Salam and welcome to the last newsletter edition of 2022,
As 2023 is approaching, I am winding down with some time to reflect on how my 2022 was.
After two years of the pandemic, I’ve finally started traveling again. My last travel (via plane) was in February 2020 to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
Then the lockdown happened.
But some favorite travels of mine this year were: |
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Camping under the stars in the White Desert |
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I thought this was never happening because I went to Egypt in winter and boy, was finding a tour guide to bring you to the White Desert when it’s PEAK Winter a challenge!
White Desert is a place you need to go with someone who has permits because that’s the tourism law in Egypt. And waking up with 3°C cold on my nose, after being wrapped in 8 layers, incredible.
Never have I ever, in my life, until that day, wished for the temperature to be warmer 😂 |
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Seeing Gazelles (Oryx) and Falcon in the UAE + Dubai EXPO 2020 |
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Dubai EXPO was something that has been on my bucket list since they announced it in 2019. I’m glad they didn’t cancel it off and brought it forward to 2022.
And of course, seeing its animals — the Oryx and the Falcon — were the highlight of my trip. Wonderful creatures of Allah SWT |
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Meeting Muslim Sisters from the UK, the US and Europe in Andalusia |
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Ever heard of the saying “strangers are just friends you’ve never met”?
That's how Andalusia was to me.
DM-ing on Instagram vs. talking to someone in real life is different.
Meeting Muslim sisters from different countries, staying with them for a couple of days, instead of just having conversations with them in a coffee shop are two totally different experiences.
The lockdown truly made some of us (me included) starve real-life interactions. |
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Train Trips across Europe |
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Oh, what a rollercoaster!
Lost sleep, fought with cranky people, had a late-night conversation on life with an Indian priest who speaks German, saw the best of the French and Swiss Countryside.. Yet to process on this! |
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Fish and Chips in The Hague & Rotterdam, Netherlands |
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I have terribly missed the fish and chips in San Francisco and I can’t get that out of my mind since 2019.
In The Hague, I was finally reunited with fish and chips of a similar taste, that I went and eat there for maybe about four times (3 in The Hague, and 1 in Rotterdam's Markthal).
Just so I would not miss it, cry over it, and dream about it.
And I’m not a foodie (or am I?)
Seriously, there’s just something about fish bred in cold waters. |
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Living with a Tajikistan Family in Istanbul, Turkiye |
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Istanbul was only a layover stop before Spain and I’m so glad I spent it with a Tajik family living in the heart of Beyoglu (Northern European side of Istanbul) — who I did not know at first!
Unofficially, they tended to me, fed me Phlov (📸👆🏻), taught me a bit of Russian (which I may have forgotten now), and gave me a historical crash course session on Anatolia, the Seljuks, and Turks.
Because of them, I am dreaming of Tajikistan, in sha Allah when the time comes. |
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International Experience in Geneva, Switzerland |
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The country that was so not on my Europe #MuslimSoloTravel bucket list ended up to be one of the most dear to my heart.
I've met so many Muslims! I still remember the many Assalamualaikums I got as I walked past the streets of the city
And as a sucker for cities with “international & calm” vibe, Geneva felt like my kind of city, in another season of life.
Has anybody traveled and felt for a brief moment, "I could see myself living here"?
That's how I feel about Geneva, and The Hague (except I don't speak French & Dutch--bummer) |
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Nomad lifestyle based in Kuantan, Malaysia |
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I chose to base myself in Kuantan because after two years of lockdown, because I was travel-sick, and I wanted to re-explore my country, especially in Peninsular Malaysia.
I’m from the Bornean side of the map, so being in the Peninsular side for months was easy for international travel in early 2022. — Malaysian Bornean states have their own immigration rules, so a headache I didn’t want to deal with.
I went to Terengganu's Redang Island, Melaka, Johor, all the way to the tip that overlooks Singapore. |
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Stumbling upon locals making Salted Fish at Maludam, Sarawak, Malaysia |
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Do you eat salted fish? I don’t. But, There are people I know who go crazy over this dish.
But seeing people make them nonchalantly as they go about their day is so intriguing to me.
Not an ordinary view that can be seen in the city.
Btw, if you’re ever in Kuching, Sarawak, say hi, and we may get to exchange tales over Laksa! |
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Seeing Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in a different light |
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Seeing my country's capital in a different light is an appreciation I deeply honor.
In December and the last week of Ramadhan almost each year, since I was little, I would stay around the Masjid Jamek area, so I've always thought I already knew everything there's to know about the area, but nope!
This trip has made me realize there are so many untold histories!
Also favorite trip this year as well because it’s a huge milestone for MST to be invited for press trips. More about MST’s milestone this year, here. |
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Feeling Uplifted by the Entrepreneurial Spirit of Indonesians in Pontianak |
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When I feel I won't be surprised, at a country next door to my current base, I've proven myself wrong, again.
So many things in Pontianak humbled me, as a human being.
Indonesia's a country with high entrepreneurial spirits, and Pontianak made me understand why the country has a thriving start-up scene.
MST Tip: If you want to level up, learn how to create your own startup, or go all in your business, say, then countries where entrepreneurship is celebrated like Indonesia's Jakarta and America's Silicon Valley are places where you should be.
Traveling is inevitably, education.
It can be worth more (and cheaper!) than a three-year MBA. OYO's Ritesh Agarwal swore by how traveling expanded his outlook, which was crucial for the success of his billion-dollar business.
And when you solo travel, you'll grasp way more in everyday life compared to group travel.
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Hours in the airport + A380 experience |
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Ah, the thing that I missed the most is spending hours and hours in airports and the sound of engines whirring as the flight is about to take off.
Nothing quite like it in this world, and every single time I experience this, it’s just never the same.
I finally touched down on DXB T3, and Istanbul's new airport, terminals I’ve always been so intrigued with since forever. I also visited Hamad Doha again. Felt so good to be back.
A380? That is a plane all travelers should experience, at least once in their life.
& a long queue-up experience in Schiphol Amsterdam?
True that I was grunting then, but now thinking back, it makes me smile.
Nothing like the adventure of running toward your terminal — even theme parks don’t give you such adrenaline rush! |
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What was your favorite moments from 2022 solo trips? I’d love to hear them! |
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From The Muslimah 🧕 Solo Travelers Community |
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ICYMI - Across Muslim Solo Travel |
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Don’t forget to plan your 2023 trips with these deals! 🤩
- 10% off selected attractions/tours/activities on 👉🏼 KLOOK with the discount code "YES2022". ⏰ Valid until Dec 31st.
- 15% off selected properties on 👉🏼 Booking.com . ⏰ Limited time only.
- 👉🏼 GetYourGuide for day trips or day tours
- 👉🏼 Viator for day trips or day tours.
📣 If you can't find selected activities in GYG, Viator or KLOOK might have it, and vice versa.
- 👉🏼 iVisa for all your Visa and Passport documentation needs
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Can't wait to hear you best solo travel experiences in the Community Group! 😉 |
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