Collect, post, stamp: Fun activities to make your travels memorable

Stamp rallies can include unique acrylic stamps like this one, which Lim collected when she visited a temple in Japan. — MICHELLE LIM

When English writer Theodore Hook sent himself a postcard in 1840, he meant it as a practical joke. Little did he know that one piece of self-designed card would inadvertently, in the year 2001, be recognised by the Guinness World Records as the oldest picture postcard in the world.

Hook also probably would’ve never guessed that nearly two centuries later, sending postcards to oneself has become a ubiquitous act.

Not as a joke, however.

“If there’s a postbox nearby or if the shop selling the postcards offers mailing service, I’m definitely sending one to myself,” says Fatin Syahida Saharudin, 25.

To her, there is a kind of magic in holding a handwritten memory. She adds, “Travel is precious to me as it’s not something I get to do often, so I want to hold on to every moment.”

She lists Turkiye, Singapore, China – where she did an exchange student programme in Kunming – and, of course, Malaysia as some of the places she has sent postcards from, either to herself or to loved ones.

Her intention isn’t to brag, the way that pre-social media tourists used postcards to boast about their holidays in the 20th century, but simply to send a genuine “wish you were here”.

Fatin enjoys sending postcards to friends as well as herself. — FATIN SYAHIDA SAHARUDIN

Once a primary form of communication, postcards saw an inevitable dip in popularity since updates could be posted instantly using the smart device in everyone’s hands.

However, modern conveniences also birthed a fast-paced lifestyle that leaves little room for true social connections. Unsurprisingly, this has led to the pendulum swinging back to the postcard’s original purpose of “communicating” and “connecting”.

The simple act of exchanging postcards fosters social and personal bonds. It is with this intention that Paulo Magalhaes founded Postcrossing in Portugal in 2005. This year, the project celebrates two decades of connecting people worldwide through sending and receiving postcards.

Recognising the disconnect that modern society experiences, Postcrossing partnered with Portuguese commercial printer Finepaper to officially launch World Postcard Day in 2020, to forge deeper connections among family and friends – and even strangers.

World Postcard Day has since been celebrated annually on Oct 1.

Keeping the spirit alive

Postcards may be an “old-timey” invention, but Gen Zs (aged 13-28) and Millennials (29-44) continue to keep the spirit of connecting via postcards alive.

“I lived in the United States for a few years when I was studying abroad, so whenever I travelled to other states there, I’d send postcards back home to my parents and friends,” says Joanne Jeya, 25.

“It was my way of letting them know I’m thinking of them even though I’m miles away from home. It was also a way to share a little piece of my life, and gift them a tangible keepsake from a place they might never visit.”

Livia Eisenring, 24, echoes the sentiment. “I do it because it’s a nice gesture towards the people I send the postcard to. I know that they feel loved and happy when they receive a card.”

“I started doing this in primary school on school trips. It was normal to write postcards to your family at home to tell them what you were doing and how you were feeling,” says the global traveller in an interview.

Eisenring includes a photo of herself (top right corner picture, left) with her friend Rebecca in her custom postcard. — LIVIA EISENRING

The postcards Eisenring sends are sometimes ones she made herself using Swiss Post’s Postcard Creator app. “When I design my own card, I always choose pictures of nature, sites, and myself,” she shares.

Penang-based Teoh Lip Sheng, 32, also makes his own postcards. But these aren’t just for himself – he sells his adorably illustrated postcards at his pop-up kiosk, whose location alternates between Penang and Kuala Lumpur.

Teoh’s kiosk is easily identifiable by the bright red postbox sitting atop the table, pulling off double duty as a beacon in the sea of vendors and visitors.

“It’s part of the experience,” he says, adding that visitors love sending their postcards on the spot.

While Teoh introduced the mailing service in 2022, he started making the postcards in 2021, when he launched his bakery business, Moepieces. This explains the original sweet-themed characters adorning his postcards, and why he likens sending them to “sending a little dessert for the heart”.

This little red postbox goes with Teoh to every pop-up event. — TEOH LIP SHENG

Aside from connecting with others, sending postcards has also become a way for people to pause and reflect on their journeys.

As Fatin puts it: “Writing postcards helps me slow down and really appreciate where I am.”

She adds sending postcards to herself is like sending “... a little love note from my past self to my future self.”

Eisenring is less familiar with this concept, but she did have her first experience with it on a recent trip to Penang. While wandering around the capital George Town, Eisenring ventured into a little shop that had a whole wall dedicated to sending postcards “into the future”. Intrigued, she sent one to her future self.

The mechanics are simple enough: pick a postcard, then a date to post it out. These postcards will be part of the wall’s display until they are ready for delivery.

Joey Lim, 44, is the creative mind behind this wholesome concept. The artist has run her shop, Unique Penang Art Gallery, and the “future mailing” service for almost 20 years.

“It started out as a simple thought of sending and sharing paintings around the world,” she says of the service, which uses postcards bearing her original illustrations.

It eventually grew to be a place to “send out love, affection and kindness to themselves (the senders)” and to their loved ones, she says. She adds that despite the busy surroundings, “people are so calm when putting words on the cards”.

Look out for craft shops that have their own souvenir stamps. — FLOREY D. MIKIL/The Star

She has set up small tables where visitors can spend their time penning their thoughts and well-wishes. Also provided are ink stamps – not to be mistaken for postal stamps – to decorate the postcards. Among the standard mass-produced ones, four stand out: special stamps she personally designed.

“These ink stamps are for travellers to bring home as a souvenir from my shop. Like the postcards, the stamps are unique. The images are carefully selected to represent Penang and our culture,” she explains.

When collecting connects

Ink stamping is a craft technique that has become increasingly popular beyond the journaling world. Customised stamps referencing specific places or special events make for a fun way to preserve the memories of visiting them.

While it has long been prevalent in the travel sphere within Japan, it was only in recent years that other countries started introducing destination-specific stamps as travel souvenirs. Tourists can collect them in their own journals or “stamp passports” – booklets with thick paper that prevent ink from bleeding through the pages.

Jeremy Loh, a traveller in his 40s, combines his love for travelling with his love for postcard and stamp collecting. He likens stamp hunting to treasure hunts, calling the stamps “surprises” that he can collect while travelling.

Loh had only started this particular hobby three years ago, but he already has stacks of journals filled with these inky wonders. That’s because stamp collecting isn’t limited to his travels, he also attends local stamp rallies.

Some of Loh’s postcards are stamped with event-exclusive designs. — JEREMY LOH

One such rally that he joined recently was the “George Town Festival x ElsiewithLove Stamp Rally 2025”, an event supported by the Penang government.

He expresses hope to see more government-endorsed stamp rally events across Malaysia, and lauds the efforts already made by places like the National Museum and KL General Post Office, where souvenir stamps would periodically be available.

He suggests incorporating stamping booths at train stations and tourist attractions, as well as cultural and historical places. Citing Japan, Taiwan and Mainland China as great models, he opines this would not only boost tourism but also encourage visitors to learn about the significance of each place.

Michelle Lim, 38, is a fellow traveller who’s familiar with the stamping scene in Japan, having lived in the country for close to a decade.

Stamp rally was not an activity she immediately jumped into, so when she started her stamping journey circa 2018-2019, she was not aware of the “prerequisites”.

“I was that one weird person in line, using my notebook to get the stamps,” she shares, adding that she was oblivious as to why the mothers in the queue were side-eyeing her for doing so.

It was only later that a Japanese friend informed her of the “correct” way. No more stamping faux pas; she’s learned to obtain a stamp booklet from a participating train station first.

“Upon finishing, you need to head to the collection centre to receive the prize,” she says, happily adding that she once received a Lego JR Line stationmaster after completing a stamp rally.

Lim has also collected stamps from shrines and temples, where Japan’s tradition of stamping is said to have originated. In short, the act of collecting goshuin (temple stamps) during the Nara period is believed to be the precursor to modern-day stamp rallies.

Having returned to Malaysia in 2022, Lim now collects stamps locally as well. She enjoys the social connections that form at stamp rallies, pointing out that while stamping away, participants tend to strike up conversations with each other.

Lim has plans to collect more stamps on her future travels to Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea.

Creative endeavours

Similarly, Farah Diyana Abdul Rahman, 43, hopes to do more stamp collecting.

“It gives me something meaningful to look forward to when visiting new places, and I think it’s a nice way to collect memories,” says Farah.

Making it even more meaningful is the fact that she goes stamp hunting with her two children.

Their introduction to stamp rallies is fairly new. Farah was initially only familiar with stamp rallies as an activity that is “quite popular in Japan”, but when she discovered there were a few held locally, she decided to take her children stamp hunting across KL.

Farah sees stamping as a fun way of bonding with her children. — FARAH DIYANA ABDUL RAHMAN

“My children really enjoyed it. They were excited each time we found a new stamp location,” she shares.

“It’s a simple activity, but it creates a sense of adventure and teamwork.

“It’s a great way to spend quality time together and make the outing more memorable.”

It’s evident that while most stamps tend to be exclusive to certain places or events, stamp hunting itself is a social hobby that is inclusive to all.

Another budding stamp enthusiast, Joanne, the postcard collector mentioned earlier, says: “Collecting stamps intrigued me as it seemed a fun, creative, and seemingly low-effort hobby.

“While visiting different locations isn’t completely effortless, it aligns with my goal to explore new places, a pursuit I’ve been committed to since returning from studying abroad.”

Joanne adds that each time she heads out to collect stamps, she feels like she’s going on a mini adventure.

“Stumbling upon them unexpectedly is always a pleasant surprise. This pastime not only helps document the places I’ve visited but enhances the experiences as well.”

She shares that collecting stamps feels more interactive and engaging, too, turning the act of stamping into a memorable moment far more evocative than picking out a postcard and paying for it. “Plus, while I invest in the booklets, the stamps themselves are free.”

Joanne has started incorporating stamp collecting into her travels. — JOANNE JEYA

While Joanne is not exactly planning her Japan trip this month to revolve around stamps, she reveals that she has identified a few places where she can find them. “It’ll be a little side quest for me on top of all the other fun things planned,” she says.

Joanne’s journey into stamp collecting was prompted by her (also fairly new) hobby of “junk journaling” and creative journaling.

She started the hobby in June, during which she attended a stationery market, called the Some Market, with the intention of buying a new notebook. She walked away with a stamp passport in hand, instead.

There are certainly overlaps between journaling and collecting postcards and stamps, especially for those who enjoy keeping a travel journal as their creative outlet.

Fatin, whose postcard collection continues to grow, is contemplating taking her current bullet journaling in a new direction.

“Maybe in the future, I’ll create a dedicated travel journal where I can display postcards, ticket stubs, and stamps alongside my written reflections,” she muses.

“It would be like flipping through a visual diary of my adventures.”