I have heard nothing but really good things about Singapore, which is why when I was planning my trip to Asia, I was so pleased to find a cheap flight here. I had two options based on the next leg of my journey; stay for 3 days or stay for 10. One of my best friends told me I needed at least a week in Singapore so I opted for the latter. Well, upon arrival I realized one thing she failed to mention was how much more expensive this place was than the rest of Asia. You see, my friend had come on holiday with her family, and yet I was a backpacker staying in the slums of little India and my budget was not ready for this place. So, I did what any responsible traveler would do, I booked a last minute ferry to Indonesia of course! By last minute, I mean that I woke up one day and my hostel was full for that night so I took this as a sign that I should go to Indonesia. I had recently heard one of the islands was an hour ferry away and significantly cheaper. I made my way to the ferry station, and with no plans and no accommodation I booked the cheapest ferry I found.
I arrived in Bintan an hour or so later, and as I approached the customs agent handed him my passport. He looked at it and asked me the address of my hotel. "Oh I don't have a hotel yet." The agent froze, looked at me, then went and got a supervisor. His supervisor asked me the same question. I again explained that I didn't have a hotel, that I was planning on figuring that out after I passed security. He asked me why I had come to Indonesea.."to travel!" I said with a smile. He eventually allowed me to pass, but did not try to hide his horror at the situation. In retrospect, these people probably thought i was out of my damn mind. What I came to learn about Indonesian people in my time there is that they are very sensible people. They don't go somewhere without a purpose or a clear destination in mind, basically the entire opposite of my travel style. Never the less, I enjoyed my time in Indonesia so much! My taxi driver helped me to find accommodation, a remote beach resort that was mostly for native people. I attracted a lot of attention. My first night there I was walking the beach, in awe of the sunset which was something out of a postcard.
Suddenly, a couple approached me very shyly. They asked in broken English if I could take a picture and I said sure! I reached for the phone, thinking they wanted me to take it for them but the girl put her arm around me and posed. Then, without giving me time to react her boyfriend did the same thing. I remember thinking it a bit odd but carried on with my evening stroll.
Turns out people that look like me don't travel there often, especially not alone. The blonde hair and blue eyes attracted quite a bit of attention. One day, an Indonesian girl sheepishly made her way over to me and asked me "What are you doing here?". I explained that I was here for a beach holiday and she looked around confused. "Yes, but are you..alone?" When I confirmed that I was she said to me "You are so brave, I couldn't do that!" We chatted a bit more and she eventually went back to her family but our conversation stuck in my mind. Solo travel is no longer something I consider brave, as it is second nature to me. I love to explore, and if I waited for my friends to have the time or money, I would miss out on so many opportunities..so I just go it alone. But talking to this girl made me realize; although I don't necessarily consider myself brave, I do consider myself incredibly blessed. This area was predominantly muslim, and although I do not claim to be an expert of any kind, I do understand that women in that culture have less freedoms than I do. Did this girl mean she would be afraid to travel, or that she wouldn't be allowed? It really reiterated that I am blessed to be from a country where my passport allows me entrance almost anywhere in the world. I am blessed to have been born into a family that values my independent spirit. I have worked really hard to afford my travels, but in this moment I realized there were so many other factors in my favor, and that is something I will never take for granted!
By the end of my week in Indonesia, I was so happy I decided to go off the beaten track, and add another country to the buck list of course!
I arrived in Bintan an hour or so later, and as I approached the customs agent handed him my passport. He looked at it and asked me the address of my hotel. "Oh I don't have a hotel yet." The agent froze, looked at me, then went and got a supervisor. His supervisor asked me the same question. I again explained that I didn't have a hotel, that I was planning on figuring that out after I passed security. He asked me why I had come to Indonesea.."to travel!" I said with a smile. He eventually allowed me to pass, but did not try to hide his horror at the situation. In retrospect, these people probably thought i was out of my damn mind. What I came to learn about Indonesian people in my time there is that they are very sensible people. They don't go somewhere without a purpose or a clear destination in mind, basically the entire opposite of my travel style. Never the less, I enjoyed my time in Indonesia so much! My taxi driver helped me to find accommodation, a remote beach resort that was mostly for native people. I attracted a lot of attention. My first night there I was walking the beach, in awe of the sunset which was something out of a postcard.
Suddenly, a couple approached me very shyly. They asked in broken English if I could take a picture and I said sure! I reached for the phone, thinking they wanted me to take it for them but the girl put her arm around me and posed. Then, without giving me time to react her boyfriend did the same thing. I remember thinking it a bit odd but carried on with my evening stroll.
Turns out people that look like me don't travel there often, especially not alone. The blonde hair and blue eyes attracted quite a bit of attention. One day, an Indonesian girl sheepishly made her way over to me and asked me "What are you doing here?". I explained that I was here for a beach holiday and she looked around confused. "Yes, but are you..alone?" When I confirmed that I was she said to me "You are so brave, I couldn't do that!" We chatted a bit more and she eventually went back to her family but our conversation stuck in my mind. Solo travel is no longer something I consider brave, as it is second nature to me. I love to explore, and if I waited for my friends to have the time or money, I would miss out on so many opportunities..so I just go it alone. But talking to this girl made me realize; although I don't necessarily consider myself brave, I do consider myself incredibly blessed. This area was predominantly muslim, and although I do not claim to be an expert of any kind, I do understand that women in that culture have less freedoms than I do. Did this girl mean she would be afraid to travel, or that she wouldn't be allowed? It really reiterated that I am blessed to be from a country where my passport allows me entrance almost anywhere in the world. I am blessed to have been born into a family that values my independent spirit. I have worked really hard to afford my travels, but in this moment I realized there were so many other factors in my favor, and that is something I will never take for granted! 
My days in Indonesia were blissfully simple; wake up, eat, go to the beach, read, swim, repeat. Since it was not a very touristy place, I often had the beach to myself for hours at a time. Talk about paradise!
One of the days there, I decided to put beach bumming on hold and do some cultural things. Apparently my taxi driver from the ferry station doubled as a tour guide and offered a private tour of the island for 40 USD..sold! He brought me to different places around the island and not only was it beautiful, but it was absolutely invaluable to have a local showing me around!
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