My First Travel Month: What Indonesia (and 3 Days of Flying) Taught Me ✈️
April 2025 officially marks the beginning of my long-awaited global adventure! 🌍 I’ve set off to explore different countries across the world, and my first stop? Beautiful Indonesia—a land full of charm, culture, and unexpected travel lessons I’ll never forget.
As a first-time visitor, I couldn’t wait to touch down and immerse myself in all that Indonesia had to offer. But before I even landed, the universe decided to test my travel spirit. So grab your coffee, and let’s rewind to the start of what turned into a 3-day travel saga.
✈️ Lesson 1: Book Direct Flights (Whenever You Can!)
Okay, let me be honest. I tried to avoid a direct flight due to a not-so-fun memory of getting sick on a 12-hour trip to Thailand years ago. So I thought, “Let me break the journey up this time.” But guess what? No direct flights were available anyway. The result? A travel marathon that lasted 3. Whole. Days.
I flew out from OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in South Africa, heading to Juanda International Airport (SUB) in Surabaya, Indonesia. First stop: Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) in Ethiopia.
Surprisingly, the flight to Ethiopia was smooth—I enjoyed the ride and barely felt any turbulence. But once I landed, confusion kicked in fast. We were told to disembark and check in again, but without our bags. 😳 I asked where I could collect mine, but it was chaos. The only thing the airport staff kept repeating was:
“Last destination, last destination.”
Sigh. Not helpful, sir.
🌏 Lesson 2: Understand Your Connections – Read, Ask, Confirm!
From Addis Ababa, I boarded my next flight to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN). Here’s where things went downhill. I had a self-transfer booked from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL), Malaysia.
At Changi, the plane made a stop, and naturally, I got off with the rest of the passengers. Big mistake. I didn’t realize this was just a technical stop—clearly stated in my itinerary (which I should have read more carefully!). I wasn’t supposed to leave the plane.
By the time I figured it out, it was too late. I had passed through immigration and couldn’t produce a boarding pass to KUL—because, well, I wasn’t supposed to need one. The officers at immigration were not amused. Some were intimidating, others just confused. But thankfully, a kind officer pulled me aside and tried to help.
The result? I had to buy a whole new flight ticket. My original flight had left without me. Ouch.
Moral of the story: Never assume. Always double-check your flight details, especially when it comes to connecting flights and self-transfers.
Bonus chaos? My total layover time across all airports was over 16 hours. 😵
🎒 Lesson 3: Travel Light. Seriously.
Now here’s a tip that could save you from the kind of headache I experienced: Don’t check in your luggage—especially if you’re a solo traveler or backpacker. Travel light. Carry on. Be free.
Why? Because my bag went missing. Somewhere in the chaos of missed flights and confusing airports, my luggage vanished. I spent nearly a week in a new country without clothes or essentials. Can you imagine?
Thankfully, Ethiopian Airlines came through in the end and found my bag, fully intact. But the stress? The waiting? Totally avoidable.
💡 Final Thoughts
Despite all the travel hiccups, I’m finally here in Indonesia, and it’s already been a magical experience. These lessons were hard-earned, but they’ll shape every trip I take going forward—and hopefully help you avoid the same mistakes.
Travel is beautiful. But it’s even better when you’re prepared. ✨
Stay tuned for more adventures, travel tips, and behind-the-scenes moments from my world tour. 🌏💼✈️