Showing posts with label Snorkeling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Snorkeling. Show all posts

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Exploring Sea Caves & Hidden Lagoons In Phuket


Phuket is cut out for beach lovers, and is less populated by tourists compared to Pattaya. Phuket offers beautiful beaches, mesmerizing island tours, & plenty of adrenaline pumping activities. Take a couple of days to soak in the sun, enjoy turquoise blue waters and white sandy beaches. There are numerous tour operators offering multiple tours, however, we recommend Phuket Travel Company. Their service is outstanding & flawless.


The highlight of our trip to Phuket was taking John Gray's Sea Canoe excursion - where one gets to experience the stunning beauty of the ocean, explore sea caves and hidden lagoons by kayak during the day and at night. We learnt how to make flower kratong and got back to the caves after sunset and offered them to the sea god, a custom followed by Thai people. (Yes, we picked the kratong back from the sea!) The best part of this trip is the natural light emitted by the bio-luminescent organism in the lagoon, making it a romantic and unique experience. It is an adventure one can't simply put down in words.



The most sought after tours being the Phi Phi & James Bond Island trip is thronged by tourists. No doubt the place is stunning & picturesque, however, the sheer volume of tourist activity here takes the crux out of the trip. One can reach the island either by speed or long tail boat. Snorkeling at monkey bay is stellar, the marine life gives you a feel of being on the sets of Finding Nemo. The ocean world that is so less explored leaves you in awe with its abundant marine life.



One thing that you should definitely not miss while in Phuket is the Simon Cabaret Show. The transgender community perform a stellar show that will be etched in your memory for a long time. The glamorous costumes, extravagant sets, pretty dance moves, good music and an option to click pics with them adds more beauty to the experience.


Bangla Road: Gets alive and electrifying after 10pm, dotted with pubs & bars it is a different world in itself. Party goes on throughout the night. There are lots of street artists entertaining the tourists.


Patong beach area is the perfect place to stay, one can enjoy the beach couple of yards away, Bangla road is at walk-able distance, plenty of restaurants around. Do not miss out on the weekend fair at the beach- You can experience live bands playing music, street food, street shopping and much more.



While in Thailand, definitely try out on the ice cold tender coconuts and different varieties of pancakes.


During our stay in Phuket we checked into 'Holiday Inn Express' The property is only a few minutes away from Patong beach. There are plenty of restaurants and spas around. Bangla road is at walkable distance. Almost all tour operators provide free pick up and drop from the hotel. Service standards and rooms are pretty good. Free WiFi is a plus.

Best of Bangkok

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Mesmerising Maldives

Magical Maldives casts its spell on you even before your flight could touch down! Stunning view of turquoise blue water, white sands and coral reef makes one fall in love with the place instantly. Numerous resorts dotted across the Indian Ocean add to the beauty. 


Beach Villas
Male is the capital and largest city, housing the airport. Over 1000 tiny islands clubbed into 26 atolls makes Maldives. Carrying alcohol, pornography etc into Maldives is an offence and forbidden. The official website mentions an exhaustive list of items banned. Likewise carrying seashells, corals etc out of the country is an offence. 

Resort


After weighing all options and taking multiple parameters into consideration, we decided to book Meeru Island resort. In my opinion the best resort, it is built on one of the biggest islands. 

You are received promptly at the airport and a 40 Min speed boat ride gets you to Meeru Resorts. En route be sure you look out for school of dolphins that would greet you by criss-crossing your boat. 




Meeru offers multiple accommodation options Garden rooms, beach/jacuzzi villas, water/jacuzzi villas and honeymoon suites. We booked jacuzzi water villa built over water offering you private entry into the lagoon. It is secluded and has large bedrooms/bathrooms, private jacuzzi and sun deck offerings awesome view. Meeru has minimum stay policy meaning one would have to book for a minimum of 6 nights its completely worth it and we never got bored. 
Jacuzzi Water Villas
Private Entry Into The Lagoon
Lagoon surrounding the resort is blessed with abundant coral reefs and marine life. Resort houses 2 swimming pools over looking the beach, bars, tennis courts, soccer field, golf course, cycling. kayaks and many more. 

There are 2 restaurants to enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner food is great especially Friday night "Maldivian Night." Apart from the 2 restaurants there is an over the water restaurant 'Asian Wok' which serves Asian cuisine. 

The resort also offers well organized leisure tours "Sand Bank" excursion is highly recommend. It is simply amazing to visit a sand bank and spend quality time in middle of mighty ocean snorkelling just adds more charm. You get dropped in the morning with breakfast and beverages nicely packed they come by in couple of hours to pick you up. 
White Sands Beach
The spa is top notch and built over the lagoon. The therapist are highly skilled, personally "Full Moon Magic" is recommended. 

Environmental experts predict that the Island nation would submerge under water by end of this century thanks to global warming and human race! So pack your bags visit Maldives bask in the sun be Robinson curios!

Visa: 

Maldives offers free 30 days Visa on Arrival. 
Srilankan airlines is recommended if flying from India.

Must Have:
Sunscreen
Shades
Carry own snorkeling gear.