COMMENT | Poland and Malaysia are about 10,000km apart, nine hours direct flight time. Is this far? It really depends. Speaking of distance, it certainly is not close.

Two hundred years ago, it would take more than six months to cross by sailship. Today, we cover it in hours by plane or in a flicker with the internet. But it really depends on what we are looking for. Is it speed and efficiency or just the experience of travel, getting to know other lands, cultures and landscapes?

Back in 1986, it took me more than six months to complete a leisurely overland journey from Singapore to Malaysia, Thailand, India, Nepal and then across Tibet and the rest of China to Mongolia, across the USSR and back home to Poland.

The Malaysian leg of my journey I remember as taking place in a very well organised and well-run country, with excellent highways and comfortable buses. The image of friendly, smiling and polite people was the most memorable. In my mind, they became synonymous with Malaysia.

I came back five years later, this time on a stopover on my journey from Australia for a short visit to Tioman. I fell truly in love with its pristine beaches, lush tropical jungle and even with the monkeys one hoped to avoid when walking through the forest to the virgin Monkey Beach. That is why, when given a choice of three Asian countries to represent Poland in...