Although they could have taken a six-hour direct flight from Beijing to Kuala Lumpur, Isa Zubir, 36, and his wife, Ain Rozli, 34, chose to take a five-day train journey instead.
From the Chinese capital, the couple boarded a high-speed train to Kunming, Yunnan, before continuing to Vientiane in Laos, then on to Bangkok, Thailand, and finally to their destination in Ipoh, Perak.
“You could call this a crazy idea … who would travel over 5,000km by land during Ramadan in the scorching heat, carrying heavy and bulky luggage? But Alhamdulillah, everything went smoothly.
“In fact, it was a priceless experience as an overseas Malaysian returning home for Raya. We couldn’t wait to get back home, but we also saw this as a rare opportunity to explore other countries along the way,” Isa told Bernama.
Isa, who works in a media organisation in Beijing, described the ride as a dream come true as he had long wanted to travel across these countries by land, but never imagined he would do so as part of his balik kampung trip.
“For the first leg of our journey, we didn’t book sleeper seats, just regular ones. Imagine sitting for almost 15 hours – it was definitely tough!
“But it was worth it because the train was fascinating, with a café and a different cultural atmosphere than what we are used to,” he shared.
Isa, who has been living in China since February last year, and his wife spent a night in Kunming to experience spring and visit attractions such as Kunming Old Road, the Flower Market, Shuncheng Mosque, and Halal Street.
“We discovered a different culture in Kunming, which is in western China. For instance, we found a restaurant serving nasi campur, something we don’t see in Beijing.
“The Shuncheng Mosque was also stunning,” said Isa, who had booked their train tickets online over a month in advance.
From Kunming, the ride to Vientiane took more than nine hours. Their next destination, Bangkok, involved travel of over 12 hours. The couple also took the opportunity to explore Thailand’s vibrant capital city.
Isa said he and his wife also cherished the experience of making new friends from diverse backgrounds during the journey. “We met an Australian couple and a businessman from Sichuan, China, who shared their travel experiences and life stories.
“The most interesting encounter was with a friendly Laotian woman who couldn’t speak English, but we ended up communicating in Mandarin,” he said, adding they had no issues with immigration clearance at any of the borders.
Finding halal food along the way was also convenient, allowing the couple to plan and prepare for sahur and iftar in the train compartments. They would buy meals in advance at stations or while sightseeing.
“This journey gave us not only new experiences and the opportunity to see different sceneries but also valuable lessons, especially in patience and sacrifice.
“The anticipation of reaching Malaysia made the Raya spirit even stronger,” concluded Isa, who will return to Beijing by plane on April 10.