you’ll find these tips relevant – and maybe a little life-changing, if I may be so bold. So maybe keep reading?

(Disclaimer: While not sponsored, this post does contain affiliated links.)

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In Wanderlogue

7 Less-Touristy London Walking Tour Ideas

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7 Less-Touristy London Walking Tour Ideas

Truthfully, I was never a fan of bustling metropolitan cities – but London was apparently quite a different breed. As a melting pot of hundreds of years of diverse cultures, the city is remarkably rich in characters and thus has left an imprint on my list of most wonderful memories back in Spring 2022, as I am sure it does many travellers and visitors alike.

Exploring the city on foot was absolutely my favourite activity. From initially following my strict itinerary to finally letting where my footsteps take me, I had eventually made several themed walks and thought they might be worth sharing here. If you are like me, who prefers shifting the landscape from the most touristy places such as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, London’s Eye, and so forth to the lesser famous, almost hidden gems sometimes, and make the most out of the local experiences instead, this recommendation might be just for you.

From lovely sights of flowers, splashes of colours, tranquil English villages, inspiring arts, eclectic shopping, and satisfying your tummy’s craving, these themed walks will take you through various experiences and even postcard-worthy photos that are beyond those famous red telephone boxes.

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In Wanderlogue

A Mediterranean Memento

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A Mediterranean Memento

Jakarta, 31/10. It was midnight in the middle of a workweek. Felt quite nice to finally lay on my side of the bed, fingers scrolling mindlessly across my glaring phone screen amid the dimmed light of the bedroom as my husband was already asleep. I had surrendered to the algorithm that put me in the never-ending loop of irrelevant streams of content when a notification popped up.

A French local train app, delivering a message of traffic reduction in Occitanie. I didn’t even remember I had the app installed.

It has been a few days now after my return to Jakarta, following a little over a month of travelling around France and its vicinity. Mainly for work in the city of Montpellier, although it wouldn’t have been me if I hadn’t purposefully crammed a few short leisure getaways in between and at the end.

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In Wanderlogue

7 Petra Tips You Truly Need but Nobody Tells You About

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7 Petra Tips You Truly Need but Nobody Tells You About

Just like everyone else who travelled to Jordan, I absolutely had to put Petra as one of my major destinations. I spent one and a half days in Wadi Musa where Petra is located, which I believe is proper enough to get the best out of the whole complex – if you know how.

Frankly, I came a little unprepared because the vacation was squeezed between two separate business trips. Hence, I did not manage to research any tips about exploring the site prior to the travel. That, however, led me to asking around extensively instead; from fellow tourists that I met there, the tourism office staff in Petra, to a couple of Petra local guides who were keen on helping me probably simply because they felt bad for this tiny Asian lady travelling alone. Those, in addition to experiencing all the strenuous walk and hike myself, made me come up with these tips I think people should know about to make the best out of their Petra experience.

So, if you are like me, or even on a shorter visit, or basically just want to make your trip as effective as possible, this will be the article for you to read on!

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In Thoughtful Enlightenment, Wanderlogue

Serendipitous Solitude in Sร i Gรฒn (2023)

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Serendipitous Solitude in Sร i Gรฒn (2023)

The day was early when I made my way to the “pink church,” which wasn’t far from where I stayed. I hadn’t made any specific itinerary, so it was rather an impromptu trip. The only particular reason why I picked a place of worship as my first destination was because of its supposedly flashy, curiously unusual appearance for a religious building, which happened to be in the shade typical of one of those Wes Anderson movies.

As I walked southeast, I noticed that there weren’t as many pharmacies as on the northwest side of the road. It was the night before when I made my first attempt to explore the area to find some bottled water and stuff to snack on, when I noticed that the northwest was basically overrun by pharmacies, which to my surprise existed literally in every other house on the street. I reckoned it was probably the byproduct of the pandemic. I had to turn around, walked in the other direction and passed the hostel again until I finally came across a FamilyMart, like a luminous shrine in the middle of a chaotic street market that reminded me of bits of my hometown.

In the morning, the messy street market seemed to feel a little more welcoming. It was still overrun by people, still ever-lively, but felt more bearable for passersby when under the sun.

Then the rosy-looking building, Tan Dinh Church, emerged on the right-hand side of the street. Almost commanding the entire crowded, grayish street to pay attention to her unmissable, grand, almost jaunty facade.

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In Wanderlogue

Satellites of the Skies & Sunrise in Wadi Rum, Jordan (2022)

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Satellites of the Skies & Sunrise in Wadi Rum, Jordan (2022)

The Satellites

It was around 4 AM when I woke up in that modest but properly decorated tent. We were in the middle of a desert, kilometres away from the next nearest accommodation.

By “we,” I mean myself and the landlord’s sibling – just the two of us amid that vast nothingness. He was supposed to be sleeping in one of the other tents, although I wasn’t sure if he was really there, or which tent exactly, in case I needed help with something. All I felt was aloneness.

How could I not? There were zero signals on my phone, whether for regular calls or the internet. I started regretting having paid a ton of money for the SIM card, since for the next couple of days, I wouldn’t be able to use it anyway. With no handy source of entertainment available and the disconnect from the outside world, it felt like the world was on pause. The quietness was particularly the most deafening.

Yes, in that desert, each of the accommodations was spaced out pretty far from each other that you probably won’t be able to spot your neighbouring hostels from where you are staying. My mother would’ve freaked out hearing that I slept in the middle of nowhere all by myself, and having a foreign man nearby that did not even speak any of my languages wouldn’t have helped my case. It’s a good thing I spared these details from her.

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