Jeremy and Shirlene of the Idelish originally started to blog as a way to share the details of their wedding with guests, and now they have quite a following who enjoy their gorgeous photography and interesting stories.
Jeremy and Shirlene have also written an article for this website titled “Discover India – 6 Tips” that you may want to read as well.
ATM: You have some beautiful, vibrant photography on your website, Idelish. What advice or recommendations do you have for people who want to take nice photos to preserve their adventure travel memories?
[Jeremy] While taking what we call the “postcard shots,” remember to take photos that help YOU capture the memories, atmosphere and your experience.
What will your response be when you’re back at home after your travels and someone asks you, “What was the best thing about your recent travel destination?”
If it’s the coffee you drank in a cafe, make sure you capture that photo. If it’s the flower you saw on your hike, make sure to take a photo of it. A photo that carries an emotional or sentimental value is more precious than an obligatory photo shot.
We also found that focusing in (zooming in) usually makes for great photos (except for landscape photos, of course).
If you wanted to capture the beautiful carving on a building, don’t just take a photo of the entire building, zoom in and take a shot of the carving itself. If it was the colorful fish you saw underwater then get as close as you can and take a shot of that one fish.
In your opinion, what foreign cultures have you found to be the most interesting and why?
[Shirlene] Hands down, it’s Japan. You’ll be mesmerized by the historical aspects of the country (e.g. beautiful temples, old traditions and so on) and at the same time be wowed by how modern and advanced the country is.
All this with a society that is humble, polite and highly “disciplined.” Never once when we were there did we see any pushing and shoving at train stations or rudeness by anyone in public. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Japan and are looking forward to going back.
What are some of the more interesting foods you’ve tasted throughout your travels? And tell us about two or three that surprised you the most.
[Jeremy] Let’s see… Some of the more interesting foods we’ve tasted include chicken testicles, noodles made of squid ink in Hong Kong, noodles wrapped in pig’s intestine skin in Korea, dried elk meat in Estonia, stinky tofu in China, horse meat, raw chicken liver and in Japan the shrimp was so fresh that its flesh was still “pulsating.”
What surprised us the most? Hmm… chicken testicles when cooked in a hotpot and eaten with some spicy condiments is rather delicious.
We were also a little worried about eating raw chicken liver in Japan but after being assured by our Japanese friends that it was completely safe, and that the restaurant we were at had a good reputation, we gave it a go.
With the right dipping sauces (e.g. some type of sesame oils and a couple other dipping salts) the raw liver was actually rather tasty. We were expecting it to taste bloody and gooey but that wasn’t the case at all.
What’s the funniest (or most embarrassing) thing that has ever happened to you while travelling overseas?
[Jeremy] When we were in Korea the first time, and had just finished our restaurant meal in Seoul, the waitress came by with the bill. She didn’t speak much English but she was able to say numbers.
She said to me “sixty thousand one.” Since it was a cash only restaurant we were trying to put together 60,001 KRW to pay the bill in exact change down to the “one.” We kept looking and digging into our purses and wallets looking for the “one.” The waitress was puzzled, and we kept apologizing for taking so long.
We then gave up and apologized for not being able to provide the “one” and proceeded to give them another 10,000 KRW. The waitress returned the 10,000 KRW and said “sixty thousand one, enough” while pointing to the 60,000 KRW we had already given her.
Only then did we realize that the “one” was “Won” which is how you pronounce South Korea’s currency (KRW) She was saying the bill was 60,000 Won! The waitress realized our confusion at the same time we did and we all laughed out loud. Needless to say, we felt rather embarrassed!
I read on Idelish where you went camel riding in the UAE. Camels have a reputation in some circles as being a bit… unpleasant. Tell us about your experience.
[Shirlene] We’ve had nice experiences both times we tried camel riding. The first time was in UAE and another time in India. They were both unforgettable experiences.
We did not plan a camel ride before our UAE trip, so we were not prepared and did not know what to expect.
The camel lowered itself on its knees so we can sit on top of him. It then rose to its feet. Mind you, that’s about a 4 – 6 feet rise. The speed at which he stood up made my heart skip a beat. The same happened when the camel lowered itself. It felt like a split second free fall. Other than that the ride around the sand dune was rather uneventful.
We then had another chance camel riding in India. This time the camel was actually more interesting.
When we said “smile” to the camel it would bare its teeth and squint its eyes. We did it a couple of times and every time the camel would “smile” for us to take pictures. He was adorable!
We also spent more time with the camels while in India compared to UAE. This time, it decided to pee and poo in the middle of walking around the sand dune with us on the camel’s back and nowhere to run. It was a rather smelly affair.
If you could go to one country where you have never been before, which one would it be and why?
[Jeremy & Shirlene] It’s not actually a country. It’s a continent that we’ve never been before that we’d like to go visit: Antartica.
We’ve seen the beautiful landscapes and wildlife in Antartica on TV and the internet, however, the cost of visiting Antartica is out of our budget at this time. So, this is a trip that will take some time to save up for.
If you were to make a list of DOs and DON’Ts about traveling to a foreign country for the first time, what would be some of the top items in your Idelish list?
DOs
- DO venture out of your comfort zone and try something new at least once a day.
- DO take pictures but be respectful of people’s privacy.
- DO wear comfortable shoes when you’re traveling. A sore foot can really spoil your day.
- DO try to communicate with the locals. Even if you don’t speak their language, pictures and hand signaling can take you a long way. Our favorite topic is to ask the locals where they have their meals and then go try it ourselves.
- DO find out if your credit or debit card charges foreign transaction fees and how much before you start using your cards. If possible, apply for a card that charges no foreign transaction fees before your trip.
- DO bring at least a small amount of local currency even though you plan to just withdraw cash from the ATM or use your credit card. Technology may sometimes fail you when you least expect it (e.g. ATMs not functioning or credit cards not accepted). A little cash may just be what you need to pay the cab to take you to a location with working ATMs or to get to your hotel.
- DO set the right expectations.
- DO make a photocopy of your passports and important documents and carry that with you. Leave the originals in the hotel safe.
- DO send your itinerary/contact information to a friend or family so someone knows where you are/should be and can follow up in case of an emergency.
- DO put down your camera sometimes and just enjoy the moment.
DON’Ts
- DON’T be rude or disrespectful. Remember, you are representing your country when you travel.
- DON’T only eat food that you’re familiar and comfortable with. Venture out of your comfort zone and give a local delicacy a try.
- DON’T expect anyone to speak/understand English.
- DON’T judge or expect people in other countries to have the same boundaries, limits and expectations as you. For example, personal space in Japan is smaller than it is in the US. Spitting on the roads is totally acceptable in China. Nudity is normal in some countries.
- DON’T take cabs everywhere. Try the local transportation for a change like busses, horse carts, tuk tuk, boats and trains.
- DONT pack more than you need. Dragging your heavy luggage across town to get to your hotel is not fun.
With the bag fees being such an issue these days, what are your top Idelish tips when it comes to packing light for an adventure travel trip?
[Jeremy]
- Pack clothes that you can layer. We bring many light t-shirts/tops that we then layer with a couple of sweaters and usually one durable jacket.
- We also multi-purpose our shoes. For example, our water shoes are durable enough that they can be worn for water sports, for walking around town and for light hiking.
- Bringing a smaller luggage/backpack or deciding to not check in luggage also automatically forces us to “edit” our packing list. For example, by knowing that we’re not checking in any bags we have no choice but to pack smart.
You have an article on Idelish about helping to build libraries in Zambia. How did you get involved with that mission and why are you passionate about it?
[Shirlene]
We came across the Passport with a Purpose effort through the travel community. When we first heard about it, we looked up the charities, what it stood for and what it was aiming to do. When we learnt about their effort to build libraries in Zambia this year, it struck a chord with us.
I could not imagine how our lives would be if we were illiterate, had no access to books or libraries. Visiting the library and borrowing fairy tale books was one of my favorite childhood memories.
Our travels have opened our eyes and hearts to the struggles of the world. Sometimes we cannot do anything about it but sometimes we can.
The Passports with a Purpose initiative is one of those times that we can give back. To think that through words on a page a child in Zambia is one step closer to having access to books, libraries and an education is something we felt compelled to get involved with. If by writing an article we’ve helped inspire one person to donate $10, then we feel we have made a difference.
So, where’s the next place you’re going to take Idelish, and why did you decide you wanted to go there?
[Jeremy & Shirlene]
We are off to Beijing and maybe even Mongolia next year. We both come from families who love to travel, and our families are all in Malaysia. Instead of “going home” every year to see our families we pick a place to visit, meet there and travel together. This year it was India. Next year it’s China.
Tell us a little about Idelish. What is your website all about?
[Jeremy & Shirlene]
We first started Idelish to provide information about traveling to Malaysia for out of town friends who were attending our wedding there. The blog was meant to be a temporary website. In between June and December of 2010 we also added several more travel posts just for fun.
Then in December of 2010 we went on our honeymoon to Japan. We visited snow monkeys at Jigokudani Monkey Park, and the journey involved, trains, busses and a hike.
We enjoyed the experience so much that we wanted to make sure others would be able to experience it too. So, we decided to revive Idelish and share our experience in Japan, especially the information needed for others to visit the Monkey Park too.
It was a hit with our friends and families. We received comments, encouragements, notes and emails about how they enjoyed the article, how some were inspired to travel and how useful the information we provided was.
Encouraged by the positive feedback after several more travel posts, we decided to officially launch Idelish in April of 2011.
We truly believe that travel has shaped who we are today and has taught us many of life’s lessons such as patience, respect, humility, courage, adventurousness and more.
Our website aims to inspire others to travel, see the world and enhance their own life experiences.
We share our stories, tips and advice about destinations, be it adventures, food or photography through Idelish.
You will find beautiful photos accompanying all of our posts. We love capturing the beauty of our travels through our photography and enjoy sharing the photos with our readers which they love as well.
Jeremy and Shirlene are a husband and wife team who love travel and adventure. They have a website they call Idelish where they share their love for discovering and exploring exciting destinations, cultures and experiences. To date they have traveled to 38 countries, but that’s just a beginning for them, so visit Idelish from time to time for updates.
They’ve also written an article for this website called “Discover India – 6 Tips” that you may want to read.