'Whoa, how do you pack so light?'

I am quite a minimalist whenever I travel. Although I feel like I've packed a lot, m bag will somehow, always be light. Even I surprise my mum (sometimes even myself) on how light my bag is ! Its been quite an amount of times that when I travel with my friends with my luggage/backpack, they would always go like, 'Is that it?', 'What is inside it?', 'How do you pack so light?' or even, 'Is that enough?' 

So, here's a few tips on how to pack lightly (and maybe even look pretty decent at the same time!). Hope this helps :)

1. Always roll your clothes

Never have I been disappointed whenever I roll my clothes when I pack. They amazingly save a lot of space which leaves you with more space to pack in everything else ! 

2. The right tops 

My sister thinks I still dress up pretty decent although I backpack. And even though both of us carry 10 tops and 3 jeans, my bag still weighs lighter than hers. This tip only applies when you're travelling in sunny countries. Just pack, blouses ! They're amazingly light, dry easily when washed and makes you look pretty decent in pictures especially when you're taking those beautiful pictures. Beyond that, they're pretty cooling (so you'd probably sweat less). Although, try not to pack blouses or shirts that needs ironing. 

3. The right pants 

I usually bring along only 2 pair of jeans (which I would wear one when I go on my flights), 1 pair of leggings and 'beach pants'. If you have extra space, just throw in a couple of pants (or my trick would always be white pants), to look a bit more elegant-ish. They're really all you need ! You really don't need to bring tonnes of jeans or trousers.

4. Even for months or weeks of traveling only pack ...

Always pack minimally. Constantly remind yourself that the weight is going to be a burden whenever you have to carry your backpack around. For 3 weeks of backpacking, I only brought along 10 tops, 2 jeans, 1 pair of sports shoes (incase I randomly decide to go for a jog), a pair of sandals and slippers. You really don't need to pack tonnes of shoes, just pack the most comfortable pair of shoes !

5. If you're wearing hijab 

Definitely, bring a black scarf. Then throw in 2-3 of your favourite coloured scarfs, and maybe just 1-2 patterned ones incase you get bored of plain colours or randomly feel like dressing up a little. Try not to bring the thick ones :)

6. Laundry !

You really don't have to bring a proper laundry bag like the ones you use at home, all you really need is just another ordinary plastic bag. Also, try to bring a laundry detergent from home in a small bottle. But try not to bring the liquid detergent as it would be a bit of a hassle when you go through security or check in your bags. Always do your laundry whilst packing so you wouldn't have to pack a huge amount of clothes

7. Make up maybe ?

So sometimes us girls, wanna look good in close-up pictures, and sometimes we are just somehow rather attached to our make-up set.  All you really need is your basics so try not to waste space by packing more than your moisturizer, eyeliner, primer, foundation and powder :) 

8. Bring what you need, not what you want to 

Every time when we want to throw anything into our bags, we have to ask ourselves, do I really need it ? Is it really that necessary ? 

9. Repack your toiletries

Repacking your toiletries into the small travelling bottles saves up loads of space and will definitely make your bag wayyy lighter ! Try to buy the light and fast-drying travel towels as well as some accommodation won't provide you with towels (and some charges you extra)

10. Bringing an extra small bag

Make sure they're the fold-able and really light ones. Atleast you would have a small bag to walk around with once you've checked in your huge backpack/rucksack/luggage in your accommodation. 

If you follow this right, your bag should only weigh up to 10-12 kgs only. That's how heavy my bag usually weighs whenever I pack (even if it was for more than 2 weeks of travelling). Good luck !  

Travelling Tips That Will Save You Money !

Some people like learning things the hard way, but its definitely not worth when it costs you lots of money as well, especially when you're travelling. So here's a few ways and things I've learnt throughout my travels. Hope it helps !

1. Always double-triple check your baggage allowance

Never assume your baggage allowance. Some airlines only give you 15kg and some upto 25kg or 30kg. They might not even give you any baggage allowance, especially budget airlines ! My experience with RyanAir was pretty harsh only to have realised that I was not given a baggage allowance to check in at all so I had to pay at the counter. And it was definitely costly. 

2. Taking the 'Day Pass' for Public Transports

Travelers would usually take the 'Hop-On Hop-Off' bus which is usually very expensive ! Instead, opt for the public transports that might save you lots of money to get around by. Most metro or bus stops near tourists areas anyways. Also, try not to take the cabs from the airports but opt for the shuttle buses instead to where your accommodation is. Cab drivers usually overcharge tourists

3. Read the 'Terms & Conditions'

As boring as it sounds, you really just gotta read through some of the 'TnC's. Me and my sister had our experience with our purchase of the Eurail tickets. We jumped on the first train from Rome to Pompeii not knowing that we had to get a 'stamp' on our ticket. But we were lucky that the instructor just gave us a warning to get our tickets stamped or it would cost us $50 on our next train ride. Phew. So, read the Terms & Conditions or Requirements !

4. Not asking for the 'Student' Discount 

Or even not bringing your student ID around. You might save a lot more than you think with the student discount. Just try not to forget to bring it around, no matter where you go. And annoyingly, ask around if there are any student discounts. Haha

5.  Double check the schedules !

Some public transports and opening times are not updated online. Thus, its always better to double check online by calling the agency regarding their opening times and ticket prices before purchasing them online.

6. Paying unnecessarily for tours

You'd probably have gotten tricked once or twice by paying for tours unnecessarily. For those who haven't, do check online first if the place you wish to visit has an 'audio tour' inside that is wayyy cheaper than the 'Agent Tours'. Beyond that, people will always try to make business by waiting around tourists places and offering you tours unnecessarily. Some would even say you would not be able to enter without a tour guide (which is a huge lie). Sometimes, they would even convince you to pay for the VIP price but you're still going for a package that everyone else pays a normal tour for. So, try not to get tricked ! 

7. Picking the 'right' or 'wrong' accommodations

Sometimes, picking an accommodation very near can be quite unnecessary. Public transports are quite at vast nowadays so you'd probably save a lot of money staying a little bit further. In our case, we booked the cheapest accommodation we could find in Monte-Carlo, Monaco which was still expensive ($80!) when we could have stayed in Nice, France and travel with a train to Monaco for a day visit. Lesson learnt, doesn't mean you stay in another country, it would be difficult to travel to the other. But double check if there will be problems with immigration as some countries have hours of immigration borders. 

8. Choosing the overnight trains

Some overnight trains require you to transit for a couple hours at the train station. And some doesn't. You would assume that taking overnight trains would save you loads of money but if they require you to transit for a couple of hours, it might be more costly than you think ! Its cause some train stations would not allow people to stay or sleep in the station, even just for a couple of hours. Which might eventually lead you to finding a place to stay, which would cost you a lot especially finding a place to crash last minute !

9. Finding for food

You'd be surprised how much money you would save by cooking and packing your food rather than buying it at restaurants. So try to book accommodations that will allow you to cook and always bring a water bottle around rather than buying them every time you get thirsty. Beyond that, even when you try to find for places to eat, try to walk the extra mile to find cheap places to eat ! Or better yet, try check on wikitravel on where they recommend to eat as they usually provide info on the cheap places you can eat. Or maybe even ask the people at your accommodation possibly ?

10. Doing your own laundry 

Bring a laundry detergent from home. Buying it from convenient stores might cost you money and space in your luggage unnecessarily as they usually sell them in huge packages ! And to prevent from having to wash a huge amount of clothes, try to wash your clothes and dry them gradually (like day to day sort of thing) so the clothes wouldn't pile up that you would have to wash them all in a machine. 

How to Backpack Alone For Dummies (Like Me)

So, I decided to mix it in a little on how I travel alone and how to back pack for dummies,
A better name for this post would rather be,
How to Backpack Alone For Dummies (Like Me)

1) Get a good rucksack or bag pack

Don't get them cause they look good or cause they look cool in the pictures for 'Ticked of Backpacking from my Bucketlist'. Get the ones that are affordable and you know you would be able to carry. Make sure that it's not too heavy and that its not too fancy so you can rough it out a little. I got mine from Karrimor at Sports Direct when it was on sale. Mine's 65 liters, which most of the time, is more than enough knowing that I pack really lightly. I even have extra space for another set of shoes. When you check out the bag you're choosing, try to imagine the stuff you're gonna put in and if the compartments in the bag suits them (eg: where to put extra shoes or hidden extra money). Get a fanny pack or a waist bag to carry items such as camera, passport and small amount of money for easy access. Got mine for about 4 pounds from Amazon. 

2) Pack wisely and lightly !

Bring a good book and plug yourself in with music, that's how you'd enjoy your time alone (well atleast that's how I enjoy mine hehe). Always roll your clothes as it'll prevent the possibility of you having to iron them unnecessarily as you travel. Its always best to bring cotton tops. Never bring too much especially jeans.They put too much weight. Just bring one or two extra whilst wearing one. Never forget to bring a pair of leggings, as they might come in handy incase you decide to go on some wet adventure. Know that you would be able to wash your clothes at some of the hostels you stay in. If you think you can fit in a pair of light shoes, feel free to do so incase your shoes get wet. Bring a really small towel; invest on a travelling towel which campers usually use as they're really light and dry up fast ! If you're a muslim, get a travelling telekung which you can get from zaahara.com [my sister's online web haha]. Note that, the more you bring, the more you would have to carry. Also, always weigh your bag after you're done packing. 

3) Before choosing your destination,

Do check out on wikitravel.com if your destination is safe enough especially if you're travelling alone. They usually give tips at the section 'Safe' so you'd be able to think twice about the place you're travelling. Also, check if you need a visa for your passport before buying any flight tickets to the place you plan to travel to ! For flight tickets, if you're planning to travel in Europe, RyanAir is usually the cheapest you can get but never doubt on checking from other airlines as well

4) While choosing your destination, 

Note that there were a times when I visit tripadvisor.com to get the 'Top Things to Do in ...', I overestimated the time I should have spent there. For instance, most of the things they recommended to do in Prishtina was to check out the monuments which could have been done within a day's trip or a couple of hours so choosing to stay there would not be the best idea. Do check out roughguides.com as well as they pretty much recommend good routes if you're out of ideas on how to plan your trip

5) Accommodation & Logistics 

i) Couchsurfing 

ii) Airbnb 

iii) Hostels

- www.hostels.com

- www.hostelworld.com

- www.booking.com

Other back packers I've met, some of them decided to opt for couchsurfing.com by which you would be staying at people's houses for free. You'd also be surprised that airbnb is sometimes cheaper than the hostels so do check them out as well. To plan my transportation, I usually go through rome2rio.com . Problem with online schedules is that sometimes they are not updated and they might vary over the weekends. So, it's always better to make a phone call to the bus or train company to double check.  . If they seem pretty hard to get a hold of, risk a little and once you've arrived to the country you've traveled to, quickly ask the information counter at the airports for anything you'd possibly need to enquire. 

Not to forget, check out Eurail and their offers ! 

6) Get into groups !

Most backpackers get into groups by travelling and staying in hostels. You'd be surprised by how friendly other backpackers are in the common rooms and the kitchen. If you could tag along with them, that'd be great. If not, try to check out tour sessions in the day. That's where you can meet other people as well or even possibly be friends with the tour guide :)

7) If you're a girl and travelling alone,

Ask the locals nearby your hostel area if it's safe to go out at night for girls. Never ask only one person's opinion. If it's not safe, then avoid taking the risk and simply just stay in. Chill with other backpackers, plan your next journey or even read a good book ! Also, some places offer all female accommodations as well if you're more comfortable with that. Try to book a place in the city central so you would sort of be safer in many ways. You could put on some earphones and pretend as if you're listening to music if the place you're travelling to has a lot of 'teaser' guys. 

8) Be Creative !

Get out of your comfort zone or the 'typical' travel plannings. Try check out ferry rides as well. For instance; a ferry ride from Croatia to Italy would be pretty cool and affordable or maybe even hitch hike? 

9) Preparing yourself mentally?

Most people tell me, you're pretty brave to go travelling alone. To be honest, I think anyone is actually quite brave enough to do pretty much anything really, its just the 'What If" questions stops you from doing almost everything so stop thinking too much on the bad things that might happen, but start being optimistic, and think about how much you'll enjoy yourself ! If you ever feel lonely, just talk to random people or tag along with people you meet along the way :)

10) Always double check !

No matter where you are or what you do, always be cautious on your surroundings. Going to the toilet, checking out from the hostel, or even just walking in the streets, be aware of what item you have on you and where you've kept it. Its always better not to hold too many things, keep your hands free. 

Last but not least,

Book your tickets now ! Don't procrastinate ! The more you ponder about the idea, the less likely you are up to do it. So you just gotta buy the tickets now and sometimes, figure things along the way :) go with the flow. 

Can't think of anything else for now so that's it for now, atleast. 

Oh, not to forget, have fun ! Enjoy !

Gotta Love Being Single in my 20s

My close friends would know that I've never stayed single for more than a week max since I was 15. I have always been in relationships. Unsure if I am actually inlove with the idea of falling inlove, being in love or just loving the person himself. 

But its been 4 months atleast since I have been single and I am really loving it ! I even started wondering, 'Why have I been in relationships all this while?' (not to say I regret my past decisions or I'd change them)

You gotta just love,

1. The no more phone beeps !

Ahh, with the group whatsapp buzzing a lot nowadays, its pretty nice to just not have your phone beep. Its amazing how my phone beeps so little nowadays from personal whatsapps. It even got to an extent that when I got a personal whatsapp message, I was like 'WHOA, I haven't heard that for a long time!

2. The long walks alone with your thoughts :)

The serenity you get walking alone in the evenings with your thoughts is just mesmerizing. And the best part is, you won't be thinking of 'What you would do for him' or even like 'How much you love each other' and stuff. Your thoughts changes when you're not in a relationship. I think more about myself and the world nowadays, like 'What I can do to improve myself' and 'How can I help contribute to the world?' (well, sorta haha)

3. Being able to do anything you want, anytime 

No obligations at all ! If you feel like just going out randomly tonight, you'll be able to just jump off your feet and go out without thinking, 'If I should spend time with him' or even 'Would he be okay with it'. For me personally, it's the ability to just book a ticket and hop on a plane to travel anywhere I want to, anytime !

4. Building your own character

You make decisions for yourself, on your own grounds, not anyone else's. The things you choose to do is not because 'he likes doing it' or cause 'he thinks its cool'. You'll end up doing it cause, 'I'm just gonna do it just cause I feel like it'

5. Those hours of sleep

You'll be able to sleep for hours without any disturbance (not that sleeping for hours is that much good of a practice, but ya know what I mean). You wouldn't get random night phone calls or text messages obliging you to reply or be there for that particular person

6. Your energy, time and effort can be put into something so much more worth of doing !

The time you spent when you're in relationships, are an opportunity cost to other things you're capable of doing (talking like an economist) but yeah, seriously though. You could spend that time doing charity, giving your love to those who deprive it more. Spend your time with your family cause in the end of the day, they're all you've got

7. Not-Feeling-So-Pathetic-Anymore

'Oh, why isn't he replying me? Calling me? Or texting me?'. No matter how 'secure' you feel, it is inevitable for most of us to feel this way. Gotta love how my emotions doesn't revolve around another person's 

8. Thinking about these last few years

There's a high possibility you'll probably meet the love of your life, and settle down etc soon especially when you're in your 20s, without even trying. And you'd spend years and years of your life with your partner, possibly even 50 years ++ ! So just chill now in the single lane while you still can :) 

But..... if the 'right one comes, at the right time, I don't see a reason, why not?' Haha