Tag Archives: turtles

Oribi Mom, Travelinds

Oribi Mom: Shells, Shells, and Shells

“We didn’t take any shells away from our travels in these magical places; that would be against the rules.”

Sunset at the Tip of Borneo. PHOTO BY HEATHER LIND

August 14, 2023

 

There’s something about shells that has always fascinated me. Since I can remember, I’ve felt a calm descend as I walk slowly through the sand. I glance here and there to find the prettiest, most interesting shells the beach has to offer for the day.

Sometimes, you have to look for a tiny point sticking out among grains of sand before sticking your toe in and flipping it out to reveal what’s underneath. Sometimes, it’s just a piece. Other times, it’s an unexpected masterpiece that you can’t stop looking at in your hand.

Beaches Around the World Have Shells For Us To Find

When we were on the north coast in the school holidays, seeing old dried turtle eggs on the dunes was very exciting. It reminded me about the time we arrived at a beach in Kenya for a few days with family. It was raining. We jumped out of the car after a flight and a taxi ride from Nairobi. People were running to the beach to watch tiny hatchling green turtles emerging.

Only God could have timed that for us.

Those little turtles were awe-inspiring. Working with all their might to get out from their deep nest under the sand and poking out their heads into the rainy afternoon. They were absolutely covered in sand and moving their flippers constantly to try and move forward. Slow, awkward moments made their path a long one. but they kept going until they reached the shoreline. They’re so fast once they’re in the water; unbelievably fast after watching them struggle on the beach!

Another Fantastic Beach – The Tip of the Dog’s Ear in Borneo

Two years before that, we’d spent a month in Malaysia Borneo. My Number One favourite memory was diving in to snorkel in the Coral Triangle, the same area as the world-famous dive site Sipadan. The turquoise sea is stunning when you’re on the little speed boat. But once you dip the mask down into the salty water, it’s indescribable.

Incredible.

Paradise.

Colours as you’ve never seen them and moving things everywhere you look. The mantis shrimps shimmered next to blue spotted rays and parrot fish and thousands of other creatures going about their day.

But seeing the turtles was just magical. Huge green turtles you could ride on if you could catch them – you can’t, they’re too fast! – and munching on sea grass or zipping by in the current. Hawksbill turtles, too if we were lucky, big and small.

Thankfully, the military shells around Sipadan weren’t in action while we were in the area, though we did hear shots and explosions every now and then. Apparently, it was just a normal thing and we were told to ignore the sounds and rather focus on remembering to put on sun-cream.

Don’t Take Shells, Just Memories

We didn’t take any shells away from our travels in these magical places; that would be against the rules. But we did take a big cowrie home from our favourite North Coast beach. It was one that my then-boyfriend snorkelled to find deep in the reef so that he could use it as a ring holder. But that story, involving secret sibling setups and too-long walks that almost ruined the proposal, is for another day. And we still have the shell.

Published here.

Oribi Mom, Travelinds

Oribi Mom: Back To Paradise and Still Captivated

“If you ever go there, be sure to leave time for a long walk.”

Oribi Mom at Mabibi in iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

August 3, 2023

It’s been three years of this COVID stuff, with two sons arriving amid the chaos. With all that’s happened, we’ve also had to postpone a holiday we’d planned for July 2020.

Instead of COVID lasting a few weeks, it was still around the next year, so we didn’t go in 2021 either. Then, Boy Number Three made an entry in 2022. And now, here we are, with a one-year-old, his two brothers, and finally a three-year-old booking we have been able to actually use.

A Special Place for Our Growing Family

The place is a very special one for us as a family. It’s where we met 22 years ago as starry-eyed teenagers. It’s also where he proposed to me six years after that, when I was finally old enough to get married. So when we go, there’s always some history to it.

But it’s truly a gem of a beach destination on the North Coast. It’s the type that is beautiful just the way it is. It doesn’t need amenities to cover up litter or dirty sand or cloudy water. It has pristine soft white dunes, crystal clear water, and kilometres of space with not a soul in sight. Perfect.

Beautiful Beach Hours Above and Under the Water

The snorkellers in our little group saw rays, crayfish, lionfish, and all sorts of other interesting things in the water. The beachgoers admired the performing whales constantly passing by. And I found five turtle nests, marked by the dried eggs fanning out from the exit point on the dune. Super exciting.

In twenty years, not much has changed there except the popping up of a very exclusive lodge right below the campsite. The camp has also erected three little cabins with canvas walls, giving us the option to have our own kitchen and shower. It’s glamping compared to the outright campsites, but just as immersive in nature.

I like the cabins with small children, but we let the bigger boys camp for two nights just to have the memories. The kids also hopped around from campsite to campsite, visiting their cousins and friends who came with us for laughs, toasted marshmallows, and lots of sand castles. They even found some of the endemic bird species in the area, saw giraffes right on the main road, and watched the sunsets over Lake Sibaya. They heard the bushbabies and elusive Green Malkohas too.

Hopefully, they’ll always remember it as the best beach ever. That’s how we think of it. If you ever go there, be sure to leave time for a long walk. You might just find one if the giant cowries my love used to propose to me all those years ago. Best ringholder ever.

Published here.

Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, Travelinds, Travelinds Top 10, Vietnam

Travelinds Top 10: Beaches of Africa and Asia

Travelinds Top 10
Beaches of Africa and Asia

We are certainly beach people, ever happy with sand between our toes.  From Travelinds personal experiences, the following beaches are definitely in our top ten choices from around the world:

10. Blue Lagoon (Bali, Indonesia)

One of the little known Balinese beaches, this secret beach lies over the hill and around the corner from Padang Bai Harbour.  Blue Lagoon boasts a fascinating reef just a few steps into the water.  Walk to the beach from the harbour by heading up and over the steep hill on the eastern side of Padang Bai Beach Road, then grab a snorkel for a day of underwater relaxation.  We even saw eels and turtles in the little reef.  Be sure to support the local restaurants (there are two) as these owners keep the beach clean out of their own pockets.

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9. Gili Meno (Lombok, Indonesia)

One of our Indonesian favourites, the Gili Meno beach actually runs around the whole island (which is only about 1 x 1.5 kilometres).  At almost any point, you can swim out about 10 to 20 metres and hit the reef, so be sure to bring a snorkel and some fins and make the most of it.  We swam with turtles, lion fish and schools of fluorescent beauties every single day. Wish we could have stayed longer!

Gili Meno Cowries

8. Diani Beach (Mombasa, Kenya)

A ten kilometre stretch of fine white sand,  gorgeous Diani Beach was definitely our favourite beach in Kenya, with neighbouring Tiwi Beach a close second.

Camels Diani Beach

7. Linapacan Islands (Linapacan, Palawan Province, The Philippines)

A whole archipelago of tiny islands somewhere between Coron and Palawan mainland,  each island with wondrous beaches and its own reef right off the shore.  How could we choose just one beach? Check out some of the names and descriptions from our fantastic four-day island hopping tour on the Brinze Kylene Expedition.

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6. Barra Bay (Barra Peninsular, Mozambique)

A Northern beach of Mozambique, there is little about it we did not adore. Warm, flat ocean and stretches of Barra sand with smiling locals and coconuts for sale.

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Photo credit: Barra Resorts

5. Anbang Beach (Hoi An, Vietnam)

In Central Vietnam, Anbang is a distinctive beach, which is perfect for lazy swimming days and scrumptious lunches at the local chain of restaurants.  We cycled over from Hoi An. Buy drinks from the restaurants and have access to lovely thatched umbrellas or wooden booths, especially helpful to escape the midday heat.

An Bang Beach

4. White Beach (Moalboal, Cebu, The Philippines)

On the western peninsular of Cebu, parallel to a long, beautiful reef, white beach is another gem in central Philippines.  Truly, one of the most superb coral reefs in the Philippines, the Moalboal reef (stretching all the way off White Beach  to Panagsama) is well worth taking your own snorkel to to swim out whenever you want.

Malapascua Island
Malapascua Island

3. Mawun Beach (Lombok, Indonesia)

The long stretch of Mawun white sand that lines a peacock-blue bay, perfect for long morning swims.  A fleet of tiny fishing boats floats upon sparkling, clear water sits to one side of the bay. Take a motorbike to get there from Kuta and be sure to take some cash to support the local vendors and family restaurants.

Mawun Beach

2. Sempang Mengayau – Tip of Borneo (Sabah, Malaysia Borneo)

Soft white sand borders the Sulu Sea of the Sabah Dog’s left ear. A secluded stretch of paradise all to ourselves is only one of the beautiful beaches in this area.  It was 7 days of bliss.

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1. Mabibi (Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa)

The place where Travelinds began their journey together on the Elephant Coast, part of the rugged Kwazulu-Natal coastline in South Africa. Look out for turtles laying their eggs along the dunes and whales passing by the north coast beaches.  Walk for kilometres and breathe in pure African air.  The Mabibi campsite is rustic, no electricity (except in the cabins) and hot water for showers in the communal ablution block.  Nearby, Lake Sibaya is absolutely breathtaking. This is our number one favourite beach in the world – by far!

 

Photo credit: Mabibi Campsite
Photo credit: Mabibi Campsite

 

Where is your favourite beach?

Kenya, Travelinds, Travelinds Destinations

Diani Beach Paradise

September 2016

The waves pound on the soft shoreline, ten kilometres of turquoise ocean framed by black reef and fine white sand.   When the tide is up everybody relaxes, but when the tide goes out, it’s party time!  The wide beach opens right up allowing jogging, swimming, camel rides, kite-surfing, snorkelling, reef exploration, long walks and even a tiny microlight that zooms in and out using the beach as a runway – parachutes gently touching down on the sand were also a regular fixture of the low tide buzz that is Diani Beach.

Diani Beach Bound

Ukunda town is only about thirty kilometres south of Mombasa for a comfortable taxi ride (with Ukunda airport being a convenient touchdown point for those heading south to Diani Beach, Tiwi Beach or Wasini and Shimoni Island).

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Living it up

The number of resorts and restaurants here were surprising, but it is not difficult to see why this is one of Kenya’s best beach tourism destinations – Diani Beach is absolutely stunning!

Diani Beach panoramaSince we were in Kenya having a bunch of ‘first’ experiences, like seeing the magical Masaai Mara and adopting baby elephants, it felt like a good time for our first time at an all-inclusive resort.  Luxury living is almost impossible to come by on a perpetual traveller’s budget, but Kenya made it happen!

Having perused a few awesome resorts, we settled on a week at Diani Sea Lodge, about five minutes down the beach  from the quirky Forty Thieves restaurant.  The hotel is set among beautiful coastal forest, tall coconut palms and lush gardens.  20160906_164923Whitewashed textured walls under the shady reach of enormous trees, where exquisite black Colobus monkeys shake their bushy white manes and call to each other like motorbikes starting up (as Daphne Sheldrick describes in An African Love Story).

Our days were spent on the beach, by the pool, reading books from the library, playing volleyball, darts and coconut shotput; and having an altogether relaxing holiday.

Christopher Odinga

Curious Wildlife

One of the delightful things around Diani Sea Lodge are the birds and animals that call it home.  Colobus, Sykes and Vervet monkeys roam the trees and gardens around, while camels and dogs enjoy their long walks along the beach.  Hedgehogs and Bush Babies rule the night and you wake to the sound of twittering birds greeting the punctual equatorial sunrise.

The locals told us that the KiSwahili word for hedgehog is ‘Kidongo Maria’ because, like Mary the Mother of Jesus, they are thought to be humble and gentle.

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Cultural Colour

Diani Beach is also home to amazingly diverse and talented people; musicians, artists, beach boys, shop keepers, sports enthusiasts and many others, too.  The bargaining platform with persistent sellers seems wide open to interpretation and the banter is all part of the greater struggle against poverty.  20160903_125816Tuk-tuks and bora-boras (motorbikes) crowd the market places in hopes of a good day.

Shawls and sarongs line the bamboo shelves and budding artists create against a backdrop of rhythmic dance and the lifesong of Kenya’s musical people.

One such character was Mr. Christopher Odinga, a local artist and sculptor who makes his living through sand sculptures, tourist-commissioned artworks and if he is lucky, the occasional job sculpting concrete animals for new buildings.

We loved his work and think he deserves hero status – read his story here.

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Diani Beach paradise – you beauty!

Kenya, Travelinds, Travelinds Destinations

Tiwi Beach

August 2016

We arrived at Ukunda Airport (Diani) having been warned of blistering heat and humidity; and told to definitely wear shorts and leave the jackets at home. As soon as we landed, however, it started raining and stayed wonderfully cool for the whole two weeks we were in Diani.  Daily rain showers kept things fresh, settling the dusty surrounds and covering the landscape in a lather of clouds against the harsh equatorial sun.

The taxi driver kindly took us shopping (at the supermarket) so that we could fill up our grocery bags and then we headed over to Sand Island Cottages on Tiwi Beach.

Surprise! Turtles!

Arriving on the first day at Sand Island in the pouring rain, we were excitedly told that green turtles were hatching, so naturally we ignored the torrential downpour, left our groceries in the taxi, and ran to watch the stragglers, as they tenaciously found their way to the blue ocean in front of our cottages. Drenched and happy, it’s something I will never forget – what a special thing to witness this brave fight to survive against all odds. And it happened twice during our stay!

The cute little creatures had to fight against sand, grass, dogs, birds, a hungry octopus, hunting fish and all sorts of other obstacles to freedom; just so that they could reach the big wide ocean beyond the reef and face the real dangers of life underwater.  The survivors of this family will then head straight back to Tiwi Beach in a few years time to carry on the generations of green turtles and the cycle of life.

Nest 8Baby Turtle

Nelly the Elephant (Twitter: @Nelly_Says) celebrated as the last baby turtle finally reached the ocean!
Nelly the Elephant (Twitter: @Nelly_Says) celebrated as the last baby turtle finally reached the ocean!

Saidi is the turtle conservationist for Tiwi Beach and kept us well-informed about the turtle protection efforts here.  Smiling and friendly, he carries a great respect for the turtles and strives to educate everyone he meets about their qualities and needs.  The training he received has given him the skills and conservation knowledge he needs to save Tiwi’s population of turtles. He relocates the nests to safer distances from the sea (or from people) and monitors the progress of the nests that are labelled and recorded by Watamu Turtles.

Sand Island Cottages

These quaint beach cottages are a great choice for a quiet getaway and a couple of days (or weeks) of rest.  North of Diani, it’s about a fifteen minute drive from Diani Beach and well away from the hustle and bustle of the town itself.

Named for the sand island that appears during low tide, Sand Island Cottages are the perfect location to see the coastline open up as thousands of birds descend of Sand Island to pick up the crabs and sea titbits left exposed by the receding waters. Watch out for the abundance of spiky sea urchins when you walk across the bay!

The self-catering cottages were comfortable, airy and clean, with views of the beach and shady verandahs with soft cushions to nuzzle into a gripping book from their library (all proceeds from the small book rental “fee” go towards providing books for the local schools in the area – initiative I thought was fantastic!) Our friends and family stayed in Simu, Pono and Tewa.

Sand Island Cottages

Tiwi beach was clean and pretty much private to those staying at the handful of resorts along the shore – no beach boys or tour operators in sight. The beautiful Kenyan lady at the resort, with her colourful outfits and a smiling baby strapped to her back, kept us in abundant supply of samoosas and ‘mandazi’ when we needed it; and there were people to buy fish or kikois from if we needed.

Mandazi is something like the South African ‘vetkoek’ (fat cake, in English) and is a mouthful of deep fried, doughy deliciousness somewhere in between a donut and a bread roll.

The staff and management were professional, attentive, kind and friendly – it felt like we were part of the family and being looked after with great care.  Arty and Cheryl provide excellent service and information about the area,  being happily available whenever needed and concerned with bettering both the environment and the community around them.

One initiative we like is the Book Hire system at Sand Island Cottages. There is a library of books available for rent by guests, with a small fee paid and a deposit that you get back when you return the book.  The small amount kept by Sand Island goes towards providing books and materials for the local schools in Ukunda that need it the most.  So get reading!

Kenyan Hospitality

Running through the local communities along the beach road under the watchful eye of some ancient Baobabs, it was easy to see why the Kenyan people are known for their smiles and friendly greetings.  Those commuting to work on their bicycles gave a friendly wave and a happy “Jambo, jambo!”; and there was always singing somewhere on the wind.

There are locals around to lend your support to: like turtle-volunteer Saidi who also has a small wooden boat in which he takes guests to see Starfish Bay.  We hired the congenial Ali for the week and he cooked superbly for us, providing freshly baked bread rolls, scrumptious curries and Kenyan-Western fusion dishes.  The favourite of the week was difficult to choose, but it was either the hand-pressed coconut milk fish curry with chipatis or the delicious American-style pancakes he whipped out; or was it the daily supply of hot, home-baked bread rolls?

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We miss Tiwi Beach already!
Philippines, Travelinds, Travelinds Destinations

The Brinze Kylene Expedition

May 2016

An amazing end to life on some Philippine islands, our Brinze Kylene expedition took us from San Miguel, Linapacan and ended at Sibaltan on the Palawan mainland.  Read about how we came to meet them here.

The Hosts

Our hosts Benji and Maileen were entertaining and hospitable, looking after us throughout our stay in Linapacan, as well as on the island hopping tour.  Their service was phenomenal and so much fun. Their crew, Midel and Guerrero, seemed to have limitless energy and kept the boat running smoothly through the whole trip.  They cooked for us, put up and took down our tent, found us the most exquisite coral reefs along the way and entertained us each night around an impressively large bonfire.

The Boat

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Since we spent most of our time on the boat, it serves that it was rather comfortable and well-equipped for such a simple carrier.  Described as a catamaran-style with balancing beams on each side, it had benches, a small cabin, a tarpaulin covering, a ladder to get out of the ocean and a small boxed-in toilet and wash area.  Downright luxurious in terms of the local fishing boats!

The Food

Every day in the Philippines is another chance for fish and rice.  Different fish, mind you, but fish all the same and rice to fill in the gaps.  We loved the fresh seafood and feasted on lapulapu, barracuda, squid, white fish and tuna – all barbecued over a fire and served with a decent portion of sticky white rice.  Every now and again we ate the precious commodities called vegetables (cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers) and this was a real treat for the locals and for us as availability is scarce.

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The three kilogram barracuda we bought from another fisherman.
Fish
Lapu Lapu fresh from the ocean.
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A peacock mantis shrimp that we caught and ate!

And Most Importantly, The Islands

The archipelego of 54 islands is hard to describe because each one is slightly different to the next, sparkly, beautiful, rugged and unspoiled by industrialisation or development.  We lost count of exactly how many islands we visited in the end, but managed to go at least 15 islands on during the 4-day trip.

Linapacan is said to have some of “the clearest water in the world” – we believe it! Check it out.

Here was the itinerary:

  • Day 1: Leaving from San Miguel, to Dimancal (check out Karel’s tent resort here),  Bolina, Manligad, Asis and Cagdanao (first island camp spot)
    • The island across the bay, Balenben, had island huts available for rent at 300 Pesos in a fantastic reef area.
  • Day 2: Manlihan, Cala-cala (spelt Lacalaca) and Takling (second island camp spot)
  • Day 3: Calibangbangan and Magransing (third island camp spot – the most beautiful place we have ever seen!)
  • Day 4: Pical, Mausunon and ending at Sibaltan (mainland Palawan)

Each had coral reefs right off its shores and were almost guaranteed to be completely deserted.  Besides, don’t these pictures (from a humble camera phone) make you want to go there right now?  Call Maileen and Benji for an adventure on the Brinze Kylene!

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Philippine Shell

Linapacan is well worth your time – wow!  What do you think about Palawan?

 

Indonesia, Travelinds, Travelinds Destinations

Bali, Indonesia

1 Comment

April 2016

For the last ten days, Travelinds has been living the high life with our folks (higher than normal, anyway) and staying in a charming Balinese villa in Gianyar. The colourful buzz of life in Bali is a great cultural experience and we have loved the time exploring this part of the world together.

Bali statue

Thriller Villas

Situated beside the eastern black sand beaches, our villa complex stands in stark contrast to the rice paddies and fisherman huts around it. The imposing Mount Agung is visible on a clear day, soaring above the clouds to the east; and the stars shine brightly our here during the warm (rather hot!) nights.

IMG_clfffuIn Bali, luxury villas are now all the rage for travellers seeking comfort and privacy.  These cosy, stylish holiday homes abound, especially in the busier tourist areas.

Usually situated within a complex of similar units, the villas have high walls, private pools, beautifully finished interiors and crisp white linen.

A villa stay also usually includes a cooked breakfast (brought to you at your requested time and place) by the friendly staff in the mornings.  As an honoured guest one is treated to the famous Balinese hospitality with utmost respect.  The beautiful home seemed to clean itself everyday, in a silence and serenity, as we lounged in the pool.

It’s a pricey way to travel, but it sure was luxurious.  If you are looking for a quiet and isolated vacation to unwind, we stayed at Villa Kori Maharani.

Tours and Taxis

Since we chose a location as far out of the madness of the main tourist area as possible, we needed to take a taxi to get anywhere (other than the beach).  There were three taxi days and one tour day during the week, enough to keep us busy and wanting more.20160330_172737

Day 1: Taxi to Amed (Snorkelling and Beach)

After reading up on a few places where we could snorkel right off the beach, we hired a taxi for the day (at 400,000 IRP) to Amed.  A minimum two-and-a-half hour drive from Gianyar, there are three main beaches at Amed to swim and snorkel, but we only had time to try one of them as the drive had taken longer than anticipated.  The scenic drive winds through juxtaposed greens, blues and black as the jungles and rice paddies rise between sparkling ocean and volcanic rock faces.

Jemeluk was all we’d hoped for, enough to keep us there for two hours, and the coral was colourful, too.  After a scrumptious (and cheap) lunch at Warung Made, the drive home took us back through the hills.  A bustling crowd delayed the trip with cows, motorbikes, cars and people as we passed at least two festivals along the way – the men in their turbans and traditional linens, the woman in lacey outfits with colourful skirts and jewelry.

TIP: Look out for the East Bali Cashews and buy some to support this great local initiative.

Day 2: Taxi to Ubud, Mount Batur and Tegalalang (Countryside)

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Another day we wanted to follow a tourist route without being packed like sheep in a bus or van, so we hired a day taxi again and set our own route.
First on the list was Mount Batur, the impressive (active) volcano that boasts a beautiful crater lake on one side and black lava slides down the other.

The viewpoint for this volcano gives a wonderful panorama of contrasts and the cloud cover lifted enough for us to capture a few shots for the memory bank.IMG_20160402_182142

From the volcano, we headed down to Ubud through Tegalalang, famous for its tiered rice paddies and quaint cafe lunch spots.

Also in the area is the popular Luwak coffee plantations (literally civet dung coffee – yes, dung!) that produces some of the most expensive (and sought-after) coffee in the world.  Somehow, it didn’t appeal to us once we had read up on its origins.
Ubud is full of arts and crafts, cafes, temples, shrines, curio stores, yoga and tourists.  A picturesque little village making full use of its appeal and setting, it is a perfect place to gain insight into the cultural and spiritual side of the Balinese people.

Day 3: Snorkel Tour to Nusa Penida

The only official tour we took was to Nusa Penida.  All4Diving did a fantastic job keeping us safe and happy, and of course, providing the highlight of our trip as promised – we snorkelled with Manta rays! Amazing! The Nusa Penida tour to Crystal Bay and Manta Point was a truly wonderful experience.

20160403_115946Crystal Bay was beautiful in both coral and creatures with amazing visibility.  Manta Point is a cleaning station (where the Mantas come to the surface for fish cleaning) and as snorkellers this was a once-in-a-lifetime sighting.

Swimming just above the 4 to 6 metre wide mantas, watching them glide majestically within touching distance, looking into their wide open mouths all the way down their empty bodies (like whale sharks) as they feed – all of it was unforgettable!

Bucket list item – check.

Day 4: Taxi to Blue Lagoon (Snorkelling)

20160405_123028The last outing was to Blue Lagoon Beach, the well-hidden eastern neighbour to a bustling Padang Bai beach (Bali’s main ferry port).

A fantastic little cove, protected on both sides by forest and cliff, the vibrant coral reef in the small bay was full of life.

Turtles, eels, puffers, large schools of reef fish and trumpet fish are only some of the residents here.  Before ten o’clock we had the beach to ourselves and there are two restaurants side-by-side with a range of Indonesian food, desserts and drinks.

It’s possible to walk from Padang Bai to Blue Lagoon – head east along Padang Bai beach road up a steep hill that winds between a few houses and down the other side.  At the parking lot head down a flight of steps on to Blue Lagoon beach (don’t forget to take a photograph on the way down to capture the sparkling aquamarine bay through the tops of the palm trees).

Taxi and Airport Transfer

During the week we used Waylan’s Taxi (private) and were impressed with his professional service, clean van and informative, friendly tour guide skills.  Give him a call on (+62)85737010230

The airport transfer from Gianyar was around 250,000 IRP (before bargaining it down a bit).

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Philippines, Travelinds

Moalboal Reef

1 Comment

30 July 2014

Moalboal is one of the best dive spots in Cebu and arguably in the Philippines itself.  H not being a diver, we did a snorkel tour instead and were amazed at the breathtaking underwater world we discovered here.

There are reefs that run from beyond White Beach all the way around the Moalboal ‘islet’.  We snorkelled as Pescador island, near Talisay and in the fish sanctuary beyond Kasai Point. We saw sea kraits (large ones!), psychedelic schools of purple, orange, blue, yellow and green fish, stone fish, puffer fish, sea needles and also a whole lot of Green Turtles in various sizes, including one that was large enough for our boatman to sleep on!

We did an early snorkel tour 8am – 1pm to try and avoid the sun, wind and rain. It was a fantastic underwater experience with so much vibrant colour and life.  The coral in the Talisay reef was stunning and we couldn’t believe how many interesting little sea creatures we saw.

Our boat skipper was very helpful and made sure that we were in an easy position to enjoy the snorkelling without having to fight strong currents.  We tried to discourage him from touching the turtles (it seems some tourists enjoy when the turtles are brought to them to touch and take photographs) and eventually he realised that we frowned on him disturbing the creatures and left us to enjoy them in their natural environment.

Overall, a fantastic snorkelling day!

Moalboal Reef
Moalboal Reef
Malaysia, Travelinds

Mabul Island

2 Comments

08 February 2014

Day trip snorkelling tour to Mabul Island with Scuba Junkie. The most inhabited of all the surrounding islands, Mabul gives off an energetic vibe and it was clear to us that all tourists and locals here were passionate about the ocean and its mysteries, as well as protecting their environmental treasure trove.

Mabul Island

We snorkelled in three different spots for the day and ate lunch at the Scuba Junkie cafeteria (buffet style) at the beach resort. There were no swimming beaches on Mabul but there is a small white beach where you can suntan or rest in the shade of a few umbrellas.  The resort itself looked very nice – small wooden bungalows and pretty gardens.  Swimming is not advised as there as too many sea urchins, but you can snorkel with the dive operators from off the boats, a little further out.

The rest of the island contains other resorts, dive operators, local houses and some home stays – this is another option for staying on Mabul cheaply. It is advised to check out the home-stays in person before deciding and/or paying for your accommodation.  We were warned repeatedly that home stays are strictly “very basic” accommodation (bamboo huts/shared bathrooms/sleeping on floor) etc.

Best sightings for the day:

Hawksbill turtle, Blue spotted ray, a school of very large Trumpet fish, a group of Puffers, very large Green turtles (at least 20 of them for the day) and so much more!

Snorkelling spots:

We snorkelled along the drop off and also in the artificial coral garden. Lobster Wall and Panglima Reef were wonderful, so many turtles and many other interesting fish.  Artificial Reef was completely boring and the visibility was poor.

Transport tips:

If you are staying on Mabul, but not diving/snorkelling through Scuba Junkie, you can still use their boat as a shuttle between Semporna and Mabul.  It was only about MYR 50 and they do regular trips.  You can take your luggage with you on the boat to Mabul (and back again).

See more about Scuba Junkie here.

 

Malaysia, Travelinds

Mataking and Timba-Timba Island

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07 February 2015

tumblr_inline_n40p17q3WL1rg4d7lMataking Island

Mataking Turtles
Turtles popping their heads out of the smooth turquoise water off Mataking Island.

 

The Mataking Island day trip was by far our favourite of the three days spent snorkelling off the coast of Semporna, Borneo.

With its long white beach and crystal clear turquoise water, it is just like something out of those romantic movies in tropical paradise.    Just the two of us, on a white beach, under the shade of a tree, looking out over the cobalt water lapping on the shore…
We saw a large number of fish and other sea life, including barracuda, stone fish, colourful varieties of parrot fish, turtles and weird looking tiny things.

The colours here are truly spectacular and this is definitely one of Travelinds’ best places in the world to snorkel and to swim!
We spent time on the beach after lunch while the divers rested and could see the turtles popping their heads out of the water every few minutes (to breathe).

 

 

 

 

 

Timba-Timba Island

Mataking

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way back to Semporna, we went to the Diver’s Delight snorkelling spot off Timba-Timba island and saw so many turtles here!

It was really exciting for me as I had not had much experience in swimming with turtles, even while snorkelling in Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand!

It was a truly spectacular snorkelling day and we flaunted the sunburn to prove it!

See more about Scuba Junkie here.tumblr_inline_n40p3uXy3t1rg4d7l

 

 

 

 

 

Malaysia, Travelinds

Tip Top – Tip of Borneo

05 February 2014

Tip Top restaurant is right on the beach road of Tanjung Simpang Mengayau (the Tip of Borneo).  It is also known by the names Howard’s or Tampat Do Aman restaurant.

It has a very relaxed beach vibe; sandy floors, wooden benches, bean bags and some chilled out tunes playing in the background.  There are also some books to read and a lot of locals and tourists to chat too.  The food is competitively priced with the rest of the area and there are some local dishes to try like ‘Hinava’ – raw fish marinated in citrus juice.

Inside the menu itself, there is a whole stack of information about the owner’s many business ventures, the sustainability focus and many community projects.  There are so many ways that you can get involved in projects in the Kudat area through either volunteer work or donations; like turtle conservation, beach clean ups, volunteering in the local community, survival courses etc.

Personally I was very impressed with the detailed explanations of the different projects that are currently up and running in the area.  I hope to get involved in some of these in the future.

Enjoy!

Check out more information on Tip of Borneo restaurants.