“Where do you want to go once the pandemic is over?” This is a question that has
been cropping up in conversations all over the country and in fact, the world.
Everyone misses travelling, so when we posed this question in an informal survey,
our travel-deprived correspondents were eager to talk about their dream
vacations. Small wonder, as just the idea of travel and planning a trip, can boost our
happiness.

“What I need is a good dose of Vitamin Sea! I want to be walking on white-sand beaches, swimming with the fishes, exploring beautiful corals and enjoying a luxurious spa at a beach resort. I don’t care if it’s in Malaysia or overseas, I just want to get my Vitamin Sea after I get my vaccination!” - Amanda.
1-wander list
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“The first place I want to visit is Hokkaido, Japan to discover the magnificent natural scenery, villages along the coastlines and fresh seafood such as kani (crab), ikura (salmon roe) and uni (sea urchin). I’m already drooling just thinking about it. I also can’t wait to soak in a hot spring while gazing out into the serenity of nature” - Alvin
“Thailand! First on my list. It’s so near and yet so far. I miss the tom yum, pad thai and mango sticky rice! No doubt, there are plenty of good Thai restaurants in KL but enjoying Thai food at my favourite beach resort in Koh Lipe is the next level of enjoyment!” - Jessica
9-wander list
“I cancelled my trip to Melbourne back in mid-2020 due to the pandemic. It was a sad decision, but later is better than never. It looks like I can probably proceed with my plan real soon. Can’t wait to catch the sunrise on a hot air balloon ride over the Yarra Valley vineyards with my family.” – Kay
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Based on our conversations, we found that a few destinations proved to be exceptionally popular, namely :
• A beach vacation
• Thailand
• Japan
• Australia

Do you agree with these destinations topping our list? Do see if your choice of destination matches the rest of our readers! But read on to discover hidden gems to be discovered at these destinations on your next trip.


The beach vacation

The beach vacation seems to be the most popular destination amongst those we surveyed. Some are yearning to go back to a favourite destination, such as Mary, who is looking forward to returning to Langkawi, where her family vacations almost every year.



“My son loves the beach, he can just spend the entire holiday there. There are also
other activities such as cable car rides, river cruises to mangrove forests and island
hopping to keep a child occupied. We usually spend a whole week there,” – Mary shares
wistfully.



2-wander list
Source: www. naga-pelangi.com

Frequent visitors to Langkawi may feel that they’ve seen all it has to offer. If so, you should go for the one-of-a-kind sailing experience to be had aboard the picturesque Naga Pelangi. The Naga Pelangi is one of the legendary Pinas-type “perahu besar” or big boat, a Malaystyle sailing boat, that is sadly going extinct. These speedy boats sailed the South China Sea for centuries, with the last few still in operation up until the 1980s.

The Naga Pelangi is the first perahu besar built in decades by the shipwrights of Duyong Island, Trengganu in a unique Malay wooden boat-building tradition that is thousands of years old. Like the boats, this art is also fading away. Sailing around the waters of Langkawi on the Naga Pelangi, it is not difficult to take a step back in time and imagine yourself an ancient mariner who sailed the Malay archipelago thousands of years ago or a swash-buckling pirate of the South China Sea.

Those looking forward to an overseas beach vacation seem to be looking for a new and wow experience. The Maldives seem to be the destination of choice, particularly for newlyweds who have had to postpone their honeymoons. “We had to postpone our plans to honeymoon in the Maldives,” says Sara.
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Source: www.conradmaldives.com



“Nevertheless I’ve narrowed down my choice of resorts to the Anantara Kihavah
Maldives Over Water Pool Villa, St. Regis Over Water Villa or the W Maldives. I’ll
proceed with whichever resort that is available once travel is permitted,”
– Sara

 




The Maldives is definitely the ultimate beach vacation, topping the bucket lists of countless travel publications. Not only does it have natural beauty in spades, it also has some of the most spectacular resorts and restaurants built to showcase the beauty of its oceans. One of the most spectacular of these is The Muraka at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.

The Conrad is already known for its underwater restaurant Ithaa. It has now topped itself with the introduction of the world’s first undersea villa. The Muraka is a two-storey residence featuring a master bedroom submerged over 16 feet below sea level. The master bedroom is an architectural masterpiece that doubles up as your own private underwater wonderland. You will undoubtedly spend many enchanted hours watching the fishes, rays, sharks and turtles frolic and play via floorto- ceiling windows in the walk-in closet, bathroom, shower, bedroom and dedicated viewing theatre.
5-wander list
Japan



“It’s one of my favourite places to visit. I enjoy the culture, and I love the food.
I also love the Japanese attention to detail - from the little sparrow sculptures along a
railing in Osaka Castle Park to the different manhole cover designs in every city.”
– Jing




Without a doubt, Japan is a favourite destination for Malaysians. Many seem to be getting their Japan fix by patronising Japanese franchises in Malaysia. Recently we saw 2-hour lines as people waited to enter a newly-opened Japanese discount chain in Bukit Bintang. Similarly, there is always a long line at the newly-opened branch of a Kyotobased coffee shop in Kuala Lumpur.

There is so much to see and do in Japan. It is so rich in tradition, yet also ultra-modern, even futuristic. To top it all off, Japan has a distinctive pop culture found nowhere else in the world. One of the quintessential Japanese experience is the onsen or hot spring baths and onsen towns dot the country. However, there is only one onsen that has received the coveted three Michelin stars, and that is Hyotan Onsen in the onsen town of Beppu.

What has this onsen done to receive these accolades? This welcoming onsen is considered the most beautiful onsen in Beppu and is one of the onsens that welcome tattooed customers in its public baths.

Hyotan Onsen offers 8 types of public baths for men and women, including beautiful waterfall baths featuring waterfalls coming out directly from the hot springs on the property. There are 14 different private family baths for those who want a little privacy. Hyotan Onsen also offers sand baths, heated by the steam from hot springs, which is said to be gentler on the bathers.

As a finishing touch, Hyotan Onsen offers Jigokumushi cuisine if you are feeling peckish after exploring all the baths it has to offer. Jigokumushi is a cooking technique unique to the region, which uses the steam from the hot springs to cook food while preserving the delicacy of its natural flavours.
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Source: www.snowtomamu.jp
If you aren’t fond of the heat, you may prefer to head to the Tomamu Ice Village in Hokkaido. This village appears almost magically at Tomamu in winter when the temperature drops below -30°C. The village features 11 ice domes spread over 3.2 hectares. Here you can eat, drink and be merry as the shops serve up delicious Tomamu milk and fruits, while an Ice bar serves colour-changing cocktails, in chilled ice glasses. Everything is made of ice – from the furniture to the glasses and bowls used in the shops. This village features an ice church, perfect for a fairy tale wedding, and an ice hotel furnished with crystalline furniture hewn from ice. Even in the heart of this winter wonderland, we cannot escape the Japanese love for baths. Hotel guests can enjoy an outdoor onsen, encased in ice while surrounded by a wintry forest wonderland.
8-wander list
Source: www.thefloathouseriverkwai.com

Thailand


“I would go to Thailand because it’s the fastest and easiest to get to. My friends from
other countries would also choose to go to Thailand, making it the perfect destination
for a regional gathering.”
– Chee




Chee takes a more practical approach and would prefer to go somewhere a little closer to home assuming there are still COVID-19 rules to adhere to. Thailand is one of his favourite destinations, and he visits the country annually, sometimes even making a trip twice a year. Bangkok is one of his favourite destinations where he finds that there are still much to be discovered in each neighbourhood.

Beyond the bright city lights of Bangkok, there is still so much to see and experience, from hot air balloon rides over Chiangmai, treepod dining in Ko Khud, and floating luxury resorts on the River Kwai. However, an experience not to be missed, especially by honeymooning couples or those on a romantic getaway is the private dinners at The Sarojin, a luxury resort in the coastal resort town of Khao Lak.

Couples have their choice of different themed romantic dinners. One popular dinner experience is the Shipwrecked-in-Style dinner, where diners are taken on a yacht to be “shipwrecked” on a secluded sand isle to dine under the stars with a 360-degree view of the Andaman Sea.

But it is the Waterfall Dinner that has garnered the most accolades, being named one of the top three honeymoon experiences in 2017. At the Waterfall Dinner, couples will find themselves dining in a lush jungle paradise next to the Sai Rung (Rainbow) Waterfall, illuminated by the magical glow of hundreds of candles while being serenaded by the night songs of the jungle.

Australia

“Perth has some of the best beaches in
Australia. There are so many beautiful white
sand beaches with clear blue waters.”
– Stan
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Source: www.rottnestexpress.com.au

Australia is another country near and dear to the heart of Malaysians. Many have spent their university years there or have relatives who have migrated there. Unlike many Malaysians who flock to Melbourne, Stan would prefer to visit Perth where he spent his university days. “It’s a smaller and more relaxed city compared to Melbourne,” he says. Perth is known for its vineyards, however, Stan lets us in on a little known Western Australian secret.

A hidden gem in Perth is Rottnest Island, affectionately called Rotto by the locals. There are plenty of water activities to be had on this car-free island as there are 63 beautiful beaches to explore. However, the biggest attraction on Rottnest Island is the adorable quokka. Dubbed the ‘happiest animals on earth’ because of their cheeky smiles, the quokka can only be found on Rottnest Island. These friendly and curious creatures roam the island freely. Although they are a protected species and it is prohibited to touch or feed them, it is possible to sidle up next to a friendly quokka for the cutest selfie on earth.

Australia is also synonymous with road trips, with scenic routes crisscrossing the country. Ultimate Driving Tours (UDT) elevates road trips to an art form for the motoring enthusiast, where the driving is as much a highlight of the tour as the breathtaking scenery, luxury accommodations and awardwinning restaurants. Imagine driving across one of Australia’s iconic routes in a Lamborghini one day, a Porsche the next and an Aston Martin after that. There’s no need to tax your imagination if you are part of a UDT Supercar driving tour. On this tour, a group of 12-24 people will go on a road trip with a fleet of 6 - 12 supercars on the world’s most famous roads. What is a supercar you ask? Well, a car has to be at the very least be able to accelerate from 0-100kph in 3.5 seconds to qualify for the UDT fleet. UDT also offers self-drive tours where you select a supercar and drive along a highly curated, pre-planned route. Whatever you decide, this will surely be the road trip of a lifetime!
12-wander list
Source: www.ultimatedrivingtours.com

Where do you want to go once you are vaccinated and free to travel? With vaccinations being rolled out, the prospect of travelling with a vaccine passport is near. Are you longing to return to a familiar favourite or to head out for that deferred bucket list trip? Would you be planning a huge multigenerational family trip, a regional catch up with friends, a romantic getaway for two or going solo? While you are planning out the logistics of the trip, don’t forget to keep an eye on the foreign exchange rates on the currencies that you need.

Currencies such as the US Dollar and the Japanese Yen have weakened against the Malaysian Ringgit over the past year, and now is a good time to buy what you need for your future travels. This is especially true for the US Dollar as RHB is expecting the dollar to strengthen in 2Q2021, where it will stabilise before strengthening further in 1Q2022. If you are planning to go to Thailand, RHB also recommends that you pick up some Thai Baht as the Thai Baht is expected to appreciate if borders open between Malaysia and Thailand.

You can use an RHB Multi Currency Account to buy up to 24 different currencies whenever the exchange rates are low. You will also enjoy exclusive currency conversion rates if you hold an RHB Premier Multi Currency Visa Debit Card. The RHB Multi Currency Account is also an interest-bearing account, so your money will continue to work for you until you are ready to use it for your travels.

Withdrawal is fuss-free and easy. Just use your RHB Premier Multi Currency Visa Debit Card to transact in up to 16 foreign currencies while travelling. Now there is no need to make a trip to the money changers and carry too much cash.

Speak to your Relationship Manager to find out more about the RHB Multi Currency Account. Your Relationship Manager will be able to advise you on the best currencies to buy based on your travel plans. He or she will also be happy to share how the RHB Multi Currency Account can help to enhance your business, wealth and global lifestyle. We hope you have lots of fun planning for your future travel and that the RHB Multi Currency Account will help to enhance your travel experience.
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