Passport Power vs Border Reality

The Malaysian passport has recently been elevated to second place in The Passport Index Global Ranking 2026. With this ranking, Malaysian passport holders now have access to 129 visa-free destinations and 46 destinations with visa-on-arrival. Twenty three destinations still require a visa though.

So, can Malaysian passport holders breeze through border control/immigration without a hitch? Not quite, especially in places where Malaysia is relatively unfamiliar.

Here are three incidences that happened in the past 3 years when my Malaysian passport did not wield any advantage at border control/immigration. 

Detained at Chisinau International Airport

I was flying from Istanbul, Turkiye to Chisinau, Moldova on 29 May 2026.

At the immigration counter in Chisinau International Airport, the officer asked the purpose of my visit to Moldova and accommodation details. 

After showing her my reservation on the booking.com app, she kept flicking through my passport and told me to wait by the side whilst she attended to other travelers. I was exasperated at that point. Couldn't she see that my passport has stamps from various countries denoting that I travel widely? And that I had a valid hostel reservation in Chisinau?

Soon a security officer came along and brought me to a waiting room. Almost everyone detained in that room were people of colour.

After about 15 minutes, the same officer entered the room with a stack of passports and began calling out the names. My name was the first. 

"Are you here as a tourist?" he asked. Before I could say 'yes', the officer handed back my passport and said I could go. 

After travelling to more than 50 countries, that was the first time I got detained at an airport. And that experience certainly created a bad first impression of Moldova for me.

Moldova wants to keep its country 'white' similar to other East European countries like Poland.

Visa confusion at Sofia International Airport

When I was checking in at Sofia International Airport in Bulgaria on 10 June 2026 to catch a flight to Istanbul, Turkiye, the personnel looked at my passport and asked her colleague seated beside her if Malaysian passport holders need a visa to enter Turkiye.  

Seeing that her colleague was also unsure, I informed the personnel that I had already entered and exited Turkiye via Istanbul just a week ago without a visa, and that she could check my passport. Her face immediately lit up and she printed my boarding pass.

I don't understand why can't airports have an online database updated regularly where immigration officers or airline check-in staff could quickly check if a particular nationality/passport requires visa to enter a country. Wouldn't that be more efficient, convenient and time saving for all parties?

Rila Monastery in Bulgaria is a UNESCO Heritage Site.

Visa confusion at Port Tunis La Goulette

This happened on 2 December 2023 when I took the overnight ferry from Port of Palermo in Sicily, Italy to Port Tunis La Goulette in Tunis, Tunisia.

Clearing border control/immigration at Port of Palermo in Sicily was a breeze. However when I attempted to board the ferry at Port of Palermo, I was told to wait by the side whilst the officers checked if Malaysian passport holders needed a visa to enter Tunisia. After about 10 minutes, I was cleared to board the ferry. In spite of the relief, I couldn't help feeling anxious that I was going to experience issues again when I disembark. 

True enough, at Port Tunis La Goulette, the border control/immigration officer couldn't decide what to do with my Malaysian passport. After waiting for a couple of minutes, he brought me to see his superior.

The superior was surprised too when he saw my passport and enquired my reason for coming to Tunisia. When I told him that I was in Tunisia for tourism, he looked uncertain and reluctantly allowed me to enter the country.

The Archeological Site of Carthage in Tunisia is a UNESCO Heritage Site.

Conclusion

After these less pleasant experiences at border control/immigration, I don't think having a strong passport especially from a less familiar country makes much of a difference.

It only makes a difference if I'm travelling to where many Malaysians travel to like South East Asian countries, China, India, Japan, South Korea, etc. where border control/immigration officers are familiar with our passport.

Another observation - if you intend to travel to countries with large number of visitors, like Turkiye, Spain and Italy, high possibility you'll not face any problems at border control/immigration. It is countries with low number of visitors that poses the most challenge especially if your passport is relatively unknown. 

Anyhow, these less pleasant experiences at border control/immigration is not going to deter me from continuing to travel widely.

The Truth about Bran Castle a.k.a. Dracula's Castle

(All information correct as of June 2026)

Official website of Bran Castle: https://bran-castle.com/

When I was enquiring about Bran Castle at a hostel in Brasov, Christie shared that she hears different feedback about the infamous castle.

"Either you like it, or you hate it; it really depends on the individual," she said. 

I was even more intrigued and at the same time told myself to keep an open mind.

So on a bright and beautiful morning, I walked from Brasov Old Town to Autogara 2 Transbus Codreanu to take the public bus to Bran Castle.

The bus from Autogara 2 Transbus Codreanu to Bran Castle goes by the hour. The distance is around 27km and the journey is about 45 minutes. 

When we reached the drop off point, the driver announced that the bus had arrived at Bran Castle so that passengers could get off. The castle is about 200 meters from the bus stop. 

This is the entrance to Bran Castle from the main road where the bus dropped off passengers.

From the main entrance into the castle grounds, it is a short but relatively steep climb to reach the castle.

Now, let us go back in time for a brief history of Bran Castle.

In 1377, King Louis I of Hungary had authorised Transylvanian Saxons to build the castle as a fortress against the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. The castle was completed in 1388 and over the years was under the rule of various figures.

In 1920, Bran Castle became the royal summer residence of Queen Marie of Greater Romania who had six children. Her favourite daughter, Princess Ileana was the last member of the royal family who lived in the castle before totalitarian Communist regime seized the country in 1948 and the royal family were exiled from Romania.

Statue of Queen Marie in one of the open spaces outside Bran Castle.

Here are a few random photos of the interiors of Bran Castle as an abode of Queen Marie and her family:

Queen Marie's abode.

A random book corner at Bran Castle.

A random door at Bran Castle.

Now let's get into the story of how Bran Castle became known as Dracula's Castle. 

Dracula is a fictional character from writer, Bram Stoker's 1897 horror novel of the same name, Dracula. It is believe that certain aspects of Dracula's character was inspired by the 15th Century Wallachian Prince, Vlad III also known as Vlad the Impaler, who's nickname was Dracula meaning 'son of Dracul' derived from the Latin draco ('dragon') after his father's induction into the Order of Dragons created by the Roman Emperor Sigismund. 

In his novel, Bram Stoker used Bran Castle in Romania as the dwelling place of Dracula even though he has never been to the castle himself. The association between Dracula and Bran Castle captured the imagination of fans and Bran Castle soon became known as Dracula's Castle.

Bran Castle is also known as Dracula's Castle.

As visitors are more interested in Dracula than in Queen Marie, the owner(s) know that Bran Castle is a cash cow with potential to draw visitors from around the world. So they give visitors exactly what visitors come to Bran Castle for. Certain parts of the castle have been converted into dark, spooky spaces complete with props and eerie sound effects that probably stays in your mind long after you leave.

I didn't take many photos as the rooms were dark and photos turned out blurry. 

Anyway, there were digital screens about different types of Romanian supernatural beings like the lele, solomonari and santoaderii.

Visiting Bran Castle would be incomplete if they didn't honour its fictional star with his own private room ... 

I tried opening Dracula's casket but it was tightly shut.

The other guy who inspired the name of Dracula is also not forgotten ...

Vlad the Impaler welcomes visitors to the Torture Chambers.

If you are a history buff visiting Bran Castle to learn about its history, the castle displays minimal history about Queen Marie and her family. 

But if you are visiting Bran Castle for its association with Dracula, you may come away entertained and perhaps satisfied. 

I visited Bran Castle without any expectations and it felt like visiting a haunted house in an amusement park. The focus of the castle is clearly on Dracula because that is where the interest (and the cash!) lies. 

Nevertheless, if you plan to visit Bran Castle, do it with an open mind and without expectations; let the outcome surprise you.

Souvenir shop at the base of Bran Castle.

 

2025 - Lookback

This is my customary lookback post which I update in this blog during the last week of each year.

May - Travelled to Andalucía Spain and Lisbon

I made this trip simply because Saudia was selling a return ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Madrid at RM2,250.00 only. 

I seized the opportunity to visit Andalusia Spain to see the three great monuments of the region, i.e. the Alhambra in Granada, the Seville Cathedral in Seville and the Mezquita in Cordoba.

After ticking off all the monuments, I took the bus from Seville to Lisbon and spent 3 nights there before flying back to Madrid to catch my flight back to Kuala Lumpur.

I fell in love with Plaza de Espana in Seville the moment I saw it for the first time.

June - Travelled to Kluang and Johor Bahru for Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimage

In June we took the opportunity to visit the remaining two Jubilee parishes in the Malacca-Johor Diocese, i.e. the Church of St Louis in Kluang, and the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Johor Bahru.

From Kuala Lumpur, we took the bus to Kluang to attend Friday evening Mass at the Church of St Louis. The next day we continued our journey to Johor Bahru to attend Sunset Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.

One of the most pleasant discoveries of this pilgrimage was not religious related but food related - I discovered the most delicious cendol ever - Kluang Cendol. 

The coconut milk was thick. The gula melaka (palm sugar) was sweet enough. And when both ingredients combined with the shaved ice and condiments, just hits the right spot.

The best part is that a bowl of cendol costs only ... hold your breath ... RM2.50. 

Based on my taste buds, the Kluang Cendol is better than the Lebuh Keng Kwee one in Penang.

July - Encore Malacca

Went with the family to watch Encore Melaka - acclaimed to be the most advanced immersive experience in Southeast Asia. 

My verdict: The visuals were colourful and vibrant. The choreography was not too bad. And the best part is that the stage is revolving. As the stage turns, the ceiling looks like the bottom of the Millennium Falcon.  

However, the story line had no flow. Certain scenes didn't blend into the storyline and didn't make sense at all.

One of the scenes from Encore Melaka.

August - Short get-away to Kota Kinabalu

My work was getting overwhelmed and stressful, so I took a 3-night break to Kota Kinabalu and stayed at the Nexus Karambunai Resort.

The resort had so much potential - large grounds that made it perfect for families with children to run around. I think this is the biggest resort (in terms of physical space) I ever stayed in.

However, the resort lacked maintenance and poorly trained staff. When it's busy during breakfast, it takes a long time for staff to replenish the food, most probably due to lack of manpower. The food is also not delicious and if you order ala carte, it's super expensive. Imagine paying so much for lousy food. 

Even though the resort was run down and lack proper maintenance, it had a lovely beach and a glorious sunset.

September - Travelled to Okinawa

When we arrived at Okinawa, we stayed at Naha for a couple of days. We walked Kokusai Dori shopping street and visited Shuri Castle.

In Naha, we took a ferry from Tomami Ferry Terminal to Zamami Island for a day-trip and snorkeled at Furuzamami Beach. 

After Naha, we travelled to Chatan to see the American Village, something which is not common in Japan.

Whilst in Chatan, we took the Chatan Adventure Highway Bus for a day-trip to Churaumi Aquarium. The sea life and conservation work at the aquarium is amazing.

Apart from travelling, we also pigged out on Okinawan F&B like shuri soba, spam musubi, goya champuru, Blue Seal ice-cream, and the many flavours of Orion beer. I loved goya champuru so much that I learnt how to prepare it when I returned to KL. 

Goya champuru is an Okinawan stir-fried dish.

This is a clip of the ferry ride to Zamami Island. The aquamarine colours of the sea is mesmerizing:

September - Celebrated 10th Anniversary in my current employment

When I first joined the company I did not expect or plan to stay that long. However, when work became busy and the pandemic came a calling, suddenly ten years have passed.

I don't know whether staying in a company for that long is a sign of loyalty, complacency, or a lack of ambition; which is something to reflect on.

October - Travelled to Penang for Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimage

I made this trip to cover the pilgrim centres of Church of the Assumption and Church of St Mary.

I took an early morning flight to Penang and made my way to Church of the Assumption in Georgetown to attend the Friday afternoon Mass. 

After Mass, I took the ferry from Pengkalan Weld to Butterworth and checked into a hotel near Penang Sentral. 

That evening, I took a GRAB to the Church of St Mary in Permatang Tinggi to attend the Friday evening Mass.

The next morning I took the bus back to Kuala Lumpur. 

I was in and out of Penang in two shakes of a lamb's tail. 

Church of the Assumption in Georgetown, Penang.

November - Travelled to Oman and United Arab Emirates

When I was planning my trip to Oman, a friend who used to work there advised that the best parts of Oman are outside its capital, Muscat. 

So I took his advice and visited Wadi Bani Khalid and Wahiba Desert. The desert experience was amazing!

I also managed to watch a performance at the Royal Opera House in Muscat.

I visited UAE to add another country to the list. Furthermore, it's location beside Oman makes it perfect stopover. 

In Dubai I spent most of my time at Dubai Mall watching the fountain show. The sound and light together with the projections on Burj Khalifa was incredible. I enjoyed it very much.

Wahiba Sands.

December - Travelled to Kuantan for Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimage

Did a 1-night trip to Church of St Thomas in Kuantan and with that I can humble brag that I've visited all the designated pilgrim centres in Peninsular Malaysia except for the one in Ipoh because it's located in an area inaccessible by public transport.

Summary

2025 being the Jubilee Year of Hope in the Roman Catholic Church, I spent more resources travelling to the pilgrim centres to gain indulgences. In fact, when the year was launched in December 2024 and the  eleven designated pilgrim centres in the three dioceses of Peninsular Malaysia were announced, I made it a goal to visit every one of them except for Chapel of Annai Velangani in Ipoh because it's located in an area inaccessible by public transport. I wanted to stamp my pilgrim passport and a conventional passport (expired) with the special stamps available at the pilgrim centres.

In 2025 I only travelled to 3 new countries as compared to 2024 when I covered 8 new countries.

What will 2026 bring? Well, I already have a big trip planned in May/June. Apart from that I don't have any other trips planned yet.

But I'm certain that more travels will manifest when the time comes. It all depends on my work schedule, availability of cheap flight tickets, etc.