Malaysian travels to six countries in three weeks before pandemic

The reader enjoying a beautiful sunset at the Oia Village in Santorini.

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In 2019, I decided to go on a six-country tour. I made all the travel arrangements in October that year, and my three-week trip was supposed to begin in February 2020.

However, by December 2019, Covid-19 was becoming a serious problem all over the world and the travel industry was already affected then. Initially, I thought of cancelling my trip, but after much research, and hesitation, I decided to just go ahead with my plan.

To prepare for my tour, I packed three weeks’ worth of hand sanitisers, vitamins, paracetamol tablets, KF94 and N95 masks. I also bought a comprehensive travel insurance plan.

My journey began on Feb 26 and ended on March 17, just before Malaysia closed its borders and entered its very first movement control order phase. The countries on my itinerary were Thailand, Greece, Romania, Austria, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Here are some highlights from each of the places I visited.

Dubai, UAE

My first destination was Dubai, and it was a good start to the tour. Upon arrival, I was pleased to see that most people were social distancing and wore face masks in public places.

The reader checked out the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai. — Photos: CLEMENT LEE

If you’re a first-time visitor here, then do go for an abra ride on the creek. Abras are small motorboats which ferry people across the beautiful creek. Check out also the observation deck of the 828m-tall Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, and enjoy an enchanting view of Dubai’s skyline.

I thought that the taxi fares in Dubai were high, and it wasn’t easy for me to get ehailing services in some districts. This is something you would need to consider when choosing your accommodation if you plan to visit.

Fortunately, you can explore the city with its rapid transit railway, which is efficient, modern and super clean. The transit line covers major tourist hotspots and shopping malls, as well as the business and financial districts.

I spent some time on the City-Sightseeing bus too, a hop-on, hop-off tour bus service. We passed by popular attractions like Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Frame, Old Souk, Creek, Dubai Museum, the Burj Al-Arab hotel and Dubai Mall. I stopped at the Dubai Mall to try the popular indoor down-slope skiing.

Later, I went to the food court to feast on some shawarma, hummus, samosas and arabic sage tea.

Istanbul, Turkey

Turkey has plenty to offer, but if it’s your first time visiting, then start with the city of Istanbul.

There is a sort of vitality in Istanbul, making it a cool cultural melting pot that’s squeezed between Europe and Asia.

I first strolled through the glorious Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, before heading for a river cruise, which was only TRY12 (RM3.50). Sure, this was a “budget” cruise but it serviced the same route as the “fancy” ones, but minus the fine dining and belly dancing shows.

There are several river cruise options on the Bosphorus in Istanbul that you can choose from.

During the 90-minute cruise, we passed by the Galata Tower, Dolmabahce Palace, Maiden’s Tower, Martyrs Bridge, Rumeli Fortress, and Sultan Mehmet Bridge.

I also marvelled at the ancient Basilica Cistern that lies beneath Istanbul, and visited the Topkapi Palace to gain some insight into the lavish lifestyles of the Ottoman sultans. I checked out the legendary Grand Bazaar, which sold everything under the sun.

Remember to always bargain for a lower price before buying anything at this market.

Athens and Santorini, Greece

From Istanbul, I went to Athens, arguably the second oldest city in Europe that dates back to 3000 BC.

Here, you can find the Acropolis, which never disappoints visitors with its grand presence.

I chose to discover Athens by getting on the hop-on, hop-off sightseeing bus for US$14 (RM61) per day. It was a bargain, really, as I managed to see the historic Panathenaic Olympic Stadium, the Acropolis, Hadrian’s Arch, the Temple of Zeus, Central Market and the Acropolis Museum. Athens truly is great for fans of archaeological sites and history.

I also watched the changing of the guard ceremony at the parliament, which was interesting.

After Athens, I travelled to Santorini, where you can find these adorable blue-and-white buildings spread all across the island. I started my day here with a visit to the island’s highest peak, then continued with the Red and Black beaches, small villages, family farms, and lastly, the Akrotiri Lighthouse.

I spent the whole time soaking up the atmosphere of the island and admiring the views of the Aegean Sea, before ending the tour with an amazing sunset in the famous village of Oia.

The easiest way to get around Santorini is on a motorbike (you can easily rent one), though you will probably bump into some donkeys and huge seagulls!

Bucharest, Romania

Bucharest is also known as the Little Paris of the East. I joined a free walking tour here to explore the old town. Keep in mind that while the tour is free, it is common courtesy to tip the tour guide, based on his or her performance. This would range from US$5 (RM22) to US$10 (RM44).

I have to say our tour guide that day had a superb way of telling medieval stories. The tour started at Manu’s Inn, and we visited the most beautiful monastery in Bucharest called Stavropoleos Church, as well as the Great Victoria Avenue, Villacrosse Passage and Lipscani Street.

Our last stop was the New St George Church, the largest in Bucharest. It was consecrated in 1707, during the reign of Constantin Brancoveanu. The city was really interesting and beautiful but unfortunately, I had no time to visit the Vajdahunyad Castle, also known as “Dracula mansion”.

Vienna, Austria

If you’re a fan of classical music, art, castles and nature, then Vienna would be the best city for you to visit.

Unfortunately, by the time I got to Vienna, it was already the first week of March and Covid-19 was spreading fast. There were more people wearing face masks in public areas.

There was also a shortage of face masks, sanitisers and toilet paper in the city (although I guess this was a problem all over the world back then) and the local authorities even closed all public indoor tourist attractions.

In Vienna, the reader could only visit the outdoor sections of tourist attractions, like the Schoenbrunn Palace pictured here.

All the walking tours were also cancelled.

So, I again signed up for the hop-on, hop-off tour bus service and checked out the outdoor portions of the Mozart monument, Burggarten Park, St Stephan’s Cathedral, State Opera, Hofburg Palace, Belvedere Garden and Shchoenbrunn Palace.

I managed to catch a private symphony, too, which performed classical music composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Strauss, Franz Schubert and Ludwig van Beethoven.

Bangkok, Thailand

I was supposed to travel to Budapest in Hungary, after Vienna. However, I received news that Malaysia would go into lockdown in the next three days. I was not sure if I would be able to enter Malaysia after it goes on lockdown so I decided to pull the brakes on my trip and return home while it was still safe to do so.

Luckily, I was able to get a last-minute flight from Vienna to Kuala Lumpur via Bangkok. I had a 10-hour layover in Bangkok so I got a day pass to leave the Suvarnabhumi International Airport and headed straight for T & K Seafood in Yaowarat (Chinatown), for a feast of my favourite grilled river prawns, grilled crab and tom yum goong.

I finally reached KL International Airport at 11pm on March 17, just one hour before the MCO kicked in.

In hindsight, I know I made the right decision to cut my trip a little short and return home, as I would have been stuck in Budapest for a very, very long time!

Travelling during the pandemic can be worrying, but as long as you’re well prepared and have done all your research on entry requirements and other important things, then it is possible to have an enjoyable time.

Now that borders are open, I can’t wait to travel internationally again!

The views expressed are entirely the reader’s own.