Hey Reader!

This email lands in your inbox every Tuesday. It's all about travel insights, personal stories, and lessons from my adventures exploring over 90 countries thus far. Whether it inspires, entertains, or enlightens, let's celebrate the beauty and diversity of this amazing world we share, from a travel perspective! 🌍✨

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have you ever spent months planning a trip… only to discover the day before departure that you cannot enter your very first destination?

Yep. That happened to me.

Once upon a travel many years ago, my sister was travelling to Malaysia for a conference, and ofcourse I happily tagged along (as usual!) as the assistant ‘whatever’.

Since we were already going to fly a-all that way, I embarked on padding the adventure with more countries to see (again, as usual).

The itinerary was beautifully planned:

Land in Thailand, then pass by Cambodia, before landing in Malaysia for conferencing, et al and squeeze in Singapore as a return trip, before heading back through Thailand on our way back to Kenya.

Everything was booked and ready.

Or so I thought….

The afternoon before our flight, during my final checks, I discovered one tiny detail (that I had missed in kedo 17 previous checks) that completely changed our trip...

We needed a visa for Thailand. 😳

Somehow, in all the excitement of planning flights, hotels and sightseeing, I had overlooked the entry requirements for our very first destination!!

To make matters worse, it was the day before a public holiday leading into the weekend. There was no chance of getting a visa in time. Yikes!!

So instead of packing calmly, we spent the evening frantically cancelling bookings, changing flights, rearranging hotels and rebuilding the itinerary while on our way to the airport the next day.

Thailand entry was not going to happen, but because we could not change our return flight to Bangkok, (something about the ticket being cheapest, so non-refundable, non-changeable, non-anything except get-on-the-flight T&Cs), we had to go ahead with the route.

What worked at this late point in time was to transit through Bangkok, connect straight to Cambodia and replace Thailand with Hong Kong, which we would visit last, at the end of the trip instead.

Thankfully, the holiday was still fa-antastic!! (And no, the drama did not end there, stories for another day, just stick with me for now…) 😊

Then came another surprise...

Because of all the last-minute flight changes, we couldn’t get our luggage in Thailand and it didn’t come with us to Cambodia.

While we were exploring Angkor Wot temple (the oldest in the world at 1000+ years) while trying to track our bags, we were informed they had embarked on an international adventure of their own.

According to the airline, they were on a flight headed to Philippines, with a stopover in Indonesia. We didn’t know whether to be envious or more frustrated… we chose the former and asked that they be routed to Malaysia where we’d be headed next.

We were finally reunited with our bags in Kuala Lumpur and admired how they had travelled to more countries than we had! 😂

Looking back, that trip taught me two lessons I will never forget.

Lesson 1: Never assume visa requirements.

• Even experienced travellers make mistakes.
• Visa rules change regularly and they depend on your passport, not your destination alone. A country that's visa-free for one nationality may require a visa for another.

These days with so many resources online, it's much easier to check before you book.

Here’s one I now use every single time I plan a trip: https://www.passportindex.org/​

It only takes a minute and can save you hours, or even days of stress.

Lesson 2: Always prepare for your luggage to arrive later than you.

Thankfully, after travelling to 90+ countries, I have never permanently lost any luggage.

Delayed luggage has happened a few times though (even on direct flights), and it's surprisingly manageable if you prepare.

A few simple habits make a huge difference:

• Travel with carry-on luggage whenever it's practical.
• If you need to check a bag, always pack one complete change of clothes (including.. and especially underwear, ha-ha!) in your cabin bag.
• Include any essential medication, chargers and valuables in your carry-on too.

That way, if your suitcase decides to do sightseeing detours without you, your holiday doesn't have to stop.

Travel isn't about having a perfect trip.

It's about knowing how to recover when things don't go according to plan.

And trust me... Some of the best travel stories begin with the mistakes we'd rather not repeat.😂

Whatever you do, keep travelling. The memories will outlast the mishaps!! 😊

Your Travel Coach,

Maria Kamau (aka Mkay)

Travel Enthusiast | Bodacious Adventurer |Travel Writer

I help women over 40 travel confidently, affordably and on their own terms, without relying on tour agents or on others to realise their dreams.

PS: If you are planning to Travel and could use some support, here are a few ways I can help you:

✅Book a check in chat so we can explore your travel plans and how I could help: https://tinyurl.com/check-in-chat-with-Mkay [FREE]

✅✅Work with me to get the support you need for a specific upcoming trip you are planning https://tinyurl.com/travel-support-options [Low Cost, High Value]

✅✅✅Work with me 1-on-1 for 4 or more sessions to equip you with the skills of travelling as a lifestyle and watch your travel dreams come true! https://tinyurl.com/travel-support-options [Affordable and Transformative]

------------------------------------------------------

OR Connect with me on:

​www.facebook.com/TravelwithMkay/​

​www.Instagram.com/Travelwithmkay​

​www.travelwithmkay.co.ke​

Tweeter: @Travelwithmkay