Seasoned travellers share how travel has changed over the years for them

Technological advancements have made travel much easier in modern times. — Unsplash

“Kids have it so easy these days” is a phrase often muttered by one generation to the next – from Boomers to Gen X, from Gen X to Millennials, from Millennials to Gen Z, and even from Gen Z to Gen Alpha and Gen Beta, the youngest of us all.

Each generation can’t be faulted for thinking that the generations after them enjoy more conveniences in life. Perhaps not in all aspects, but decades of advancements have translated to easier access to certain things.

Retrieving information requires just a few presses on a digital keyboard (or even simply using voice command), buying anything from groceries to clothes to something as random as a nail clipper can be done on a smartphone via a multitude of apps.

Even hitchhiking has gone the way of the dodo thanks to ride-sharing services.

For travellers, the ever-evolving tourism landscape means that with each passing decade, it gets easier to travel anywhere.

While the leap may not be as dramatic as the change from travelling for days in horse-drawn carriages to mere hours on bullet trains (this progression did take centuries), there have been year-by-year improvements that can’t be taken for granted.

“Travel today is much more practical and convenient,” says Chew Liyar, 43. She appreciates that cashless payments are seamless and “public transport connectivity is so much better”.

She adds that modern navigation tools also take the stress out of getting around. “Planning meant relying on guidebooks and maps rather than real-time updates,” she says of her travels back in the day.

Portugal was among the destinations Chew travelled to in her 20s. — CHEW LIYAR

Premanand Nanu, 57, shares the same view, adding phone calls to the mix of necessities when making travel arrangements.

“There was no Waze back then, just good old paper maps,” he says. The lack of such apps was why he once got lost in Manchester, England on his first trip to the city.

While there was a “certain charm and adventure in travelling that way”, Premanand says, he prefers the convenience and flexibility offered by today’s technology.

Chew, too, thinks that getting lost was a staple of past travels, but not necessarily a bad experience.

“Travel back then had a wonderful sense of adventure,” Chew muses. “There was more room for unplanned discoveries, a slower and more immersive pace, genuine face-to-face connections, and far less pressure from social media.”

With over four decades of travel experience to her name, Chew has certainly noticed the way the tourism landscape has evolved through the years.

“I started travelling when I was just a baby,” says Chew. As her mother is Taiwanese, her family often spent their year-end holidays in Taiwan, up until Chew was around 18 years old.

“My parents also took me and my brothers to Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand, which gave me early exposure to different cultures and made me comfortable adapting to new environments,” she adds.

The “Alam dan Manusia” (Nature and Humanity) classes during her primary school days also piqued her interest to explore new places, curious about the way people lived in other parts of the world.

Later, during her seven-year study and work stint in Britain, she seized the opportunity to travel around Europe.

“In my 20s, Europe was essentially my travel playground,” she says. “Budget airlines and intercity trains made getaways really affordable, and I had the freedom to be spontaneous.”

Chew shares that she was able to travel during Easter, Christmas and long weekends with friends “... without too much planning or expense”.

Premanand and his wife in Russia. — PREMANAND NANU

For Premanand, he was eight years old when he went on his first trip to Kerala, India in 1977. As that was also his first time travelling from his hometown, Segamat in Johor, to Kuala Lumpur – and his first time taking a plane to boot – it was a “mind-blowing” experience overall for his young self.

“I was fascinated by everything,” he marvels. This included the taste of airline food, especially the “heavenly” dessert.

“From then on, I started associating travel with discovering new places, having new life experiences and, of course, amazing food. That feeling has stayed with me ever since,” he says.

Kelantan-born Shahrina Abdullah, 48, also started travelling during her primary school days. Her travels began with domestic explorations around Peninsular Malaysia.

Aged eight to 15, she and her family would make annual visits to KL to see her eldest sister and accompany her father to the Umno General Assembly in the city. She remembers taking the Penang ferry for the first time when she was 10, circa 1988.

“My first trip going abroad by plane was with my mum in 1994, when we went for umrah in Mecca,” Shahrina shares.

Shahrina (right, green hijab) with her sisters at Lake District, North West England. — SHAHRINA ABDULLAH

Her father, who was an avid traveller himself, was a big influence in fostering her wanderlust. “All his kids would be given the opportunity to travel locally and abroad to gain life experiences, be introduced to other cultures and explore new cities,” she elaborates.

After she started working in 2001, she began making two to three trips per year, for both business and leisure reasons.

Soon, her list expanded to include Asean countries like Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand; Chinese destinations like Guangzhou, Taiwan and Hong Kong; and European cities like London and Paris.

The latter two marked her first trip to Europe, which she took with her husband. “We got to experience the two-hour Eurostar high-speed train that went under the sea between London and Paris,” she recalls.

From travelling with her family during her childhood, to doing so with friends in her young adulthood, to now going places with her family, Shahrina notices her travelling style and preferences have undergone changes over the years.

“Previously, I travelled to get the most experience out of a single trip,” she explains.

“The itinerary would be maximised with many activities like cultural stuff, hunts for cheap halal food, and stays in reasonably cheap but clean hotel.”

Now she prefers booking “higher quality” hotels, which must be located near the best attractions.

Her current trips involve more relaxing, sightseeing, experiencing what locals do and hunting for the best local food.

Premanand, too, opts for nicer hotels now. This was the one definite thing that has changed for him.

From then to now, he’s always enjoyed travelling with family or friends. Meanwhile, his choice of destinations, while they vary throughout the decades, have always been according to what he can afford at the time he’s planning his trip.

In his 20s, he initially travelled within Malaysia. Some of these were company outings and some were visits to his college friends’ hometowns.

“After going to Britain to study, the travelling bug was magnified,” says Premanand. He was studying in Newcastle when he joined an exchange programme called Bunac. This allowed him to spend his summers working, living and travelling in the United States.

“I did this in the summer of 1996,” he says. “I spent three months working in Ocean City Maryland, an amusement park.”

He then spent a month exploring the eastern and central parts of the US with his friends, mainly by using the Amtrax train service. It had a great deal for students, which proved advantageous as they were travelling on a tight budget.

From Washington DC to Niagara Falls and New York City, he and his friends have had to sleep a few times in their sleeping bags at train stations, bus stations and even airports due to delays. On better nights, they slept at youth hostels.

“Looking back, those challenges were part of what made the trip so special. Travelling with my best mates, figuring things out as we went along and exploring so many different places in a very short span of time made it an unforgettable adventure,” he says.

“Nowadays, I am fortunate enough to be in a better position financially that I can afford to travel and explore more exotic locations than I could when I was younger.”

However, his reasons for travelling remain the same: to discover new places and cultures, meet people and, of course, try different foods.

“The spicier the better,” he remarks.

Chew says her travel map looks very different now that she’s a mother of two.

“Back then, travel was about independence, exploration and seeing as much as possible,” she notes. “Now, it’s more about connection, creating shared experiences with my children, and being more intentional with where we go.”

She and her husband keep their journeys shorter and more comfortable now for their two young kids’ sake. They spend time mostly around Asia and also Australia, where her brothers are based.

Like her fellow seasoned travellers, trips back in the day were more about adventures and stretching every dollar (alternatively, the British pound, euro or ringgit). She backpacked, booked the cheapest flights, stayed in budget accommodations and even did overnight stays at airports.

“Now, my priorities have completely changed. I’m no longer chasing the cheapest option if it means arriving exhausted or dragging the kids through a packed itinerary,” she says. Current trips focus more on family-friendly hotels and direct flights so the children will actually enjoy them.

Zainal Abidin Ibrahim, 62, says he similarly ensured that his family trips were enjoyable for his two sons during their childhood.

“As our two sons were avid swimmers, most of our travels were beach-related,” he explains. Krabi, Thailand; Lombok, Indonesia and the Maldives were some of their destinations.

Their international family trips were limited to once a year, but they tried to explore domestic destinations almost every school holiday.

Zainal Abidin and his family prioritised island destinations as they enjoyed swimming. — ZAINAL ABIDIN IBRAHIM

Zainal Abidin wanted his children to enjoy visiting new places, the same way he did when he started travelling in his 30s. He began exploring local destinations with his wife after getting married in 1994, and then travelling as a quartet after both sons were born.

“I also travelled internationally during my working days in a telecommunications company,” he says, naming Moscow (Russia), Istanbul (Turkiye), Amsterdam (the Netherlands) and Taiwan’s Taipei and Kaohsiung as some of the places he’d visited.

Now that his sons are young adults, they’re naturally doing more travelling on their own. This leaves him and his wife plenty of time to “jalan-jalan cari makan” (travel for food) by themselves around Malaysia.

From the years that he’s spent travelling, ZainalAbidin has become certain about one thing: Wherever you go, Malaysia is still the better place. As he puts it, “ Hujan emas di negeri orang, hujan batu di negeri sendiri; baik lagi di negeri sendiri (no matter how good things are in another country, home is always better).”

Lessons from the road

Adaptability and self-reliance were what Chew has gained from her years of travel. She’s also learned that “kindness, curiosity, and respect go such a long way” when it comes to connecting with others, no matter where.

Meanwhile, Shahrina, who is always cautious and aware of her surroundings when on her travels, reminds younger travellers who may just be starting out to do the same. “Be more mindful when planning and travelling,” she shares.

This includes having a reliable credit card and a travel insurance in case of emergencies, spending within their means and respecting local culture and laws.

“Anytime, anywhere please do respect the rules or laws of the places you visit,” she cautions. The rise of oversharing on social media has led to some travellers ignoring these and causing disruptions just to get the perfect shot or view.

Social media is both a boon and a bane. It widens exposure and drives tourism growth, but these subsequently lead to overcrowding.

Chew sees this as a downside, too. “Many popular spots are now overcrowded, and it’s easy to get stuck on your phone or follow the same algorithm-driven itinerary as everyone else.

“Plus, there’s pressure to create perfect content instead of simply enjoying the trip,” she laments.

That said, Chew does appreciate the convenience that modern tools provide. “They make travel easier and more accessible. But I try to travel with the mindset of the past: Putting the phone away, wandering spontaneously and being fully present in the moment.”

Premanand agrees: “Take plenty of photos, but also put the phone away sometimes and simply enjoy being in the moment.”

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科技进步使现代旅行变得更加便捷。—— Unsplash

“现在的孩子真好过日子”这句话经常在一代人之间流传——从婴儿潮一代到 X 世代，从 X 世代到千禧一代，从千禧一代到 Z 世代，甚至从 Z 世代到 Alpha 世代和 Beta 世代，也就是我们中最年轻的一代。

每一代人都有理由认为后代的生活更加便利。或许并非所有方面都如此，但几十年的科技进步确实让人们更容易获得某些东西。

只需在数字键盘上按几下（甚至只需使用语音命令）即可检索信息，从食品杂货到衣服，再到指甲钳这样的小东西，都可以通过智能手机上的众多应用程序购买。

由于拼车服务的出现，就连搭便车这种出行方式也逐渐消失了。

对于旅行者来说，不断变化的旅游环境意味着，每过十年，去任何地方旅行都会变得更加容易。

虽然这种飞跃可能不像从乘坐马车数天到乘坐高铁数小时的转变那样剧烈（这一进步确实用了几个世纪），但每年都有进步，这些进步不容忽视。

“如今的出行更加实用便捷，”43岁的周莉雅说道。她很欣赏无现金支付的便捷性，“公共交通的连通性也大大提升”。

她补充说，现代导航工具也让出行变得轻松许多。“以前旅行时，我们只能依靠指南和地图，而不是实时更新的信息，”她回忆道。

葡萄牙是周莉亚在二十多岁时去过的目的地之一。——周莉亚

57 岁的普雷马南德·纳努也持相同观点，认为在安排旅行时，打电话也是必不可少的环节之一。

“那时候还没有Waze，只有老式的纸质地图，”他说。正是因为没有这类应用程序，他第一次去英国曼彻斯特时就迷路了。

普雷马南德表示，虽然“那种旅行方式有其独特的魅力和冒险精神”，但他更喜欢当今科技带来的便利和灵活性。

Chew 也认为，迷路是过去旅行中经常遇到的事情，但不一定是糟糕的经历。

“那时候的旅行充满了奇妙的冒险感，”周回忆道。“旅行中会有更多计划外的发现，节奏更慢，更能沉浸其中，人们可以真正地面对面交流，而且社交媒体带来的压力也小得多。”

周女士拥有超过四十年的旅游经验，她当然注意到了旅游业这些年来的演变。

“我还是个婴儿的时候就开始旅行了，”周女士说。由于她的母亲是台湾人，所以直到周女士18岁左右，她的家人经常在年末假期回台湾度假。

她补充说：“我的父母还带我和我的兄弟们去了日本、韩国、香港和泰国，这让我从小就接触到不同的文化，也让我能够轻松地适应新的环境。”

小学时期的“自然与人文”课程也激发了她探索新地方的兴趣，让她对世界其他地方人们的生活方式感到好奇。

后来，在她于英国学习和工作的七年间，她抓住机会游历了欧洲各地。

“我二十多岁的时候，欧洲基本上就是我的旅行乐园，”她说。“廉价航空和城际列车让旅行变得非常经济实惠，而且我可以随心所欲地安排行程。”

Chew表示，她能够在复活节、圣诞节和长周末与朋友们一起旅行，“……而无需太多计划或花费”。

普雷曼南德和他的妻子在俄罗斯。 — 普雷马南德·纳努

对于普雷马南德来说，1977 年他第一次去印度喀拉拉邦旅行时，他只有八岁。那也是他第一次从家乡柔佛州昔加末前往吉隆坡——而且还是他第一次坐飞机——对于年幼的他来说，这真是一次“令人大开眼界”的经历。

“我对一切都着迷，”他惊叹道。这其中就包括飞机餐的味道，尤其是那“人间美味”的甜点。

“从那时起，我开始把旅行与发现新地方、体验新生活以及品尝美食联系起来。这种感觉一直伴随着我，”他说。

现年48岁、出生于吉兰丹州的莎丽娜·阿卜杜拉（Shahrina Abdullah）从小学就开始旅行。她的旅行最初是在马来西亚半岛境内进行探索。

8岁到15岁期间，她和家人每年都会去吉隆坡探望她的大姐，并陪同父亲参加在吉隆坡举行的巫统大会。她记得大约在1988年，10岁那年第一次乘坐槟城渡轮。

“我第一次乘飞机出国旅行是在 1994 年，当时我和妈妈一起去麦加朝觐，”莎赫丽娜分享道。

莎赫丽娜（右，戴绿色头巾）与她的姐妹们在英格兰西北部的湖区。——莎赫丽娜·阿卜杜拉

她的父亲本身就是一位旅行爱好者，对她培养了对旅行的热爱产生了很大的影响。“他会让所有孩子都有机会在国内和国外旅行，以积累人生经验，了解其他文化，探索新的城市，”她解释道。

自 2001 年开始工作后，她每年会出差两到三次，既有商务出行，也有休闲度假。

很快，她的名单扩大到包括印度尼西亚、越南和泰国等东盟国家；广州、台湾和香港等中国目的地；以及伦敦和巴黎等欧洲城市。

后两次旅行是她和丈夫的首次欧洲之旅。“我们体验了从伦敦到巴黎的欧洲之星高速列车，全程两小时，途经海底隧道，”她回忆道。

从童年时期与家人一起旅行，到青年时期与朋友一起旅行，再到现在与家人一起旅行，莎赫丽娜注意到，这些年来她的旅行方式和喜好发生了变化。

“以前，我旅行是为了尽可能多地体验不同的事物，”她解释说。

“行程安排将尽可能丰富，包括体验文化活动、寻找便宜的清真食品，以及入住价格合理但干净的酒店。”

现在她更喜欢预订“更高档”的酒店，这些酒店必须位于最佳景点附近。

她目前的旅行方式更注重放松、观光、体验当地人的生活以及寻找当地最好的美食。

普雷马南德现在也更倾向于入住高档酒店。这是他身上唯一明显改变的事情。

从那时到现在，他一直很喜欢和家人或朋友一起旅行。同时，尽管几十年来他选择的旅行目的地有所不同，但始终都取决于他当时的经济能力。

他二十多岁时，最初是在马来西亚境内旅行。其中一些是公司组织的郊游，另一些则是去拜访大学朋友的家乡。

“去英国留学之后，我对旅行的热情更加强烈了，”普雷马南德说道。他在纽卡斯尔求学期间参加了一个名为Bunac的交换生项目。这个项目让他得以利用暑假在美国工作、生活和旅行。

“那是1996年夏天的事，”他说。“我在马里兰州海洋城的一个游乐园工作了三个月。”

之后，他和朋友们花了一个月的时间游览了美国东部和中部地区，主要乘坐的是美铁（Amtrax）的火车。美铁为学生提供了非常优惠的票价，这对于预算有限的他们来说非常方便。

从华盛顿特区到尼亚加拉大瀑布再到纽约市，他和朋友们因为航班延误，不得不几次睡在火车站、汽车站甚至机场的睡袋里。运气好的时候，他们就住在青年旅舍。

“回想起来，正是那些挑战让这次旅行如此特别。和最好的朋友们一起旅行，边走边摸索，在很短的时间内探索了这么多不同的地方，这让这次旅行成为了一次难忘的冒险，”他说。

“如今，我的经济状况比年轻时好得多，我很幸运能够负担得起旅行，探索更多异国风情的地方。”

然而，他旅行的理由始终未变：探索新的地方和文化，结识新朋友，当然，还要品尝不同的美食。

“越辣越好，”他评论道。

Chew表示，自从成为两个孩子的母亲后，她的旅行计划已经发生了很大的变化。

“那时候，旅行是为了独立自主、探索未知、尽可能多地游览，”她说道。“现在，旅行更多的是为了与家人朋友建立联系，创造共同的经历，并且更加有目的地选择旅行目的地。”

为了两个年幼的孩子，她和丈夫现在尽量缩短旅行时间，选择更舒适的旅行方式。他们主要在亚洲各地活动，偶尔也会去澳大利亚，她的兄弟们在那里生活。

和她那些经验丰富的旅行者一样，她当年的旅行更注重冒险和精打细算（无论是英镑、欧元还是林吉特）。她背着背包，订最便宜的机票，住经济型旅馆，甚至在机场过夜。

“现在，我的旅行重心完全改变了。如果这意味着筋疲力尽地到达目的地，或者带着孩子们挤在满满当当的行程中，我就不会再追求最便宜的旅行方式了。”她说道。现在，她更注重选择适合家庭入住的酒店和直飞航班，这样孩子们才能真正享受旅程。

62岁的扎伊纳尔·阿比丁·易卜拉欣表示，他也同样确保他的两个儿子在童年时期享受家庭旅行的乐趣。

“因为我们的两个儿子都是游泳爱好者，所以我们的大部分旅行都与海滩有关，”他解释说。泰国甲米、印度尼西亚龙目岛和马尔代夫都是他们的目的地。

他们每年只能进行一次国际家庭旅行，但几乎每个学校假期他们都会尽量探索国内目的地。

扎伊纳尔·阿比丁和他的家人喜欢去海岛度假，因为他们喜欢游泳。——扎伊纳尔·阿比丁·易卜拉欣

扎伊纳尔·阿比丁希望他的孩子们能像他30多岁开始旅行时那样，享受游览新地方的乐趣。1994年结婚后，他开始和妻子一起探索当地的景点，两个儿子出生后，他们一家四口就开始旅行。

“我在电信公司工作期间也经常出国旅行，”他说，并列举了他去过的一些地方，包括莫斯科（俄罗斯）、伊斯坦布尔（土耳其）、阿姆斯特丹（荷兰）以及台湾的台北和高雄。

现在他的儿子们都已长大成人，自然而然地开始独自旅行。这让他和妻子有大把时间独自在马来西亚各地“寻觅美食”。

在旅行的这些年里，ZainalAbidin 确信一件事：无论你走到哪里，马来西亚仍然是更好的地方。正如他所说，“Hujan emas di negeri orang, hujan batu di negeri sendiri; baik lagi di negeri sendiri（无论另一个国家的情况有多好，家总是更好）。”

旅途中的教训

多年的旅行经历让周女士培养了适应能力和自立能力。她也体会到，无论身处何地，在与人交往时，“善良、好奇和尊重都至关重要”。

与此同时，莎赫丽娜在旅行中总是保持警惕，时刻注意周围环境，她提醒那些可能刚刚开始旅行的年轻旅行者也要这样做。“在计划和旅行时要更加谨慎，”她说道。

这包括拥有一张可靠的信用卡和一份旅行保险以备不时之需，量入为出，尊重当地文化和法律。

她告诫道：“无论何时何地，请务必尊重你所到之处的规章制度和法律。”社交媒体上过度分享的盛行，导致一些旅行者为了拍到完美的照片或欣赏到绝佳的景色而忽视这些规定，造成混乱。

社交媒体既是福音也是祸根。它扩大了曝光度，促进了旅游业发展，但这些随后会导致过度拥挤。

Chew 也认为这是一个缺点。“现在很多热门景点都人满为患，很容易沉迷于手机，或者像其他人一样按照算法规划的行程游览。”

“此外，人们还面临着创作完美内容的压力，而不是享受旅行本身，”她感叹道。

尽管如此，周先生也十分欣赏现代工具带来的便利。“它们让旅行更轻松、更便捷。但我尽量用过去的心态去旅行：放下手机，随性漫步，全身心地投入到当下。”

普雷马南德对此表示赞同：“多拍些照片，但也要时不时地把手机放在一边，好好享受当下。”

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这些年轻人利用社交媒体宣传马来西亚的乡村旅游目的地。

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