Travelling to new countries and trying to immerse in the local culture is something dear to me. It has broadened my horizons and ensured that I evolve as a human being. The last few months though have been tough for travel lovers (as I write this piece, I think about how this is the usual time for my summer trip, sigh!).
However, I have also been thinking and looking back at pictures and videos of my previous trips. So allow me to share with you a few of my most interesting and memorable experiences from my travels.
AI shisha bar finder in Paris
This is my own AI (Authentic Intelligence) engine and I discovered this capability when I was in Paris the first time. I was staying at a friend’s place with her mom. I gave myself a task to look for nearest shisha place without using my phone and with super bad French.
A 45 minute walk later, I was there! ? Now, I can successfully find a shisha bar in almost any city (strong sensory and observation skills you might say, or a sixth sense). To be able to make friends with people from different race, background and speaking completely different languages over shisha is my favorite thing to do in any new city of the world.
Getting into Berlin’s clubs
Berlin has always been special, and my best adventure was on my bachelor’s trip where we tasked ourselves with getting into clubs notoriously known for not letting people in.
(And we got into all of them, DM me for tips!) The standing in queue to get in, the grilling by bouncers, trying to understand the algorithm they have in their head of choosing who goes in and out is an experience in itself. You have to learn from Berlin how to party from Friday evening to Sunday night non-stop.
Philosopher’s Path in Kyoto
A walk on the famous philosopher path in Kyoto in Japan is possibly one of the strongest and beautiful experiences I have had in all my travels. A beautiful coffee shop had a charming lady whose husband was also a toy train collector. Getting lost amid thoughts of history, great writers and intellectuals in this perfect place was indeed a soul enriching experience.
Enlightenment on an island – Malaysia
I happen to read one of the most inspiring and life changing books during my stay at a small island in Malaysia. It had a personal beach, with a wise gentleman running the place and was completely cut off from the world of chaos.
I remember reading the whole night till dawn, and as I finished work, I noticed the sea looked completely different. Then I realised it was low tide and I was looking at a coral reef. The morning starting with low tide and moved gradually to having the waves right under your cottage during noon and then the water receding once more. This is a place I would like to visit again.
teamLab Borderless Museum in Tokyo
For the best immersive experience, this popular digital museum in Tokyo should be top on your list. It’s a vision of building a borderless world run by a group of artists, programmers, engineers, CG animators, mathematicians, architects and graphic designers. I spent probably half of my day here experiencing a new version from one room to another.
There have been a lot of speculations and predictions about the new meaning of travel in post-COVID world, but all travel lovers like me are just hoping it doesn’t take away too much of the experiences we cherish.
As a professional too, these have been interesting challenges in travel industry where we have had to consult our clients with design thinking and finding a new approach in communication. So until we can get back to travelling, let’s hold on a little bit longer to our memories!
