Diving in the Gili Islands

Indonesia is host to 25% of the world’s reefs with 3,500 marine species living in its seas and reefs.  The Gili islands offer a good sampling of sea fauna such as sharks, manta rays, cuttlefish, eels, crabs, turtles and fish.  There are 15 to 17 dive spots around the Gili Islands.

The Gili Air Wall is covered with soft coral, and shines yellow orange in the sun.  The coral block at 22 meters is surrounded by shrimps, pipefish, glass fishes and in the deeper parts, white tip sharks.   

Shark Point at Gili Trawangan has different levels at 24, 20 and 18 meters.  It is home to the Hawksbill and Green turtles and a wide variety of marine life such as Napoleon fish, White Tip sharks, manta rays and eels.  There is an undersea 'golf course', the ‘Volker Golf Course’, so called because of its green color, east of Shark Point. This dive is best tackled by the pros for its very strong currents.

Another dive for the pros is the 20 meter long Japanese wreck south of Gili Air, sitting upright on the sandy bottom at 45 meters.  It is home to huge frogfish, lionfish, scorpion fish and much more. And don’t forget to check out the Biorocks, the manmade reefs by the dive schools at Gili.

This video by cacchionegiovanni  shows of the wonders of the waters around the Gili Islands.

Gili Islands - Ibiza of the East

Fancy going to a place where there are no cars and motorcycles? Just laze on the beach, go snorkelling or scuba diving and then later just party and forget the weight of today?  There is a name for such a dream; the Gili Islands in Indonesia.

The Gili Islands are just off the northwest point of Lombok Island, east of Bali. There are three islands in the group, Trawangan, Meno and Air.  Trawangan is the happening island, with white beaches, dive schools, resorts and a party scene complete with throbbing beach bars and an Irish pub.  Meno and Air are rather laid back, for sun bathing, snorkeling and diving.

Once catering just for backpackers, the Gili now beckon the hip and wealthy too. There are no motorized vehicles on these tiny islands.  Only bicycles, horse carts and your own two feet to get around.  And the boats to travel to the other islands and civilization. 

There are six dive centers, with great dives to see sharks, turtles and seahorses with the stunning coral.  Powdery white beaches, clear waters and a brilliant sun with the unpolluted air clean of fumes give one a feel of a tropical paradise.

This video by mariekevangameren showcases a relaxing day at the Gili Islands.

And this video by sir0 gives a glimpse of a beach party.

New Niches for Travel and Tours

There is a new thinking on niches in the travel and tourism arena such as edu-tourism, clustering and swapping packages.

In edu-tourism, tourists learn about a place, its culture and history via homestay or similar programs.

In clustering, specific themes like sports tourism or wellness tourism can be formed.  For example, as Australians like sports in summer they can visit Cebu for summer sports and Japan and Korea can offer winter sports. Malaysia and Indonesia can focus on wellness and health programs as these countries are best known for these.

More details at this news site.

And a sampler of what Cebu can offer, a video by pyroworksinc, the Cebu Annual Sports Festival:

Scuba Diving at Boracay

There are over fifteen dive spots around Boracay Island with eighteen plus dive operators..  Most of the dive spots are off White Beach and the rest are scattered around the North and Southeast points of Boracay.  The currents are moderate to strong.

The best dive spot is Yapak Dive which has two walls and a chimney at its southern end. Yapak goes from 30 meters to 70 meters deep.  Grey and Whitetip Reef Sharks are common here along with schools of barracuda, tuna, surgeonfish and many more.  Hammerheads and Mantarays have been spotted in this area too.  Great spot for the pros.

Start depth are mostly at 5 meters for the dives in front of White Beach.  The Beach Night Dive is 5 meters deep and close to White Beach.  Camia Dive’s start depth is 18 meters.  It is a wreck sank to be an artificial reef.  For beginners, Angol Point Dive is great starting point, with various types of coral and fishes.

This video by beachbum32 shows the dive at Angol Point.

Ariel’s Point – Live to Tell the Tale

Ariel’s Point at Buruanga on nearby Panay Island, is about half an hour’s boat ride from Baracay.  This isolated spot is famous for cliff jumping, paddling around in a boat, swimming and snorkelling as well as exploring the surrounding area.  And great food and drinks too.

Ariel’s Point is a must do if you have no health issues (think short bungee jumping without the bungee).  The highest of the 5 jump points is 45 feet from the sea.  And the deep waters will take you in nicely.  A must do to add onto your to do life list, next to marathon running perhaps. And an awesome tale to share back home!

This video by beachbum32 shows the thrills of cliff jumping at Ariel’s Point.

Bulabog Beach – Kite Boarding Cental

Bulabog Beach on the eastern side of Boracay is a beautiful sun soaked beach with a pristine clear lagoon protected by a coral reef. The lagoon is windy and shallow, making it ideal for beginners trying out their hand at water sports.  

So its no surprise that Bulabog Beach is famed for its windsurfing and kiteboarding activities and has hosted international windsurfing meets.  Besides these sports, you can get jet skis, go parasailing and boating besides swimming, snorkelling and sunbathing.  The Kite Resort WIndpia even has a kite school for the beginner.

This video by ExtremeElementsTV shows off the action at Bulabog Beach.

White Beach Boracay – A Slice of Paradise

White Beach on the western side of  Boracay must have been the reference for the exotic beach life that guidebooks talk about.  Beautiful soft white sandy beach with a gentle surf, shady trees and coconut trees hanging out over to the water, contemplative spots and party spots, and great food and drink at an easy reach.  And with its multi-hued long sunsets and English speaking fun loving locals, it is indeed the closest to your own piece of paradise.

White Beach is sectioned into 3 stations. Station 1 is where the luxury resorts are located.  You can have your pick from over 31 upscale hotels with matching prices to boot.  Station 2 is the commercial and most happening area on White Beach.  The D’Mall which holds the tourists shops, bars and restaurants is here along with a mixed bag of 31 luxury and budget hotels.  Station 3 has recently seen new developments. It offers mostly budget with some luxury hotels in their midst.  So take your pick, check yourself in and start walking or lounging.  Just be aware to book directly with the hotels to get the best rates, if you are not going through a brand name tour agent.

This video by dedek321 shows the best of what White Beach has to offer.

Boracay – Sun, Sand and Adventure

Boracay is a little island in the Visayas, just south of Manila in the Philippines. Boracay's azure waters, beautiful sun drenched white sandy beaches and its host of activities from partying, sunbathing and swimming to kiteboarding, parasailing, windsurfing and diving, will fully occupy even the most active person.  It’s also a great base camp to hop off for water and jungle adventures at nearby islands and lagoons.  And Boracay is one of top beach destinations in the world.

You land at Caticlan Airport (small aircraft) or at Kalibo Interantional, both on the nearby Panay Island. Then you’ll hop onto one of the boats at Caticlan jetty to get into Cagban on Boracay proper. And on Baracay, you will be spoiled for choice for accommodation.

There is the White Beach stretch which is subdivided into 3 stations. Station 1 is upscale, Station 2 the most happening and Station 3 for the reflective mind.  On the northen end of Boracay, Puka Beach sits isolated and is postcard perfect.  Bulabog Beach is the water sports beach on the opposite side of the island from White Beach.

For the adventurous, you can sign up for outrigger cruises to Angel’s Point on Panay to go cliff diving, boat paddling and jungle trekking on the Antiqe coast.  Or just take the many outrigger round island cruises for stopovers at the isolated and quiet beach spots on Boracay.  And while in Baracay, do try out the skimboarding!

This video by alan78p2 shows off the delights of a Boracay vacation.

Cebu

Cebu is smack in the centre of the Philippine archipelago.  It made Conde Nast’s list as one of the top 10 island destinations in the world.

As Magellan’s first landing point in the Philippines (and also where he was killed), there is a monument to Lapu Lapu, the leader who resisted the Spanish when they first arrived at these islands.

There are many things to see and do in Cebu; from partying, eating, biking, shopping, sun bathing and sightseeing. Cebu has brilliant white sandy beaches, pristine waters and rich marine life fit for diving and snorkelling, as well as verdant mountains, mysterious caves and challenging trails for mountain trekking and spelunking to provide an endless option of outdoor activities. 

You will be hard pressed to wonder what to do at this tourist centre.  And you might just want to drop by in January to soak in the festival of Sinulog, the thumping Mardi Gras of the East, and the biggest one in the Philippines.

This video by wowphilippinesuk shows off the fabulous attractions of Cebu.

Tenggol Island - Dive Spot

Tenggol Island  (Pulau Tenggol) in Trengganu’s Marine Park off the East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia is a well kept secret of coral and marine treasures.  Divers  can expect to see sharks  and stingrays as well as beautiful corals and related marine life in these azure and warm waters.

This video by virtualmalaysia gives you an idea of what can be seen at the corals of Pulau Tenggol.

Sunda Music and Art

This video by SUN da JAVA provides a soothing listen and an insight into the West Java (Sunda) music.

Penang - A Victorian Legacy

The Europeans came to Asia looking for riches from spices and trade.  The British created free ports such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Penang to get a share of the money of the Chinese traders.  The first of these free ports was Penang, established in 1786.

Armenians, Danes, Germans, Jews, British, Punjabis, Tamils, Malayalees, Bengalis, Arabs, Straits Chinese, Chinese, Siamese, Burmese, Achehnese, Javanese and Malays flocked to this beautiful island and were richly rewarded for their toils and enterprise.

The umbrella of the British Empire ensured that property was protected by law and the thriving community build institutions and shared their food and cultures.  We can see the cemetaries, houses of worship, clan houses, beautiful parks and beaches and taste the mouth watering mix of food and drink that uniquely defines Penang.  This unique melting pot has resulted in the capital city, Georgetown, to be listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, a joint listing with its sister heritage city, Malacca. It should be noted that Penang's special home grown dish 'Assam Laksa'  made it to the top 10 (at number 7) of CNN's World's 50 most delicious food.

This video by Alfred and Jasmin Grech from their holiday in Penang sums it all.  Its a colorful montage of the various spots to see and things to do in this cosmopolitan creation of the British Empire.