As I started traveling and holidaying around Malaysia in the spirit of Visit Malaysia 2014, family and friends alike started to question me on how much time and money I spent on all of these travels. I wouldn’t call it ‘spending’. That is a rather harsh and disrespectful term to describe all my travels. I would prefer to term it as a priceless investment instead, as I have more to gain than to lose when I explore my own country. I experience culture, food, interesting places and many more in a way that I never experience before and I can assure you that traveling helps you to not only connect with the world around you in a unique way, but it is an endless journey to self discovery too.

Following a comment from someone I know on how I managed traveling with my family on a shoestring, I’d say advance planning and joining invited trips from various groups and parties helps the pocket a lot. Although I am not attached to any travel agencies and whatnot and open to media and FAM trip invites, I am currently traveling with Sahabat Media and Santai Travel regularly as they are not only fun and educational but family friendly too.

Apart from advance planning and grouping up with fellow travelers on the social media, I’d highly recommend all those who would like to travel with a budget take advantage of travel fairs like MATTA Fair if you are to fund your own holidays and travels.

Holiday and travel packages offered during MATTA fair is not only affordable, but almost fuss free as well. Most travel agencies will provide travel tentatives like book your air tickets, accommodations, arrange meals and many more for you and all you need to do is just pay up and enjoy your holiday.

Take this as an example. During my recent trip to Melaka with Santai Travel and fellow media practitioners in Sahabat Media, we were given a chance to drop by MITC, Melaka where MATTA fair was held. Melaka MITS Matta Fair was aimed to encourage Malaysians and visitors to plan their travels without unnecessarily harming your pocket, and I’d have to admit that I was awfully tempted to sign up for some of these travel packages.

Check out the participating agencies present that day:

Taiwan Tourism

Thailand Tourism

Macau Booth

Exhibit item in Macau booth

Honeymoon packages for the lovebirds

Exhibit items at the Cuba booth…Cuban Cigars. My husband is a smoker and naturally he was drawn to the Cuban booth. :p

Wanna go somewhere near for a shirt getaway? Try Selangor. There is pleny of homestays in Selangor that provides interesting holiday packages.

Tourism Terengganu booth

I got stuck at this booth for quite some time as they were having batik painting demo.

There was also an airline booth that is offering reasonable air fares to selected destinations.

So there you go, folks…some of my traveling tips. If you want to travel but not quite good at planning for it, do check out travel fairs like MATTA the next time you see it’s held. I promise that you would be spoiled for choices…and the best part, you won’t burn excessive hole in your pocket.

My trip to Melaka was made possible by Tourism Malaysia Melaka and Santai Travel.