Extra-Curricular Exploration

Whilst on your year abroad, the best thing I could recommend would be to travel and do it as much as you can! Throughout the academic year at SMU I was able to travel to amazing places such as Japan, Borneo, South Korea and Thailand. I was able to experience a wide range of cultures and activities such as hiking a volcano in East Java and seeing wild orangutans in Borneo. However, the best decision I made was to continue the travelling once I had finished my academic year.

The second semester at SMU will usually finish significantly earlier than your home university so take this opportunity to continue the adventure! I decided that I would spend 3 months travelling more of Asia before returning to England as I knew this time would be difficult to get in the future once I start my career.

My adventure began in Vietnam; the home of egg coffee and millions of scooters. I spent just over a month here and I can say it is one of the most fantastic places I have ever been to. The people are so welcoming and friendly that you feel instantly at peace and excited to dive into the culture. The food is delicious and there is a huge range of different dishes, meaning that half the fun is just ordering random things and trying it all. My favourite thing that I did in Vietnam was the Ha Giang Loop; a 4-day motorbike tour around the mountains in the North of Vietnam. This experience showed the true beauty of the country and gave you a glimpse into the lives of the locals. I made great friends on the trip and I would definitely say this is a must do when in Vietnam!

It was then time to head over to Cambodia for a week. This is a country rich in history and the key takeaway I had from my time here was that learning the history of a country is one of the best parts about travelling. I am not a huge history fan, but my time in Cambodia was mostly spent at museums and I really enjoyed having the opportunity to learn about the country and its people.

Thailand was next on the list. 2 and a half weeks of crazy city life in Bangkok, beautiful rice paddies in the North and insane beaches in the South. My favourite thing was the food!! The Thai curries and the noodle dishes were always amazing and I miss it even now I am home. I would also recommend visiting some of the quieter islands because this is where I had some of my favourite days. Renting a scooter and just exploring a super quiet island. I felt like I had a private beach to myself everytime we stopped to explore.

Our next 2 and a half weeks were spent exploring Taiwan. I was so intrigued by Taiwan as I did not know what to expect. I was blown away by the nature and the beautiful temples. I spent around a week in Taipei where I got to see some amazing temples and visit unique mountain towns such as Jiufen. It was then time for Sun Moon Lake which was amazing. You cycle around the whole of the lake and it is just fantastic. The water is so blue and there is wild monkeys wandering around. It is a must do in Taiwan! Alishan National Forest was next on the list and this felt like something out of Twilight. I went on a day where it was raining which really added to the misty, eery vibes ahaha, but it was beautiful. My time in Taiwan finished with a couple more cities before it was time for my final week in Bali.

Bali was the perfect end to the trip. A place to relax and wind down before the big journey home. I saw some stunning beaches and ate some great food. I really used the time to just sunbathe and chill out ahaha.

Overall, the 3 months were the best thing I have ever done and I think that if you are flying to that side of the world for your year abroad, it would be rude not to make the most of the time and extend your travels once the academic year is over.