Saturday, December 28, 2013

Langkawi - Dec 2013

We planned a last minute trip to Langkawi and had to pay a pretty penny for accommodation. We stayed at the Holiday Villa Beach Resort & Spa- which wasn't really that great, but was still ok for our needs nevertheless.


We took the cable car ride up on the mountain (we paid a LOT for the express pass!) and really had a great time at the top of the mountain- enjoying the cool air, strong winds and the spectacular view! The kids were singing Hi-5 songs and dancing in the sun; it was really memorable. There wasn't much to eat at the top, so we ordered cup noodles- which was quite fun, as the strong wind threatened to blow the cups away- and the cool weather made eating a hot cup of noodles very satisfying!



We also dined at the famous floating restaurant cum fish farm called Hole in the Wall (we were the only customers that evening)- which was a short boat ride out. We got to feed fishes and even a sting ray at the restaurant/fish farm, which was pretty cool. Coming back in the dark was quite an experience as well- it was definitely a bit scary; and when we got to our car it wouldn't start! Yikes. Fortunately it finally did in the end; otherwise it would have been awful- we were pretty out there in the wilderness of the mangrove forest.


Another highlight was visiting the Underwater World, which is always a great destination for kids!


There was some beach time fun of course- but not quite enough, I reckon. Our helper caught a jellyfish in the bucket- which was really neat! It was so cool to see it up close.



Goodbye Langkawi- we will definitely see you again!

Thursday, December 05, 2013

Work trip to South Africa - Part 3

The next part of the trip involved us attending a Discovery conference in Sun City, which is about 2 hours from Johannesburg. We stayed at Kwa Maritane, situated inside the Pilanesberg National Park. The room I stayed in had quite an interesting layout- I had to descend a small flight of stairs to get to the sleeping area, which made it feel a little like a dungeon.


After we got through all the work stuff- meetings, discussions, it was then time for some fun! We went for 2 game drives- one early in the morning, and another later in the afternoon. It was an incredible experience! It was really fun trying to spot the different animals. We did not manage to see the 'Big Five' (lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard)- we did see the first 3 in that list, though, which was great. 

We had a really great guide, and the experience with the lions was truly spectacular. There were FIVE of them, and we got up close and personal as we 'stalked' them, while they sauntered up and down and looked at us (with disdain, I might add). Sitting in an open top jeep with them so close by was slightly nerve-wracking, but we never felt that we were in any kind of danger. The guide did tell us to stay quiet and keep our limbs inside the jeep, which was probably good advice. At one point we saw the female lions' ears prick up, as they looked across the vast open field- and we held our breath, hoping that we might witness a kill. Alas, that was not to be- apparently it is incredibly rare to see a kill on a game drive. All the same, it was a really amazing experience! We had the lions to ourselves for a long time, before our guide had to 'call it in'- i.e. tell the other guides about the lion sighting (for the other park visitors).



We saw lots of other animals- gnu, a majestic giraffe, zebras, rhinos and may more. At one point we nearly missed spotting a few elephants, which were grazing quietly nearby. How could one miss something so big? Strange, but true. Animals in their natural habitat are a lot harder to spot than in the zoo, where there is an enclosure and a signboard to boot! Talk about camouflage...




 Goodbye South Africa! I hope to visit you again someday! :)


Tuesday, December 03, 2013

Work trip to South Africa - Part 2


This photo says it all, really. A really eye-opening experience for me. Such an interesting company- with a culture that truly breeds innovation.



The Protea- the national flower of South Africa

Our hosts treated us to a lovely dinner at the fabulously posh Saxon, where BMWs chaffeur guests from the main entrance of the establishment, right up to the front door of the restaurant. I can't recall now how long the drive was, but it was a pretty dark drive, and the whole experience made it all rather mysterious and exclusive. And the food - well.. fine dining, of course!