Citytrip – Conscious Travelista

Like a local in București

Featured by Conscious_Travelista, posted in Sustainable Travel Adventures

Here we go again! Apologies for such a long time without new content, but sometimes you have to catch up with your professional life and it was a bit turbulent in 2022.

Now, I’m happy to be back with some fresh inspiration and impressions from this year’s travel.

I dedicate this article to all the wonderful people I met at ERAC 2022, our wonderful hosts and the organizing committee, and all those who helped me when technology failed!

As you already know, besides blogging, I am very active in AIESEC Alumni which once more provided a reason to travel after a two-year’s break due to COVID. This time, beautiful Bucharest was already awaiting the AIESEC Alumni European conference and a great study tour. Due to the current situation, we are facing here in Europe, the program focus shifted to Leading for Peace, even though sustainability was still a part of it.

Fitting to the change in program, a guided tour through the Palace of the Parliament (Romanian Palatul Parlamentului) was included. It is an astonishing building with spacious halls and ceilings. From the outside, you get an outstanding impression of the size of the second-largest administrative building in the world since it looks like a whole city district in itself. And believe me, it is enormous. During the one-hour-long tour, we saw less than 10% of the whole building. After taking some pictures on the balcony where usually politicians and VIPs speak to the people of the Romania at the end of our tour we leisurely strolled through the close-by “Parcul Izvor”. I can strongly recommend going there for sunset when the Palace shows itself in the beautiful light of dawn reflecting in bright pink.

The before-mentioned panel on “Leading for Peace” provided us with new personal, but also political thoughts and perspectives. This lead to further reflections and deeper discussions within the group.

Besides fantastic workshops about storytelling and an abundance versus fear mind-set, the whole atmosphere of the conference provided me with even more positive energy which kept me energized for a few more weeks after my return. Another highlight for me was sharing a personal story about my time in school. Receiving very good feedback, even the comment this is a “real leadership story”, helped me enormously to put my personal development into perspective and continue my growth. This was in retrospect one of my most important learnings of the year.

At some point, the conference has to end. And after many wonderful conversations and discussions and revivals, unfortunately, some of us had to depart. The ones who stayed for the voluntary Study Tour typically allow the participants to dive deep into the local customs and life of the host country after the big AIESEC conferences. So, off I went to explore the vibrant city life of Bucharest for two days even if I had to pass on the chance to hike through Transylvania.

And what’s the best way to explore a city?

Exactly! By public transportation and walking! And that is how Monica and her friends, our local tour guides, took us around the city. But beware, all public transportation in Romania’s capital works without cash! So make sure your bank and credit cards are working properly. I will tell you later why that’s so important!

By the way, the metro in Bucharest has some wonderful more or less hidden street art to spot when you travel to the different parts of the city.

Of course, we started with exploring the old town, strolling through the centuries of history the city has to offer. Already during my first visit, I noticed much fold of architectural styles that made up the town. It was clearly oriental-influenced Art Nouveau and Art Deco buildings are vying with Neo-Romanian and communist-era architecture. At every corner, it seems, the buildings are telling stories of Bucharest’s rich history, which our guides translated into words.

One stopover was at “Maramorosch”, once the most influential bank in Romania, now a hotel. In Bucharest, everyone loves good coffee and there is no better place to have one in style than in this splendorous display of grandeur and a cosmopolitan lifestyle in the spacious lobby of this hotel. Please note it’s also open to visitors. In one of the rooms behind the lobby, there seems to be a place for fine dining. After our coffee or beverage of choice, we left this Belle Epoque-influenced hotel to continue our tour.

In between the most beautiful buildings, you can sometimes spot some which are shabby and look like ruins. Due to my curious nature, I inquired why some of the houses were in such a disastrous condition. Earthquakes are common in Bucharest and if the structural analysis shows the result that the construction is not stable it’s sometimes not worth renovating an edifice.

In the evening, it was clear to all of us: We just had to check out “Hanu Lui Manuc”.

This is a former inn of a wealthy Armenian merchant and it takes you back in time to the Ottoman empire. By preserving its original and unusual architecture, it allows its visitors to enjoy very good Romanian food and if you are lucky enough traditional Romanian music and dances in a unique atmosphere. It’s just a perfect place to end the evening in a city full of contrasts.

The next day started with a ride on the bus and then the metro to meet our guide and her friends. Sounds easy right? Sure, it is…but not if none of your cards is working! And I could not pay in cash either. Guess what? While unsuccessfully trying again and again suddenly two ticket inspectors appeared out of nowhere. My first thought was…yes… the next station is ours and I might avoid them! But again, my hopes were crushed. Despite showing them that none of my cards were working, I had to pay a fine and became a proud owner of a one-day bus ticket! Such a shame. There was little relief when I realized that I had a partner in crime. I was not the only unlucky one with this problem in our group! Finally, we could laugh about the whole situation!

When trying to enter the metro, my credit cards failed to work again and I couldn’t enter it. Thanks again to all the lovely people around me who helped and supported me in this troubling situation. That did not feel at all like traveling like a local!

Anyway, the first attraction of the day was on the menu: a former socialistic flat that has been preserved and turned into a museum. It is located in a typical slab construction and with all the original interior it gave off very old-fashioned vibes. Everything was very alien to me until at least I recognized the lace doilies in the living room and the many crystal glassed bowls which were quite typical decorations back in these times also in the west. While the group visited the other rooms of the flat which were one for officers and very modern in those days, I took some time to figure out why my cards were not working. Well, everything was ok so far, great! There was a system outage back in Germany and the lady from the service had no idea when the problem was supposed to be solved. Awesome way to first-hand experience the brave new digitalized world!

At least, the next learning was that I could rely on my friends in times of crisis.

We continued our stroll through different areas of the city learning again more about the different districts. After a while, we all needed a break. At Ceai La Metoc, a tea house hidden behind lush greens which probably would have prevented me from discovering this beautiful place on my own, we refueled our bodies, and souls within this green oasis in the middle of the city. On top of that refreshing and calming atmosphere, my cards started working again.

The last station was Obor market, which was very fitting since we all developed quite some appetite from all the walking and exploring. But stop, we first had to earn our food and rest! All of us got different cards with tasks to buy the different ingredients for our lunch. Walking through the market stands full of fresh fruits, vegetables, bread, and honey reminded us of our empty stomachs. Everything looked so deliciously fresh and it smelled fantastic. And it did not help when we discovered all kinds of cheese and sausages from across the country. After a while, we ticked off every product and ingredient on our list. Done! Off to the nearby grill station to have some “mici”, a special kind of sausage, freshly from the grill, a cold drink, and our delicious haul from the market! It was amazing, no journey should be without a visit to a local market! We chatted, laughed, and enjoyed this delicious meal and each other’s company.

And while the mood slowly reached the top we had to bid our first farewell.

We split into smaller groups and I headed back to the city center with some friends and our guide and her friends. We again passed by the Palatul Parlamentului and took some pictures of it in the dusk.

In the meantime, it darkened and the fountains close to Piata Unirii are wonderfully illuminated. After so much walking and exploring we were still a bit hungry and on the search for an evening snack, we discovered that there are many, many restaurants at the Bulevardul Ion C. Brătianu where Bucharest’s vivid nightlife takes place. It’s close to the Dâmbovița and the view of the water is very beautiful.

Afterward, it was finally time to go back to the hotel.

The next day was when I had to say my goodbyes to the rest of the group who were heading towards Transilvania. I stayed one more night before I also had to go back home. There was a feeling of sadness because this amazing journey was coming to an end and everyone just went on. But, there was no reason to be sad but to be grateful for all the wonderful conversations with old and new friends and to be back in one of Europe’s most wonderful cities. So, I decided to visit a part of the city that I didn’t explore yet and that once more showcased a different aspect of the city. It was the nearby Parcul Regele Mihai I (Herăstrău) with a huge lake and wonderful nature to enjoy. I took a very good long stroll and sat down to observe the calm water of the lake while processing my many impressions of the last days. All along the park were a lot of restaurants, but it seemed too early to have a snack so I decided to go back to the hotel. I checked where the next supermarket would be to buy some local souvenirs to enjoy a bit more of Romania at home. The weather kind of changed and from the wonderful mild summer, there was heavy rain. Just hurrying back to the hotel for a change and after a small break, I went to a nearby local restaurant to say goodbye to the wonderful Romanian food.

Some notes at the end of my article: it was a bit different from the previous ones because I didn’t plan everything on my own. The hotel was very good, but in terms of sustainability and waste management improvements can be made and since I booked a package you won’t find any further information about my accommodation in this case. Every journey comes to an end and I decided to take it easy since my flight was in the early morning which meant I had to get up in the middle of my much-appreciated sleep.
But let me be honest, I did what seems to be a charming reminder of a return to Romania as I did in 2017 as well: I kept some of my remaining Lei as a lucky charm. See you next time Romania, it was a pleasure 🙂

If you want to learn more about what we are doing at AIESEC Alumni Europe, please check out our YouTube Channel.

I can strongly recommend Monica’s guided tours if you plan to visit Bucarest [this is not a paid ad].

Getting Lost in Helsinki

March 22, 2022March 22, 2022 by Conscious_Travelista, posted in Sustainable Travel Adventures

Since I have been volunteering for a couple of years now, I’ve had the pleasure to meet fantastic people along my journey with AIESEC. One of them is my dear friend Irina, who I wanted to visit in Helsinki and learn more about the beautiful country of Finland. A couple of years after Irina came to Germany, where we met thanks to AIESEC, it was my turn to visit her home country.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”.

In this case, it already started during the boarding at Düsseldorf airport. While I was waiting for the boarding, a kind looking woman was smiling at me, and I was a bit confused at that moment. Have we ever met before, and I couldn’t remember? No, maybe she was one of these enthusiastic individuals who just brighten up your day? After I took my seat in the airplane, the same woman was sitting next to me. She introduced herself as Yuki and had visited friends in Germany. We had a pleasant conversation on how she was strongly connected to Germany since her son studied there, and she just loved the culture and how she made friends who she visits from time to time. She also gave me a glimpse into Japanese culture as she explained the Japanese words for tree and forest to me! She also recommended to me to take some time and visit Tallinn. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to the Estonian capital due to a lack of time. But it seems to be a great combination, since the trip only takes 2 hours by ferry. I got literally lost in a delightful conversation and before realizing the airplane was already approaching for a landing.

Finally arriving in Helsinki, Irina and her family prepared a warm welcome, and we chatted all along a fantastic home-made dinner. During my stay I tasted many scrumptious local dishes, so thank you once more for this incredible culinary experience.

But let’s get started with my first day in Helsinki, Finland’s beautiful capital. Mobility first! Helsinki is incredibly easy to explore with public transportation and the tourist ticket a bargain and includes the many ferry connections within the city. Starting at the city center, my friend and I just went with the flow, keeping our eyes open for all kinds of discoveries. Taking in the historic and modern architecture of the city, the beauty of the Senate Square (Senaatinori) and Helsinki Cathedral (Helsingin tuomiokirkko) impressed me the most. This square is a huge open area surrounded by beautiful houses and there I could see the influence of the German architect Carl Ludwig Engel who designed the place. The statue of tsar Alexander II. is overseeing the main plaza. All around the Senate Square, in the side alleys, countless beautiful shops and cafés are waiting to be discovered. Somehow our walk took us to the harbour where we chose to use the ferry to “Suomenlinna”. Before we ferried over, we had some lunch, because the market at the harbour offers a variety of fresh seafood and other local specialities, which were too tempting to resist.

On the ferry under the clear sky, the wind blowing my hair in all directions. The view was spectacular and the nearer we came to the island the better we could see the beautiful skyline of Helsinki. The sea fortress on the island Suomenlinna is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is not just a picturesque place to enjoy with friends and family, but also a place to learn more about history. During summer when I visited Helsinki the view on the Baltic Sea is fantastic. I could have stayed the whole day on the huge walls of the fortress, soaking in the sun shine and the cool sea breeze, engulfing myself in the mesmerizing emerald blue of the sea, but there was so much more to discover.

Since Finnish history is rich and heavily influenced by Sweden and Russia, and if you want to learn more about it, there is no better place to start than at the Finnish National Museum where I travelled from prehistoric times to present day Finland. It was also amazing to learn more about the Sámi who live in the Northern parts of the country. For me one museum is not enough and since Finland is also well known for its arts and design, a visit to the famous “Kiasma” was unavoidable. I really loved the digital art and joining an augmented reality installation. Additionally, the museum building is spectacular and provides different perspectives to all kinds of different angles and viewpoints. Sure, after so much stimulating input, it was time to slow down a bit and digest it. Being in Finland, there is no way to come around the Moomins, thus we headed to one of the Moomin Cafés you can find across the city. You do remember the cute little trolls which were invented by Tove Jansson? I loved the animated series as a child. Therefore, I was really excited to revisit these beautiful characters from my childhood while sipping some tea and enjoying some sweets.

When we visited Stockmann mall, one of the most famous ones in Helsinki, I couldn’t resist buying some Moomin merchandise and blueberry liquorice and blueberry flavoured coffee. By the way, the Fins just love blueberry. Everything is blueberry-flavoured, even coffee. That was really delicious, and wherever I travelled afterwards I couldn’t find anything similar. So, try it out, you’ll be surprised about the combined flavour of coffee and blueberry.

I always enjoy architecture, trying to understand what inspires and shapes a city’s characteristics. A famous place I read beforehand, and I wanted to visit is the Kamppi Chapel of Silence. A wondrous and special building where no sound ever meets the visitor’s ears from the outside. The inner room of prayer was spacious and full of light, a truly special atmosphere. Just standing there for a while and enjoying the sound of the silence together with the other visitors was magical. Everybody tried to avoid making any sounds and interrupt this atmosphere. Despite a loud sports festival on the outside, no sounds entered this haven, and it really provided a place to rest and pray. I was stunned and fascinated by this experience that while taking some pictures from the outside not only did metaphorically get lost at the moment but literally. My dear friend Irina was nowhere to be found in the crowd! I was lost! What to do now? I could not call her, so I summoned my best pathfinder skills and puzzled back the way to her home. Finally, reunited, we continued our sightseeing at the Sibelius monument, which is situated in the park of the same name. Jean Sibelius was the composer of “Finlandia”, the national anthem. I strongly recommend listening to this oeuvre and get an idea of Sibelius’ work while enjoying the park, which provided lush green and the shades of the greens on this sunny day.

Because we lost some time due to my obsession to take the perfect picture, we went straight and without any distractions to Temppeliaukio Church, which is excavated into solid rock. Ok, it’s a hot spot for tourists, but it’s very special, and I’ve never seen a place like this before. And I would have never expected a church from the outside. The air was chilly, but the atmosphere so peaceful and clear. I found a spot to rest inwardly, and somehow it touched my heart. I had the impression to get a bit overwhelmed with this inner peace and rested for a moment. Ok, enough rest, I was in Helsinki to explore the city! So we went up in the air and took a bird’s eye view onto the city at the Atelje bar. Here, we could enjoy the terrific view while planning our next moves.

After walking so much we were getting the munchies and since we were already standing in front of it, we entered Café Fazer. It’s a huge food company which started as French-Russian confectionary. Sure, Belgian and Swiss chocolate is the most famous in the world, but the creamy consistence of Fazer chocolate is worth a try. And I truly enjoyed the liquorice ice cream, which isn’t that sweet but an intriguing flavour to experience. In the closing lights of the day we took a small tour by ferry, that I could learn a bit more about the different islands and districts in Helsinki and enjoy once more the blue of the Baltic Sea before flying home the next day in the afternoon.

Summarizing, Helsinki is a fantastic city and very easy to explore thanks to a cheap but efficient public transportation system. With its many connections one is never stranded even once one gets lost 😉. And thanks to my local guide I could really immerse in the city instead of scratching on the surface. Thus, whenever you have the chance to visit your friends across the globe, always say yes and never say no! You will never know what your next adventure will bring?

Kiitos and hei hei!

Let’s travel digitally!

July 6, 2021July 6, 2021 by Conscious_Travelista, posted in Sustainable Travel Adventures

Have you ever travelled digitally? Did you ever consider a trip where you won’t even leave your living room?

Me neither until I heard of this concept during an online event within my AIESEC Alumni Europe community! Well, why would I do that? When you remember some weeks before we had quite strict travel restrictions all across the globe and the situation was frustrating to all of us. Luckily, the situation is improving every day, but at that time I wanted to have a surprising and innovative gift (also a small reward for myself 🙂 ) and yes, I wanted to get some new input instead of complaining about the situation.

My first virtual travel went to Moscow and started at the world-famous Red Square. Usually, from what I know, it as a crowded space full of life. You can imagine that I was quite surprised to see this famous place so empty! Maybe the weather conditions were not that inviting, because our guide navigated us through grey and rainy weather. We started at the historical heart of Moscow: the Kremlin and learned that its massive walls were “newly” built by the Italian architect Aristotele Fioravanti in the 14th century! Of course, we stopped by the famous “Spasski tower” whose bells traditionally welcome the New Year in Russia! Further we went past Lenin’s Mausoleum, but we didn’t enter. It’s the resting place of the Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin, whose mortal remains are lying in state there.

Off we went to the famous Saint Basil’s Cathedral that always appeared as if it was decorated with sugar icing. The colours and the architecture looked very impressive even though we just could watch it from our screen! I was even more impressed when I learned that the cathedral was consisting of 9 domes and churches! I would really love to visit this amazing cathedral and learn more about its architecture!

When the rain got too heavy, our guide Anna sought shelter at the nearby GUM to show us the famous and luxurious mall with all its glory. Flashing colours and hallways full of designer brands mixed with Soviet nostalgia created this very special atmosphere of the place and we got it even though we were thousands of kilometres away! Unfortunately, the GUM is famous for its ice cream and every visitor young or old gets themselves some, but not for us! Oh, those lucky people!

We continued with our trip towards the Bolshoi Theatre and learned about the famous ballet and the difficulty to get some tickets as visitors, because this is a cultural highlight for locals and visitors alike!

In the end we had some time for a chat and questions to discover that Moscow even has a vivid coffee culture and lots of modern urban spaces to meet, chat and work.

My conclusion in the very end was that this digital trip was worth a try! Thanks to our dear guide Anna we could learn, interact and see some of the most famous spots in Russia’s capital! Will we ever see the Red Square that empty again? It is comparable to a good movie trailer. You can learn, watch, observe and even chat with locals. But in the very end, you really want to visit a place and we definitely put it on our bucket list!

Digital travel is a nice way to avoid overtourism and to reduce your CO2 footprint and get a glimpse to a different culture, but it is not a substitute for the real deal. In the very end it’s up to you, but I really recommend to try it out!

The cake in the picture was an original recipe from Anna to taste some traditional Russian food: приятного аппетита!

[No paid ad!]

Between green megacities, learnings about sustainability and local traditions

Featured by Conscious_Travelista, posted in Sustainable Travel Adventures

The main purpose of this trip was to attend a Chinese Wedding in Malaysia, but of course, we did a little backpacking in addition to this event to discover two megacities and learn more about sustainability from a different perspective.

Travelling to Singapore and Malaysia causes a bigger CO2-footprint than a trip within Europe. But, if you want to go abroad it’s much better to book a direct flight, because most CO2 will be emitted during take-off and landing.

Therefore, we booked a direct flight with the flag carrier of Singapore to have a less negative impact on the environment, which was very pleasant.

Singapore

After a 12-hour journey we were happy to check in at the Siloso beach hotel at Sentosa Island. A green oasis surrounded by the sound of the jungle and with its own waterfall, this green hotel claims to be a sustainability hub.

How did they achieve this? On a guided tour through the hotel everything was explained and shown to us. First of all, the whole building is built on stilts and the natural topography was preserved. Leaving the natural wetlands untouched provided a natural protection against mosquitos thanks to the frogs you really don’t need chemical protection against mosquito bites. Furthermore, no trees were cut down for its construction, it is a real marvel to see how the trees grow right through the villas and the building. On their rooftop garden they grow their own flowers for decoration and herbs to season their fresh organic food. Their plan is to expand and even grow their own vegetables. By the way food, their healthy and delicious breakfast gave us energy for exploring the city.

Since Singapore is a metropolis defined by the limits of its island, a well-oiled public transportation system is indispensable and was also our choice of transportation. But for our first discovery we set of on foot. Strolling along the beaches of Sentosa Island, enjoying coconut ice cream we headed to the most southern point of continental Asia (because it is connected by bridges).

The first stop outside of Sentosa Island was Chinatown and after the first impressions of Singapore we suddenly got quite hungry. A nearby food court offered delicious fresh food which wasn’t so easy to choose. The district is vivid and colourful and for a first day we got a lot of impressions. The evening ended at the harbour with a marvellous view of Singapore’s skyline which we won’t forget so easily.

The next day we headed towards Little India with its many shops offering everything from colourful fabrics to beautiful jewellery and impressive Hindu temples. After some light shopping we took a small break to have some fresh Indian food. It was delicious, spicy and even though I haven’t been to India, yet, it was fantastic to have a glimpse into this amazing culture. We continued our route to Bugis which is vivid and full of amazing shopping opportunities and went to Kampong Glam. The Masjid Sultan Mosque is one of the most important mosques in Singapore and was an important centre for culture, arts and trade in the 90ies. Around it are many streets which took me back to a time when I travelled to Egypt and Turkey. The nearby Arab Street was full of lovely little shops and for a moment I had the impression that I made a little trip around the globe. But it didn’t end here yet. We walked on to the Malay heritage centre. In front of it we took a rest for a moment and wondered if we were still in the same city. What a city! So many cultures at one spot!

After all these overwhelming impressions we enjoyed the light and music show at the Super Trees which you can relish twice per day. It was very relaxing and amazing to learn that the Super Trees are vertical gardens and some of them even have solar panels. They contribute to a sustainable power generation and provide the city with energy. I have to admit that we didn’t manage to visit the Cloud Gardens and The Flower Dome which will be on the list for a next visit. But we continued our stroll across the Double Helix Bridge and said hello to the Merlion, Singapore’s mascot, and stayed for a while to savor the beautiful skyline once more before we had to leave the next day.

Our motto was to eat like a local because that is the best way to dive into the many cultures, in my opinion. Singapore is famous for its many hawker centres! The food there is local, fresh and it can save you a lot of money, since they are regularly frequented by the locals.

What would a Singapore trip be without some famous noodle soups! Therefore, we visited a street food stall with a Michelin star: Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle. If you don’t especially enjoy liver you might give it a pass, because even though the noodle soup was delicious, I just don’t like liver 😉

Sometimes you are in the mood for a dessert and we came across a very crazy looking café. It was one of the weirdest cafés I visited so far: The Gudetama café whose mascot is a little yellow egg from Japan! And even our cheesecake was decorated with the little sad egg which won the hearts of young and old!

Personally, what impressed me the most after these three days was the amazing architecture and how it created a harmonic symbiosis with the Gardens by the Bay. It showed me how technological progress can be applied to build a resilient and sustainable city that provides enough space for nature and people.

Malacca and a coach ride with learnings

After three days in this amazing megacity our journey took us to our next highlight: Malacca, a UNESCO world cultural heritage.

Malaysia is much bigger than the small island state of Singapore. Infrastructure is quite different, and transportation relies mainly on road traffic. So, we hopped onto one of the many coaches connecting the cities all over the Malaysian peninsula.

While we prefer a train ride, we still got to see a lot of the country and I had some important learnings. Something I recognized during the bus ride were the many and huge palm oil plantations which influence the environment and the local wildlife and how devastating that could be, as we learned later.

As curious and sustainable travellers who want to make the best of every journey, we booked a local homestay which was called “Heren House” right beside the river and closely to the famous Jonker street. The guest house within an historical building offered an authentic glimpse to the life of local people. The rooms are equipped with traditional wooden and massive furniture. The staff was really friendly and helpful. The experience was authentic and even more individual as we supported the local economy.

Malacca was fantastic to go to the night market at Jonker Street in the middle of the Chinese district with a variety of local and fresh food and lots of opportunities for shopping. Of course, I needed to try something new and different. A very special and smelly fruit which you recognize before you’ll see it: Durian! The first Durian in my entire life and it was maybe my first break out of the routine moment during this holiday.

We dedicated one day to the rich history of Malacca! It was influenced by the Dutch, the Portuguese and the British, so get your time machine started!

We began our walk at the Red Square with its Stadhuys. It was built by the Dutch in the 17^th century and yes, the square well-deserved its name. The whole place is coloured in vivid red and sets a contrast to its surroundings. Our path took us further to explore the Portuguese history and we went to the hill of St. Paul’s church. The view above Malacca and the ocean is fantastic! Finishing our walk at “A Famosa” a former Portuguese fortress we just felt like time travellers.

The city is usually very crowded by tourists and especially couples from Kuala Lumpur who enjoy the city for a weekend trip.

I wouldn’t say that overtourism is already a problem, but I guess we need to respect local traditions and act respectfully towards those who live in the city.

I would like to address this topic, because personally I was quite shocked to see a tourist who was begging for money to finance further trips across Malaysia.

To escape the hotspots we decided to take a walk at the “Malacca River” and discovered lovely shops and street art. Usually, we really don’t check and plan every shop and route we take, it just happens naturally to follow where our interest is paying attention to.

The last day included a walk through the old town which is famous for its art scene and its handicrafts! We had a stop at the Urang Utan House, an art gallery from a local artist who is also selling unique shirts with his great designs which combines modern and urban life in Malacca with traditional Eastern philosophy. Here we saw that between the historic places great urban places could be found which totally created a unique atmosphere between urbanism and the local culture!

One special artisan shop called Wah Aik offers special insights to the Chinese culture! The two brothers are specialized in creating unique bound feet shoes. You can learn of a tradition that is nowadays forbidden, but the shoes are a masterpiece of art and can be bought for those who are interested in handcraft and Chinese culture. It was a fantastic visit, because one of the owners took his time to explain us a bit more about the history of the shoes and the former tradition of the lotus feet and showed us many old newspaper articles in different languages praising their craftsmanship! The tradition of the lotus feet doesn’t fit modern times anymore, but the tradition of making handcrafted shoes is something very special! I was very grateful for this learning and enriched to understand much more of this special handicraft!

The food we tasted here is also very special, so let me give you further insights.

I was really impressed by the Nyonya or Peranakan kitchen you can find in many restaurants across the city. Peranakan are the early Chinese descendants who settled in Malacca and inter-married to Malays. This special food is very delicious and combines the best of both worlds! For me, it was a mix of herbs, spices and a fruity texture. A very good restaurant we discovered is The Bulldog!

Kuala Lumpur

Moving forward, we were off to Kuala Lumpur, the vibrant capital of Malaysia, the next day. After another coach ride, we checked in at the Anggun boutique hotel whose rich history dates back to the 30^iesof the last century and tells the story of a Chinese sojourner who made his luck in Malaysia. While not a certificated sustainable hotel, many initiatives were adapted to act sustainably. For example, a higher energy efficiency and less plastic consumption. The hotel building itself evokes the charm of the 60ies of Kuala Lumpur. I especially loved the inner courtyard and the green terrace in the middle of the city.

The hotel was close to Bukit Bintang a district where the city never sleeps and where we discovered so many restaurants that we had an information overload! Starting with Jalan Alor and its many open-air restaurants, we tried some fresh sugar cane juice and had once more Durian for dessert! Everything appeared so delicious that we couldn’t help ourselves but had to try it! But this was not supposed to be a foodie trip, so let’s check out what else we spotted in KL!

One of the architectural highlights and a must-see are the Petronas Towers, because they are one of the first sights you will discover when you enter the city. But we were quite surprised to find a green oasis in front of the two steel giants, the KLCC park! A great place to calm down in the hustle and bustle of the megacity. Lake Symphony was a scenic view to rest your eyes and see many people having a good time with friends and families! I loved the whale sculpture which showcased that nature still plays a crucial role in those areas where you wouldn’t expect it! And we also planned some extra time to enjoy the light show in the evening!

If you want to see an urban jungle and I really literally mean urban jungle with lush greens and the opportunity to see wildlife in the middle of the rain forest you need to visit KL Forest Eco Park.

We went across the skywalk and listened to the sounds of the jungle and nature can make a great and loud concert deafening out the sounds of the hectic city.

The forest is one of the green lungs of KL and because we were patient enough, we even spotted some of its inhabitants: monkeys!

We spend one evening at the River of Life which is a fantastic place to learn about the colonial era and the history of Malaysia. It is a project to clean up the river Klang which was in a very bad state. This walk took us to the British colonial era with historical buildings at the riverbank. We felt like time travellers once more when the artificial fog created this amazing feeling to dig deeper to history. It’s like a magic veil that carries you to a different time and space. Right before Masjid Jamek which is one of the oldest mosques in KL is a beautiful spring fountain with a light and music show in the evening and that’s a great way to finish the day.

To get a better understanding of the countries’ multiculturalism we booked a little tour which took us to the famous Batu caves on the next day which are an important Hindu temple. We had a great tour guide who gave us further information about the sanctuary which was dedicated to Lord Murugan. Beware of the monkeys which loiter around the beautiful coloured steps and just wait for tourists to feed them! I really had to stay calm, because I knew these cheeky monkeys from Bali J The temple lies within a cave and is truly a masterpiece of craftsmanship, full of vivid colours and astonishing carvings. I was impressed and wondered how it was possible to build this temple within a cave!

We continued our journey to a traditional batik dyeing manufacture where we could see how the traditional art of dyeing exquisite textiles.

Afterwards we continued to one amazing place.

A site, I wasn’t sure it was a good idea to visit, was the elephant sanctuary Kualah Gandah. I knew that they helped these animals, but I feared that it might be a tourist attraction where the animals would be put under too much stress. But where could elephants stay, if their natural habitat was taken away from them due to the huge palm oil plantations?

And here it all comes together from what I observed from the way to Malacca. Before we took the decision to visit this sanctuary, I did a lot of research and I found out that this care centre was financed through the Malaysian government to help the elephants. Before we could see these gentle giants, we watched a movie about how difficult and dangerous it is to capture an elephant when they are lost in one of the huge plantations we saw on our way to the capital.

After this movie we could see and feed the animals and we really had the impression that they care for the animals, because only those with severe injuries and disabilities stayed in Kuala Gandah to acclimatize the new ones. The others were transported to live in a wildlife reserve. The only thing I refused was to take a personal picture with one of the calves. The sanctuary is depending on tourist donations, because they get limited financial support from the government. The visit was great to learn about the animals and their environment in Malaysia.

After Kuala Lumpur the stayed a bit longer in Johor Bahru near the border to Singapore. Why? The main purpose of our journey was a Chinese wedding as I mentioned beforehand. During this time, we used the possibility to talk to locals and to learn more about the life in Malaysia. It was also great to get a better access to local traditions and food which you won’t have as tourist.

The trip was truly amazing, because we got so many impressions and could really have authentic experiences with many deeper insights we gained. After all it was not enough time for me, and I wish to return and learn much more. In many ways it was possible to commit to sustainability, even though it was not possible in all areas.

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