Top 5 free and must see things in Singapore

Having just finished travelling Singapore I can finally recommend the top 5 things you absolutely must check out before you leave the country.

Singapore has a ton of things to do, try, and see and it can be mind numbing planning the most important things to experience since it’s a large city that encompasses four major cultures: Malay, South Asian, East Asian, and European.

Lucky for you I’ve can recommend these top 5 places that is worth the time, memorable, and you’ll enjoy!

Let’s go!

Flying to Singapore from Kuala Lumpur (KL) is the better option compared to taking a bus

Save yourself the time and energy and just book a flight

I've just spent about 2 hours pouring over customer reviews from taking the bus down to Singapore from KL by bus. This is a common bus route that goes from Berjaya Times Square, in Kuala Lumpur ---> To Singapore from the company Starmart Express.

Here's What Is Different With Ikea Food in Malaysia - It's Delicious!

Have you ever been to Ikea in Malaysia? If you haven't, you got to go and try the food, it's delicious!

I'm from Canada so most of the time the food there is really bland boring hotdogs, mustard, ketchup, pepsi, etc. You know, really boring stuff. The moment I walked into the Ikea here in Kuala Lumpur I was blown away with the food offerings!

How to backup all your travel photos easily and for free from your phone and camera

You're looking for a quick and easy way to back up your photos because you have thousands of photos on your phone or camera that you need to save and clear space for more! Luckily there is a way to do this all for free.

Google Photos

Did you know Google Photos allows you to upload unlimited HD quality photos to Google's cloud all for free? Yes! It's the best thing since slice bread.

All you need to do is download the google photos app on your phone, link it to your Gmail account and let it back up your entire camera roll. Now there's a catch.

Google allows you to upload unlimited photos at HD Quality, but if you want to save at your original quality you will have to cough up a subscription to GDrive space. What I've found though is HD quality is more than enough for my Instagram/Facebook addiction.

Clearing Space Made Easy

After you've uploaded all your photos to Google Photos, there is an option to allow the app to delete all the successfully backed up photos from your camera roll so you won't have to do it manually! Yes! Imagine trying to delete thousands of photos manually? No way.

Backing up your photos from an SD Card

You can also backup any photos from an external media, like the SD card from you camera. This will require you to have access to a computer.

All you need to do is log into Google Photos from a browser: https://photos.google.com/login 

Drag and drop your photos into it! That's it!

How travelling starts with the mind set and it ultimately dictates your travel experiences

How your trip experience ends up is all based on your mindset. Everyone dreams about travelling the world and exploring all the world has to offer, hopping from destination to destination, trying as many foods as you can. It’s a dream come true, but does it really stack up to the hype? 

What I discovered during my travel around SE Asia is that going from one place to the next, while trying to maximize your experience, can lead to major burn out. I didn’t think it was a thing until it happened.

After this experience and spending some time recovering from what is essentially traveller’s fatigue, I sat down and rethought about my travel plans moving forward. I wanted to make sure I don’t fall into the same thing again, because having traveller’s fatigue is a real downer!

Working on my mindset

What it boils down to is, if you want a great travel experience, then be sure to adjust your mindset to just enjoy the travel as it comes. No more planning every day to the T but have some loose plans in your head and let your day be semi-flexible. It really is the only way to really allow yourself to experience a country and the things that happens around you. When you’re so focused on your next “trip task”, you can easily miss the important things.

There’s going to be things on your long-term trip that will upset you like being pickpocketed or scammed, just don’t allow those things get to you so much that it ruins your trip. Get happy again someway somehow, replenish your funds if you can and continue. I guarantee you there is much more happy things to experience out there.

How to take the bus from KL Kuala Lumpur Airport to the City Centre.

If it's your first time in Kuala Lumpur and you're wondering how to take the bus into the city, here is all the information you will need.

1. Once you have collected your baggage, exit the arrival terminal through the doors leading to many of the shops in KLIA2 airport.

2. Walk straight all the way to the end where you will be met with the main doors to the building of the airport. But just before those doors are escalators on the left which will lead downstairs to LEVEL 1. Take them down to level 1.

3. Go all the way down and you'll find these blue bus ticket booth to purchase your bus ticket.

4. Tell them you are going to KL Sentral and they will sell you the next departing bus ticket for RM12. (12 Malaysian Ringits). KL Sentral is a large station where all major trains and buses connect, you can get anywhere from this city center.

5. Once you have your ticket, look to see which platform to board (usually its A04 - A06) and the company that generally provides this bus service is Aerosky Ventures (Aero Bus), which is the bus below.

6. Throw your baggage under the bus where the baggage compartment is before you board the bus, get on and pick any available seats.

7. Arrive at KL Sentral about 45 - 1hr later (arrival station below).
**** Ignore the taxi touters when you exit the bus****

8. Walk forward a few meters going the same direction of the bus you just exited to reach the UP escalators. This escalator will take you to all the train connections!


*** Take note of how to get back to this bus loop, because you will need to get back when you return to the airport. Upon returning, you will have to go down the escalator from NU Sentral mall side, where you can see Starbucks is across the street***

Have a great trip!

Agoda customer service numbers

Australia

+61 2 8066 2868

Austria

+43 720 380085

Bahrain

+973 1 619 6662

Belgium

+32 2 620 08 18

Brazil

+55 11 4280 5290

Canada

+1 416 216 4151

China

4008 218 877

France

+33 185 148 161

Germany

+49 698 679 9066

Hong Kong

+852 3071 1201

Hungary

+36 1 4292234

India

0008000501620

Indonesia

+62 21 2561 7999

Israel

+972 7 22713343

Italy

+39 02 38591359

Japan

+81 3 5767 9333

Macau

+853 6262 5205

Malaysia

+60 3 2053 1869

New Zealand

+64 9339 1656

Oman

800 74317

Philippines

+63 2 246 9092

Portugal

+351 210609454

Russia

+7 495 705 9247

Saudi Arabia

+966 11 510 8738

Singapore

+65 6329 7537

South Africa

+27 11 844 6064

South Korea

+82 2 6022 2443

Spain

+34 91 754 7020

Switzerland

+41 31 547 90 55

Taiwan

+886 2 8723 1285

Thailand

+66 2 016 4106

United Arab Emirates

800 0330 5203

United Kingdom

+44 20 3027 7900

United States

+1 866 656 8207

      Vietnam

                         +84 28 4458 2393

Where the best place to exchange money at a money changer in KL, Kuala Lumpur

You need to be careful when exchanging money in KL because there are many unscrupulous money changers out there, so I suggest you go to a trusted place that I have always have gone to.

MerchantTrade is one of the most trusted company and all of their rates are available live on mtarate.com

I've found that the one in Pavillion Mall on the food court UG Level consistently has the best rates among every money changer in the city.

Get there:

1. By hopping on the Purple Line Free GOKL bus and get off at Pavillion Mall stop.

2. Take the monorail to Bukit Bintang - Air Asia station and walk to Pavillion Mall.

3. Grab (preferred) or Taxi (risk of getting fleeced is common).

Ways people make money online as a digital nomad

Right now I'm gathering information on how many people make money online so I can choose which one feels like it fits me best and I'll have a go at it.

Here are the ways I found people make money online:

1. Influencer/Blogging - This is one of the most common ways people make money online. In exchange for a feature or review, companies can give you a free stay or pay you for this exposure to your audience. This can take a while to grow. On top of that, many put ads like Google adsense or sell ad space on their blogs.

2. Making online courses - This can branch off in many directions. Some people make language courses, how-to courses, blogging courses, how to many a million courses, etc. etc. Some are purely farce, but some can be really beneficial. If you have a good skill that you think you can teach people in a series of courses, this might be for you.

3. Writing ebooks - Usually sold through kindle or amazon, which can be great as a recurring revenue. The hard part is committing to writing the book and marketing it.

4. Real estate investments - If you have the cash and time to look for real estate deals, this is a way people make monthly recurring income. Time consuming to set up and find tenants, but afterwards you can hire a property manager and have the automated.

5. Freelancing/Consulting - The most simple way to make money, however there are limited skills that you can freelance over the web. Usually it's design, programming, marketing, or administrative skills.

6. Selling things on Etsy - You can set up a shop on Etsy and start selling your crafts, digital or physical. There are people selling their hand made things to selling lesson plans to other teachers.

7. Investing/Stock market - This is for the people who have a nest egg and are willing to risk thier money in the markets. If you have the skills to either day trade or value invest, this is the path for you.

8. Teaching English online - Mainly for people who holds any type of bachelor degree. Most countries require this before you can register to teach. You have a set schedule and join in ona virtual classroom teaching kids from different countries English.

9. Photography - Some sell food photography services, stock photography, or landscapes. If you have the skills and talent, you can try selling your shots to the world.

10. Youtuber - Create a channel so many viewers can subscribe to your content. From Youtuber, people make money by selling ad space, affiliate links, and ad revenue from google adsense.  You have to be consistent with your postings and offer engaging content.

11. Podcasting - People record podcasts about a certain theme or subject and when they have built a big enough audience, they sell ad space on the podcast.

12. Starting an online business - Some people have started marketing companies, design companies, architectural design services, etc.

13. Building a niche website - This is where you can cater a small specific group with useful information and content. For example, travelling to SE Asia or the best kitchen appliances you can use. Monetize through ads and product sales.

Trying out the first thing on my digital nomad journey

I've read about some people making good money as a Amazon Affiliate Member. This is where you get paid a small commission for any purchases people make by following the link you post.

How it works is: Whenever someone clicks the link you have made under the affiliates program, they get sent directly to Amazon's website displaying the product. The moment someone clicks your link, a "cookie" is created in their internet browser that registers to your account. If they make a purchase within 24 hours, you get a cut of the sale.

Easy enough right? Sure.

But it's been hard for me to convert people to make a sale.

You can see from above that I've been successful driving people to click my link, but no one has made a purchase.

Is it because the products I have suggested are too expensive?

Is my link not appropriate for the audience's country? (I'm using a USA account)

Why the amount of clicks greatly reduced over time?

These sort of problems I need to look into and get it sorted out. I could see this business model working.

The reason why I went down the Amazon Associate route instead of the popular alternative of drop shipping is because: 1.) I don't need to worry about fulfilling the items and 2.) I don't have to put in all the work of getting the best product photos and copyright, and 3.) The slow delays of shipping from international companies.

The model is to suggest products and hope for a sale. I like it.

I'll update again on my progress soon. 

Digital Nomad Journey - My First Steps

Digital nomading is when you're working online without a fixed location. Whether it's running a business, freelancing, or remote working for you own company, these are part of the growing trend of young millennials. 

I'm currently traveling and my main source of income are my stock investments. I've been investing for quite some time so I have some experience in this area. But, investing is mostly a waiting game so I want to venture into creating an online business and ultimately become a digital nomad. 

Back home I'm a banker, working in the mortgage underwriting scene. It's a stressful job during busy season and super boring during winter months. I've realized I hate being an employee and am always seeking change in environments and challenges. I can't stand being around the same thing over and over again. 

Taking off travelling fulfill the needs of ever changing environments and I would like to stay doing this as long as I can.

Join me on trying to discover ways to successfully become a digital nomad. 

The Travel Experiences You Should Get In Jakarta

Travelling around Jakarta is a great experience and the reasons are many.

I’m sitting at Jakarta’s airport waiting to board a flight back to Kuala Lumpur and as I sit here reflecting my journey here, I’m finding that my overall experience in the bustling city has been so great, mainly because the people here are the nicest people. I would put Indonesia second to Thailand for the friendliest country. The people here are very humbling, full of tradition, and smiles.

Like their southeast Asian neighbour, there is poverty and the ultra rich here and it can be seen with all the slums in the northern part of the city and the richer well manicured neighbourhood in the south. Jakarta is geographically large and the population out numbers many other cities in the world, making it also one of the top traffic congested city. It seems like this city is always smoggy with pollution, but as long as you’re wearing a mask, it’s OK and doesn’t bother you too much.

One of the experiences I suggest you doing when you visit is walking through a small part of the slums in the northern area of Jakarta, it’s a real eye opener. The people are very poor, the kids play next to garbage, and most of the homes made out of discarded tin panels or wood planks appear they won’t last in a sudden strong wind gust. But one thing that the people all seem to have are large smile and laughter, despite their living situation. It was refreshing to see that.

Next on the must experience list is the mosque. For people who are uncomfortable with this, there are tour guides available at the mosques that will show you around and teach you things about the Islam. Be sure to dress appropriately by having long sleeve shirts and long pants to cover yourself. Women must not wear low cut or revealing clothing.

Going to the mosque for prayers is what Indonesians do in their daily lives. For those who aren’t able to make it to a mosque can pray in one of the many prayers room set up in stores, gas stations, malls, offices, etc. Prayer rooms are so widely available that there is almost no excuse for a Muslim to miss prayer time. If you run across a prayer session happening somewhere in the middle of the city at an obscure gathering, make sure to stand and watch for a while. It’s a memorable sight to see how men and women pray in synchronization.

An authentic way to travel around the city is through their Angkot mini buses that drive around the city. It operates as a hop on, hop off and they run in a routes around the city. It would be a lot easier to do this with a local who knows how to navigate this or ask the driver which way he is driving. Personally this was too difficult to experience, so I opted to ride around the city on a GrabBike, which is always a blast. Be careful of pickpockets when you’re riding, keep your belongings secure on you.

My last point that made my experience in Jakarta memorable was being able to ride the trains that goes to many parts of the city. They also have very affordable trains going all the way out to East, Central, or West Java. You can book tickets easily in advance with the Traveloka App or their native app “KAI Access”, but a little warning with the latter: You can’t pay with your credit card but instead have to go to collection points in convenience stores or post offices to make cash payments. Out of convenience I use the Traveloka app instead.

When you ride the train out, you get a whole new view of the country as you pass by rice patties, farms, green valleys, and other smaller towns. Be sure to have your camera ready at hand because amazing views come quickly and often.

Travel fatigue from long term travel is a real thing and here are some ways to recover from it

Travel fatigue is real and it usually sets in after a few months of travel. Rushing to get to your next destination, the planning, the change in transportation, it can all wear you down slowly.

So now you feel like special things aren’t special anymore, yummy street food isn’t that yummy anymore, awe inspiring views are just meh — you’ve seen many already. So instead you curl up in bed, throw on some Netflix and binge watch your favourite shows. After every episode you ask yourself, shouldn’t I be out travelling instead? I mean, I’m half way around the world!

Don’t fret, so many have experienced travel fatigue and here are some of the ways you can recover from it.

1. Get Bored

Getting into routine and doing the same things over and over again until you’re bored can inspire you to go travel again. It’s the number one reason why people take off on an adventure in the first place. Go somewhere close by, eat the same food, get really bored. What you’re trying to achieve by doing this is stability, the unchanging life that you have at home. Do this for a few days and it’s amazing the energy you get after to go out and explore!

2. Chat with friends, family members, or inspiring people

Travelling can be a whirlwind of new faces and constant socialising. This will lead to meeting some of the best people you’ll ever come across, but sometimes you don’t feel like being on top of your social game. Arrange a family Face time and have a good old chat with your people. Something about watching your dad burn the dinner over Skype or listening to your bestie babble about her boyfriend can be really soothing. Things at home tend to be constant and unchanging, so the familiarity of faces and voices will earth you again. New friendships are bloody amazing, but a gentle reminder of the permanence of life at home could be all you need to get your mojo back.

3. Invest in a little privacy

Backpacking on a budget is great and it is a lot of fun to meet new friends this way, but sometimes you need a little me time. Wouldn’t it be great to watch Netflix without earphones? Stay in bed all day under a soft clean warm duvet and snack without a care? It’s ok to book yourself a little private stay once in a while and enjoy your own company. You deserve it. 

What the experience is like travelling in Jakarta, Indonesia, the true Indonesian city life

I have spent the last month in Jakarta travelling around the city like a mad person. To be honest, I didn’t think there was going to be to much here. But the longer I stayed, the more I realize that this city has it’s own uniqueness that has the ability to grow on you.

The Experience

When you come to Jakarta, expect to experience what true Indonesian city life is like. This is a city where you experience the complete opposite of the tourist packed island of Bali. It will be the more authentic experience that many long-term travellers crave and those who like to avoid the planned itinerary.

Cost of services and goods in Jakarta are generally cheaper than any other part of Indonesia, due to the sheer size of the population here, the competition is intense. For example, ordering a Grab or Grab food is cheaper and is usually half the price. Delivery prices is usually 3000 Rupiahs for food and zipping on Grab Bike can be as low as 10000 Rupiahs. You’ll even notice there are hundreds of grab drivers donned in their green helmet and jacket crowding many hot spots waiting for the next job to show up on their phone.

The People

When you travel a city, the first thing you’ll come to notice are the people. How they dress, speak, look, and even sometimes smell. The disparity of wealth here is quite large, so you’ll see a lot of poor people or upper middle class to upper class here. Regardless of classes, you’ll notice that they all seem to smile.

Points of Interests:

This city isn’t a place where you rush from one place to the next to get your next instagram shot. No, it’s more of a “let’s walk in this direction today to see what there is” type of place. Other than the National Monument, a modern mall called the Grand Indonesia, and the Fatillah Square on the north side of the city, you’ve pretty much have no where else to go.

However, don’t let that discourage you because there are many undiscovered areas of the city that can give you the lifestyle shots you’ve been yearning to take. If you haven’t been through a slum area before, try it. Your eyes will widen and your mind will open with the things you’ll see. Slum areas are generally in the north.

Experience a Mosque:

Visits to a mosque are open to everyone and you can generally get a guided tour. It’s as easy as a quick google search and you’ll find a lot of reviews describing their experiences and appropriate time to make a visit. There are a few prayers time throughout the day and you’ll hear prayer callings blare on loud speakers all around the city during these times. When the sun is setting and these prayer callings happen, it’s like a magical Eat, Pray, Love moment that you won’t ever forget.

Just remember that when you are visiting a mosque, appropriate attire is required. Men must cover from their hips down, so wear pants. Women must cover their entire body, so wear long sleeve shirts and long dress/pants.

Culture:

I found Indonesia’s culture similar to that of Malaysia, I mean after all, they are both majority Islamic Countries. But Indonesian food culture is different. Some things have the same name like “Nasi” for rice, “Mie” for noodles. But that’s where it ends. One taste of Indonesian street food and you’ll know the differences. They love their spiciness and Bakso (hard boiled egg meat ball) here, and it’s something you must try before you leave.

Travel Insurance

Before you go on your travels, I suggest you buy travel insurance to protect yourself in case something happens. Most companies won’t insure you for long term, but WORLD NOMADS insurance does.

WORLD NOMADS was created by travellers to fit the needs of travellers, and the best part is you can continually increase the coverage on the road if you decide you need more. Most traditional companies do not allow this.

I’ve spent the last 6 months travelling in Southeast Asia, backpacking Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore,  Indonesia so far. In fact, I’m still on the road currently sitting at a Starbucks in the Grand Indonesia Mall, right smack dab in the centre of Jakarta. Let me tell you ahead of time: Traffic is absolutely nuts in these countries. You need travel insurance, don’t go without it.

Get a quote below or find out more: Here

Starting your long term travel backpacking: What do you need before you go on your long term travel

So you’re looking into getting into your own long-term travel? Let me say right off the bat, you’re making a great decision and the memories you’re about to make will last you a lifetime. In fact, I believe it will be life changing.

Long term travel can be scary, which involves a lot of risks such as giving up your career momentarily, injuries, or the general dangers of travelling. Sure, the risk are there, but what great achievements have been made without taking any risks at all? None. 

Travel Insurance

Before you go on your travels, I suggest you buy travel insurance to protect yourself in case something happens. Most companies won’t insure you for long term, but WORLD NOMADS insurance does.

WORLD NOMADS was created by travellers to fit the needs of travellers, and the best part is you can continually increase the coverage on the road if you decide you need more. Most traditional companies do not allow this.

I’ve spent the last 6 months travelling in Southeast Asia, backpacking Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore,  Indonesia so far. In fact, I’m still on the road currently sitting at a Starbucks in the Grand Indonesia Mall, right smack dab in the centre of Jakarta. Let me tell you ahead of time: Traffic is absolutely nuts in these countries. You need travel insurance, don’t go without it.

Get a quote below or find out more: Here

What sort of things will you face?

Finances

It’s important that before you head off for long term travel, you have enough money. Things WON’T go according to plan out here, trust me. Money will save you in most cases and help you return home should you decide you’ve travelled enough. A good basic budget for Southeast Asia is about $700 Canadian dollars a month, convert that to your own currency. 

Money should be planned like this:

• Survival money - Day to day in every city
• Emergency money - Locked away safe in your hostel/hotel if possible
• More than 1 ATM card - ATMs will eat your card if you fail to retrieve it within a time period. Make sure you have more than one ATM card from different banks
• Credit cards - Just like the above point, have more than one if possible. 

Somethings you should pack:

• Money Belt - This is #1. You will need this. I have been pickpocketed in a hostel while I was sleeping in Vietnam and ever since then, I’ve used a money belt. They 100% work and it is the best defence against being stolen from. Here is the one I use, you can buy it on Amazon here:  https://amzn.to/2pBD8xp 

• Coin pouch - Many countries still use cash in daily transaction and there will tons of coins! They all come in odd sizes and you’ll save yourself from the stress of keeping the coins all in once place with a coin pouch. Here is the one I have been using: https://amzn.to/2nTD3om it comes in different colours too. 

Backpack:

Choosing the right backpack for long term travel is crucial, it will make your travel so much easier if you don’t have to unload all your things just to get one thing at the bottom of your bag. I currently travel with the tried and true by many travellers like myself, that is the Osprey Farpoint 55 Bag, which includes a detachable day bag (SUPER USEFUL).

Why I like the Osprey Bag?

It is high quality, durable, and well designed for travel. There are steel wires that help keep the shape of the bag and the front loading design gives you access to everything in your bag all at once, compared to the top loading bags where you have to unpack everything just to get to the bottom item. It’s also the perfect size for all airlines carry-on dimensions requirements.

Osprey also has an “All-mighty Guarantee” where they will repair your bag free of charge should anything happen! Regardless if it was purchased in 1974 or yesterday, just send it into one of their many authorized repair shop around the world and boom, you’re back to travelling. From my experience with my bag so far, I never needed a repair once and it’s still in great shape after some pretty rough handling.

Check out the Osprey Farpoint backpack here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2o54AD5

Clothing:

One of the biggest mistakes travellers make is bringing too much stuff. You won’t need a second laptop and all those shoes and dresses “just in case.” If you’re looking to backpack your way through with just a carry-on, 7 kgs. (15 lbs.) is the maximum total weight for your carry on + personal bag. It’s do-able. 

• Pants with zippers - This will be great defence against pickpocketing and easier to travel with valuables or currency 
• 5 T-shirts
• 5 underwear
• 5 pairs of socks
• Small towel
• Hat
• Scarf
• Toothbrush and toothpaste (100ML max)
• Sunscreen
• Nail clippers
• Running shoes
• Slippers
• Earplugs
• Noise cancelling earphones
• Sanitizer & wet wipes
• Medication
• Packing cubes

Family and friends

At the beginning as your planning your trip and sharing your plans with your friends and families, you’ll get a lot of weird looks of discouragement. The plan to leave your comfortable life at home to seek out unknown adventures freaks people out — that’s normal. Once you can re-assure yourself that you’re making the right decision for you, everything will feel easier and you won’t need to seek others approval.