Langkawi, Malaysia

After arriving in Singapore from my holiday in Boracay, I didn't have much time (4 days to be exact) before I was packing for another quick holiday away. This time Langkawi, Malaysia was on the boarding ticket. My friends Anna, Val and I had planned to meet at the airport an hour before out flight was to depart from Changi. I, of course, got out of work late and barely made it to the airport in time. I had to tell the taxi driver several times that I was in a hurry and he needed to step on it. I don't think he realized I meant the gas pedal. What else I there to step on down there?! Arrive I did, just in time to grab a quick coffee and snap a photo with the girls before boarding our flight.

After arriving in Langkawi and meeting up with the rest of the crew, we piled in to a hired van (luggage in tow) and were off to the hotel. As soon as we arrived we let the guys deal with check-in and headed to get a drink. 

We finished our drinks and rushed to throw our suitcases in our respective rooms before heading for a night walk along the beach. We found a beach bar that seemed cool and plopped down and began to decipher what was on the agenda for the night. After we finished a bottle or three (notice the o.j. says JOY which is clearly indicative of how were we feeling) 

we were all thinking that we should go to a local bar and have a nightcap. Nothing fancy since we had a big day planned the next day and no one wanted to go big the first night. What transpired next was completely unexpected...

Val's glass had a leak so she improvised.

Night-time cartwheels. Why not?

On a mission. Not really sure where to yet...

Making our way to the main road, we flagged down a few taxis. Our taxi was in the lead and we told the driver we wanted to go somewhere that played good music. He exclaimed "SUN BAR!" Or, at least we thought he said, "Sun Bar". Turns out the bar he was referring to was called "Sunba". We immediately called the rest of the crew and told them where to go. As we arrived, the parking lot was completely empty. I swear, if we weren't in a topical setting I would have expected a tumbleweed to blow past me. None-the-less we got out of the taxi and walked up to the big wooden double doors. 

As we opened the doors, I saw sheer mayhem unfolding. This bar was packed and was playing great music. We quickly took over a table and started ordering. The rest of the night included drinking, dancing, making new friends, more drinking, falling (at least 7 people did), playing pool, and (you guessed it) drinking. 

  

Morgan was the best mixologist!

Salsa dancing with Morgan!

Somewhere in the night we all managed to leave the trap that is Sunba, and made it back to the hotel. Saturday was going to be a big day. We had chartered a yacht and were planning on having a long day of sailing, sun, and swimming. Arriving at the Yacht Club we were greeted by our skipper and crew for the day. Our skipper informed us that we were going to be sailing to a secluded lagoon and that it was a small hike once we go there. No one seemed to mind.

Frolicking in the sun takes it out of you and hunger starts to strike! We immediately went for local food after docking and ate so much! Most of us headed back to the hotel to take showers and get ready to go out for the night. We ended up at the same beach bar that we found the first night and had a good recap of the day's events. The next morning Val, Anna, and I went for breakfast before anyone else was up for the day. Let me tell you, The Breakfast Cafe was total SH*T! The service was horrible and the food was even worse. Anna ordered a cheese omelet and got this...

I ordered a simple iced coffee and when I went to stir it my straw broke. I know I work out and all, but come on!

That settled it. We were heading to the beach! Making our way towards the waves we ran in to a few of our friends and met up with the rest of the late risers for bottles of prosecco and mimosas on the beach. 

The only thing that would make the holiday complete was a massage at the day spa. So we went!

A relaxing few hours at the spa was just the way to end an action-packed holiday! All in all, Langkawi was a blast! 

Boracay, Philippines

Sing Hallelujah! My work visa FINALLY got approved, which to me means two important things: 1. I can legally stay and work in Singapore, and 2. I can now begin to start making travel plans for fun holidays! Obviously the second one is the one that I am really excited about.

I was invited to go on a trip to Boracay, Philippines for four days and three nights and wasted no time booking my travel. All I knew about Boracay was that it has beautiful beaches and sunsets and was a six hour flight from Singapore. Since there are no direct flights from Sing to Boracay, I took the redeye out of Sing which landed me in Boracay around 8am in the morning. The airport was teeny tiny and gave me a clear picture that this was going to be a real island holiday.

Once we deplaned, the hotel that we were booked at had an agent to escort us to a shuttle to the shore front. We then had to get on their private boat and take a 10 minute boat ride to the hotel. Boracay is divided in to three parts: Station 1, Station 2, and Station 3. Station 1 is the most expensive area of the island, Station 2 is moderately priced, and Station 3 is very inexpensive. Discovery Shores was the hotel we stayed at was in Station 1. The hotel is nice and looks pretty lit up at night.

As soon as we checked in, a hotel staff member arrived to give foot massages and book anything else we might need. What better way to get in to the holiday state of mind than a 2 hour body massage? Done. It was booked and the massage therapists were awesome. After unpacking, we went and grabbed a bite to eat at one of the hotel restaurants. 

I definitely needed to work my lunch off so a long stroll on the beach was in order. It was a really good way to see most of the beachfront in Station 1 and catch an amazing sunset!

I found a beach puppy to play with!

These island kids were adorable. 

Found this along the beach with a candle illuminating the sand. 

The next day was all about activities. Jet skiing was definitely a must and we rode out to the middle of the ocean to a floating hut to rent jet skis. I have to admit I was a bit nervous as the last time I was on one was in Hawaii and was thrown off while not wearing a life vest. This time I was extra careful and made sure that my life vest was on. None-the-less I still tipped over mid-ride. I'm beginning to see a pattern...

As if jet skiing isn't fun enough, there was an excursion where you can walk along the ocean floor. Yes, you read it correctly. Obviously that was next on the list. They have you get on a ladder that is attached to the side of a boat and lower yourself in to the ocean until just the top of your head is above the water. They then place this yellow helmet on your head that weighs 70 kilos (154 pounds) and immediately you start to sink the rest of the way (still holding on to the ladder for support) to the ocean floor. They warn you not to bend forward because if you do your helmet will fill with water. I had no intention of bending any which way because I did not want to drown! 

Let's describe this helmet as I'm sure you are wondering what it looks like. It is bright yellow and the top of it has a tube that attaches to an oxygen tank on the ship. Since there is limited oxygen in the air bubble inside the helmet, they want to make sure that you don't pass out from exhaling co2. The cord tube is really long so you can walk pretty far away from the boat and explore all the different marine life undersea. As soon as I saw the helmet I had flashbacks to the episode of Scooby-Doo where Scooby and the gang had to solve the mystery of the underwater sea monster. Much to my dismay I did not see any sea monsters but did see a lot off cool fish and other marine life. I ended up feeling nauseous and motioned to the guide I wanted to get back on the boat. It turns out the underwater currents were strong that day and I was getting motion sick under water. That's a first! 

My friend Anna that knew I was going to Boracay told me I had to go to her friend's restaurant for dinner at least one of the nights, so that was on the agenda for the evening. The restaurant was close to the hotel and was called Dos Mestizos. It's a tapas restaurant and I was excited for a good meal. We hopped in a rickshaw and were dropped off at the end of a tiny street. The driver said his 3-wheeled rickshaw couldn't go any further down the road and we would have to walk a short distance to the restaurant. A minute after getting out a deafening crack of thunder sounded and it began to downpour! I'm talking straight-out-of-the-movies downpour. My natural reaction was to begin running and find the first awning to duck under for cover. I was soaked by the time we got to a patio that had a little awning, and coincidentally it was the front of Dos Mestizos! We hurried in and sat down hoping to dry off. Everything on the menu looked great and I was beginning to forget about the huge storm that was still continuing on outside, and the fact that my hair and dress were sopping wet. 

The chef came over and introduced himself and gave us a tour of the restaurant. Chef Andre was amazing at explaining the menu and went through the wine list with me. Just after the bottle of wine arrived, the entire restaurant went dark! The storm knocked out the power in the whole place and the lights remained off for a while. The staff seemed unfazed and quickly brought over more candles and continued taking orders. 

The power came back on by the time our meal arrived, and truth be told I could have cared less if it had or not. The restaurant experience was great and I'd go back in a heartbeat. 

In the morning we decided a great way to see the rest of the island would be by renting ATVs and roaming around. So that is exactly what the day consisted of. We went to Pukka Beach first. The beach is known for all of the pukka shells that are near the shore, hence the appropriate name. I don't know anyone who still wears pukka shells but if you want to take a ride back to 1993 be my guest! 

After Pukka Beach we rode to a look out point where you can see the entire main island from all angles. It is a straight upwards hike and then you climb up to a rickety look out tower that is made of very questionable wood/bamboo. You can feel the whole tower sway which is not comforting to those afraid of heights! The views are 100% worth it though. 

After the hike/look out point we were off to a small animal habitat. There were tons of cool birds and best of all a full sized bat! I mustered up all the courage I had and held it from wing to wing! 

After the bat-tastic experience, it was time to ride around the rest of the island and get ready for my last night in Boracay. I booked a facial at the hotel spa and then got ready for another great sunset and a cocktail before dinner. 

Dinner was at a Moroccan restaurant right on the beach. When we walked up there was a performance going on by a local island group. They played some good island beats and played for the first 30 minutes of dinner. 

The food was really good and was served in hand painted pottery. Everything was so fresh and steamed just right. 

The tide started to come in and some of the tables had to be moved so they wouldn't wash away. By the end of dinner, the tide was under our table and I took my flip flops off so they wouldn't get wet. I have to admit, sitting at a dinner table beach side with a glass of wine and bare feet in the sand as the tide laps back and forth was a huge highlight. It was the perfect way to end an island holiday!

Singaporean Taxi Drivers

In any major metropolitan city, hailing a taxi to get you to your destination of choice is a daily norm. Singapore is no exception to this. However, one will quickly learn the perils of using a taxi service in the Lion City. There are a few things that everyone, both visitors and residents alike, should know when calling for a cab.

1. The taxi driver will not know how to get you to your destination.

Think that it should be a requirement that all taxi drivers take a test that ensures they know their way around the city? If you answered yes, we are on the same page. Singaporean taxi drivers, however, are not on the same page as you and I. In fact they aren't even in the same book as us. While I'm in the book of Get Me Where I Need to Go As Quickly As Possible Without Telling You How To Get There, the taxi drivers here are in the book of If You Don't Know How To Get There, Why Did You Get In My Cab? Let me tell you, I'm not a huge fan of the latter book. Enter Google Maps. I swear, I don't know how people used to find their way around when lost before Google Maps. It has been the best aid in getting me around Singapore when I've been lost, and that has been a lot! 

2. The taxi driver will not care for your well being.

I can officially cross off being in an accident in a taxi off of my list of things to do. I was on my way to meet a friend on Sentosa (an island off of Singapore) and to no surprise the taxi driver didn't know how to get me to my final destination. I used my trusty aid Google Maps to find the way and we were off! However, navigating your way around Sentosa at night is really difficult because the service is spotty and the roads are all intertwined without a lot of signage. When I politely told the driver that we had missed the turn that we were supposed to take, he slammed on the brakes and shifted the taxi in to reverse. I'm all about a sense of urgency and efficiency ("why keep driving until we reach a street that we can safely turn around on?" he probably thought to himself) but safety is also important. Well, to me at least. My driver failed to look to see if anyone else (pedestrian, vehicle, animal) was in the way, speedily started to reverse, and SLAM! We crashed right in to another taxi. The worst part was that I saw it coming and couldn't do a thing to stop it except brace myself between the window and the head-rest in front of me. The driver got out of the car without asking if I was okay, and began surveying the damage. The taxi I was in and the one behind us were so entangled, both drivers couldn't separate them.  

What transpired next was sheer comedy. My taxi driver, the one that was responsible for the accident, began to yell at the other driver for getting in the way! I'm sorry, did I miss something? Was it not you who reversed on a one way street? Was it not you who failed to listen to your passenger in the first place when she told you the turn was coming up? Oh, wait... it was you! I must admit, I was a bit scared to get out when all I could was this...

Mind you, my driver failed to turn the meter off and by the time I decided to get out of the taxi the meter was up to S$42.50. I asked if he could call for another taxi as I had no idea where in the jungle I was, and there was no service. His response was, "No! I cannot! No phone!" Ohhhhh, okay. How silly of me to think that he would have a phone. It's only 2011. The next logical option would be a radio to transmit to taxi headquarters to call for a back-up taxi, right? Nope. No radio, no walki-talkie, no Morse Code, and dare I dream no Bat-Phone. Here I am, stranded in the middle of NO WHERE. I'm on the phone with the taxi service desperately trying to explain where I am, when I see a faint green light in the distance. Thank God! It's an unoccupied taxi! I explain to the driver what happened and he agrees to take me back to the city. Call me crazy but at this point the last thing I wanted to do was try to get to the beach bar. As I am about to get in, my lunatic taxi driver starts running towards me screaming, "You! YOOOUUUU! You must pay the fare!" WTF?! Is he serious? Yup, he was dead serious. I explained that 1. He tried to kill me, 2. He failed to stop the meter, and 3. I shouldn't have to pay when he didn't deliver me to my final location. All of this fell on deaf ears. I threw S$20 at him and got in the new cab and told my new driver to go. Clearly, there is no regard for a passenger's well being.

3. Don't be alarmed if your taxi driver has an attitude.

As seen in points 1 and 2 above, clearly the customer is not always right. Do not be offended if your driver gets irritated that you want to pay with a visa or a large bill. I've learned that I will not let a taxi driver ruin my mood or moreover my day. It's just not worth it. 

For every taxi driver out there that has a huge attitude for no reason, there is one that will make you laugh and enjoy your ride. Like Feng Hew (my driver from a few nights ago) who tried to sing MoTown's greatest hits to me once he found out I was from the States. Why MoTown? Beats me, but hearing "Super Freak" By Rick James and "Hello" by Lionel Richie in an Asian accent is enough to keep me happy.