Beyond The Horizon

Tag: Beginner Traveler

  • A Journey of Faith: 12 Days in Shirdi Mumbai ✈️🙏

    A Journey of Faith: 12 Days in Shirdi Mumbai ✈️🙏

    In December 2023, I embarked on my second international trip, a 12-day journey to India that took me to Shirdi and Mumbai.

    Unlike my first international trip to Singapore, which was filled with excitement and adventure, this journey had a different purpose. It was a spiritual trip, a chance to step away from the routines and pressures of everyday life and spend time reflecting, reconnecting, and finding a sense of inner peace.

    At the time, I needed a break. Life had become busy, and like many people, I found myself caught up in responsibilities, deadlines, and the demands of daily living. I wasn’t looking for luxury or entertainment. I was looking for something deeper, a change of environment that would help me slow down and gain perspective.

    Shirdi had long been a place I wanted to visit. As the home of Sai Baba, it attracts millions of devotees from around the world, each bringing their own prayers, hopes, and gratitude. Walking through the town and visiting the sacred sites was a humbling experience. There was a sense of devotion and faith that could be felt everywhere.

    What stayed with me most was not the crowds or the ceremonies, but the quiet moments in between. Moments of reflection. Moments of gratitude. Moments that reminded me to appreciate the things I often take for granted.

    After spending time in Shirdi, the journey continued to Mumbai. The city offered a completely different experience. The energy, movement, and diversity of Mumbai were unlike anything I had experienced before. From bustling streets to historic landmarks, every corner seemed to tell a story of its own.

    The contrast between the spiritual calm of Shirdi and the vibrant pace of Mumbai made the trip even more memorable. It felt like experiencing two different sides of India in a single journey.

    Looking back, this trip became much more than a holiday.

    It reminded me how valuable it is to step away from familiar surroundings every once in a while. Travel has a way of helping us see life from a different perspective. It challenges us, inspires us, and sometimes gives us exactly the pause we didn’t realize we needed.

    Most importantly, this journey reignited my passion for travel.

    After years without an international trip, India reminded me why I loved exploring new places in the first place. It sparked a curiosity that eventually led me to plan more journeys, take more photographs, and start this blog.

    When I boarded the flight home after twelve unforgettable days, I carried more than just memories and photographs with me. I returned with a renewed appreciation for travel, faith, and the importance of taking time to reconnect with ourselves.

    Looking back now, I realize that this trip wasn’t just a journey to India.

    It was the beginning of a new chapter.

    img-20260911-wa00154389400164431965611
    img-20260911-wa00198726459319525960194
    img-20260911-wa00143589647615836970582

    Twelve days in India. A journey that began as a spiritual retreat became the trip that reignited my love for travel. Shirdi gave me peace and together they reminded me that sometimes the journeys we need most are the ones that help us reconnect with ourselves.

    Next →

    A Spiritual Experience in Shirdi

  • The Trip That Started It All✈️

    The Trip That Started It All✈️

    Why I Started Traveling

    If someone had asked me a few years ago whether I considered myself a traveler, I probably would have said no.

    My first international trip was to Singapore when I was 23 years old. I travelled with my colleagues from Maxis, and like many first-time travellers, I was excited about everything. One of the highlights of that trip was visiting Universal Studios Singapore. I still remember the excitement of being in a different country, experiencing a different environment, and realizing how much there was to see beyond the places I was familiar with.

    After that trip, life took over.

    Work, responsibilities, and the routines of everyday life gradually became the priority. Before I knew it, years had passed without another international adventure. Travel became something I occasionally thought about rather than something I actively pursued.

    Then something changed.

    I found myself wanting to experience new places again. Not because I wanted to tick countries off a list or follow travel trends, but because I missed the feeling of discovering something unfamiliar. I missed the excitement of planning a journey, exploring a new destination, and creating memories that would stay with me long after the trip ended.

    So I started travelling again.

    What began as simple day trips and short adventures soon reminded me why I enjoyed travelling in the first place. Whether it was watching a sunset in Raglan, visiting historic sites, or standing quietly in nature, each experience offered something different. Some moments were breathtaking, while others were wonderfully ordinary. Both were equally meaningful.

    That’s one of the reasons I created Beyond The Horizon.

    This blog is my personal travel journal, a place where I can document my experiences, photographs, lessons, and reflections as I explore new destinations. It’s not about being an expert. It’s about embracing the journey and sharing it along the way.

    Interestingly, after many years since that first trip to Singapore, my second international journey took me somewhere completely different: India. That trip turned out to be far more meaningful than I expected and reminded me why travel has such a powerful way of broadening our perspective.

    I’ll be sharing that story in an upcoming post, so stay tuned.

    For now, I’m simply enjoying the journey, one destination at a time.

    Every traveller has a starting point.

    Singapore was mine.

    And this is just the beginning.

    Great company. Great memories
    A journey I’ll never forget. ✈️🌍
  • Chasing the Last Light: An Evening in Raglan

    Chasing the Last Light: An Evening in Raglan

    Waikato region of New Zealand’s North Island

    Some travel moments are not defined by famous landmarks or carefully planned itineraries. Sometimes, they are found in the simple beauty of watching the day come to an end.

    Raglan is famous for its surfing and volcanic black sand beaches, what I will remember most is this quiet evening by the shore.After a 45-minute drive from Hamilton to Raglan, arriving at the coast just before sunset felt like the perfect reward. It had been a beautiful day, and as the ocean came into view, the pace of life seemed to slow down.

    What struck me most was the peacefulness of the moment. There was no rush, no agenda, and nowhere else I needed to be. As the last light reflected across the water, I found myself simply appreciating the experience of being present.

    As a beginner traveler, I often assume that memorable experiences come from major attractions or once-in-a-lifetime adventures. Yet evenings like this remind me that some of the best travel memories are created through simple moments, a quiet beach, a beautiful sunset, and the opportunity to pause and take it all in.

    Franz Kafka once wrote, “Paths are made by walking.” Standing on the shoreline as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, those words felt especially meaningful. Every journey, no matter how small, begins with a decision to take the first step and see where the road leads.

    Watching the final rays of sunlight fade into the distance, I was reminded why I started traveling in the first place. Not just to see new places, but to experience moments that make me feel connected to the world around me.

    These photographs capture only a small part of that evening. The cool sea breeze, the sound of the waves, and the changing colours of the sky are things a camera can never fully preserve. Even so, every image serves as a reminder of a beautiful day and a memorable evening spent chasing the last light in Raglan.

    As I watched the horizon darken, I couldn’t help but feel that sometimes the world does exactly that.

    🌅🌊📸

    img-20260910-wa00236082246969537435222
    img-20260910-wa00217624596527613809928
    img-20260327-wa00736867032333442430221
    img-20260327-wa00533397925037606014687
    The world will freely offer itself to you. -Franz Kafka