Next Island

I was fairly excited about this trip and I was already in the reception area at the Blue Water Express office around 7.30 am and checked in at the counter. At exactly 8 am, we departed from the Serangan harbour in a Blue Water Express fast boat.   The weather was nice and clear, the waves were quiet and very friendly and approximately half way across the Lombok Strait, we were so lucky to have encountered a group of about 50 dolphins. They were swimming alongside the boat; some were jumping as if they were welcoming us. They entertained us for a few minutes and after they vanished into the ocean. This encounter was priceless; everyone in the boat was looking out of the window and amused by this rare view.   Less two hours later, we made a stop at Lombok and dropped off some o...

Seated on the southernmost tip of China, Sanya is the coastal city on Hainan Island that has been drawing global tourists and travelers with its dreamy stretches of beach, intriguing historical sites, numerous international hotel chains, and unspoiled natural scenery. It is an idyllic place for those who wish to experience a tropical holiday in rural China. Due to its remoteness, Sanya used to be a place to exile all officials who found themselves out of favor with the country’s ruler during the time of the Chinese dynasties. Buddhist monks also used the island as a tranquil retreat before or after their journeys to spread the word. Nowadays, Sanya is a rapidly growing tourist commodity, often referred as ‘China’s Hawaii’. As the only tropical city across the coastline it offers the whole...

Located in the gulf of Thailand, Phu Quoc is Vietnam’s largest island, one that stretches for 48 km across its length. This is a holiday haven for tropical island tourists to soak up the sun on white sandy beaches or for those travelers looking for genuine forest trails and natural landmarks to explore. Even for the Vietnamese, Phu Quoc is considered a rather new tourism site. Blessed with an environment of 37,000 hectares of virgin forest, unspoiled beaches and off shore coral gardens it is not hard to see why this island has great tourist potential. A limestone mountainous ridge known as 99 Peaks runs north to south for the 30-kilometre length of the island Despite building up reputation as prominent getaway destination, most of areas on Phu Quoc are still pretty much underdeveloped. Th...

After a magnificent time in Similan Islands, we travelled to the next tropical hideaway, Koh Samui, situated in the Gulf of Thailand about 35 Km. northeast from the town of Surat Thani. Koh Samui is Thailand’s second largest island after Phuket. This is the second time we have visited and we knew well that we would be able to enjoy a lovely beach vacation in the best possible way. The island is considered to be one of the most popular destinations in Asia not only due to its gorgeous natural beauty but also because it is easily accessible. Koh Samui is home to many lavish resorts and villas; it is endowed with palm-fringed beaches, coconut groves and dense, mountainous rainforest. The iconic landmark here is the 12m-tall golden Big Buddha statue at Wat Phra Yai temple. This time, we chos...

When thinking of taking a trip to Phuket and the surrounding areas, destinations that usually came to mind are the internationally recognised Koh Phi Phi, Krabi and Maya Bay where the movie “The Beach” was shot on location. As this was going to be our second visit to Phuket, we decided to move on from there to another Thai island destination. After some Internet research we agreed to spend some time in the Similan Islands. We arrived in Phuket in the late evening and stayed there overnight before continuing our trip to the Similan Islands the next morning. However, not wanting to miss the opportunity while in Phuket’s Pathong area we had dinner that night at the Number Six restaurant. Situated just 300 meters away from the famous Bangla Road, this restaurant looks very ordinary, but they...

Belitung Island has a unique shore landscape where huge granite boulders emerge majestically out of crystal clear water into blue skies. Situated on the east coast of Sumatra, this island is one of Indonesia’s gem destinations. Pristine white sand beaches overlooking a turquoise sea of great snorkelling sites and a fantastic display of offshore islands have gained Belitung its worldwide recognition as a much visited holiday destination, especially for those seeking an alternative from the mainstream vacation islands around Indonesia. Belitung maintains a laid-back tropical ambience without any of the ritzy neon fizz of nightclubs and party venues that come with the Western influence of so many Island resorts. Located off West Indonesia, Belitung has remained under the radar for a long ti...