27/07/2025

ON SUNDAY JULY 27, 2025 VI theSunday Special

Passport, perspective and perseverance

narrative. A woman from Malaysia, navi JDWLQJ WKH ZRUOG RQ KHU WHUPV UHGH¿QLQJ ZKDW¶V SRVVLEOH To Malaysian women hesitant about travelling, Nor Suzana has a clear mes VDJH 'RQ¶W LJQRUH \RXU GUHDPV “Yes, we have responsibilities. But WKDW GRHVQ¶W PHDQ ZH FDQ¶W PDNH VSDFH for our growth. Start with small steps, travel to nearby countries and go with trusted friends. Plan well, stay connected with family and be honest about your intentions.” She believes that when women travel, WKH\ GRQ¶W MXVW H[SORUH WKH ZRUOG ± WKH\ grow into stronger versions of themselves. “ ,W¶V QRW DERXW HVFDSLQJ ,W¶V DERXW evolving.” Travelling with boundaries For someone with a visible presence on social media, she still values the impor tance of privacy and boundaries. “ , QHYHU SRVW P\ H[DFW ORFDWLRQ LQ UHDO WLPH ,W¶V MXVW QRW VDIH 6RFLDO PHGLD VKRXOG LQVSLUH QRW HQGDQJHU ´ VKH H[SODLQHG 6KH DYRLGV UHYHDOLQJ ZKHUH VKH¶V VWD\LQJ RU sharing her itinerary in too much detail. Her posts are more about storytelling, snapshots of street food, slices of daily life LQ D QHZ FLW\ DQG UHÀHFWLRQV IURP WKH URDG “ ,W¶V P\ ZD\ RI GRFXPHQWLQJ PHPRULHV and if someone feels inspired to take their ¿UVW WULS EHFDXVH RI VRPHWKLQJ , SRVWHG WKDW¶V HYHQ EHWWHU ´ N RU 6X]DQD LVQ¶W VORZLQJ GRZQ +HU QH[W ELJ GUHDP" 6HHLQJ WKH DXURUD ERUHDOLV in Scandinavia. “ ,W¶V EHHQ RQ P\ OLVW IRU VR ORQJ , NQRZ it will be magical,” she said with a glint of H[FLWHPHQW $QG WKHUH¶V RQH SODFH VKH¶V dying to revisit, Kyrgyzstan. “ 7KHUH¶V VR PXFK PRUH WR H[SORUH 7KH QDWXUDO EHDXW\ WKH FXOWXUH ± , IHHO OLNH , only scratched the surface.” For someone who has already seen more of the world than most of us ever ZLOO LW¶V FRPIRUWLQJ WR NQRZ WKDW KHU VHQVH of wonder remains intact. “No matter how beautiful a place is, I always come back with a deeper apprecia tion for home. Like the old Malay proverb, hujan emas di negeri orang, hujan batu di negeri sendiri. Nothing compares to 0DOD\VLD ´ VKH UHÀHFWHG H HU MRXUQH\ LVQ¶W MXVW DERXW SODFHV LW¶V about perspective. For every woman who dreams of travelling but doubts herself, 1RU 6X]DQD LV SURRI WKDW FRXUDJH GRHVQ¶W come from being fearless. It comes from WDNLQJ WKH ¿UVW VWHS DQ\ZD\

BY ASHRAF WAHAB

± LW¶V WKRVH LQ (DVW $IULFD .HQ\D 8JDQGD Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania were revelations. “I was blown away by how clean and VDIH LW ZDV :H¶UH RIWHQ IHG QHJDWLYH QDU UDWLYHV DERXW $IULFD EXW P\ H[SHULHQFH was the complete opposite. Even more XQH[SHFWHG" 7KH HDVH RI ILQGLQJ KDODO food. “ 0DQ\ FLWLHV KDG PRVTXHV DQG ZKHUH WKHUH DUH PRVTXHV WKHUH¶V XVXDOO\ KDODO food. I never once got food poisoning even though I ate a lot of street food,” she said. But nothing came easily. Her journey into and out of Burundi was, by her admis VLRQ WKH PRVW H[KDXVWLQJ H[SHULHQFH RI her life. Political issues had closed the Rwanda-Burundi border, so she had to enter via Tanzania. “ 7UDQVSRUWDWLRQ ZDV OLPLWHG DQG H[ - pensive, and the journey back took 39 hours,” she recalled vividly. That 39-hour MRXUQH\ LQYROYHG PXOWLSOH WD[LV EXVHV motorbikes and a ferry. At one point, they missed the border crossing deadline, with WKHLU YLVD VHW WR H[SLUH WKDW YHU\ QLJKW “ ,W ZDV WUXO\ WKH PRVW H[KDXVWLQJ FRXQWU\ IRU HQWU\ DQG H[LW %XW GHVSLWH HYHU\WKLQJ LW ZDV D SULFHOHVV H[SHULHQFH ´ I W¶V QRW MXVW DERXW WLFNLQJ FRXQWULHV R̆ a list for Nor Suzana. Travel is empower ment for her. “ ,W¶V PDGH PH PRUH LQGHSHQGHQW ,¶YH learned how to make decisions under pressure, stay calm when things go wrong and solve problems on the go.” Perhaps more significantly, it has helped her connect with other women around the world, women whose stories have broadened her understanding of what it means to be strong. “ ,¶YH PHW ZRPHQ IURP GL̆ HUHQW EDFN grounds and cultures, all going through OLIH LQ WKHLU XQLTXH ZD\ 7KHLU UHVLOLHQFH reminds me that strength comes in many forms.” She sees herself as part of that

Taking in the vibrant culture and mountain views of Almaty.

O N paper, Nor Suzana Lot ap pears to be a typical Malaysian woman, with humble begin nings, a strong connection to her roots and an appreciation for her home country. But her passport WHOOV D GL̆ HUHQW VWRU\ 2QH VWDPSHG ZLWK the ink of 81 countries, hundreds of cities and countless memories from across the globe. A W ¿UVW JODQFH \RX ZRXOGQ¶W JXHVV WKDW the soft-spoken woman from Malaysia has braved chaotic border crossings in East Africa, survived a robbery in Europe and tasted street food from the alleyways of Uganda to the markets of Central Asia. But WKDW¶V WKH TXLHW VWUHQJWK RI 1RU 6X]DQD D IHPDOH WUDYHOOHU ZKR GH¿HV VWHUHRW\SHV ZLWK HYHU\ ÀLJKW VKH ERDUGV H HU MRXUQH\ GLGQ¶W VWDUW ZLWK D GUDPDWLF “drop everything and travel the world” moment. Instead, it began with something relatively simple, a youth programme in 2012 that took her to Kota Pariaman, Indonesia. That trip lit a spark. “ , GLGQ¶W FRPH IURP D IDPLO\ WKDW ZDV ZHOO R̆ 7UDYHOOLQJ WKH ZRUOG IHOW OLNH D GUHDP WKDW ZDVQ¶W PHDQW IRU SHRSOH OLNH me,” she admitted. But dreams have a way of sneaking past OLPLWDWLRQV 2QH FRXQWU\ WXUQHG LQWR ¿YH then ten, then dozens more. A desire to understand how others live, eat, speak and dream led her across continents. “Every time I step into a new country, I IHHO OLNH ,¶P VHHLQJ WKH ZRUOG WKURXJK IUHVK eyes. It broadens you,” she said.

The reality of being a woman on the road Travelling is often romanticised as a path to self-discovery, but for women, especially those travelling alone, the road can be fraught with challenges. For Nor Suzana, safety is a constant concern. “There have been moments where I felt XQHDV\ ± FDWFDOOLQJ VWDUHV DQG KDYLQJ WKH FRXUDJH WR VD\ µQR¶ WR SHRSOH ZKR approach. I avoid risky areas, especially at night and always dress in a manner that respects local customs. That way, I respect the culture and also attract less unwanted attention,” she shared. Her approach is practical. Research accommodations thoroughly, stay in areas with good reviews and always trust your instincts. Not all lessons are learned the easy way. 2QH RI KHU PRVW KDUURZLQJ H[SHULHQFHV took place in Barcelona, Spain, while she was waiting for a bus to Switzerland. Her bag, containing her passport and all her money, was stolen. “It was devastating. I had to cancel everything and return to Malaysia using an emergency passport. It shook me, but LW DOVR WDXJKW PH WR EH H[WUD FDXWLRXV ´ she recalled. I W¶V D KDUVK UHPLQGHU WKDW HYHQ VHD VRQHG WUDYHOOHUV FDQ JHW FDXJKW R̆ JXDUG Finding surprises in the unlikeliest places If you ask Nor Suzana which country VXUSULVHG KHU WKH PRVW VKH ZRQ¶W KHVLWDWH

Moments of wonder in the heart of Tanzania’s natural beauty.

Exploring the serene landscapes and rich heritage of Kyrgyzstan.