Retirement is far from the grand finale; it’s actually the grand opening to the adventures you've been dreaming of. Just ask 73-year-old Taiwanese globetrotter Hung Leung-chi - retirement is your golden ticket to monumental escapades!
As a former high-flying general manager in the travel industry and lecturer at the National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism, Hung now crafts breathtaking, self-guided journeys with his co-adventurer, his wife. Here, we unfold Hung’s treasure trove of travel gems aimed at transforming your golden years into a thrilling mix of cultural riches and limitless discovery.
The maverick method: crafting your own adventure
With a lifetime of travel savvy, Hung celebrates retirement by designing awe-inspiring, global expeditions. With his wife, they manage, on average, two tours each year: a quick 8-9-day getaway and a deep, month-long plunge into new cultures. A recent highlight? Their 33-day journey through the cultural jewels of Eastern Europe—Slovenia, Croatia, and Montenegro—overseeing every detail from flights to accommodations.
For Hung, the zest of travelling lies in creating one’s own path. Self-guided tours offer a rich tapestry of experiences that group tours, with their whirlwind of snapshot stops, simply can’t match.
To kindle the spirit of adventure in fellow retirees, Hung lays out his playbook for a fulfilling self-guided travel experience:
1. Be like water: flexibility in planning
Hung’s first nugget of wisdom? “Travel with a sense of direction, not a fixed destination”. Aim for an experience - like witnessing Japan’s cherry blossoms - and let the path unfold naturally. This spontaneity not only spices up your adventure but also embraces the unexpected joys of unplanned discoveries.
2. Take the scenic route: opt for indirect flights
Gone are the days of rushing from point A to B. In retirement, the journey is as crucial as the destination. Hung suggests breaking up long flights with layovers, turning tedious travel into opportunities for mini-explorations.
3. Hit the ground learning: start with a free walking tour
Dive headfirst into local culture with a free walking tour. It’s an invaluable way to gain insights from locals and, as Hung points out, with resources like GetYourGuide, language barriers are easily navigated with offerings like Chinese-translated tours.
4. Live like a local: embrace homestays
Swap the impersonal atmosphere of hotels for the warmth of homestays. Platforms like Airbnb not only offer a slice of local life but also enable easier resolution of any hiccups through effective, translated communication, as per Hung’s experiences.
5. Pack a sense of humour (and maybe diapers)
Acknowledging a concern many mature travellers might hesitate to voice, Hung suggests a pragmatic approach to potential restroom emergencies: diapers. It’s about enjoying the adventure without sweating the small stuff.
6. Immerse, don’t just visit: extend your stay
To truly connect with a place, Hung advises extending your travels, opting for locales where your budget stretches further, and embracing the local lifestyle. It’s about deep cultural immersion, not just ticking off tourist sites.
Safety first, adventure always
Safety is paramount in all things. Hung encourages a balanced approach, advocating for guided tours where necessary and always prioritising well-being alongside adventure.
The takeaway: your next chapter awaits
Retirement is not an end but a thrilling beginning to a world of exploration. Equip yourself with Hung’s insights, and the only question left is: where to next?
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