[Part 2] Not just ‘another trip’ for these four solo female travelers
CHAI TYNG LOST HER FEAR OF GERMS.
Beyond Expeditions helps you overcome phobias.
Chai Tyng used to be extremely particular about the cleanliness of toilets. “I’m a germophobe. So when Scott told us that we wouldn't be able to shower for a week, I almost freaked out. In the days before our flight, I kept wondering if I should back out,” she confessed, chuckling at the memory.
“But it wouldn’t be an adventure if I don’t overcome my phobias right… So, I spent 5 days without showering! And it was a huge breakthrough for me. When I came back to Singapore, I can now see that a toilet is dirty, and I still use it anyway!”
The last line made me gasp. Chai Tyng laughed at my reaction. “I know, right?!”
The unconventionality of Beyond Expeditions’ experiences has proven yet again to nudge our female travelers to say ‘yes’ to doing what they’ve never done. Like Kaili, certain elements of her expedition stretched Chai Tyng beyond her comfort zone. And similarly to Kaili, Chai Tyng eventually put her foot forth and challenged herself in the face of her weaknesses. These women greatly inspire me with how they navigated discomfort in every moment of their expedition by choosing courage and endurance. What they used to write off as “impossible to overcome”, they now see as possible.
Beyond Expeditions, you elevate women in a way unparalleled by other travel agencies. Crazily beautiful.
Beyond Expeditions teaches you to find beauty in loss.
“We don’t really stick to the plan, the focus was on being in the present.” Chai Tyng reveals that this was a main theme for her expedition. During our conversation, she also shared how this trip taught her that sometimes, not following ‘the plan’ unexpectedly presents greater gems.
“During one of the days, we experienced a huge delay in our schedule. But it was one of the best days for us, BECAUSE of the delay. We got to spend more time with the locals, even got to do horse-riding twice…”
As I listened to Chai Tyng talk, it became clearer and clearer to me. This is such a rare moment for people to experience. When else would we be able to experience a “huge delay” in schedule, to lose a part of the scheduled itinerary, and end up having the chance to create deeper memories because of it?
In this case, Chai Tyng got to perceive ‘loss’ in a different way. Losing the original plan allowed her and her fellow expedition-ers to find another way to spend their day, which they all cherished. Whether they know it or not, this specific day of the trip altered their mindset towards loss and control in a way that encouraged them to let go more often.
Beyond Expeditions makes you feel safe.
My heart smiled fondly; Chai Tyng’s comment aligns very much with what Cherry mentioned in her interview. When it comes to traveling, it's undoubtedly important for travellers to be, and feel safe. This matters much more for women, given the vulnerability we may feel and encounter in different countries because of beliefs surrounding our gender.
Evidently, Beyond Expeditions has crafted its travel experiences to consistently deliver safety for its female participants; what a beautiful element to witness.
“As a solo female traveler heading to a foreign land, it’s scary because you can’t read signs and menus and speak their language. But never once did I feel unsafe. Our guides were ever so kind, always making sure we were well-fed and warm, even changing the firewood at 5am everyday!”
Bursting with enthusiasm, Chai Tyng spoke of this with a warm tone of surprise and appreciation.
EE MING BECAME ONE WITH HORSES.
Beyond Expeditions helps you see that “I can.”.
Ee Ming had always wanted to visit Mongolia. Besides the diversity of landscapes she saw through photos online, horse-riding was another appealing factor for her. “Horses are my favourite animal. So when I saw that Beyond Expeditions would bring us horse-riding during the tour, I was tempted. The only struggle for me was that I usually don’t like traveling in tour groups…. But I thought, maybe let’s just give it a go.” And, off she went for our expedition to Kazakhstan.
When Ee Ming was younger, she had asthma and was often exempted from physical education classes. Thus, she grew to hate exercise and began to believe that she cannot do well when physical exertion is involved. As she grew older, Ee Ming decided, “I’m not the most sporty, but I’ll do it for the scenery.”
Trekking in Kazakhstan was exhausting; every day brought her a different challenge of terrain.
Ee Ming shared several moments she recalled from the trip. “For the first trek, we went up to the waterfall… it was very tiring. 4 hours, and I brought the wrong shoes! They were so heavy, I ended up having blisters that stayed with me the next few days.”
“When we were hiking through the canyon, I kept wondering, ‘Why am I doing this…’ ” Chuckling, Ee Ming shook her head slightly, embodying some of the exasperation she must have felt back then.
“We also climbed sand dunes. The dunes were not very tall, but the exhaustion from the previous days sunk in and made climbing really hard. But, I didn’t want to quit and give up, so I told myself, ‘Let’s just keep going,’.
And then lastly, the canyon was the WORST!”
Ee Ming and I laughed at her clear expression of disdain. “It was hot, and my water was running out… but at the end, we came across this stream that was so beautiful and it made everything so much better in that moment.”
Listening to her, a spark of thought entered my mind. I decided to confirm its truth with Ee Ming. “From what I see, your belief regarding your physical abilities when you were younger seems to be quite different from what you believe now, because of your experience with Beyond Expeditions. Do you feel that’s true?”
Ee Ming paused, deep in thought for a couple of seconds. “Hmm, I do agree. I used to think I can’t do it. But through this series of challenges during the expedition in Kazakhstan… I now know I can do it. I just need to do it at my own pace.
Beyond Expeditions reminds you of what matters to you.
Ee Ming loves horses. She always tries to make horse-ridng a part of every travel, her more recent adventures being in Hawaii and Yunan. So, horse-riding being part of the itinerary for the Kazakhstan expedition was a huge ‘YES’ factor for her, but little did she know that the horses in this country would be of an entirely different level altogether.
“Horse-riding was a new adventure; really daunting! Horses were said to be quite temperamental and clearly, they have a mind of their own. At Kosai Lake, the horses were GALLOPING at the cliffs, and kept stopping to chew on grasses. The very first time we went near the water, my horse went in knee-deep!”
Ee Ming laughed light-heartedly, before continuing to share more about her experience with the horses. “We spent 6 hours on the horses, riding through a terrain that went up and down and up and down?! We had to keep leaning all the way front and back, it felt like a roller coaster ride. At some point in the journey, we all got so comfortable with our horses and the entire experience! I loved it. It was amazing, learning to be one with the animal. There’s this tension I learnt to handle; letting horses take the lead VS me wanting to be in control.”
As we continued on with our conversation, I got to discover this amazing thing about Ee Ming. This experience she had at Kazakhstan, was the nudge she needed to kickstart her journey of volunteering with horses at HERD Singapore! Ee Ming had previously already wanted to volunteer, but spending 6 hours with a horse gave her a newfound appreciation for horses and reignited her desire to work with social enterprises that work with horses in Singapore.
Beyond Expeditions brings people together.
“My expedition group had a paramedic, a nurse, an 18-year-old, an environment enthusiast, and a finance professional. Everyone is pretty interesting, each of us coming from such different walks of life but sharing the same hunger for new experiences. We all prioritised adventure.”
This parting statement from Ee Ming shall be a parting point from me to you in this article too. We began this 2-part series of articles with a definition of transformation; how transformation is not always large-scale. Transformation can look like you learning something new about yourself, or being reminded of a part of you. Transformation can look like embracing a different perspective (be it about what it means to trust in yourself, or what it truly means to embrace your own pace), and allowing this perspective to shift the way you now navigate your life. My interview conversations with each of these four ladies have greatly deepened my understanding of how powerful it can be when women open to challenge and unconventional adventure come together with Beyond Expeditions’ travel experiences. As much as Beyond Expeditions has presented an abundance of opportunities with the design of their itineraries, there would be no significant change in these women’s lives if they did not choose to be receiving and willing to face their fears and relook at their beliefs. Cherry, Kaili, Chai Tyng and Ee Ming’s experiences show us a precious insight into the beautiful outcomes women can have in each of these expeditions… and if you’ve read till the end of this article, it’s a sign for you to see if Beyond Expeditions’ unconventional travels are where you can bloom too.
Here are the links to each of the expeditions our four ladies have embarked on, do check them out for an adventure that could be a transformation for you too!
Cherry flew over for the Legendary Golden Eagle Hunting Festival.
Kai Li went to Central Mongolia.
Article written by: Valerie
Valerie, a freelance writer with a quirky infatuation with steamed buns and slightly bizarre food combinations.
(“Try soft-boiled eggs and hot milo!”)
She wishes to keep writing stories that bypass typical food reviews and appreciation of scenery, stories that inspire readers to pursue curious conversations about the unique cultures and lifestyles of every country.
