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Maldives - Relaxation Location

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 07:49:16 +1100

After a 3 to 4 hour flight from Singapore, we arrived in Male at around 10.30pm. It was Christmas night 2004.
When we located our luggage we noticed that one of our suit cases was opened and all of our belongings had been rummaged. We quickly checked to see if anything was missing. Luckily there wasn’t, just a few broken boxes but we reported it anyway.
Our tour representative took us to a waiting area where we were to be escorted to our Island by speed boat transfer. As we waited we decided to have a look in the water. To our amazement we could see beautiful coloured fish in the water at 11pm! The water was crystal clear! We were so excited and couldn’t wait to see the island during the day!
We were escorted to Thulhagiri resort by boat. When we arrived, we were greeted by a friendly man and we were given a complimentary cocktail.
It rained heavily during the night and the weather was humid. We were woken by an SMS message early the next morning asking if we were ok with the quake. We had no idea that Boxing Day was going to be a day that will be remembered in history.
As we left our room for breakfast that morning, we decided to check out the gift shop. Plastered all over the news was that a Tsunami had just hit the Indian Ocean and Male had been affected as well as many other islands in the Maldives.
It was devastating news. We were in the middle of the Maldives and could not even get off if we wanted to!
Tsunami aside, Thulhagiri Island overlooks the Indian Ocean with magnificent turquoise water and white sandy beaches.
This is a little piece of heaven, so spectacular no one could ever forget.
Spending time snorkeling with the colourful fish near the corals, swimming and sun-baking is what we did best and of course the island also offers a range of other sporting activities such as canoeing, windsurfing, scuba diving, beach volley ball and more.
There is an abundance of food come dining times, all with its own elegance. It is just stunning to dine in pure romance watching the sun set over the majestic ocean from your table.
And even though we didn’t have the opportunity to see other islands, we can look back and say that http://www.thulhagiri.com.mv/ was the perfect honeymoon destination for us. Our pictures tell a thousand words.

Amazing Thailand - Shopping Heaven

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:04:32 +1100

Arriving in Thailand after a 9-hour flight wasn’t exactly a breath of fresh air. The air was smog filled and had a very peculiar scent. Not really what we were expecting.
The streets were very busy with traffic and people. Everyone seemed to be in a rush to get somewhere. The Taxi drivers, trying to make a few extra Baht and so many young children, men and women with babies on the sidewalks; begging bypasses’ for their loose change.
It’s a sight not really for the faint hearted yet an experience unforgettable. In fact an experience that led us there more than once.
Staying at the Baiyoke Suite Hotel on our first trip and the Bangkok Palace on our second, both hotels were clean and comfortable and the staff were friendly and very helpful. Affordable accommodation in Bangkok is endless and if you went without anything booked, you are bound to find something. Our hotel page will link you to Thailand hotels as well as hotels we have stayed at to make a booking.
Shopping in Bangkok is the shopping experience. And like most shopping experiences, you have a choice. From major shopping centres with well-known brands to the inexpensive markets almost everywhere you go. And of course the night markets of Patpong and many other areas in the city.
You will find pretty much anything in Bangkok or Thailand for that matter. This is what is so fascinating about Thailand. You can walk up and down every street in Bangkok and find something different. There is no doubt you will come across Thai people cooking fish, chicken and other meats from a cart on the sidewalk, others cooking and selling insects or serving coconut drinks, straight from a fresh coconut that is cut right in front of you.
Our photos will show you the many places we went. You should be mindful though of the Thai culture. There are certain places photography is not permitted, such as in shopping centres and of sacred statues. We only found this out when we were told by security to put our camera away when they saw us happily snapping away in a shopping centre we found pretty amazing (photo included).
While in Thailand, most of our time spent was in Bangkok. We also stayed in Cha-Am on our first visit at the Holiday Inn Resort Regent Beach Cha-Am. A lovely resort located right on Regent Beach and perfect for a break from the bustling Bangkok city life.
The resort also has a number of buffet restaurants and a great a la carte restaurant with authentic Thai Cuisine to die for. I still remember the mouth-watering taste of the Thai fried rice we ordered and the fried banana with coconut ice cream for dessert!
The photos in our gallery include the floating markets, Dreamworld, Pattaya, our Cha-Am resort, temples taken from a cruise boat, the streets of Bangkok, buildings and everyday living.
Getting around is easy. We really only travelled by tuk tuk, taxi, private car or by foot. There is also the MRT and buses.
Traveling by tuk tuk is an experience you should not miss when in Thailand. It is cheap, quick and convenient. Many of the drivers will take you to places you may not want to go just so they get free vouchers from the merchants. It is best to know where you want to go and negotiate a price before you leave. If you are there for the adventure, they can take you to some good gem and jewelry stores. Sometimes it’s really worth the ride.
A place we were taken to was Manhattan Tailors. If you’re looking to get tailored made suits or clothing, this is a good place to go. The quality of the work and material is very good and the prices are reasonable. The tuk tuk drivers also get good vouchers for their referral to Manhattan Tailors so they will be more than happy to take you.
The people of Thailand are very friendly and will go out of their way to assist you. If you have a good experience with a driver, ask them for their number or make a booking with them to take you somewhere. We had a tuk tuk driver for short trips and a limo driver for long trips.
The floating markets are about a 2-hour drive from Bangkok. It’s a great day trip and best to leave early morning. Mostly fresh produce, clothing and ornaments are sold from the boats and stalls on the side of the canal. The driver of the boat you are in will stop for you if you want to buy something.
In the same vicinity of the markets is the Samphran Elephant ground and Crocodile farm and zoo where you can ride an elephant, take photos with them and also watch a performance by them. There are also crocodile shows and many animals to see.
All in all, amazing Thailand is an exciting country to visit. And even though we have only seen a small part of the country, I dream of the day we will visit again. Maybe next time it will be Pukett, Phi Phi Islands or Krabi.
Check out the Thailand Photo Gallery

Singapore - Home of the Orchid

Sat, 8 Nov 2008 17:18:28 +1100

Flying with QANTAS was so exciting for us when we left for our Honeymoon. Upon check in we were upgraded to business class. It was like a dream come true. At that time, there was no way we could have afforded paying for business class seats especially being so close to Christmas. The big comfy seats that reclined all the way back, being addressed by our names, or at least surnames, served prawns for entrée and having TV screens right in front of us to even play games! It was probably the most comfortable flight we had experienced and we were very fortunate that day to experience it.
So we are flying to Singapore, our first leg of our trip. On our arrival to Singapore airport and greeted by a friendly driver, we were taken to our hotel. We stayed at the Royal Plaza on Scotts for four nights. A very nice three Star hotel, recently refurbished, has all the facilities a tourist will need. Featuring two great restaurants, might I add a scrumptious breakfast every morning was a treat, room service, tour desk, swimming pool and gymnasium. The room was spacious and tastefully decorated, with a marble bathroom.
Being a tourist in Singapore we found that four nights was probably a sufficient amount of time to stay. Shopping and visiting a few of the main attractions are probably the highlights and well worth the trip.
Getting around Singapore is a breeze. SMRT stations are located less than 5 minutes between each other so you can easily access a station from anywhere in Singapore.
Santosa Island was a great place to visit. With its lush gardens, interesting aquarium, Pink Dolphin show and swimming facilities in the lake, we really enjoyed our time there.
On our way back we took the Skyrail and stopped at a shopping centre nearby for a browse and a bite to eat.
We shopped in many of the computer shopping centres there which have many levels of just computer and electronic devices. Any computer enthusiast would have a field day to say the least.
The shopping centres there usually don’t open until about 10 am so we were waiting for everything to open when we got there. They do however stay open till late.
Singapore Zoo is a really nice place to see especially for children. It was a hot day when we went, however there are plenty of trees and beautiful gardens to provide shade and many rest areas and scenic places to take a break.
At night we walked around the main streets of Singapore amazed at the decorations, lights and atmosphere during the Christmas season. It was just so nice to see and it was probably the first time in a very long time Christmas actually felt like Christmas for us. There were streets of people singing Christmas carols; Christmas plays being performed and many stalls at the night markets.
Other great shopping areas include Little India, Orchard, Chinatown, Riverside, Bugis and Marina Bay.
Singapore is a fantastic way to spend a few days as a stopover. It is a very clean city and there are so many different things to buy and unusual things to see.
Check out the Singapore Photo Gallery