Showing all posts tagged tips

In DIY and Artsy-Craftsy, Life on the Equator, She & Him

8 Wedding Planning Tips for a Creative and Unforgettable Day That Doesn’t Drain Your Wallet

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8 Wedding Planning Tips for a Creative and Unforgettable Day That Doesn’t Drain Your Wallet

I used to think that weddings were overrated. That the whole wedding industry might as well be a glamorized scam. The idea of throwing away that much money for a one-day event that most guests might not even remember in the future sounds like a perfect recipe for a financial disaster.

These, of course, were after I outgrew my much younger self who undoubtedly had her own daydreams about her dream wedding. People have phases, don’t they?

However, at some point, when it was finally our turn to plan and execute our big day, we decided to land somewhere in the middle. An event so warm (quite literally, we’ll get to it), heartwarming, and eye-pleasing that it doesn’t only belong to us – but also to our guests. A day where everything about it is handpicked by yours truly, so that the moment our closest ones pass the entrance they’d immediately wonder how every element and detail truly resembled the two of us both as a couple and also as individuals.

We were never big on celebrations, so when it comes to the day when we finally tie the knot after exactly 9.5 years of being together, why not have fun, consider it a challenge to play with as a couple, and be creative at it?

Most importantly, we wanted to try our best to make every single penny worth it. If we’re going to dig our pocket a little deep for it, it might as well be for all the right reasons only, and as effective as possible. And since we had to stick to a fixed budget, the creativity wasn’t just all about the styling or planning, but also about coming up with workarounds for when the ideal scenario we wanted was too expensive to afford.

Of course, at the end of the day, we were unfortunately unable to realize every single plan, but we took notes on those that didn’t. So that you, who might be planning your wedding day sooner or later, may take a thing or two from our experience and get to make the best out of one the happiest days in your life.

So here it is, a few tips on how we plan and execute the wedding day that every guest that we talked to seems to have enjoyed and left positive thoughts and comments about. Might we add, without necessarily breaking our bank accounts?

And if you’re also wondering how much we end up paying for our 300-pax outdoor wedding at the heart of Bandung – keep reading!

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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

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 DIY and Artsy-Craftsy, Life on the Equator, Thoughtful Enlightenment

My Beginner Capsule Wardrobe Journey + 8 Tips

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My Beginner Capsule Wardrobe Journey + 8 Tips

Back in my undergraduate years, my galaxy-printed tee and pink chevron-patterned tee are the kinds of clothing I’d pick to go to my university classes. Along with my peach-coloured Jansport backpack, a chevron-patterned wooden necklace from a local brand, and a pair of textured plastic flat shoes with ornamental ribbon which I didn’t hesitate to wear to my geology classes. I loved splurging my money on fashion items, and loved wearing them even more. My particular preference was probably anything that did not typically scream “basic.”

As I grew older and finally discovered more meaningful means to allocate my money to, I decided that one of the best ways to effectively put more budget to those things is by reducing my spending on clothing. I’d still be into fashion, but from that moment on, I would try to support my passion in different, hopefully more responsible ways.

Despite being still way too far from living minimally (and hopefully, more ethically, consciously, and sustainably someday), I decided that at least, getting rid of my clothes from those fashion-holic eras was a must-do, in order to convert my wardrobe into a capsule one. I also started collecting mood boards on Pinterest, such as here and here, to help myself choose some modest basic styles that would still bring pleasure when I wear them.

But what is a capsule wardrobe?

This article defines capsule wardrobe as “a limited collection of clothes that coordinate well and can be worn in a number of different ways to cater for multiple occasions.” Essentially, the idea is to keep only the most essential pieces of clothing that would go along with each other regardless of the occasion, therefore keeping the number of your clothes to a minimum. It also typically includes only items with earthy colours, since these tones are the ones that can be easily combined with each other.

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In Adventure of a Lifetime, Wanderlogue

10 tips from my solo travel as a non-Spanish speaking hijabi in Peru

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10 tips from my solo travel as a non-Spanish speaking hijabi in Peru

This would be my last piece for #PeruMarathonSeries๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ช that I wrote in the spirit of Peru’s upcoming 99th independence day, by refurbishing some draft posts that I made back in 2017 but never really got the chance to finish and share.

I first came up with this article because, at that time, I had been receiving quite a few questions from my friends regarding how I managed to dare myself to travel solo to South America, and also how I actually execute the travel. Most of these questions seemed to have stemmed from the fact that I am merely a brown hijabi female who does not even speak Spanish, and probably doesn’t even look as “adult” as I actually am (which truthfully does not imply that I don’t look as aged, it’s just that my 155 cm or *nearly* 5’1″ height is way below the average height of most 20-something-year-old females, lol).

Also, South America isn’t typically a common tourist destination for most Indonesians, and I guess for a large proportion of the Asian community as well. Even to some extent, for the western population too.

Therefore, I thought I should perhaps compile some tips on how I dealt with any uncertainty that might arise before and during the travel. Even though I realize that there are many way more experienced women who can talk about this topic better than I do, I think it just doesn’t hurt to share my experience. In particular, because I always felt that at least for Muslim communities, we only have a few hijabi solo travellers slash influencers whom we could look up to in reference to this topic.

Without further ado, here are some tips I’d recommend for your seamless solo travel!

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