Travelling off the beaten track
Adventurous Malaysians now opt to visit places not in the usual bucket list
KUALA LUMPUR: Bornholm, anyone?
That is Denmark’s easternmost island in the Baltic sea, known for its beaches and quaint fishing villages.
Malaysian travellers are getting more intrepid, exploring places that are not on anybody’s must-visit list.
Marketing executive Fuza Normin, 26, said she bought a flight ticket for her mother and herself to Copenhagen.
They will then head to the rocky isle of Bornholm.
The northern part of the island’s coastline is also characterised by dramatic rocky shores.
“Although it is one of the countries in the world with a high standard of living, not many will venture to the out-of-town areas,” she said.
Fuza said this would be her first visit to Copenhagen and she was lucky to get a good deal at a travel fair.
Tour packages, she said, were cheaper and that the companies would also offer free gifts.
Another adventurous Malaysian, who only wanted to be known as Mr Foo, would be heading to Guam, a United States’ territory in Micronesia in the western Pacific, next year.
The island is also known as a “mini Hawaii”.
“From Kuala Lumpur, we will stop in Manila before heading to Guam,” said Foo, 38, a businessman.
“I believe I got a good offer as I always wanted to visit their first Catholic church, Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedal Basilica,” said Foo, who bought a tour package for the trip.
“We also plan to go snorkelling to discover the marine life and perhaps do dolphin watching.”
As for businessman Arumugam Balakrishnan, 44, he said he preferred to go to slightly less popular destinations such as Bosnia and other Balkan countries in Europe.
“I bought a package for my family of five to go to Bosnia.
“I have been to Bosnia once. It is really unique but I did not have enough time to really explore the city.
“This time, I want to spend more time and really soak in the local flavour and culture,” he said.
He said he was not concerned with the general perception that Bosnia was not a safe country.
“Other people have asked me the same question,” he said, adding that after its conflict back in the 1990s, Bosnia had emerged as one of the most exciting destinations.
“People there are really friendly. And it has a more authentic feel in the smaller towns,” he said, adding that he would be going there next year during the Hari Raya holidays in June.
Parlo Tours Sdn Bhd head of operation Carol Sum said many tourists had also bought packages to Egypt.
“It is a popular destination,” she said, despite a lull for three to four years.
“This year, people have started to go back there,” she said, adding that it was one of their most popular packages during the MATTA Fair.