Back from India

Indian Hidaways

Just got back from a fantastic 6 week trip to India…part holiday part work. I will show you some special places and a lot of great photos as soon as I have sorted them out. You will get some tutorials and behind the scene footage as well.

 

Some of the places that I will show you are:

 

Taj Faluknama Palace in Hydrabad

http://www.tajhotels.com/Luxury/Grand-Palaces-And-Iconic-Hotels/Taj-Falaknuma-Palace-Hyderabad/Overview.html

Barefoot at Havelock, Andaman and Nicobar Islands

http://www.barefootindia.com/

 

 Elephant Yoga Havelock Island

clik on link to view video

Kalari Kovilakom, Kollengode

http://www.kalarikovilakom.com/

 

 

Malabar House Fort Cochin

 

Serenity at Kanam Estate

 

Purity at lake Vembanad

http://www.malabarhouse.com/

 

Palmtree Heritage, Varkala

http://www.palmtreeheritage.com/

 

I’ll also give you a quick review of some other places we stayed at on Kuzhupilly Beach, on the beach in Madras and in Kalkutta and Puthenthop.

Check back shortly!

 

Big thanks to Antonio Canova for excellent travel company, being my assistant and paparazzi (all shot with ipad 2)

Seychelles, Maldives or Mauritius?

Are you indecisive about where to go for your holiday or honeymoon?

 

All 3 countries are located in the Indian Ocean and are famous for their white coral sand beaches, clear turquoise blue waters, excellent diving and deep sea fishing, as well as for their top class hotels and spas.  But what are the differences?

“I have lived and worked in the Maldives for 6 months and in Mauritius for 1 year (with longer visits before and after that period) and I have been to the Seychelles a few times. Frequently I am being asked for advice on which country to choose, which one is my favourite and what the differences are.”

This might help you get some clarity if you are thinking about a trip to the Indian Ocean:

 

 

Seychelles

 

 

La Digue, the 4^th largest inhabited island in the Seychelles (115 islands in total) and the least inhabited of the main islands, concur with my internal image of paradise. With lush vegetation, smooth granite boulders and beaches to die for. It’s hard to find a more postcard picturesque place than that.

 

It’s a paradise also for birdwatchers and nature lovers with many rare plants and birds and the giant tortoises.

 

 

The most secluded and beautiful beaches on the island; Grand Anse och Petit Anse are dangerous with strong underwater currents and rips…so be careful.

 

I would recommend a round trip if you are thinking of visiting the Seychelles and La Digue is a must, but staying there for a few weeks would be boring for most people; it’s small, quiet and very laid back…with high prices.

 

 

 

Seychelles has been a bit behind with the development of top end resorts and services but has made a big progress in resent years and has a well-deserved reputation as a role model for ecotourism. Hospitality and service is not occurring as naturally and generously as in Mauritius…although you can expect to find good service in the 5 star resorts. It used to be said the Seychelles has 5 star islands and 4 star service and that Mauritius is a 4 star island with 5 star service.

 

 

 

People speak Seychellois Creole, French and English. Culture wise it is not as rich and varied as in Mauritius but a lot more vibrant than in the Maldives. In the Seychelles it’s easy to find secluded beaches as it does not attract huge crowds of tourists, even though you can find cheaper accommodations these days. Great food by the way!

 

 

 

 

 

Maldives

 

Maldives, the lowest country on the planet, with its highest point of only 2.3 meters, consists of 1192 islands spread out in 26 atolls. The rule is that there’s not more than one resort per island.

Most people stay on one or maybe two different islands during a holiday or honeymoon there. More than that can be a bit tiring as it takes time to get around; the islands are spread out over 90.000 square kilometres.

Unless you really like diving, canoeing, fishing, windsurfing, sailing and going to the spa and reading books…there’s not so many other things to do in the Maldives.

You can forget about nightlife, even in the capital it’s dead at night. Being a Sunni Muslim country, alcohol, pork, pornography and Christian literature is forbidden; foreigners and resorts are exceptions to alcohol.

 

 

I have heard many stories about couples getting bored after a while and getting on each other’s nerves. Restless people that don’t know how to do nothing or that are not big fans of water sports, should really consider another alternative.

 

 

If you are looking to back pack, looking for a self catering apartment or to make up your mind on arrival….you are not going to be very lucky. People are generally friendly and service minded. Work here is a lifestyle, not a 9-5 job: Most people that work on the resorts also live there.

 

 

 

Unless you stay in 5 star luxury, you will likely be served a lot of “long shelf life” food: Something to keep in mind if nice food is important to you.

This is because hardly anything grows in the Maldives…just about everything apart from fish, bananas and coconuts and sweet potatoes, is imported…mainly from India, Sri Lanka and Italy.

Long local sea transports adds to the costs and makes it hard to get fresh ingredients.

 

 

 

 

 

Something really great about the Maldives is that you can see booth the sunset and sunrise every day over the ocean…thanks to the flat small islands….and the night sky is fantastic.

 

Most islands have beautiful beaches, some more than others. What most tourists don’t know is that early every morning, and throughout the day there are people working with picking up garbage from the beaches that’s floated ashore. If left untouched, you would have very dirty beaches.

 

The choice of resort is extra important in the Maldives; I suggest that you take your time to choose carefully as you will stay on the resort grounds just about all the time.

 

Do take the amphibian plane at least once…Maldives has to be seen from the air, it’s absolutely amazing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mauritius

 

People and culture wise Mauritius is my favourite, with inhabitants originating form many parts of the world: India, Sri Lanka, Africa, China, Muslim countries and France. Mauritian Creole is the main language, followed by  French Creole, French and English. At school it’s compulsory to study an oriental language which can be an Indian language, Arab, a Chinese language or an African language. People that work with tourism often knows how to speak a bit of Italian, Spanish, German and /or Italian as well.

 

 

 

Mauritius is one big island of 2040 square kilometres, with 4 smaller islands belonging to the country as well: Rodrigues being the most visited of them. Even thought it is densely populated you will find big natural parks and with untouched nature. Beach life, night life, city life, nature walks, religious festivals and cultural shows and exhibitions…plus a lot more: You don’t have to be bored in Mauritius.

 

 

It’s easy to get around; with a rented car, taxi and public transport or on a guided tour.

Even though Mauritius is famous for it’s 5 star hotels, you can find all types and levels of accommodation here.

People are very friendly and helpful; I would even go as far as saying that it’s almost hard to find bad service in Mauritius.

 

 

 

Good quality food is easy to come across in all price levels, with a mix of Indian, Chinese, Creole and French cuisines. Even if you are happy and comfortable with your resort, it’s worthwhile exploring a bit of the island.

 

 

If you have time and money I would recommend a trip to La Reunion, the neighbour country: A beautiful volcanic Island (still active) with high mountains and lush vegetations.

 

 

In the end, it’s only slight variations of Paradise!

 

 

 

Sri Lanka; The Fishermen of Talalla

 

 

Imagine a place where time holds it’s breath and the hustle and bustle of modern civilisation seems eons away: A quiet place, peaceful and tranquil far away from stress, noise, traffic, news and information bombardment. Imagine a tropical paradise: clear turquoise blue waters, an almost deserted golden beach lined with swaying coconut palms and huge banyan trees. Giant sea turtles lay their eggs at night and the king fisher skilfully catches crabs during the day. Random cows stroll aimlessly down the beach as shiny white cranes catch a free ride on their backs, hoping to get a mouthful of insects on the way. An iguana takes an afternoon stroll while squirrels and monkeys watch from the trees.

 

 

Here you will find breathtaking beauty in hues ranging from a pale Cerulean to deeper Prussian blue, framed with fresh greens and golden sandy tones, highlighted by deep red hibiscuses, purple and magenta coloured bougainvillea and the white and yellow so sensually scented frangipani.

 

All accompanied by the most exquisite tropical symphony consisting of various colourful birds and insects, the gentle breeze caressing the treetops and rolling waves breaking in perfect tubes. The sky is clear, sun high in the sky and no one to be seen.

This could very well be the deserted paradise beach of your dreams…for a few hours a day, before the scheduled scene change.

 

In the early morning hours or in the late afternoon the setting changes tremendously; a new scene is rolled in for another story. This story is as old as mankind itself and has had little variation over the past centuries. It is the band of 20 fishermen that work here everyday the same way their fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers did before them; it’s a story of patience, strength, endurance, trust and teamwork.

 

 

 

 

A nearly toothless man with a body that looks weak and fragile, gazes out over the ocean; skilfully scanning the surface for jumping fish. Once the fish shoal is spotted, a group of 6-10 fishermen drags a very narrow 2000kg canoe out in the waves and start rowing her out. No motor, no sail, just a wooden stabilizer on one side. The canoe is not made to sit in; you either sit on top of the bars that hold the stabilizer in place or stand up, but watch where you put your feet; a 700 metre net is nested in the belly of the canoe.

 

 

 

 

The net is swiftly laid in a big half circle around the shoal before the boat returns to the shore, surfing in on the waves. People on the shore help to drag the heavy boat back up on the sand while others start pulling the net. Two groups team up in a tug of war with the ocean, pulling on the ends of the net. Passing villagers of all ages help the team of 20 in their 2-3 times daily struggle. What starts out as a huge half circle with the two teams far apart eventually ends up, with a lot of pulling and walking, on the beach and out in the waves, as a narrow U. The fish get channelled in to a snout and pulled up on the beach.

Some days the net is full but far to often the net is empty or sparsely scattered with fish. You can see the big trawlers on the horizon that are out for months on end, like giant vacuum cleaners pulling up every shoal they can see on their echo-sounder. Small-scale manual fishing has and is increasingly becoming harder to survive on.

 

 

As soon as the net in its entirety is up on the beach, the snout part where the fish have been caught is separated from the rest of the net.  The 700m fishing net is spread out on the beach in a huge zigzag pattern and is scanned for tears.  Mending takes place on the spot if needed and this precious tool is neatly folded and stored on the boat again after some drying time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two wooden oars are pushed into the sand, handle down and a third oar is tied in between them creating a big H. A balance is tied to the crossing oar and a locally made rattan basket full of fish is hooked on to the scale.

 

 

 

 

 

Good-sized tasty fish is sold for about 200 rupees per kg (slightly over 1 euro) just minutes after its been pulled out of the sea. The owner of the boat takes half the money and the rest is evenly shared with the other 19 fishermen. They alternate between 5 different boats, each with it’s own net.

 

 

Even though the daily rowing, dragging of the boat and pulling of the net is physically challenging even for the fittest of men, you will find old bony men and young boys alongside broad shouldered men with big bellies.  Many need to supplement their catch by solo trips in smaller canoes, weighing 500 kg. A hand held fishing line, some cut squid pieces, a bottle of water and a home made lantern looking like a coffeepot for late homecomings is their only gear. It’s hard work with a calm sea, but during the monsoon season the ocean gets rough and the rowing and tugging becomes totally exhausting.

 

 

The fishing village was badly affected by the 2004 tsunami: all buildings were greatly damaged or totally washed away, and 25 people died, mainly women and children. One of the fishermen lost his wife and 3 children.

 

 

These men know that the ocean gives as well as takes life; sometimes it is generous with its fruits and other times it leaves you empty handed. Sometimes it’s still like a mirror, other times rough as hell…just like life. Even though it is hard to make ends meet, none of the fishermen would care to change their profession. It’s in their genes, it’s who they are, it’s their heritage, and hopefully their future. Humility, humbleness, acceptance, gratitude, hope and genuine team spirit are all qualities that the fishermen of Talalla possess. They are dedicated and proud family fathers, reliable friends, hard working and skilful, resilient and genuine men.

 

 

More and more of us hit the wall, burn out, and suffer from depression, panic anxiety, a mind that is never quiet and a body that doesn’t know how to fully relax. As the whole world is speeding up and joining the information age it is becoming increasingly important to preserve pristine communities and unspoiled nature.

 

 

We all need to keep our eyes open, and take responsibility for our actions, just as much when we are travelling. Something seemingly trivial to you can be the snowball that caused the avalanche in a new place. If you want to appreciate your journey and genuinely help minimize your footprints along your travels, the best is to donate money to a village conservation fund or a reputable aid organisation. You can make all the difference!

 

 

 

Welcome to Speedo land

Welcome to Speedo Land

Before I went to Sicily a couple of summer ago, I had mainly seen Speedos on professional swimmers and lifesavers. I remembered when I first saw the south Italian men, how I couldn’t stop staring, laughing and shaking my head. But now, I have to admit that I am used to it, it’s very entertaining. Every shape size and age squeezes themselves in to tiny Speedos, often with little pockets, built in belts and in see-through materials. Sometimes completely worn-out and pulled up to the waist, other times low on the hips and just wide enough to fit a horizontally placed penis. Great care is taken to ensure it is well placed and comfortable and this is done on the beach, in public with the hands down the pants…grabbing, tucking, moving, lifting and readjusting the package. Once satisfied with the result, one of the show-off poses is being struck:

 

Pose Nr 1, pelvis tilted somewhat forward, hands in the sides, but only with the fingertips touching the hips, matched with a carefree, uninterested look on the face.

 

Pose Nr 2, this is normally used whenever a camera is pulled out… hips slightly rotated and tilted forward, preferably with an open or cupped hand near the package to really emphasise the location, shape and size. If you got nice abs, this is when they are being squeezed to the max. As for the face, it’s the cool, sexy look that’s important in this pose.

 

 

Pose Nr 3, normally used in group photo sessions…in this pose it is important that the arms goes behind your friend/friends and the whole pelvic region and lower body is pushed forward and up in a bow. Facial expression is happy and friendly, showing you have many friends and like to party.

 

 

 

This how it’s done in Italy.  You still have time to practice before “beach 2011″!

My Worst Holiday Ever – Stranded on Michaelmas Cay

I recently got reminded of this adventure, when at my language school here in Milan we were asked to talk about our worst holiday ever.

 

Here it goes:

 

It all took place about 13 years ago in Tropical Northern Queensland in Australia. My husband at that time, two male friends (of the softer more feminine kind) and myself had decided to go on a boat trip for a 7 -10 days over the Easter holidays. The owner and skipper of the boat; a man in his mid to late sixties that had been at sea most of his life had worked with my ex some years ago. They had come to the agreement that if we cleaned the boat, filled it up with fuel and got all the food for our trip…there would not be any other costs.

 

The plan was to cruise around on the Great Barrier Reef, snorkel dive and explore some small islands …and we had been assured that all the dive and snorkel equipment was included and in good condition.

It took us hours to clean he catamaran (motorboat) as it had been sitting in the skipper’s back yard for quite a while. When she had been filled up and we were just about ready to taker her down to the sea, the skipper’s son and his friend turned up. Like the rest of us they were in their early twenties, but we couldn’t have been further apart personality wise. It turned out that the son owed money to his friend, that he could not afford to pay back. Instead, the friend had been proposed a holiday on his fathers boat to cancel the debt….and he had agreed.  They had been up all night and morning, high on god knows what and were not taking no for an answer. When we said that the food would not be enough (they had not brought anything …but drugs it turned out later) they said that they would catch their own food…they had brought their harpoons. The father wanted to help his son and in the end we were left with the choice of not going on a holiday or going with them. Without really thinking that much we decided to go and we all left promptly.

 

 

 

 

A lot of planning went in to the shooting of that photo. Michiko sat still for 13 hours on that island while Rick was up in a 45 foot tower in a game fishing boat. Thanks to all that meditation practice she was cool with it.  It was before mobile phones were commonly used…well it wouldn’t have been coverage there back then even if she had had one. She simply sat and meditated the whole time under a red umbrella.

I can really recommend to check out Ricks site, or even better, one of his galleries if you have the opportunity.             www.steininger.com.au

 

 

Unfortunately the others thought it was a great idea as well and suggested to make a fire and have lunch on the cay. As the others prepared the food I snuck off to the other side on the cay. As you can see from the photo, there were no trees, not even some grass to hide in. Like a turtle I dug a whole and laid down to do my shit…..what came out of me wasn’t by far as nice as turtle eggs though. Then I went in the ocean and scrubbed myself with sand. Mission accomplished!

We had a lovely late lunch with fresh as it can get grilled red snapper …caught by the son and his friend… and a big green salad. Yummy!

 

 

My ex, our 2 friends and myself wanted to go snorkelling around Hastings Reef and Norman Reef but the two junkies told us that they were in charge. We tried to negotiate but they would not have it…. they wanted to go harpooning in deeper waters. They started to show an aggressive side and wondered if we wanted to have a fight over it. We went along. We started to notice how the captain seamed to be senile, he forgot where we were and would hit the reef a few times. When it started to get dark one of the 2 motors stopped and we were told that we (my ex, our two friends and myself) had to sleep on some island because there were not enough room in the boat.

The captain kept an eye of for an island, saw Michaelmas Cay and decided to drop us there….despite my protests.      *Michaelmas Cay is a famous Nature Reserve and Bird Sanctuary.  Almost 100.00  birds were nesting in that period and it was strictly forbidden to even get close to the island.

 

 

At least they left us with food and water. We were pretty confident that, even though they were very likely to just abandon us, we would find help the next day…surly at least one boat should be able to spot us.

It was already dark and painfully noisy from the nearly 100.000 birds nesting on the island. Blasted with sand, I still managed to set up our portable gas stove and coked up a tasty (but sand crispy) Khao pad (Thai rice dish). The boys sat and drank bears after the meal and I started to dig a hole in the sand… I had practice now. But I was not digging another latrine, I was digging me a bed where I could sleep without being sand blasted. The guys laughed at me and thought I was over ambitious. It didn’t take long however until they joined me….it had started to rain! Everyone jumped down in my hole, broadened it a bit and put a small plastic cover over us (the only thing waterproof that we had). We were lying tight like sardines in the sand. It was cold and hard, my mouth and ears full of sand, the noise was deafening and our plastic cover not entirely water tight. The only thing comforting was that we were in good company and that at least there was no chance of freezing to death.

 

Surprisingly, about 10 o’clock the guys came to pick us up as if nothing had happened. They had been up all night again! They also offered us some stuff to not have to sleep, to get the most out of the trip…..we weren’t overly curious to try.

One of the motors want quiet and a few minutes later the second motor stopped as well. Reason being that the petrol tanks had been without lids over the rainy season…. the skipper had not removed the water from the tanks before filling them with fuel. They took the small motor from the zodiac and hand held it. We said we wanted to go back home. The son and his friend started to be nasty: – You fucking pussies, you are not men! Can’t you ruff it! We don’t want to waist our time by taking you back to Cairns, especially now when we only have the small motor…it will take forever to get back. You wanted a holiday at sea, well we are at sea now…what’s your problem! My ex and friends got scared and used me as an excuse, saying that I am a woman and it’s too much for me. They were buying that so we started heading home again.

I got my period there and then. The thought of putting up a tampon in front of all the guys was not appealing. I managed to climb up on top of the captains hut, held on to a small antenna with one hand and fiddling with my shorts and a tampon with the other…. the sea was pretty ruff and balance wise it felt like standing up on an angry bull. I couldn’t help to feel a mixture of amusement and embarrassment, wondering if any of the boats around had used their binoculars. What a sight!

 

Many hours later when we came back to shore the junkies thought that they were just going to drop me off and get out again. When they realised that neither of us were interested they started to abuse us. By that time my friends had lost their temper and started to yell back. The 2 guys charged ….and we ran. They gave up and went back to the boat. That was the end of that holiday!

 

I can warmly recommend the area, for snorkelling, fishing, diving etc. but not quite the way I did it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Philippines; warnings and recommendations.

My trip from the worst to the best

 

“Lying between the latitudes five to twenty-one degrees north, the Philippines archipelago comprises more than 7000 islands (about 900 inhabited) across the western most rim of the Pacific Ocean, covering an area of 300.000 km2. Philippines have 25.000-27.000 square kilometres coral reef and a well-deserved reputation as one of the top dive countries in the world. It is the third largest English speaking country in the world and the only predominately Christian nation in Asia. The currency is peso and the official language Tagalog. No vaccinations are necessary unless you come from a yellow fever or cholera-infected region.”

 

 

I like to see where the winds take me. Even if you don’t research or plan anything, you are still bound to end up somewhere. Somewhere can prove to be a wonderful surprise or as in this case, a terrible experience worth a big warning sign.

The ticket from Sweden to Manila was bought just a few days before the departure date. I thought I could get a guidebook in at least one of the 3 major airports between home and the final destination. I was wrong!

From the plane, as we were descending towards Manila I saw a volcano crater with a lake, surrounded by green hills that looked absolutely magical. At the information desk at the airport they confirmed that Tagaytay as it’s called, was just a few hours bus ride away and indeed a very beautiful and peaceful spot; away from the tourist crowds and with clean waters. Kalle; the tall and handsome Swede that I was travelling with and I got on a local bus towards what was going to become a nightmare.

The volcano viewpoint; with no apparent paths down to the lake,  proved to be crowded with Manila escapees and full of American fast-food chains; with a lot more resemblance to a shopping mall than a post card.… not quite what we had envisioned .  We asked where the nearest beach was and got on another uncomfortable bus for a few more hours to take us to Nasugbu, Batangas.

It was dark by the time we arrived and we were tired hungry and desperate to find a place for the night as it was getting late.  We had a look at 3 different beach resorts ….with torches as it was a blackout in the area.. and picked the one that looked the cleanest. We got changed, started to walk in to town and soon noticed that we were the only tourists around; all locals looked at us like we were aliens. The street in to town was lined with empty bars and seemingly unemployed and utterly bored prostitutes.

 

 

 

 

We started to noticed how run down the place was, but it wasn’t until the next morning when we got to see it in the light that we understood the level of decay this place was in.  It looked as if it had been a popular tourist destination about 20-30 years ago and everything had just been left to wither and fall apart ever since. The beach was horrible; grey, full of garbage, debris and stray dogs. Everywhere we looked we saw flaking paint, boats and jet skies covered with holes, weeds, totally empty and very dirty shops, faded hotel signs with missing letters …it looked as if everything was falling apart and people had lost all hope and willpower to turn the tide.

 

 

 

 

Nasugbu, Batangas is one of the ugliest and most depressing place…(and expensive compared to the rest of the Philippines)… that I have ever visited! The sadest thing was the the vibe of the place…apathy and indifference. But I do regret that I didn’t use my camera (apart from some snapshots with the compact)…I was just walking around with my mouth open.

 

 

 

As you can imagine we got out of there very quick; taxi back to Manila and a plane to Cebu.

 

 

 

 

 

We got a cab from Cebu city to Moalbohal on the south western part of Cebu island, where real dive enthusiasts gather from all over the world. Here you can find nice, clean accommodation, decent food and good service at really cheap prices.

 

 

 

 

A big expatriate community lives here, including a bunch of hardcore dive enthusiasts…mainly Swedes that came here about 30 years ago when there was nothing here, no roads, no electricity etc. Most of them have married locally and you will find a big bunch of mixed children running around. It’s a very laid back atmosphere with an overrepresentation of male divers and dive shops. It’s one of those places you can get stuck in, forgetting about time and the outside world, counting the days by pool tournament day, film day, pancake day etc.

 

 

 

 

A place worth visiting is the bottle house; a very kind and particular local woman who lives in a house with her husband and about 15 cats, writes down spiritual insights on pieces of paper and puts them in bottles which she seals and hang up all over her house and garden. She might give you a note for free if you are lucky, but they are also for sale. You can also buy or swap a book in her international library or use her computer to geton line. Unless you are a cat person, I wouldn’t recommend it.

 

 

 

 

I enjoyed my time at Moalbohal, especially under water,  but decided to explore some more places,  get a bit pampered and find some really nice food.

 

 

 

Badian Island Resort and Spa 5 star http://badianhotel.com/

Next halt was Badian Island, a 5 star resort and spa on a big private island a bit south from Moalboal. The island is beautiful, the bungalows huge, some with private pools overlooking the ocean and the spa has several pools and open air treatment rooms. They have recently started an organic farm on the property and more and more food on the menu and ingredients in the spa treatments comes from their own vegetables, herbs and fruit. Can also mention that even though I did try some nice meals, they were not mind-blowing and sometimes came in overly creative mixes.

 

 

 

 

 

Over all it is a great and very private paradise retreat, with beautiful beaches and water and lush gardens, if you can overlook the 80ties tropical kitsch and some run down details. Shell drapes, big plastic shells in the pool, shell fountains. Strong coloured umbrella drinks, Hawaiian style flower necklaces, charter style evening entertainment. ( should really have gotten some photos of that as well..bummer) The staff is friendly and the old Philippine – German couple that started it all from scratch and is still running it, they are just fantastic. Wow…I could write a whole book about their interesting and inspiring lives. In my view Badian Island has huge potential but needs a bit of fine-tuning, some renovations, some kitsch removal and some up to date staff trainings. I would still recommend you to go though,  as long as you are aware of the downsides…especially now when it is quiet and you get a lot of privacy and personalised service.

 

 

 

And then we took off to Alegre Beach Resort and Spa in Sogod, http://www.alegrebeachresort.com/ in the north east end of Cebu Island; a nice, well managed classic 38 room 5 star beach resort. Not much to complain about here…. apart from the lack of originality and top end design. Good food, nice pool, beach and views, service minded staff, great band and singer and very sweet and creative spa girls…but I somehow find it lacking personality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After some nights we took off to Cebu City for some shopping  at the huge Ayala mall some great meals at various restaurants.We stayed at Cebu City Marriott Hotel http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/cebph-cebu-city-marriott-hotel/ , a modern, fist class business hotel just next to Ayala mall. Great food and garden café with pool, well designed rooms, helpful staff and high security; I can recommend it. I didn’t take any photos there, but you will find images of the hotel on their website.

 

 

Plane again, off to Manila….thank God this time without karaoke.

 

 

From Manila to Paradie!

 

Amanpulo

http://www.amanresorts.com/amanpulo/home.aspx

Relaxing in a cosy armchair in a private hangar in Manila, drinking red wine and flicking through the glossy pages of different Aman resort brochures, while my check-in is handled almost unnoticeably.  My thoughts are wandering, dreaming about all the beautiful places I have yet to discover. 15 min later, I find myself pinching my arm, making sure that I am not dreaming while I look out over a magic landscape of tropical islands lined with coral sand and turquoise lagoons, from a 19 seat, twin engine turboprop, on my way to Amanpulo; the most exclusive and secluded resort in the Philippines.

 

 

 

 

“Amanpulo is a private island (known as Pamalican), set among the Quiniluban group of Cuyo islands with about 40 islands, in the Palawan region which is made up of 1768 islands, 360 km south-west of Manila. As the island is located outside the typhoon belt it enjoys less rainfall than the rest of the Philippines. The dry season generally runs from November to May, with scattered rain-showers from June to October. January is the coolest month with an averaging temperature of 25°C (77°F) and May being the hottest, with an average temperature of 27°C (82°F).

 

 

 

As we are walking out of the plane, with big smiles on our faces, we are all personally greeted and driven to our casitas in our own private golf buggies.  There are 29 beach casitas, each with a private path to the beach; an uninterrupted stretch of white sand overlooking the neighbour islands. 7 square kilometres house reef and a deeper channel beyond the sand banks where dolphins, whales and sea cows have been glimpsed. The 4 treetop casitas are above the tree line on higher ground and the 5 hillside casitas have great sea views while the 2 deluxe hillside casitas have a spectacular view of the Sulu sea and the neighbouring islands with both sunset and sunrise views. The 40 casitas are all fashioned after a Philippine bahay kubo: a centuries old South-East Asian rural design of steep pitched roofs on timber frames.

 

 

 

 

There are also 11 private holiday villas for rent on the island, located jus a few metres from the sea: eight 4-bedroom villas, two 2-bedroom villas and one 1-bedroom villa. All with their own swimming pool, separate bedrooms, living and dining, pavilions, outdoor lounge and a kitchen. All villas include a cook, maid and a buggy for each bedroom and villa guests enjoy full use of all Amanpulo facilities.

 

 

 

 

 

The check-in is smoothly done in the casita and you will be given a private tour of the island and all it’s amenities: Restaurants, beach clubs and bars, swimming pool, spa and outdoor treatment sala’s, gym, dive centre, library, sea sports hut, meeting rooms, boutique. We are shown where you can have romantic dinners and fantastic breakfast options, where people choose to get married and where to go snorkelling. We are told about fishing trips and nature walks, tennis trainers and island cruises and I feel a bit sad when I realise that my stay is going to be to short to experience it all.

 

 

 

 

Having visited many five star resorts and boutique hotels, I am yet blown away by the high level of service here. If feels like the staff is genuinely friendly and really enjoys making your stay the best they can. The attention to detail is impeccable: something that I can’t quite figure how they do, is that wherever I go on the island and for however long time, there are always a couple of ice-cold water bottles in place when I get back in the buggy. All restaurant staff mysteriously knows who’s who and where everyone are staying; so there’s no need to tell them your room number or name. Everyday I find small notes with drawings and information about the island wildlife, plants, fruits or local sweets that adds a nice touch to the experience.

 

Private dining can be enjoyed 24 hours and it is a must do. Private picnics and barbecues can be arranged on the beach in front of your casita, at the Lagoon Sala, at Sharks Point Sala, at Gary’s Nest (up on a high rock with spectacular views) the Island caves or on the floating Kawayan Bar. Guests can also take picnic baskets for island hopping or a visit to the Sandbar.

 

 

 

The Restaurant located at the clubhouse, serves great International and Pilipino cuisine housing Australian head chef Garth.  The wine list is written with passion, knowledge and personality, comprising 130 handpicked wines and champagnes and is a delight to read.

 

 

The Beach Club, with its cosy mattresses spread out on the deck, reclining lounge chairs and shade umbrellas lining the beach, is supplying a tranquil dining setting or a welcoming waterhole for lazy days on the beach. Fresh seafood and Spanish cuisine are specialties.

 

 

 

 

 

*ps. Your holiday photos don’t look the same? Look out for my articles on travel photography where you will get some useful tips. It’s not just about the place; the angles and light are even more important to understand.

 

 

 

The Lagoon Club serves as an alternate beach club with similar amenities and Vietnamese cuisine is a specialty.

 

 

 

 

The Windsurf Hut where you can eat with your feet in the sand, hosts a home-built wood-fire oven where delicious pizzas are baked. A must try is their dessert pizzas; I turned from sceptic to addict.

 

 

 

Amanpulo is in the process of making a huge spa high up on a cliff, until that is ready (which I have to go back to experience) you have the choice of two air-conditioned Spa-Casitas, the open air Garden-Sala or in your own casita. Shyam, the spa manager and yoga teacher from India has magic hands. Being a former spa manager and therapist, I am not easily impressed by a massage, but Shyam has turned me in to a fan. He has the great combination of knowledge of many different healing modalities and techniques, many years of experience at various Aman spas, booth strong and sensitive hands and is leading a rich spiritual life.

 

 

 

 

The natural beauty of the island with big iguanas (saw one the first afternoon outside the casita), tropical birds, turtles and reef fish, the spectacular views and stunning beaches, all the great wining and dining, the spa treatments and yoga, the fantastic service and attention to detail are just some of the things that I will miss and that I warmly recommend you to experience for yourself.

 

 

 

Before returning to Europe we stayed in a suite at Hotel Celeste Manila http://www.hotelceleste.ph/ a 5 star boutique hotel with a French design and cuisine, located in the heart of Macati City.

 

Many people are blown away by the design of the hotel and in particularly the rooms; it has received great reviews …but according to me they have tried to hard and overdone it, mixing to many colours, materials and styles. The size of the rooms and bathrooms are nice though and the beds are very comfortable.

Service is not consistent, swaying from great to very poor and the breakfast ordering is confusing and overpriced for what you get. Many people love this place, I am however not one of them and would not pay full price to stay there again.

 

To sum it all up: depending on your budget and expectations I could recommend any of the above places…but stay away from Nasugbo Batangas, unless you know if and where there’s  an small oasis untouched by the decay.

My personal favourite is Amanpulo…not so hard to guess why. I liked the diving, prices and layed back feel  in Moalbohal and the lovely management couple at Badian Resort made a lasting impression.

Keep an eye out for  my tutorial posts, where you can learn about the making of the photos…with some behind the scenes shoots as well.