S$11 to S$100, rooming in Java

For the Indonesia trip, we did a daring thing and booked only one hotel for the whole trip. This worked well for Indonesia but I don’t recommend you do this for expensive cities where cheap rooms run out really quick.

We stayed in different types of accomodation–five different places to be exact. The ones which we booked on the spot was done after much consultation with the Internet and Lonely Planet (most of it was LP’s help, take that guidebook scorners).

Among the room, two of them had resident cockroaches which I killed with a shoe and a water scoop respectively. One was extra posh, another reasonably comfortable. Only three had hot water while the other two were cold showers. Continue reading “S$11 to S$100, rooming in Java” →

My first backpacker moment

AKA The time I had shower in a squat toilet cubicle.

I’m more of a flashpacker: someone who’s willing to pay just that little more for comfort and cleanliness while travelling.

I did try backpacking (staying in a multi-person dorm room) once in Shanghai. I found out that I cannot sleep with someone snoring in the room. Since then, I opt for private rooms in hostels.

So, being the flashpacker that I am, how did I end up in a squat toilet cubicle, rinsing my hair with a hose that was meant to clean someone’s bum?

It’s a short story but I’ll make it longer.

Continue reading “My first backpacker moment” →

Are travel fairs useful for indie travellers?

When I hear the word “travel fair”, I usually think of crowded exhibition halls where travel agencies peddle toured packages. How useful could such a fair be for indie travellers like me?

In the name of research, I decided to pop by the NATAS Fair at expo last weekend. (NATAS is the National Association Travel Agents Singapore.) Held each quarter, the fairs are so popular that people (like me) don’t mind paying S$4 just to get in.

After you pay S$4, they tie a paper tag around your wrist which allows you to enter the halls again on the same day.

So, how useful was the fair? I had three things I needed help with:
1. Information for my March Yogyakarta trip
2. Explanation about a cruise
3. Find a tour agency to help with a round-the-world ticket

I decided that if all three simple problems were solved, then travel fairs can be useful for indie travellers.

Continue reading “Are travel fairs useful for indie travellers?” →