A Little Piece of Paradise

For our last four days in Borneo we stayed somewhere a bit different - we're always looking for a unique experience. So based on some great reviews (including one from a fellow North Vancouver friend who stayed there last year with his family), we booked a visit to the Kebun.

Annie's Blog Update

After a few days without an internet connection, we have left Borneo and arrived in Singapore and are madly trying to catch up.

Annie has posted a blog update, so check it out at the link on the right, or just click here.

I will update the last few days of our Borneo trip tomorrow.

Bako-holics

We've been out of reach of any form of internet or wi-fi for a few days, so it's been a while since my last posting. I'm not complaining, and you wouldn't either had you been where we were staying - Bako National Park.

Kayak Adventure on the Semadang River

I was really looking forward to journeying on a river in Borneo, as my childhood images of this magical land always contained intrepid explorers paddling up a steamy jungle river. So we signed up for a family kayak trip with the young men of Semadang Kayaking.

City of Cats

From the moment we arrived in Kuching, capital of the Sarawak region of Borneo, we felt very comfortable in this compact and vibrant little city. 

Another Update to Annie's Blog

She's current to the end of Thailand - hope you enjoy!

Planet of the Apes

I'm excited, or at least as excited as an accountant can get. There has always been something about Borneo which has captured my imagination, and I recall being a young boy fully absorbed in issues of National Geographic showing muddy rivers, lush jungles, and amazing wildlife, including the spectacular orangutans - and now we are finally going!!

All is Swell in KL

We've spent the last couple of days exploring Kuala Lumpur, hunting for interesting sights and sounds. We've been fairly successful, and our family will leave the city with some memorable experiences. I've included some of them below.

We Never Listen to Our Own Advice

We don't like spending precious travel time in big cities - it's something on which both Shirley and I agree. We realize that sometimes it is a logistical necessity, especially when it comes to flights, but our most enjoyable experiences have always come in small towns or national parks and reserves. Yet here we find ourselves in Kuala Lumpur for three days, struggling to make interesting and unique memories.

In front of the one-time tallest buildings in the world, the Petronas Towers

Heritage Shmeritage - We Came for the Food!

Thailand is now a recent memory (albeit a very positive one), and while most roads in Malaysia lead to the capital, Kuala Lumpur, we decided to go a bit farther south for our first couple of days - we're in the city of Melaka (Malacca).

Curry 101

No, this isn't a post about all the great food and restaurants we have enjoyed during our month in Thailand. Instead, I wanted to tell you about a remarkable little man and his remarkable little plot of land which we stumbled upon a few kilometers down a small road near our guest house.

Island Hopping in the Andaman

Country, King, and Marley - not sure I can argue with that!

Diving in Phi Phi is better than it sounds

The last time I was in Koh Phi Phi (pronounced 'pee pee') was 20 years ago, almost to the day, and at that point on the end of my post-university backpacking trip, my funds were insufficient to go diving.

Well now I'm back again, and this time I have some extra money (and an extra person) with which to dive. Annie received her Junior PADI certification in Vancouver back in September, but this would be her first open water dive in a tropical location.

Feeling Groovy but not too Krabi

We've now settled into our home for the next week - the Groovy Bungalows. This is a nice little guest house in the tourist town of Ao Nang, just outside of the city of Krabi, a major hub here in the south of Thailand.

Dam Good Time at Khao Sok

Today was the beginning of an overnight lake trip organized by our guesthouse. We had heard some good things about this tour, and although most of the time we like to arrange our own excursions independently, this was one of those packages was better left to others. 

Goodbye Beach, Hello Jungle

Our last night on Koh Phangan, so of course we wanted to make it special. At the top of Shirley's 'to do' list was a final massage.