Maldives Part Four - Winding Down

Well all good things must come to an end, I suppose. The last few days on Keyodhoo in the Maldives were not entirely different from the first - fantastic weather, amazing snorkelling, and beautiful beaches.

Maldives Part Three - Nice Place to Spend a Birthday!!

Someone turned 11 today - Happy Birthday Annie!!

It can be hard for kids to celebrate a birthday far away from home, wondering what kind of party they 'would have had' and which friends they 'would have invited'. Not that our little girl has anything to complain about. This water monkey gets to enjoy her special day in a place renowned for all things aquatic. So let's make this whole day a party!

Maldives Part Two - This is Why We Came

Our home for the next six days is a traditional Muslim inhabited island called Keyodhoo (of the Maldives' 1,192 islands, only 192 are inhabited). It is very small (500 meters x 250 meters), with a population of only 671 (675 for the next six days). The people here live primarily from fishing as well as some government employment, with tourism also gaining importance. There are only a couple of guesthouses on the island, plus a diving company.

Maldives Part One - Getting There is Half the Fun

We finally managed to get connected – stay tuned for several updates here from the Maldives. Here is Part One.

Where Did the Time Go?

I cannot believe we have been here for five days - we're leaving Sri Lanka tomorrow for the Maldives and I have very few photos to show for our beach visit. We've had a wonderful time, mind you, it's just that I didn't bring the camera out very often.

Annie's Blog Update

Annie has a new entry - check it out here

Elephants Everywhere!

Not much wi-fi for the next few days, so I will post when I can. This one will be brief. We're on the southern coast of Sri Lanka in a beautiful beachside town called Mirissa. Arrived yesterday after a night in Udawalawe National Park, a place known for its herds of wild elephants.

Ella Enchanting

The Lonely Planet Guidebook on Sri Lanka promotes the tiny town of Ella as a destination for tea and hiking. With a couple of days to spend in this mountain retreat, we hoped to mix a bit of these activities with some relaxation and homework catch-up for the kids.  

8:41 Badulla Express

I am by no means a train aficionado, but I have been on enough of them to appreciate this relaxing mode of transportation. And those 'in the know' speak with great enthusiasm of the train trip from Kandy to Badulla.

Seek the Peak

When we were researching places to visit in Sri Lanka during the planning phase of this adventure, we came across many references to Adam's Peak, a sacred mountain which is the object of pilgrimages of several different faiths in Sri Lanka. No doubt it would be a difficult climb, made more challenging by the fact that the ascent begins in the middle of the night and we have two young children with us, but maybe we're just crazy enough to give it a shot.

Living in the Land of Giant Tatas

That got your attention, didn't it. Well, I'm not really joking, see?

And this road is not a one way street! One aging Tata bus trying to overtake another is just the way things roll here. 

Welcome to Sri Lanka - A Travel First!

We have enjoyed an incredible first couple of months, but despite the wonderful time we've been having since we left North Vancouver at the end of January, none of the countries I have visited has been completely unknown to me...until now.

SingaPOOR

I really do enjoy visiting Singapore, but it's a bit of anomaly on the traveller's route through Southeast Asia. Although it's surrounded by countries which are great budget options for a family like us - Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia - it is horrendously expensive when it comes to accommodation and general tourist attractions.

Annie's Blog Update (again!)

Annie has posted yet another blog update (I think she's all caught up now), so check it out at the link on the right, or just click here.

Tomorrow I will try and give a summary of our time in Singapore.