Nine-year-old Randau is afraid of new people and places because his mother is afraid. In a moment of bravado during his first visit to Singapore, he leaves the hotel then loses his way in the streets. He accidentally travels 100 years to the past and meets Kai, the traveller of islands. Kai talks about the traveller s rule and helps Randau return to modern-day Singapore to be reunited with his parents. After spending two days seeing the island through his father s eyes, Randau promises to grow up into a brave traveller.