here & now :: the Maldives

If there was one word to describe Maldives island, it would be paradise.

My girlfriends and I (all 4 of us) have been waiting for this retreat holiday for months and finally being there was an amazing experience beyond words!

We have to make a transit via Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (KL) from Singapore and then it was a 4 hours flight to Male, the capital island of Maldives.

Our first stop off the plane was at the airport. Now, the airport, Male and our island resort were all three different islands all together and we all have to ride a ferry or speed boat to reach any of our destination.

It was a 5 minutes ferry ride from the airport and then we have to take a 15- 20 minutes speed boat ride to our resort island. The ferry ride was USD$ 1 per trip and boy, were we surprised how clear the waters were even it was in the busy city area or even the airport! You can practically jump to swim anywhere!

                       

When we arrived at our island resort, Thulhagiri, we were over the moon!

 The blue clear waters greeted us invitingly and the lush greenery were simply idealistic with the splendid sunny weather and cool breeze blowing against our faces. The water bungalows were picture perfect in the background each time we took a picture.

 We were already in love.

It was all fun, sun and play in our tiny island resort Thulhagiri. Maldives is the perfect getaway for lovers and couples on honeymoon as the island exudes a romantic setting with cosy huts for two, away from the hectic stresses of life and being able to just enjoy each other's accompany while basking in all the glory of these perfect tropical beaches.

As such, if you prefer sight seeing and shopping, this probably won't be the ideal place for you. 

  

 My girlfriends and I have a really great time lounging in the beach shores and took lots of photos. Two of them were divers and spent an afternoon diving with their German dive instructor. We also signed up for a water sports package which included catamaran sailing, banana boat ride, canoeing and fun boat. I almost died laughing out loud during the banana boat ride, suffered an aching arm muscle from canoeing and had a screaming good fun during fun boat. It was such a blast!

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At our last day before departing from this heaven on earth, we went sightseeing around the streets of Male. The local people, the Maldivians, are of Indian descent and almost most of them are Muslims. They speak Dhivehi but are fluent with their English. Since tourism is their main source of income in their 2,000 islands homeland, they generally accept USD dollars practically everywhere.

We reached at plaza located near a mosque, which was approximately 15 - 20 minutes walk from the jetty. It is the plaza selling the wholesale souvenirs up on the second floor. Since they do wholesale, they were selling to resort islands and the airport souvenirs shops, and thus they were selling relatively cheaper comparatively.Souvenirs that are found here are magnets, keychains, T-shirts, wooden crafts, shells, shark tooth and much more.

Be mindful of touts loitering around the plaza or that approaches you as they will bug you to follow them to their shops to buy souvenirs. Since the souvenir shops are just next to each other, you don't want to get souvenirs then and ending up going to the next shop, realizing you could have saved a few dollars over there. Prices are not fixed here so your bargaining skills will come right in handy here when asking for the best price.

Just some tips to share ::

1) Consistently apply sunblock and lip balm with sun protection. I cannot stress enough on this.

2) Stock up on Vitamin C before any holidays. Being sick during a vacation can be the most horrendous thing that can happen.

3) Bring your own water as much as possible as you're always dehydrated under the sun. Bringing your own  water can  also save you money. Buying a bottle in the resort island can be hefty, costing you USD $5 inclusive government and service tax for every bottle.

4) Don't bring liquor in. Liquor and among other things (stated in their law) are prohibited in this Muslim country.

5) Wear comfy shoes for the beach and for walking around. Comfort is primary to enjoying a good sight seeing.

And as if on cue, all good things must come to an end, we have to end our 5 days of paradaisic vacation and head back home.

See you again, Maldives.

much love,

rich xxx

here & now :: Malacca, Malaysia

Happy Thursday!

 

Malacca - what used to be an unpretentious retreat for a city girl like me, was now bustling with new massive buildings and malls. From what I remembered when I was still a girl, it is as if it had awoken to the on-going developments of being a tourist hub, now being listed under world heritage city in 2008 (source from google).



malaysian flag flying  high over a christian school



more developments in the heart of the city centre

few of the new things here, a new mall and a new hotel behind

My most memorable experience to take back from this weekend trip was when my family and I walked leisurely to the famous Jonker's street to have our dinner.

We walked through the tourist attractions such as the 'A Famosa Fort', 'Christ Church' (the red church) and museums. It was heartwarming to see each and everyone of us taking pictures together, especially my mom and dad, providing us some bonding time.



malacca & its islamic architecture 

'A Famosa Fort' - the remains of a Portuguese fortress

colourful (and booming with music) tricycles

my sisters and kids have a lot of fun with these trains

on the way to Jonker Street; passing by contrasting architecture

at christ church, vibrating with tourists and locals alike

Jonker Street is one of the tourist attraction there that occurs mainly at night. They sell many varieties of stuffs - colourful tourist magnets, toys, clothes, hair accessories, and of course, local street snacks (durian cakes & barbecued cuttlefish).

We ate at this restaurant and there was already a queue outside when we reached the place. We queued for about 15 minutes and it was worth the wait! The food was really affordable too, it was only RM 5.00 for a bowl and RM 3.00  for dessert!

I was immediately captivated by the restaurant's interiors. It was old and run-down, with the dim lighting and paints on the wall, peeling off as if standing against the test of time. It was as if we were transported back to time, the reminiscent of the traditional Peranakan home.

 It was really nostalgic.

 

also another popular dish; chicken rice balls

 

Apart from being cheap, food was simply ahh-mazing! As Malacca is the center of Peranakan (Chinese mixed Malay culture) I definitely had to try Peranakan Assam Laksa with its bouncy clear noodles, crunchy sprouts, fresh prawns and crispy tofu slice. The broth was made sour-spicy and I loved how they added tuna (exactly like those found in cans!) to the dish. It made my stomach feel so warm and all happy inside! *Yum!*

The dessert Chendol was like the finishing touch to our meal. It had a generous serving of "gula Melaka" (sugar originally from Malacca), coconut milk, beans, green noodles and ice that cooled and refreshed us from our spicy dinner. It was so yummy I had two bowls of it!

The feeling of enjoying a simple dinner in all-vintage environment was an exceptional eye-opener and pure bliss for me. 

It was a great short trip, and what's really awesome about it, we got to bond together as a family, away from everyday life, school or work, that often takes up much of everyone's time and we just focused on being a family.

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!

much love,

rich xxx