Yangshuo - My New Home!

Well my home for now...

Spectacular view from Moon Hill! Far from being a large, congested, polluted city (ie. Shenzhen aka Shitsend is one city in China to avoid!)-- I'm definitely a 'countryside' girl..

I have read reviews of the town (some are hilarious--couldnt understand some of the websites/blogs written by the Chinese, they may not be grammatically correct at times (similar to the author of this blog!) but they are an 'interesting' community. I spent a day in Yangshuo in 2005 and I loved it!;

' Thousands of hills stand in different poses and with different expressions, such as Moon Hill, Mural Hill and Schoolboy Hill which is the natural stage of the world famous opera 'Impression on Sanjie Liu'. Sanjie Liu is a fairy singer in the legend of the Zhuang minority group. Big Banyan, a huge tree with a history of over 1,400 years, is said to be the place where her love story happened. The 'Little Li River'- the Yulong River – is a paradise for a cruise because of its green hills, silky water and ancient bridges. You can also go to Xanadu, a primitive minority village full of folk culture and tranquil rurality.

Streets in Yangshuo are well kept in the original style, presenting the simple and primitive atmosphere of the ancient town.'

review fromhttp://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/guangxi/yangshuo/

The plan: we fly on the 29th of August to Kuala Lumpur and on the 30th we fly straight to Guilin (where we had the option of taking a boat 80km down the river-- but since we are there for work, the company is sending a car to the airport for us!)

No clue as to what living in China will be like (random bloggers and travellers have mixed emotions about the place!) However, it will definitely be different from our time in United Arab Emirates.

What I truly believe: Have no expectations. Thats what makes travelling and working in different countries an experience!

Goodbye Borneo (for now!) Ni Hao China!

The Non-Blogger.

I have been a naughty non-blogger with many perfectly good excuses for not blogging. From the lack of internet connectivity to running around in the jungles and deserts and to the most recent event in my life, organising my own wedding (which was quite a mission!). Its been a year (or so) since I have properly blogged about any of the countries and places Ive been to and of places I have had the pleasure of working at (and the people I have been working with). Recollecting all the memories and experiences and typing out my stories from each place will take awhile but I am determined to do so!
Watch this space!

Vote Sipadan Island!

2 weeks ago I attended a 'Vote Sipadan' event which was held at the Imperial International Hotel... I only knew about the event 5 minutes before it was due to start but managed to grab Yo and drove over to listen to the talk on why we should vote Sipadan..

To be honest I had no idea as to what the event was about and why Sabah Tourism was involved in promoting the whole 'Vote Sipadan' malarkey. I was intrigued.


Previously I was working for a British based charity in Sabah, so part of the job involved recommending certain tourist destinations and the one place I would always encourage people to visit would be Sipadan. Its amazing how I can promote the place yet have never actually set foot on the islands or swim in that amazing reef. I have however seen thousands of photos from friends and family alike who have been there...

One comment I still recall and to this day makes me realise how amazing the place must be was this:

"It was difficult to see the various different underwater creatures and plants there...to do so I would have to push aside the many turtles that were in my way"
~colleague, UK 2007~

That comment alone made me want to visit Sipadan but I do have my reasons for not visiting Sipadan just yet (probably soon though!). I am a globetrekker and have had the opportunity to dive in many different countries-I really would like to save the best for last. If Sipadan wins and is nominated as one of the 7 Natural wonders of the world, preservation of the area for the future will be conducted properly and no silly tom, dick and harry can build random marine parks and random buildings/resorts in and around that area. So for all of you who have had the opportunity to visit Sipadan and had an awesome time diving there, come vote for Sipadan as one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World!

VOTE HERE!

1 Year

It has been a year since I have blogged and rattled on about my escapades. Since then I have been to the following countries (loads of little towns/cities):

1) United Kingdom (yes back here again)
2) Kenya, East Africa
3) Mauritus
4) United Arab Emirates

I have started sorting my photos out and should be blogging about these places pretty soon.
Its amazing how a year has gone by and now I am back in Borneo (for a couple of months) till I still wandering off again.

"Not all who wander are lost"
~J.R.R Tolkien

Wilderness Adventure Challenge

Bright and early on the morning of the 3rd of May 2008, some 300 nervous individuals were up at stupid o' clock in the morning to compete in the Wilderness Langkawi Challenge which was organised by Wilderness Centre (where I work!-however my last day was on the 3rd of May, the day of the Adventure Challenge-SMILE!) and sponsored by quite a number of big names and covered by some 40 different media houses/newspapers/tv channels. It was by far the hardest some of us had worked in a couple of months .. 3 days leading to event we had barely or no sleep at all! Great work and a great way to end my stint- Good bye Langkawi!

(check out my facebook album for more piccies)
Coverage by Eurostar Choppers...

Wilderness Langkawi Challenge 2008

This will be the 4th Wilderness Langkawi Challenge! With more participants from various parts of the globe. Appearances by Malaysias own astronaut Dr. Sheikh. Participating in the race are also the top 3 teams from Amazing Race Asia Season 2! Various publicity from ESPN, Eurostar/AXN etc. If you're kicking about in Langkawi, come join us!

Adventures on Langkawi..

*note: server down more pics to come.

WELCOME TO LANGKAWI!

Will be here for awhile and will be having quite a number of visitors.. first was none other than Laura - you would think having being in Raleigh together we'd be sick of each other.. thing is I miss the people the most and it was great having her over.. with me as the driver and Laura as the navigator we did manage to cover most of the attractions...Laura was in Langkawi for almost a week but in 2 & a 1/2 days we manage to cover the following:

Petronas Quay- beautiful expensive yachts. People from all over the globe live here.

Dinner at Jai Island Cafe.

(cheap local delicacies-Langkawi is brilliant low cost of living esp. things like chocs, booze and food)

Drinks at "The Pier"

An expat bar, the owner is Swedish and the main bar man is Adam an ozzie bloke who was only supposed to be in Langkawi for 3 months but loved living in Langkawi and has been here almost 2 years. Friendly, cheap and quite a nice relaxed ambience. Right on the waterfront.

Cable Car ride up to Machinchang Peak.

If you have a fear of heights. This isnt for you-spectacular view of the entire island and also some Thai islands of the South coast of mainland Thailand.

Visit to the Oriental Village.

This is the little village at the base of Machinchang. Be warned its a touristy spot, where you can ride elephants, photo sessions with snakes/eagles etc.. little cafes and a hotel.

Trek up to the Seven Wells Waterfall.

We could see this on our trip up to Machinchang peak in the cable car. We decided to trek up to the 638 steps-lordy! Excellent view and probably brilliant during the rainy season.. as it was rather pathetic when we were there! Legend has it the fairies use the waterfall as their "frolicking playground" (quote direct from a signboard)

Lunch & drinks at the SeaShell Beach Cafe at Mutiara Burau Bay Resort.

Lovely bar and cafe by the beach. Food was gorgeous-huge portions and reasonably priced.

A visit to the legend :Mahsuri's Mausoleum.

Interesting but they were beating about the bush a bit. The live theatre is well worth your time. Interesting legend of the beautiful Mahsuri and Langkawi island. Click here to find out more about this amazing legend.

Underwater World Langkawi.

The main attraction, the underwater tunnel, was closed so I was disappointed-the waterworld was nice but not brilliant.

Lunch at Layla Tapas & Bar at Pantai Cenang (one of the popular beaches).

Great food and right on the beach! For those days you fancy some italian and tapas!

Langkawi Snake Sanctuary.

This would have been a slightly boring visit if not for the fact that we managed to wangle a free tour and got to actually touch and play with some dangerous snakes. I learnt quite a bit about snakes and venom and natural anti-venom. Brilliant.

Bird Paradise and Wildlife Park.

I loved the concept of this park. At the entrance they sell a mixture of veg and seeds so you can feed the different birds and animals in this park! Well landscaped and nicely done. Deffo worth a visit!

Night Market.

Cheap food. Cheap drinks. Cheap outdoor gear. Cheap shoes. Cheap clothes. For the inquisitive and adventurous as there are some bizarre dishes..

Absolutely knackered now and could do with a couple days sleep. It takes alot out of you when you're driving. ML is visiting in two weeks so will probably be venturing out to some these parts again!