Kek Lok Si Temple, Penang Malaysia

And I’m not done with Penang trip! Can you believe it? I still have backlogs of pictures from Taiwan trip as well. Oh no.

Anyway, other than visiting Peranakan Mansion and Street Art Hunting in Georgetown, we also went to Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang. It is said to be one of the largest temple in Southeast Asia and one of the landmark in Penang! As my grandma is with us, we only visited the area with a humongous statue of Goddess of Mercy. Perched on top of a hill, we also got a nice overview of Penang town.

The statue didn’t look that big here as they have built a new pavilion for it.

In front of the Goddess of Mercy statue, there is also an area where visitors can make donation in exchange for some wishing ribbons, candles or tiles. The tiles will be used to build part of the pavilion.

That’s my Dad’s Chinese name and his wishes for the family, a harmonious family enjoying peace and health.

My Dad made another donation for and similarly wishing for peace within family and great health.

Another small temple at the side!

Happy family!

At the bottom of the temple, there is also an old school morning market and it gets really busy in the morning. There are also popular Laksa stalls there which we didn’t have try as it was really too early for spicy coconut-ty soup. Heh.

You can read more on my other posts for our Penang trip here.

Review of Armenian Street Heritage Hotel, Penang, Malaysia

During our 3 days 2 nights trip to Penang, Georgetown, we stayed at Armenian Street Heritage Hotel and this hotel is a love hate relationship. Here are some Pros and Cons of staying at this hotel.

Pros

• Clean, new and comfortable
• In the middle of Georgetown heritage central, 3 minutes walk to see the street art of the boy peering at the hole and short walk to bicycle rental shop
• Less than 10 mins walk to a cluster of old school shopping malls
• Extremely value for money, booked through Agonda and only paid SGD58 per night (inclusive of booking fee) for a double room
• Small in house eatery, massage parlour and 24 hours mini mart
• Good wifi available in room

Cons

• Air Con takes a while to cool down
• Corridor of hotel not air conditioned
• Only 1 key card for each room, I suspect is to save on electricity, otherwise, most people will leave the key card there the whole day and leaving the air conditioner run the whole day
• No telephone or fridge in room. My guy needs cold water 24/7, so we had to buy cold water from the mini mart instead.
• Generally quiet and peaceful on most days, except that it is near a Mosque which will sound the prayer chant 5 times a day. Not for light sleeper as I was woken up by the prayer at 5.30am on both mornings. But the rest of the group were not affected.

View from our room at 5th floor.

Open concept corridors which is not air conditioned.

Like I said, this hotel is a one which I have a love hate relationship, I love the location, the comfort and the value for money but there are a few things which can improve. But for SGD 58 per night, I shouldn’t be complaining. Will I stay here again if I’m back in Penang, sure, why not.

Favourite Spots in Georgetown, Penang Malaysia

Other than exploring Georgetown for Street Art, there are a few interesting spots to have a quick stopover!

I expected Georgetown to be much more bustling, imagining it to be a huge tourist attraction with lots of shops and all like our Joo Chiat in Singapore. But to my dismay, it is really quiet and peaceful with only a few shops spread around the town. This could be a good thing to preserve the heritage there.

Here are my favourite three spots in Georgetown:

(1) Owl Shop and Cat & Dog

There are rows and rows of shophouses in Georgetown, there are some which are worn out and many which are well preserved.

At the most bustling street in Georgetown sits two pretty little shop Owl Shop and Cat & Dog (Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi along Cannon Street).

And at the Owl Shop, I spotted the Owl chopstick holder I bought in Taiwan! When I was in Taiwan, I only managed to buy 5 instead of the intended 6. I thought it must be fate and destiny to see it again, but the price put me off. It costs RM15 each (approximately SG5.60) and I bought it in Taiwan for only $2! Now, I regret every bit of not buying it! BAH.

Love this brown owl chopstick holder!

At the Cat & Dog Shop, we also spotted these pretty pretty Peranakan theme magnets! These are my favourite buy and I got 4 for myself! Wished I got more for my friends! These are very unique as I couldn’t find them at other place! Apparently the store owner created it themselves and they owned 2 shops on the same street. The other time I saw it is at the Peranakan Mansion which is much more expensive.

They also have these!

(2) Ming Xiang Tai Pastry Shop

No. 133, Jalan Burmah, 10050 George Town , Penang. Malaysia., 10050 George Town, Malaysia

We also stopped over for some yummy pastries and glass bottled herbal drinks! The drinks are savior under this heat.

(3) China House

153, Lebuh Pantai, Georgetown, 10300 Georgetown, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

My resourceful also research a list of cafes in Penang and we found one which is within the cycling distance for a quick breakfast. In the day, it is a cafe and at night, it’s a bar! There are many cafes in Penang but they are spread all over the town! The cost slightly lower than having Brunch in Singapore but I would say it is cheap. The food and vibe of the place is most likely targeting expats and tourist! But I must say the food is good. It was also a great respite to get out of the heat after cycling!

Their Big Breakfast is good! The handmade beef patty and lamb sausage are simply delightful! Yums!

Their carrot cake is not bad either. Not the best but good. It could be that we had so many days of street food and anything else is great! Haha.

Street Art hunting in Georgetown, Penang Malaysia

Another must see attraction and must do activity in Penang is street art hunting in Georgetown! The street art in Georgetown is made famous by Ernest Zacharevic, a Lithuanian artist whose ‘Mirrors Georgetown’ for Georgetown Festival back in 2012 became a huge hit. This encouraged many other artists to express their creativity on the streets!

We first walk around the Georgetown after checking in at nearby Armenian Street Heritage Hotel but the weather in Penang is insanely hot and humid! Thereafter, we toured around Georgetown via a mini van because of my aging Grandma and parents. But even though it is comfortable to escape from the heat, it is too cumbersome to climb up and down the van just to take photographs. Finally, on the last day, we rented a bicycle and did a quick tour around Georgetown. Most of the shops and bicycle rental shops in Georgetown open at 9am and the rental is really cheap at RM8 – 10 for the whole day! In the end, this is the best mode of transport to explore and hunt for the street art! Many maps are available at our hotel lobby and you can probably find 80% of the street art with the map.

I was never good at netball or form of sports. Heh.

Step by Step lane! What a cute name!

These 3D pop up ones are my favourite!

Many big ones like these!

My favourite! I’m such a (act) cutie! Haha.

Pinang Peranakan Mansion, Penang Malaysia

One of the highlights of our Penang trip is visiting the huge Peranakan Mansion. For readers who don’t know about Peranakan’s culture, it will be a delightful place to visit.

“The Peranakans, also known as the Babas and Nyonyas, was a prominent community of acculturated Chinese unique to this part of the world, especially in the Straits Settlements (Penang, Malacca and Singapore) hence its other name, the Straits Chinese. Adopting selected ways of the local Malays and later, the colonial British, the Peranakans had created a unique lifestyle and customs which had not only left behind a rich legacy of antiques but its cultural influences like cuisine and language are still evident in Penang today.”

– Source: Pinang Peranakan Mansion

Unlike the one I visit in Malacca, it is inside a huge mansion and they allow phototaking and interaction with most of their exhibits. You are allowed to sit and take photographs with the furniture on display and the guide will also enthusiastically assist to take photos for you! The entrance ticket is a mere RM 20 (S$ $7.50) and we spent almost 2 hours there! It is huge! The one in Malacca is inside a shophouse which is a third of this Peranakan Mansion in Penang!

The owner of this Mansion bought it over from the government with the promise to restore it. There are many artifacts which were donated from the original family who stayed at this mansion and there were pictures showing its previous dilapidated condition after surviving World War 2.

Even though the mansion does not belong to the original family now (who mostly migrated to the states and UK), they still own a small Ancestral temple (shown below) at the back of the mansion. According to the guide, the family hired a few staff to take care of the temple and when any of their descendant come back to Penang, they will be back to pay respect. They will also be back to pay respect during major Chinese occasions. According to the guide, the mansion was once surrendered to the Japanese during Japanese Occupation, but in exchange of the house and all the antiques in the house, the Japanese will leave their ancestral temple untouched.

 

According to the Chinese beliefs, the place where your ancestors laid is exceptionally important as a good location with excellent Fengshui will bless their future generations with harmony and prosperity. The original family who stayed here was headed by a very successful Tin mining business man, in order to continue this harmony and prosperity, the Ancestral temple must be protected and maintained.

We also saw many bats residing in the temple and according to Chinese beliefs, when bats choose to live in the house, it brings fortune in good luck as bats in Mandarin is 蝙蝠 which sounds like Fortune 福. So do not chase bats away if they pick your place!

In the mansion, they also showcase many authentic jewelries from the Peranakan culture. Those tiny bags are made with Gold and we wonder what can the ladies back in their time carry in those tiny bags. According to the guide, back in those days, the ladies only carry handkerchiefs in their bag and the gold bag is more to flaunt their wealth then anything.

There is also a showcase of their tablewares which were influenced by the British during when they colonized Penang.

An exhibit of those hand crafted beaded shoes. Back in their time, a Nonya (a female Peranakan) must learn how to sew and make their own beaded shoes before they can get married.

The second floor of the mansion showcases more of their living lifestyle.

My family, both young and old, greatly enjoyed this place and it is a must see when you visit Penang!

Tioman Trip Part II: Snorkeling!

In this second post on our recent Tioman Trip, it is when it gets exciting! Snorkeling! The highlight of the trip. In our full board package, there is a complimentary half day snorkeling trip to Renggis Island and Marine Park. In additional to this 2 spots, we also went on our own to snorkel at another snorkeling spot which is at the extreme right of our resort, I suspect it’s the Tomok Island. Our conclusion? The best spot was the snorkeling spot at our resort and the worst was the Marine Park!

As you can tell from the map above, there are many diving and snorkeling spots in Tioman! It is actually very popular among our Singaporean divers as it’s a cheap and accessible place!

I’ve zoomed in on the areas which we visited! Our resort is at Kampung Paya, we visited the Renggis Island and the Marine Park.

Renggis Island

You will notice that the pictures for Renggis Island turned out better as I used the underwater mode, but in the other two location, I tried auto mode which looks bad.

Renggis Island is basically a small rock island with some trees on it. In the water near to this island, there were many fishes and if you bring some bread along, all the fishes will be surrounding you. Too bad we didn’t bring any bread along but we are shameless enough to just follow a little boy and his family who brought along 4 loafs of bread. Yes! 4 loafs! Haha. I think the boy is more terrorize by us than the fish. I kept snapping photos right in his face and unaware that I was floating and swimming too close to him at some point in time. Haha.

There aren’t many corals to look at but there are many fishes! This is another young chap which we terrorized! He broke the bread into small pieces and stuffed it into a plastic bottle! Smart one!

Marine Park

This was the worst of the lot. I seriously wonder where did all our RM 5 Marine Park Fee goes to if this is what they call a marine park?! The ones in Redang which I visited more than 10 years back looks better. Haha.

Boo. I’m so flat and fat.

The only difference you have at the Marine Park is that, the fishes are huge. Plus there is a floating platform which you can go jump around at. Some efforts can also be seen at the Marine Park where they create these concrete blocks to allow corals to grow in and this I learnt from my Langkawi trip earlier this year.

The visibility at the Marine Park is also not the best as the ground was very sandy.

Snorkeling Spot nearest to Paya Beach Resort (Suspect it’s Tomok Island)

The last and the best spot which we went on our own. If you are staying in Paya Beach Resort, do venture there on your own! When facing the beach, it will be on your extreme right. There is a bit of a swim out from the beach, and the spot is behind the island! There are so many corals and different kind of sea creatures like sea urchin, sea cucumbers, corals and what looks like giant clams. There were also a lot more varieties of fishes!

In my earlier post, I shared on my experience in the booking of our Tioman trip with Discovery Tours & Travel and also our stay at Paya Beach Resort. You can check it out over here.

Tioman Trip Part I: Review of Discovery Tours & Travel and Paya Beach Resort

Last weekend, we headed to Tioman for our final holiday of 2014 before our hectic work starts during festive peak! The next holiday will only happen after Chinese New Year in 2015, and that’s in March onwards. Boo!

Anyway, back to our short 4 Days 3 Nights holiday to Tioman. Here is the first part on the review of Paya Beach Resort, Tioman! You can read more on our snorkeling experience in Tioman over here!

Review of Discovery Tours & Travel

We booked our holiday online through Discovery Tours & Travel and it was hassle free. The website allowed us to make payment, upgrade our package to full board and extend 1 day all at the same time. After making the booking and payment online, the sent us our receipt, 3 booking vouchers for land transport, ferry and hotel booking. A week before the booking, as there are some changes for our ferry timing, they also resend the vouchers to our email. A day before, they even texted us to remind us of the location, time and contact person to board our coach! When we returned, our ferry got delayed, but their tour guide waited patiently at the ferry terminal for everyone and ensured everyone has arrived before departing from the ferry terminal back to Singapore! The only down side? The coach provided was uncomfortable as it was a 40 seater coach. The pick up location was at DFS Galleria Scotts road at 6.30am and the drop off location was either at Woodlands Checkpoint or Newton Circles Hawker Centre at around 9pm where we had our late dinner.

Review of Paya Beach Resort, Tioman

We opted for the most expensive room in Paya Beach Resort and am happy with the space in our Deluxe Suite. Here is an honest review of the place. When we opened our door, this ugly and dirty looking couch greeted us. It is a sofa bed which opens up to a single bed. But gosh, it is one hideous and dirty looking thing. So if you are thinking of booking the Deluxe Suite for a group of 4, think again.

We were then terrorized by this ugly, dirty looking sofa which can sleep another 2 in the living room. In the living room, there was also a TV, a balcony facing the beach, and a toilet with shower facility. This was the worst of the so call suite. In the end, we used this space to put our luggage, and it did serve us well!

It did get better when we get to the bedroom.

The king size bed is huge, clean and comfortable and that is all that matters.

In the bedroom, there is another toilet. A semi outdoor area facing the beach. The jacuzzi tub was spoiled when we were there, but their technician promptly fixed it with a new pump. Their rain shower is great and the idea of showering in a semi open space with the sound of waves is liberating.

There is another balcony facing the swimming pool in the bedroom.

Overall, it is a comfortable stay. But, there were a few annoying traits for this resort.

• Crazy Towel Control: They have a strict control on towels. There were only two bath towels given to us and if we need new towels, we need to bring them to the reception, go back to our room, and wait for the housekeeping team to bring us the towel. Yes, what’s wrong with them right?! When we check out of the room, we also need to show them the two towels, before we get our deposit back! This has brought us lots of inconvenience as it’s a beach resort, and we really need more than one. If we don’t ask for a change of towel, their housekeeping team do not change our towel. Is there some sort of towel thief lurking around?
• No Phone: To make things worst, there is no phone in the room. Yes you heard me, no phone. So whenever we need a change of towel, or when our jacuzzi tub is spoiled, we had to walk to the reception to get help and go back to our room to wait.
• Mozzies in the room: We brought our our electric insect repellent but after days of smelling that, our throat became dry. Once we switch of the repellent, we saw mosquitos in the room and was bitten too! Even though they claimed to conduct fogging every Thursday, mosquito is inevitable as they have a huge forest behind their resort filled with mosquitos!
• No Wifi: YES! Isn’t it a nightmare? There is no Wifi in the room and not just that, the Wifi in the common area is extremely weak. It took me a long time to connect to Whatsapp and I could only upload 2 photos onto Instagram. Boo! But in the end, it was a great time to disconnect from work and the Internet world. So if you ideal holiday is to be unreachable, this resort is great!
• 4 TV Channels: There were only 4 TV channels in there, HBO, CNN, sports channel and one other which I can’t remember. I’m glad I brought a book there and finish reading it on the trip.

The resort is pretty old as well and I won’t call our room a suite, it is probably just a huge chalet room. The only resort why we upgraded to Deluxe suite was because, only Deluxe room comes with a fridge and my traveling companion needs to have a daily intake of cold water. Don’t ask me why.

So how much does all these cost? It wasn’t expensive, in fact, if you can make do with cheaper rooms, it costs very little! We each paid SGD 407 (approx US$ 321) for our 4 days 3 nights package tour and it included the following.

• 3 nights stay in Deluxe Suite (ahem chalet like), we extended 1 day to make the trip more relaxing
• Daily buffet breakfast. If you are not picky, it is actually decent with fruits, veg, bread, cereal, eggs station and some cooked food
• 1 lunch and 2 dinner. If you go during the peak period e.g school holidays or weekends, it will be buffet, otherwise it will be set meal. Don’t expect too much, the food was alright and it keeps you full.
• 1 session of half day snorkeling trip to Renggis Island and Marine Park (will be sharing more in the other post)
• 1 session of Guided Rock Fall walk. We tried to trek at the forest behind with vague instruction from the activity centre but couldn’t find the rock fall. Ended up getting bitten by mosquitos even though I was armed with many repellent accessories to prevent it.  You name it, I tried it. Ranging from repellent bands, spray, the latest Off personnel protection battery operated gadget and Sonic phone apps and yes, all these doesn’t work. They have some commandoes mosquitos in the forest.
• Return Coach transport between Singapore and Ferry Terminal
• Return Ferry transport between Ferry Terminal and Tioman

A RM5 fee for Marine Park was not included and the rental of snorkeling gear was also not included. There were also a few meals not included were we didn’t have much food options.

Other than these, there weren’t much activity. The activity is to just laze by the beach, snorkeling and relax. We went for an hour full body massage and it was about SGD 50 if you do it between 10 am to 3pm, it wasn’t mind blowing or cheap but was definitely relaxing.

We wanted to join their other paid activities like going to the Asah Waterfall at their Mukut Village, but they required a minimum of 6 person to join the tour.

Would I visit Paya Beach Resort again? Maybe as it was a cheap holiday with great snorkeling spots. But perhaps only with a big group of friends where we can play some board games or talk during the down time and go on their other paid activities!

Yacht Trip, The Andaman, Langkawi

The other activity that the bride organized for us is a Yacht trip to a Thailand island! Yes, you heard me, the captain brought us to an island belonging to Thailand from Langkawi. Haha. There is pretty much nothing to do there, so we just swim and roll around the sand. That’s how I got my first ever sandfly bites. Horrible stuffs. The trip was really expensive, about RM270 but the food was good and there were free flow of alcohol! Beer, wine and drinks! There were two staffs other than the captain on the boat servicing us.

The yacht trip departs from The Andaman Resort’s private beach and it was really convenient. We took a small boat to the yacht from the beach.

That’s us tanning on the net is fun!

Sunblock is crucial in this sun!

Roasting!

Love this picture! The sky is clear and we look good!

We saw eagle! Some of us spotted dolphin in the waters but when I got up from my lazing, the dolphin is gone. Sigh!

The whole party!

Me looking too excited! Haha.

After a swim!

The helpful service staff on board serving us wine!

The food is restaurant standard. The steak and salmon actually tasted good!

Group pictures!

Approaching home! Haha.

Ivan & Catherine’s Wedding, The Andaman, Langkawi

So the main purpose for my recent visit to Langkawi was for Ivan and Catherine’s wedding and here are some pictures I grabbed off Facebook of her wedding! The bride requested for an unplugged wedding, which means, no cell phone and no photo taking to avoid photos taken from her photographer to look like this.

So, here are some of the pictures!

It was a terribly hot day and we all got burnt, but because of the glorious clear and bright day, all the pictures turned out beautiful! Yay! The wedding ceremony was held at the beach at 5pm and it was indeed a beautiful sight!

Colin, popsicles and paper umbrella save the day! Haha.

Dinner was held at 7pm at a beach deck restaurant. Look at all the pretty gift! The bride was nice to lug these gifts home from Bangkok and allowed her guests to pick one!

We all had a blast at the dinner which ended with 10 minutes of fireworks and a quick dance session! As the hotel has many retirees and guests who enjoys some peace, loud music was forbidden after 11pm. Boo!

After their wedding dinner, some of us proceeded to the lobby lounge for some quick chilling out. The bride was really sporty that night (not sure if it’s the alcohol!) sang the groom a song! Haha. Their friend also sang and dedicated a song to the couple. He is definitely not drunk but he was surely high and can sing pretty well.

Rainforest Awakening, The Andaman Langkawi

One of the other free activity provided by the hotel is Rainforest morning walk – Rainforest Awakening. Even though we didn’t exactly walk inside a rainforest, our hotel is right smack in a rainforest. Surrounded by lush vegetation and vibrant rainforest wildlife, a walk around the resort compound allowed us to spot many animals! This walk is available every morning except Mondays and is conducted from 8am to 9.30am. Reservation is required and they are really popular!

Girls who are diligent enough to wake up for the walk! Haha.

” As morning light breaks the forest awakens to the sights and sounds of birds, monkeys, squirrels and a myriad of other delightful animals on Langkawi. Morning is the best time to walk our grounds to gain an insight into the thriving plant and animal life here. Discover a treasure trove of medicinal plants that are increasingly finding their way into modern medicine.” – Source: The Andaman

This is the best view of the private beach of the hotel.

Our friendly guide introducing us to Elephant Ear leaves which was used as packing material for food in the past! See how she transformed the leaf above to a bundle below.

The hotel was also infested with the well recognized macaques! Haha. I used the word “infested” because there were a lot of them and they are very naughty! They are the bad monkeys in the hotel and are infamous for opening unlocked balcony doors, stealing fruits and opening fridges!

With evil, there are always the good. The dusky leaf monkeys are the good and well behaved ones! We saw a lot of them but my lousy camera phone didn’t managed to capture a decent picture but above are some pictures found in the resort. They are good natured and are pure herbivore who have a strict diet of rainforest plants and fruits. That means, they do not raid the hotel guests’ rooms for food. Haha. Aren’t they adorable!

Can you spot what’s hidden in the tree?

Do you know what’s that? It looks like a Koala bear! Haha.

It’s a Sunda Flying Lemur and is commonly found in rainforest of Southeast Asia, even in Singapore! But it’s the first time I saw one so up close! It’s just 2 metres away from me! It is a nocturnal animal and it is not a lemur and not a bat. Instead, it’s closest relative is actually monkey. Haha.

If you ever come across a palm tree that has a bunch of leafs which looks like the one in the middle, folded into a lamp shade like, take a peek in there and you will be surprised!

There are bats in there!

Three of them! These common fruit bats are very common in the rainforest too!

This Rainforest awakening walk is really worth waking up for! An easy walk around the resort compound allows you to discover many wonderful creatures living among us in the resort. We won’t have notice these creatures if not for the walk! Time to start discovering and noticing what’s around us instead of just staring into our screens. A fruitful walk which is complimentary from the resort. Nice!

Coral Nursery at The Andaman, Langkawi

There are many free activities at The Andaman and some of these are at their Coral Nursery. We were lucky to chance upon a session of building Coral castles which involves us playing with cement and dead corals! Here are some pictures!

Here’s our knowledgable instructor who is sharing with us how this Cement block and the mini Coral Castle that we are going to create is helpful to small fishes to hide from their predators. Corals can also grow on dead corals which are filled with nutrients.

Mini castle!

It’s a hot hot day!

Here’s the coral nursery! Every day from 2 to 6pm, there will be instructor stationed there to assist you to snorkel inside the pond. I know, you must be thinking, snorkeling in this murky pond? Many of my friends are not too keen on it and so, off I went alone on this adventure!

Basically, participant will wear a life vest and snorkeling gear, stay afloat and breathe and keep your hands to yourself. The instructor will then pull you along while you enjoy the beauty of various corals and fishes! It was effortless and a lot of fun! It was really nerve wreaking in the beginning as I was trying to breathe, keep my hands to myself and avoid kicking / killing any corals.

But after a while when I began to relax, it was all really beautiful! I saw many types of corals, the brain looking ones, the ones where Nemo loves to hide in and those which will close and shrink when you float pass! There are really colourful too which you couldn’t tell from the surface! I also saw Sea Urchin, Clown Fish and Nemo’s Friend Dory. Yes, the forgetful blue fish. No idea what is it called! There are also many other fishes which looks like pomfret and ready to be steamed.

Can you spot Nemo? His whole family is there.

Sea Urchin!

Some of the mini castles are here while the rest are out in the sea!

Will I recommend my friends to do this? Yes! I won’t mind going in again! It’s really beautiful!

Parasailing with Naam, Langkawi, Malaysai

Naam
Jalan Tanjung Rhu
07000 Langkawi
Kedah Darul Aman
Malaysia
(Situated next to Four Seasons Resort Langkawi)

In Langkawi, there are plenty of sea sports to choose from and one of them which we did was Parasailing! The bride and groom managed to negotiate for a discounted rate from Naam who is reputed for their modern technology, safety measures and fully insured package for their participants. They made used of a custom made vessel specifically designed for the parasailer’s comfort. It is really fun as the vessel will also play upbeat music on their audio system. It is a pricey activity as we paid around RM 170 – 190 per pax for a short 10 mins time in the air but it’s really safe and stable. The most exciting part is when we ascend, there after it was really stable and we thoroughly enjoyed the view up above!

Upon descending, we can also opt for three levels of dipping in the sea! Level 1: Ankle Dip, Level 2: Knee Dip and Level 3: Neck Dip! Haha. Our group opted for Knee Dip but our dear friends on the vessel requested for Ankle deep for us! Thankfully for them, as the splashes soaked up our bottoms!

There are many branches and we went to the one above.

Less talking and here are the pictures!

Here’s us looking silly in our life jacket walking towards the speedboat which will bring us to the vessel!

Here’s us excited about the adventure!

On your mark, get set go! We were seated comfortable on the vessel and all we had to do is hang in there while the crew slowly release us into the air! I’ve heard of horror story where people have to run on the beach or deck while waiting for the speedboat to move and drag you along! OMG! But for Naam, it was really comfortable and safe. We just need to make sure we don’t grab on to any carabiner which may loosen it!

I’m so glad I brought my phone along in a waterproof case with lanyard! Haha. Weee!

That’s us having our Ankle Dip!

Landed!

While waiting for the rest to fly up there, we managed to catch a beautiful sunset!

The bride and groom went into the water and we thought they being a sporty couple opted for Level 3: Neck Dip! We were all eager laughing and taking pictures of them! When they returned onboard, the groom jokingly asked if we requested for Level 3 dip, and only then did we realized it was because the vessel stalled and they got a unrequested mega dip! In the end, the couple asked for full refund for them and on top of that, Naam even offered them a free jet ski ride for them!

The bride is soaked throughout. Look at these breathtaking pictures taken by our new friend Lucia on our way back to the car after parasailing!

The Andaman, Langkawi

The Andaman, Langkawi is where we spent our four days three nights, and it is a beautiful resort and truly luxurious. Here are some pictures of the bridal suite that the bride stayed in and the deluxe room we stayed in! The suite that the bride stays in is not the most luxurious but it wasn’t too shabby! Will share more another day on the activities and the wedding!

The very grant lobby and me and the bride!

The Living Room

The Bedroom

The Toilet

The Balcony

The deluxe room which we stayed in! Nice and very comfortable bed!