• HOME
  • BLOG | TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
    • NATURE AND LANDSCAPES
    • HIKING, OUTDOORS AND ACTIVE TRAVEL
    • CITIES, CULTURE AND ART
    • FOOD AND WINE
    • TRAVEL TIPS
  • DESTINATIONS
    • EUROPE
      • AUSTRIA
      • BELGIUM
      • FRANCE
      • GERMANY
      • GREAT BRITAIN
      • GREECE
      • ITALY
      • PORTUGAL
      • SPAIN
      • SWITZERLAND
    • ASIA
      • INDONESIA
      • JAPAN
      • MYANMAR
      • PAKISTAN
    • SOUTH AMERICA
      • ARGENTINA
      • BRAZIL
    • OCEANIA
      • NEW ZEALAND
    • AFRICA
      • GAMBIA
      • SOUTH AFRICA
  • LEARN ITALIAN FAST
  • ABOUT
    • WORK WITH ME
    • CONTACT
  • Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Twitter

Wild About Travel

Travel Tales by a Travel Addict

  • HOME
  • BLOG | TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
    • NATURE AND LANDSCAPES
    • HIKING, OUTDOORS AND ACTIVE TRAVEL
    • CITIES, CULTURE AND ART
    • FOOD AND WINE
    • TRAVEL TIPS
  • DESTINATIONS
    • EUROPE
      • AUSTRIA
      • BELGIUM
      • FRANCE
      • GERMANY
      • GREAT BRITAIN
      • GREECE
      • ITALY
      • PORTUGAL
      • SPAIN
      • SWITZERLAND
    • ASIA
      • INDONESIA
      • JAPAN
      • MYANMAR
      • PAKISTAN
    • SOUTH AMERICA
      • ARGENTINA
      • BRAZIL
    • OCEANIA
      • NEW ZEALAND
    • AFRICA
      • GAMBIA
      • SOUTH AFRICA
  • LEARN ITALIAN FAST
  • ABOUT
    • WORK WITH ME
    • CONTACT
Home » Blog » The Downside of Unplanned Travel
Flying above the clouds

The Downside of Unplanned Travel

//  by Simon//  8 Comments

Since I quit my job and started traveling much more extensively than before, I became increasingly attracted by wild journeys and spontaneous, unplanned travel. After all, I don’t need any more to fix holidays in advance and to stick to a specific timeframe. I’m eventually free and willing to get the most from my present freedom.

in-the-clouds
In the clouds. Like me… Sometimes…

In 2009, it took me only a few minutes at Christmas Eve to decide visiting Australia – at last -, leaving on the 26th of December. No plans. Only a return flight from Milan to Sydney. And most of all, no thinking at how long the trip to Australia is. Buying the ticket was a point of no return. I had a wonderful time in Sydney and its surroundings and never regretted that instant of spontaneity (or shall I call it craziness?).

Unplanned travel. Spontaneity or…Craziness?

Last winter, I jumped on a plane to Johannesburg, with barely a rough itinerary in mind and nothing booked. I only knew that at some point I wanted to see the Drakensberg mountains, the penguins and the Cape Peninsula. From the original idea I changed many things, staying longer in amazing places, skipping destinations I was not that much interested in. It was an amazing wild journey and an unforgettable experience. Once again, I experienced the joy of unplanned travel.

 siladen-beach
Total chill-out in Siladen

Apart from fixing a few days in Siladen, a small island in Northern Sulawesi where a good friend of mine was celebrating his marriage (more on that soon…), I applied the same spontaneous approach to my journey through South Eastern Asia. A few ideas, no strict planning and one key destination: Burma.

And for the first time, I am facing the downside of unplanned travel.

Facing the surprises (and the risks) of unplanned travel. Lesson learned

I didn’t carefully consider that not every country is good for spontaneous travel and last minute decisions. That was a big mistake.

I read about the possibility to apply online to get the Myanmar Visa, but didn’t bother to check how long it would take. I applied my mental scheme, according to which everything going on through the web is fast. It was, indeed, since I got a prompt reply. It’s offline, though, that things got tricky. There’s a minimum number of days to wait before getting the Visa, so I had to face the reality. I was late in my Visa request and there was no chance I would be allowed to enter the country on July 6 – that is today – as I ‘planned’ only a few days ago.

Singapore-Bridge-View
A view on Singapore skyline

Well… Postponing my journey to Burma is not a big deal since I still have plenty of time, but it could have gone worse so once again… It’s a lesson learned (hopefully…).

I tried to figure out how to spend the days while I wait for my Visa. At first, I thought at possibly extending my stay in Singapore a couple of more days but I quickly changed my mind. The city-State is very expensive and honestly, at least to my taste and interests, 48 hours are more than enough for a visit. And I must anyway go back to catch my flight back home.

Last minute decision… Heading to Kuala Lumpur

In the end, yesterday evening I decided to explore a bit of Malaysia and today I jumped on a bus to Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia was a question mark in my idea for a possible itinerary and now, it’s no more. I wasn’t sure to be attracted by the country (for no special reason by the way) and still, here I am. Sometimes low expectations give the best experiences.

The first, wonderful surprise has already arrived. Despite the super short notice, tomorrow I’ll eventually meet my Twitter friend Umei, an awesome food blogger, with also a thing for health and fitness. Evening dinner is top-secret. I’m in Umei hands. Wherever and whatever is fine. What makes most happy is having the chance to hug her despite my very last minute decision!

For the time being, I’m still on the bus on my way to Kuala Lumpur. My very first impression of Malaysia?

The country of millions palms… 🙂

How much do you plan your travels? Did you ever face the downside of unplanned travel? I’d love to read about your experiences.

 

Simon

Travel addict and passionate about photography, Simon Falvo started Wild About Travel back in 2009. Leveraging her strong PR background, she developed an extensive knowledge of Digital Communications and Social Media Marketing. Besides travel writing Simon holds workshops and trainings, she collaborated with tourism boards for digital marketing campaigns and participated as a speaker at several events.

Category: INDONESIATag: adventure, singapore

Previous Post: «Inle Lake, by Hai Thinh Back to Southeast Asia. Time for a Burst of Love?
Next Post: A Culinary Journey in Kuala Lumpur »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Global Nomads

    at

    Only one plan: no plans. Consequences come from planning. If you go by the flow and buy tickets right before you use them then you are less likely to change your mind just before you should go. We also buy the visas before booking any tickets. For visa application a confirmed booking is enough and you can get that for free from any travel agency. You don’t need to have the actual tickets or receipt of payment.

    This way there is no losses if the application is rejected or if there are delays. In some trips booking can planning can get very expensive. For example if you take the Trans-Siberian train. If you buy the tickets one by one, the whole trip costs you around 300 dollars. If you buy all in advance, you might end up paying thousands of dollars. And that is not all. Russian militsiya (police) is often checking travellers in train stations and if they see that you have tickets booked in advance, they might arrest you for a few hours to check your papers. They have the right to do that and unless you pay them what they want, you will miss your train and lose your onward tickets.

    Reply
  2. Peter Lee @Singapore Visa

    at

    It was a delightful read indeed. This shows how an unplanned travel can land up you in problems and also can give you pleasant surprises.

    Reply
  3. Traveling Ted

    at

    Give a big hug to Ciki for me. That is awesome you are going to meet the legend.

    Reply
    • Simon

      at

      I’ll hug Ciki for sure. And you’re right! Ciki is a legend 🙂

      Reply
  4. Audrey Miller

    at

    I also like unplanned travels to new destinations. I just like that feeling of not anticipating anything when I reach a place, and therefore have a fresh experience from the start. Thanks a lot for sharing your travel experiences with us.

    Reply
  5. Simon

    at

    Thank you, Marco. I guess you’re right. The important thing is to keep an open mind and be ready for the unexpected as a source for awesome experiences. Now that I think of it, that’s what travel and adventure means to me!
    Cheers from Malaysia. Glad that you’ll follow the next steps of my journey through SE Asia!

    Reply
  6. marco

    at

    Lower expectations travels, give the best experiences … I’m sure about that and being open minded helps very much to convert an unplanned travel downside into magic moments providing good memories to keep for long.
    Oh I wish I was more fatalist!

    Looking forward to reading more from your unplanned travel

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Why is the Beauty of Silence so Underrated? says:
    at

    […] More reading: The Downside of Unplanned Travel […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

about me

simon-falvo

Hi, I’m Simon!

A solo and independent traveler for over 20 years, and a 50+ girl young at heart.

I worked for over a decade in Investment Banking, then a few years in one of the largest international PR groups. In 2009, after a burn-out, I left the corporate world and started a new adventure.

MORE

book your stay



Booking.com

book a tour / skip the lines

questions about italy?

Send me an e-mail

 

featured posts

Vie di Dante - Views from Dante's Train

Dante’s Train: A Beautiful Train Ride From Faenza To Florence

Ski resorts in Switzerland

Ski Holidays in Switzerland: How to Pick your Ideal Mountain Resort

Portovenere, View on the Gulf

Discover the Best Things to do in Portovenere, Italy

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • About Me
  • Work with Me
  • Cookie Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Mai Lifestyle Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.