Chris Zwierzynski, from Tripbase.com shares some expert advice on a new approach to traveling.
Regardless of what you’re looking for, travel these days is changing for a lot of people, or at the very least, it should be. This new trend requires a slightly different frame of mind than what we’re currently used to, or at least the mindset that most of us would expect from someone that wishes to subscribe to a new view on what travel is all about. It would be safe to posit that this new trend that has arisen is not particularly focused on consuming – anyone can do that – but more about the journey: what you experience and learn, how you can make a contribution and give something back to the world that can be so outright and giving to you.
It is about ditching the selfish attitude of consuming only to further one’s own material possessions, or going on expensive holidays merely for the sake of it. It is less about the self and more about the world and what it has to offer and through the world, what you experience, see, do and learn will in turn benefit you as a person, without the need for mindless consuming and expenditure.
A traveler seeks to cure the sickness inside themselves by forgoing the useless trappings of wealth that were once so highly sought after but these days have become more akin to the stereotypical ball-and-chain that ties us down, stuck forever in an ongoing series of unsightly matters. Travel is to free yourself from this weight, which isn’t to say you should abstain from wealth, but head out into the world and experience it as it should be. Herein lies a valid point or feeling that a would-be traveler should keep close to themselves:
Be Fearless – Often it is the fear of the unknown that prevents us from taking that leap of faith, yet countless times we are regaled with the stories of those travelers that have done just that and secretly we envy their bravery. If there’s something you’ve always wanted to experience but have never found the time or are continuously making excuses as to why you’ve not done it, then stop, go ahead and just DO it. After all, you only live once.
There is somewhat of a righteous aura surrounding this particular attitude to travel, it is almost refreshing and perhaps it could be likened to the relationship that sustainable travel has with more traditional travel, of sorts. More people need to rouse themselves from the sluggishness of their mundane routine and daily lives and just get out there and experience, learn and contribute!
For more travel tips and vacation inspiration, check out the Tripbase Travel Blog / Tripbase site.
About Tripbase:
Tripbase eliminates the time-consuming and frustrating online search process by providing travelers with personalized travel recommendations for their next trip.
Tripbase was named Top Travel Website for Destination Ideas by Travel and Leisure magazine in November 2008.
This is my second visit to Kota Kinabalu. It has been 4 years since I last visited Kota Kinabalu. Here is a brief introduction on this capital city of Sabah. Kota Kinabalu has come with a few names. The city’s first name was Api-Api or simply Api. It was renamed to Jesselton, named after Sir Charles Jessel, the then vice chairman of the British North Borneo Company. During Japanese occupation, the city was again renamed to Api. Kota Kinabalu got its present name in 1968 after the formation of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963.
To start with my travel stories in Kota Kinabalu, firstly I would like to share my travel itinerary below.
Kota Kinabalu 5 Days Essence Tour
Day 1
Arrive in Kota Kinabalu around noon. Check into Borneo Backpackers. At evening, take a stroll in Kota Kinabalu Waterfront and enjoy the beautiful sunset. Have seafood for dinner.
Day 2
Visit Gaya Street in the morning. Gaya Street is Kota Kinabalu’s famous Sunday Market. After that, make a visit to Atkinson Clock Tower and Signal Hill Observatory. At night, take a bus to 1Borneo, said to be the largest hypermall in the whole of East Malaysia.
Day 3
Take a boat to Mamutik Island. Mamutik Island is one of 5 islands in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. It is the smallest of the park and is a nice snorkeling spot.
Day 4
Take a boat to Manukan Island, another island within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. Manukan Island is the most popular among the 5 islands, thus featuring the most developed tourist facilities too.
Day 5
Shop at Kota Kinabalu Handicraft Market and Kota Kinabalu Wet Market. After that, head to Gaya Island on boat. Gaya Island is the biggest island of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park and is famous for its very large stilt village occupied by illegal immigrants from the Philippines. After lunch, head to airport and home sweet home!
Stay tuned for my next drooling post on seafood in Kota Kinabalu. I promise it will be the most drooling post I have ever written!
I prefer to stay in a hostel rather than in a hotel when traveling. While most of us know everything about hotel, not many have heard much of hostel. A hostel is a budget orientated accommodation providing paid lodging to backpackers. The guests can rent a bed, which in most cases a bunk bed, in a dormitory room and share common bathrooms outside. Or they can rent a private room with attached bathroom. I usually opt to rent a private room. I would prefer the luxury of having the bathroom to myself. What if I suffer from diarrhea again during the trip!
Okay, here is why I chose hostel over hotel whenever I go traveling.
1. Hostel is meant for backpackers. Being a self confessed flashpacker, it is kind of my duty to give support to those international youth hostels.
Hostelling International
2. My tour activities are usually jam packed in my travel destination. I leave hostel early in the morning and only go back quite late in the evening. Most probably I will go out again after taking some rest and will come back late at night. In short, I only go back to my hostel to sleep at night. Why I should spend megabucks to stay in a 5-star hotel?
3. A hostel is normally of a smaller scale if compared to a hotel. Smaller scale in operation means less carbon footprint produced, thus staying in a hostel is more environmental friendly than staying in a hotel. As an example, we all know that Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) used in air conditioners causes global warming. You should agree with me if I say that the quantity of air conditioners in a hotel outnumbers those in a hostel, and thus contributing more to the global warming!
4. A hotel can take in more guests than a hostel at the same time. More guests in house mean more human activities. Carbon footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment. More human activities mean higher carbon footprint, so we can say that a hotel contributes more to global warming than a hostel.
5. A hostel does not have the same level of formality as a hotel. If you have the same uninhibited behavior as me, you would also prefer the informal environment offered by a hostel, wouldn’t you?
6. Hostel promotes cultural exchange. The setting inside a hostel encourages guests to socialize with each other more. Besides, hostel also has more common areas than hotel. One example is the dormitory room.
A hostel is not a budget hotel! Do prepare to sacrifice some comfort during traveling if you opt to stay in a hostel. I have long opted to stay in international youth hostel due to my budget constraint as well as my love to our Mother Nature. Do you prefer to stay in a hostel or a hotel? Why? Read my Green Traveler Guide, would ya?
Are you planning a trip to Guilin (桂林), Yangshuo (阳朔) or Xingping (兴坪) soon? I went to these 3 beautiful places last year and here is my 2 cents of thought on where to stay in Guilin, Yangshuo and Xingping.
I am a self confessed backpacker, or rather a flashpacker. Google to find out what a flashpacker is, would ya? I am willing to spend on tour activities but adhere to the modest accommodation, meal and mode of transport at my chosen destination. I used to stay in guesthouses. In Guilin, I stayed in youth hostels as there is no guesthouse found in China. And most probably I will keep on staying in guesthouses and hostels wherever I go traveling in the future. To my traveling partners, please bear with me in this, haha!
In Guilin, we stayed in Guilin Backstreet International Youth Hostel (桂林后街国际青年旅馆). I booked a twin bed private ensuite room through hostelworld.com at 120 Chinese Yuan per room per night. Hostelworld.com provides online bookings for hostels and other budget accommodations in over 160 countries in the world. I usually prefer an ensuite room as it has an attached bathroom. I would not want to be in a long queue waiting to do my business outside shared bathrooms in the early morning! I chose to stay in Guilin Backstreet because of its strategic location in downtown Guilin. Guilin Backstreet faces the south gate of Sheraton Guilin Hotel and is near to Li River (漓江), Zhengyang Pedestrian Street (正阳步行街) and night market at Zhongshan Zhong Street (中山中路). The major downside is the poor attitude at the receptionist counter. Foong complained that the television in his room could not be switched on. We were told later that no television inside the room is functioning and there is a common area to watch television on each floor. But heck, why you put a faulty television in each room then?
Guilin Backstreet International Youth Hostel
Guilin Backstreet International Youth Hostel
Guilin Backstreet International Youth Hostel
Entrance to the Guilin Backstreet International Youth Hostel
Cafe in the lobby
Corridor to the rooms
Television set at common area
We stayed in Xijie Hostel (阳朔西街西客栈) in Yangshuo, also booked through hostelworld.com. Yangshuo Xijie Hostel is located near the intersection of Pantao Street (蟠桃路) and West Street (西街). I chose to stay in this hostel because it is just a stone’s throw away from West Street, the most happening place in Yangshuo while can still ensure a good sleep at night because it is not on the West Street itself. I kind of like Yangshuo Xijie Hostel. The hostel was built into a karsts hill and there is a cave in there which we did not have time to explore. We could even see the beautiful karsts hill scenery of Yangshuo just stepping out of our room. I booked a triple bed private ensuite room at 90 Chinese Yuan per room per night, damn affordable!
Yangshuo Xijie Hostel
Yangshuo Xijie Hostel
Yangshuo Xijie Hostel
Stairs to our room
View outside our room (click for wallpaper size)
Inside the room
In Xingping, we stayed in Xingping This Old Place International Youth Hostel (兴坪老地方国际青年旅馆). Xingping is a small ancient town and if I am not wrong, this is the only hostel available. Although we only stayed 1 night in Xingping, I rate Xingping This Old Place very highly. To me, Xingping This Old Place is the best hostel I had stayed in the entire trip. I booked an ensuite room with mountain view balcony at 120 Chinese Yuan per room per night. From our room’s balcony, we can see the street view of Xingping with lots of karsts peaks in the background. There is a rocking chair at the balcony which I think I would enjoy rocking back and forth seeing the sunset if I did not suffer from diarrhea in Xingping! The rooftop of Xingping This Old Place is a nice place too as it offers amazing river view of the Li River.
Xingping This Old Place International Youth Hostel
At the lobby & cafe
Stairs to our room
Inside the room
View from our balcony (click for wallpaper size)
View on the rooftop (click for wallpaper size)
View on the rooftop (click for wallpaper size)
View on the rooftop (click for wallpaper size)
The night before we left Guilin for Kuala Lumpur, we stayed in Guilin Oasis Inn (桂林绿洲酒店). Guilin Oasis Inn is located on Zhongshan Zhong Street, not very far away from Guilin Backstreet International Youth Hostel. It is a small hostel set in the 4th floor of a building and is near to Xicheng Pedestrian Street (西城路步行街). I like the coziness of Guilin Oasis Inn and would definitely stay there if I come to Guilin again in the future. I booked a triple bed private ensuite room for 150 Chinese Yuan per room per night, which is about 25 Malaysian Ringgit per person per night! You certainly would not believe the quality you got at such price looking at pictures below!
Guilin Oasis Inn
Guilin Oasis Inn
Inside the room
Got bathtub!
I believe I had finally covered all aspects of my Guilin travel. To read the rest of my Guilin entries, please go to Guilin Escapade.
We planned to have our dinner at the famous Cloud 9 Restaurant (聚福楼) on our first night in Yangshuo (阳朔). My friend was assigned the task to bring us to this restaurant. Said it is located on West Street (西街), but we just could not find the restaurant walking up and down the street for a few times. In the end, I asked a local and was told that Cloud 9 is located opposite Kentucky Fried Chickens (KFC) near the entrance to West Street. There is only 1 KFC outlet along the West Street, so I guess finding the Cloud 9 Restaurant could not be too difficult.
Cloud 9 Restaurant in Yangshuo
Let’s look at what we had in Cloud 9! Cloud 9 is a popular Chinese food restaurant on West Street. We ordered Yangshuo Beer Fish (阳朔啤酒鱼) and Lipu Taro Looped Meat (荔浦芋扣). Yangshuo Beer Fish is Yangshuo’s most famous dish. One must try this dish if you are in Yangshuo. The dish is made from fresh carp fish caught from Li River (漓江). What I read was that the fish is fried in a wok along with beer, sound interesting right? The taste I must say quite weird, a bit of sour, spicy and sweet blending together with the beer flavor. But I like it very much!
Yangshuo Beer Fish, yummy!
Lipu Taro Looped Meat meanwhile, is a famous traditional dish in both Guilin and Yangshuo. The dish is made of taro from Lipu County (荔浦县) located some 100 kilometers south of Guilin. The taro is then cooked together with streaky pork and many other seasonings. I do not quite like this dish to be honest as the dish contains too many fat meats and is too oily to my liking.
Lipu Taro Looped Meat
On our second night in Yangshuo, we went to Mei You Café (“没有”饭店) just opposite the Cloud 9 Restaurant (besides KFC). Before I came to Yangshuo, I have read that Mei You Café is extremely famous and popular in Yangshuo. Mei You in Chinese means “do not have”. The café boasts its “Mei You” philosophy by promising “Mei You” warm beer, “Mei You” lousy food, “Mei You” rip-offs and “Mei You” bad service. While the food is still okay, I feel that the café has in fact “Mei You” good service and “Mei You” reasonable price! The waitress gave us a scorn look after we refused to take her recommendation of Beer Fish, simply because we already had tried the dish the night before. Besides, I found that the price here is higher than Cloud 9! Do not go to Mei You Café when you are in Yangshuo, go to Cloud 9 instead.
Mei You Cafe
Mei You Cafe
That about to conclude my travel report on Guilin and Yangshuo…
jam | 
March 7th, 2010 | 
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