Redang Trip July 2010

four days and three nights in Redang was just what i needed to recharge. doing nothing all day but snorkel, eat, and lie in the sun or on the hammock was the perfect way to unwind. of course, we stayed in our favorite resort, Redang Kalong Resort. away from the noise and crowds on long beach, this resort is the perfect choice to stay if you just want some peace and quiet to enjoy the sun and sea. located on a private beach, you do not have to jostle with other holiday makers over lying on the hammocks or worry about prying eyes if you want to sunbathe on the beach.

a lot of corals have turned white due to global warming and pollution. was fortunate enough to get some memorable shots though.

spotted this lovely pink coral on our snorkel trip to pulau lima. sad to say, this was the only colourful coral we saw throughout our stay.

the above is a pic of another coral. i had the underwater camera casing with me but the pics were taken by the snorkel guide, mr tim.

mr nemo and his family, together-gether in thier anemone. funny how they are called clown fish but they always seem to be frowning. tim had to dive down and hold his breath to take these pics. "xie xie nie!"

this coral with an unknown yellow fish was actually a pale blue color but it looks a bit dead here cos of the lighting.

tim actually had to chase after this huge school of ikan bilis to take this shot! look at their eyes! there were like a million of them in this huge school and somewhere nearby them (and us) was a baby shark looking for his lunch.

ta-da! here is the....sssshhhharrrkkkk! swim for your lives! heh heh! just kidding. actually, sharks are quite docile compared to the mean looking trigger fish which will attack if you get too near. it looks small cos it was so shy and avoiding us. it was actually around 2 or 3 feet long. later on, we were surprised and a bit scared when it swam near us and was actually about 1 or 2 feet away from my friend and i when she captured this shot. it took us by surprise that my friend only managed to take the below pic with the head cut off. we tried chasing after it for a better shot but alas, it was too shy. it's called a black tipped shark, if i am not mistaken.

this is the resident angel fish at pulau lima that i mentioned in my previous redang entry which seemed to have a love affair with the rope securing the snorkel boat. each time we got too near, it would swim away only to come back and hover.

below is my friend and redang kaki. look at the size of her eyes! open so big!

we need to do all we can to avoid further damage to our oceans. do not step on corals. do not litter. and most of all, DO NOT apply too much sunscreen before you go into the water! the chemical from the sunscreen is very damaging to the sea. seriously, there were a few whose faces were so white from so much sunscreen that they looked like some ugly underwater casper - the not so ocean friendly one.

not sure what this thingy is called but it was pulsating! so eerie and beautiful at the same time.

finally, this is the man behind all those wonderful underwater pics. he is responsible for keeping everyone safe as well as making sure no one does stupid things like climb on slippery rocks or go too near a trigger fish! believe it or not, his original skin colour is fair like mine but after working three years here, he is now too fried! the only place with his original skin colour is where the sun does not shine.

adios pulau redang and redang kalong resort! til we meet again, i shall remember the good times and cherish it forever.

if you are thinking of making pulau redang your next holiday destination, here are some useful sites you can check out.

Redang Kalong Resort
www.redangkalong.com

Redang Island Rendevous
www.redang.org

Virtual Malaysia
http://www.virtualmalaysia.com/destination/Redang%20Island.html

if you are thinking of becoming a diver, redang kalong resort has a fully equipped 5 star PADI dive centre with experienced dive instructors.

my first firelfyz airlines experience

i was hesitant about booking a flight with fireflyz airline at first as i have heard many complains about the frequent delays and cancellations. we flew fireflyz because due to some unknown reason, it seems air asia no longer has afternoon flights departing from kuala terengganu. the fare cost us around RM 120 per person one way cos we booked at the last minute. there is a 20kg baggage allowance included in the fare, plus a drink and snacks on board.

my friend and i flew fireflyz back from kuala terengganu in may. although it was a much smaller plane, the interior was clean and new. plus, the familiar funky smell that is present on all air asia flights was absent. i think that it is the air disinfectant or something that they use. that smell always makes me want to puke.

there were no delays although it was raining heavily in kuala terengganu that day. the two cabin crew serving on board were friendly, curteous and professional. it was a welcome change from having to hear the "...food and drinks for puchase?..." on air asia flights. i got to choose from either apple or orange juice for drinks and a chocolate muffin for snacks.

the journey was pleasant although it was a rainy day and we landed in Subang Airport and the best part is that it is only 10 minutes away from where i live in subang jaya. the journey to lcct to board air asia flights feels even longer and further away each time i fly (which is about once a month).

fireflyz is wholly owned subsidiary of Malaysian Airlines and had been in operation from the year 2007. although it had a shaky start with complains of frequent flight cancellations and delays but i am happy to report that things are much better now. they fly to Penang, Kuala Terengganu, Kerteh, Kota Bharu, Alor Setar, Langkawi and Johor Bahru within Malaysia.they also fly to selected destinations in thailand, indonesia as well as to singapore.

all i can say is that i will definitely fly with fireflyz again very soon and keep up the good work! i will be flying to kuala terengganu again in the middle of july with fireflyz.

after a storm

it is true that all good things come to an end. but i am even more glad that even bad things come to an end too.when bad things happen, it comes like a thunder storm where you cant see anything. and you are standing there in the midst of all that, getting drenched and soaked and blown about by the strong wind wondering where to go for a respite. all you want is a break, a little shelter from the storm but there isnt any. you are tempted to stand under that old oak tree but even there, the danger of getting struck by lighting is even greater.

that's how i feel sometimes. i am not a very optimistic, cheer leader type at the worst of times and i do tend to think of the worst things imaginable. but right now, as the song goes "...i can see clearly now the rain has gone..."