Bag gauge: How to travel in style

Photos by: Gary Khoo
Text and Illustration by: Desiree Ng

Grab your plane tickets and go as these two globetrotters show us what they pack for their travels.

Germaine Tan
Second-year WKWSCI student
Producer and part-time DJ at Class 95FM

Tell us a bit more about the kind of travelling you do.

I love travelling with friends. Your destination could be ethereal but your companions are crucial too. When my friends and I were in Thailand, we visited this eatery with a ring, where every friendly battle will reap you a free bucket of drink. So everyone jumped at the opportunity to have a friendly face-off among ourselves, and I laughed so hard that night.

What do you like about travelling?

When I go free-and-easy in places I’ve never been to before, it relaxes me. It’s a kind of calm I’ll never get here in Singapore. But being in an unfamiliar place excites me. If you know any locals, get them to bring you around! Always be respectful of the local culture, but go off the beaten track. Of course, the food and shopping don’t hurt.

What unforgettable experiences did you have?

While admiring a Phnom Penh landmark on a tuk-tuk, a motorcyclist snatched my phone out of my hand. Singapore is much safer than a lot of places, and you have to take extra care of your belongings.

There was also once I opted to stay in a traditional Japanese home in Kyoto. I got lost while finding my way, and approached a local for directions. I was expecting just hand gestures signaling where to go but she walked my friends and I all the way there – in the rain, and back to where she had came from! Her graciousness really warmed our hearts, and made me love Japan even more.

Hendric Tay
NTU Alumnus
Travel blogger at Pohtecktoes.com and founder of The Travel Intern

Tell us a bit more about yourself and why you travel.

The kind of travel that I do is mainly budget-savvy adventure to look for hidden gems. I’ve loved the outdoors since young. When I travel, I like to push myself beyond day-to-day things, looking out for opportunities to go outdoors, especially since Singapore doesn’t have a backyard with mountains to climb. I share my love of travelling through my blog and the Travel Intern, and hope to encourage people to step out of their comfort zone and travel more.

How do you travel budget-savvy?

Travelling budget-savvy means making the most out of your  budget for the best experience, and not about spending the least amount of money possible. We once stayed in a transparent igloo-like structure in the middle of an Icelandic forest, and there was no one but us and the stars above. That is one interesting experience we were willing to spend on. It’s really about making smart travel choices and giving up certain luxuries to stretch your dollar.

How is it like travelling alone?

It feels very free when you travel alone, and you’ll end up taking in a lot more. The things we’d usually
remember are the interactions with locals or fellow travellers, so we really have to get out of our own bubble. Talk to people to know the place for what it really is, and leave some time in your itinerary for things that people recommend you to do.

Some travel tips: