Video
Derawan, Sangalaki and Kakaban
By Thomas on August 26, 2011 | 2 Comments »
We’ve pretty much said everything there is to say about these three islands – so enough writing. Just sit back, watch and listen.
Organizing your Trip to Sipadan
By Tony on July 17, 2011 | 4 Comments »
Sipadan is consistently listed as one of the top ten dive sites in the world. And, as we discussed in our post Is Sipadan All Hype?, with its amazingly rich sea life and unique topography, the island definitely lives up to its reputation. But with so much focus, the tiny little island was in serious danger of being too beautiful for its own good. By the early 2000s, overbuilding and pollution threatened to destroy what Jacques Cousteau had labelled “an untouched piece of art.”
In an extraordinary example of environmentally sound decision making (with perhaps an added dose of financial self-interest), the Malaysian government decided to close Sipadan island for overnight visitors and impose a rigid permit system allowing only 120 people to dive the island each day. While the permit system, which will hopefully protect Sipadan far into the future, is a major environmental blessing, it does make diving » Continue reading this post »
Kuala Lumpur
By Thomas on June 26, 2011 | 4 Comments »
Every visitor seems to love Kuala Lumpur. The city is a cultural and architectural melting pot, a medley of Indian, Malay and Chinese influences. Temples, mosques and churches are squeezed in between futuristic highrises, colonial mansions and fancy mega-malls. And then there’s the scrumptious food and the colorful street markets at every turn. What’s not to love about KL?
Diving Pulau Perhentian
By Tony and Thomas on June 6, 2011 | 1 Comment »
We’re back in Malaysia and we’ve decided to take a quick side trip to Pulau Perhentian to exercise our diving muscles before we head out to Borneo. We only intended to do one dive to test out my newly repaired tooth before we shell out tons of cash to dive world-famous (and expensive) Sipadan. But due to a lack of self-control, one dive turned into three.
We dove Sugar Wreck, T3 and Temple of the Sea. Exciting discoveries included the biggest barracuda I’ve ever seen, our first bamboo sharks and blacktip sharks, candelabra-like coral, and some stunningly psychedelic anemones. All three dives were enjoyable, but only Temple of the Sea ranks as a must-see site. (If you dive Temple of the Sea, keep an eye out for that mega-barracuda!)
Andaman Coast: Quest for the Perfect Beach
By Thomas on May 30, 2011 | 1 Comment »
We have talked plenty about the tourism boom and overdevelopment in Thailand, but let’s be honest, there’s a reason why everyone wants to come here. And even though it can get a little crazy, we have managed to find relaxation on some of Thailand’s most beautiful beaches.
Some scenes in the video are well known destinations while others are isolated beaches we discovered while water-hiking. It’s all part of our ongoing quest to find the perfect beach.
