Luke landed in Kuala Lumpur after 15 hours of flying and in the meantime also managed to get a glimpse of Paris. As soon as he stepped out of the Arrivals lounge at the airport he immediately realised how lucky he was to have come all the way to Asia alone.

Leisure travelling is often described as a form of escapism from our repetitive daily routines and demanding jobs. Travelling is a very good recipe for getting away from it all, however, nothing fulfils the soul more than solo travelling. Here's why.

I met Luke Attard on a warm sunny morning at the University campus and was immediately given an insight into his friendly and charming character. Luke has recently arrived from a month's travel to Asia. At the young age of 20, Luke is already a solo traveller and started off by remarking that he wouldn't substitute it for anything: "If you compare the world to an oyster, you should savour it on your own."

Before visiting Asia, Luke had already travelled solo to Portugal, the United Kingdom and Spain on Erasmus. But Asia was the "real thing". It was also his first trip outside Europe. Luke's choice for choosing Asia was based on the cheap flights he found at the time of booking. Another reason for going to Asia was that he had friends in Asia that he had been planning to meet for quite a number of years. However, Japan had been on his bucket list for a while as well and his mind was always wondering about when is the ideal time that he should book the flights.

One of the things that intrigued me is why Luke at 20 years of age is so enthusiastic about travelling alone. Luke admits that "it is difficult to find people my age who are willing to travel to other continents". However, his main interest is self-discovery and self-fulfilment. Out of personal experience, Luke talks about how when travelling alone, as a traveller he interacts more with the locals and understands the people and their way of life. When visiting Singapore he went beyond the mainland and rented a bike to go around a rainforest island. The island was an abundance of mischievous monkeys in their natural habitat. "The peace and quiet of the island was very fulfilling."

Although Asia is a world in itself, a place like Macau, that was formerly colonised by the Portuguese, is evidence of two cultures coming together in one place. Although a lot of buildings are definitely Chinese, the two cultures can easily be seen and felt. Hong Kong, despite being the city with the most skyscrapers in the world has a lot of nature to be explored.

Asians are very open and supportive of other cultures. This could be because Asians are big travellers. "My friend is 35 years old and has already been to 50 countries within and outside the Asian continent. Many locals I spoke to have travelled to an average of 35 countries so far."

Does Luke have a favourite city? "I don't have a favourite city because the whole trip was all very overwhelming. But I have a favourite in every city I went to." However, Luke admits that he was impressed by how well-organised everything is in Singapore. "I think Singapore was planned and built for the sole purpose of beauty. From the old colonial buildings, the skyscrapers and even the subway system everything is worth looking at." But for some real peace, Luke suggests visiting Penang. "It is a tranquil place where everything moves a bit slower than the rest of the world."

Asians are renowned for their noodles and their food culture in general. In addition to the glorious food, it's all very cheap. A proper meal costs an average of €6 and most restaurants provide free water. Meat is not a very popular dish as it is considered rather European. Rice is probably their most popular dish. Another popular dish is noodles in a broth with seaweed. Malaysia is the place to go for authentic Indian cuisine, as Luke explains: "The amount of spices in the food is very precise. The spices not only make the food spicy but enhance the taste of the dish."

Where there any scary moments throughout the trip? With a broad smile he answered "None at all. I felt very safe and enjoyed every minute of it." Although every traveller has to take the necessary precautions; Asia is considered very safe even in the evening. Luke remarks how satisfied he felt that the homeless are very well taken care of. "Near one of the hostels where I was staying there was a whole set-up to feed the homeless." In addition, there are a lot of rehabilitation programmes to re-integrate the homeless into society.

Luke's future travel plans have already been arranged. He is still going to travel alone but this time closer to home - Belgium and The Netherlands. Luke urges his friends to travel as much as possible and where possible to travel alone. "It takes some courage to book your first holiday alone and check into a room for one, but after you do it once you will keep wanting to do it."

Cressida Abela