Why you should travel as a student

...A guest post by Samantha Deavin...

Most students finishing their schooling or graduating from their university degrees are faced with the decision of whether to start full time study, enter the workforce, or go travelling. While there are often societal or parental pressures to start a professional career or ‘get serious’, there are also a number of benefits to student travel, and many reasons why travelling when young can have longstanding benefits.

- Cheaper prices. Transport, hostel rooms and tickets to sights and attractions are significantly discounted for those who fall within the ‘student’ category. Often it is just a matter of your age, and whether or not you are studying is irrelevant. If you’re within the age bracket of 12-26 then take advantage of these discounted prices – you won’t enjoy them again until you become a ‘senior citizen’!

- Learn more about yourself. It’s often hard to know what you want to do, or what career path you want to follow when you leave school or university. Taking time to travel, and putting yourself in different situations, environments and amongst different people can help you learn more about the world, yourself, and what it is that you want to do. Rather than jumping into a degree or job that you’re not sure is suited to you and your goals, travelling can give you the opportunity to remove yourself from your daily environment and learn more about what is important to you

- Meet other people. Travelling when young is very conducive to meeting other people. Because student travel is usually conducted on a small budget, most students choose to stay in hostels. Dorm rooms, communal kitchens and organised events make it easy to meet people from all over the world. When travelling, you’ll make friends from all corners of the globe.

- Take advantage of your freedom. Students are often told to take advantage of their youth and their limited responsibilities. What does this mean, you may ask? Travel! When else in your life will you be able to pack up and set off around the world, travelling wherever your fancy takes you? Hop on one of many cheap flights and see where you end up.

- Employers look favourably on travel. When your resume tells a prospective employee that you have travelled, it shows that you are independent, organised and resourceful. Travel is no longer seen as careless wandering, but as something that adds to a person’s skill base, emotional intelligence and employability.

Finishing school or university is an exciting time. What better way to celebrate then to go travelling? Whether you set off on a round the world ticket, or jump on a flight and see where the winds take you, student travel is fun, cheap, rewarding and will have longstanding benefits.

What are you waiting for?

10 things you must do in Langkawi

1. Take a cable car ride up Gunung Mat Cincang and walk the suspension bridge

2. Enjoy a candle light dinner at the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club

3. Go island hopping – Pulau Beras Basah, Pulau Tasik Dayang Bunting, eagle feeding

4. Buy a snorkeling day trip to Pulau Payar and swim with the black tip sharks

5. Buy chocolate and drink alcohol like nobody’s business

6. If affordable, rent a chalet by the tranquil seaside of Pantai Kok; else enjoy your stay at the busy seaside of Pantai Cenang

7. Visit the Underwater World of Langkawi and find out how Tun Dr Mahathir brought back the 2 species of penguins to Malaysia

8. Visit Galeria Perdana to know more about the life of our respected ex-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir

9. Eat seafood!

10. Take a mangrove tour in the fishing boat, enjoy the picturesque archipelago coastline, and bedazzled~

Fat Yogi Cottages, Bali

Indeed, it is a hidden gem in Kuta. Operated by Summer Planner's partner in Bali, this hotel is located only 5 minutes walk to Kuta Beach. It's just recently renovated and now it has a swimming pool. Was there to experience the true environment and give feedback for Summer Planner before making it the appointed accommodation for Bali tours. Now it is official.










Not forgetting to camwhore while capturing the beautiful hotel pictures. =P




Breakfast is nice for a 2** hotel, with 3 set breakfast for selection. You can choose to have your breakfast sent to room or at the poolside, just drop by at the reception to submit the breakfast form the night before. Nice eh...






Kooky said he wanted to sit at the poolside so we had breakfast here on the very first morning. But the next day we asked for room service - breakfast at the room balcony.

我的欧洲背包旅行记

从2006年开始就很想去欧洲旅行
可是一直都想要多一个理由来说服自己
一年前，姐姐拿到准证去瑞士工作
就加多一个探亲的理由，促成了这次的背包行
从暑假一开始就已经在策划了
一切从机票开始，学期还没结束就一直在监视机票价钱
查到从美国东岸去苏黎世的机票最便宜$568
终于在6月中买了，可是价钱已经是$605了，Round trip 7/28 - 8/23
在监视机票价钱的同时，也在衡量要在那边待多久，应该去几个国家等等
火车票也让我烦恼不少
最后买了Eurail Select Pass for 5 days of train travel

这背包行是有生以来最大的计划，花了2个多月策划
总结一下自己是如何开始筹备这次的旅行
1.买机票 6/14
2.大概决定要去哪几个国家
3.买Eurail pass，Ryan air from London to Venice 7/1
4.间中不断对要去的地方做research, 上hostelworld.com 查旅馆资料
5.预订旅馆床位 6/14 - 7/20，夏天是peak season, 安全起见，提早一个月订房间就不怕有订不到的惊喜

筹备行程的良伴
For accommodation: www.hostelworld.com, http://www.eurotrip.com/
For train pass: www.eurail.com
(recommended for first-time traveler in europe)价钱跟在火车站买票差不多
可是买这个train pass他们会附送你railway map for the whole european continent and train schedules for almost all the major cities
这两个非常有用

London - footprints that I left

London, a historical city full of liveliness. I had a long list of itinerary and plans before I flew to Marrakech for the competition. I know it's kinda weird to transit in London when people usually transit through Dubai or France. Because of cheaper airfare $$$ and also .... a chance to fly with A380!!

Due to the very short timeframe in London, we only manage to visit a few places that are listed as a "must" and also highly recommended by my friend there. Shopping was not in my list of "things-to-do". But I was lucky to be able to find "princess series" collectibles that I never miss in a souvenir shop. A "Princess of London" notepad!



Just like what I bought for myself in San Francisco - a "Princess of San Francisco" ceramic shot cup.



If you need more information on where and how to go places while you're in London, and walking the town on your own by Underground train, you can easily get some "minicards" from the hotels or guesthouses. You may find some information online too. Click on the link and find the places that you're looking for in countries that you plan to visit.

The cards consist of basic information of the places advertised, mostly the must-not-miss tourist spots. I brought back some maps and these "minicards" as part of my collections. As usual, I hardly leave behind any travel brochures and maps that I got throughout my trips. (^.^)

In London, you gotta make sure you visit the places below. (I missed those in red...due to very limited time of transit)

• Buckingham Palace
• Camden
• Changing The Guard
• Chinatown
• Hyde Park
• Kensington Palace
• St Paul’s Cathedral
• Tower Bridge
• Tower Of London (only seen from Tower Bridge)
• Trafalgar Square
  

What a waste... But still I'm very satisfied with my 2-day-transit in London. At least I've fulfilled my dream of going to the Tower Bridge~ Shall continue the stories of walking tour in the next posts.