Just in time! Gee, thanks for this blog Peter. Our family is flying to Singapore this New Year and visiting Universal Studios. Oh yes, we booked online for tickets , just as you advised! Like you and Mari, it should be easy to enjoy the park as much as leslie and my own little ones. The hurricane scene is new and I look forward to that. Cheers!
Hi Pierre-Alexander, I am so pleased you and your family enjoyed your stay at Nxabega and I look forward to assisting you with your next safari when you come back to Africa. Take care for now. Sheena
IDEE DE CADEAU... GENIAL ! je vais me faire offrir ce genre de voyage pour mes 70 ans... je sais on a encore quelques années mais l'idée est lancée... Tu m'enverras le programme stp...
Hey that is awesome I am really very imperssed for your post. Thnak you very much for sharing this. Great Job keep it up,!!! Hey that is awesome I am really very imperssed for your post. Thnak you very much for sharing this. Great Job keep it up,!!!
Security I've been living in all over Asia for the last 15 years. I'm sorry, but in a lot of main cities in Asia you can walk in most places at 2am safely on your own. The difference is there...most places...in Joburg, you can walk in some places only at night and stay safe. I have grown up in Europe, most houses don't even have an alarm, and I do not talk of electric fences. So now, I know how to try to stay safe in Joburg. I have friends who live the and I'm there quite often lately....but this means you need to look at your back and follow a certain number of basic rules....rules that may apply in Joburg, Mexico or Sao Paolo, but clearly not to Hong Kong or Singapore.
Security? Im Sorry But where are you From? JHB's crime although bad compared to the rest of the world is not even half as bad as you describe it here (damn the media for putting this nonsence in to your head), although yes there have been gangs randsakking malls and such (it was big news at the time happend) a couple of times between 2009 and 2010 but has since stopped(as far as im aware), but thats life stuff like this happens all over the world, would you rather walk the streets off somalia where there are no real formal crime rates held?, theres no need for you to feel sooo insecure in jhb unless ur walking around where ur not supposed to, ul know where that is once your there....im talking Taxi ranks, Townships and maybe next to a correctional facility. Thats where most of the crime stats come from
you are really rubnbing it in now! another great entry, I visited mozambique back in 1998 and had the best 2 weeks of the 3 month trip around southern africa! as you said everything was emerging from previous problems but the scenery and people made it a fantastic trip. there were no buses running so we travelled on top of UN aid lorries - a little bit irresponsible at the time but one of my most memorable trips. stayed at tofu beach in a kind of backpacker cummune and there was no resort for miles, and no diving operations running at all to our knowledge down the entire coast. one was starting on bazaruto archipelgo but not running while we were there. somewhere to go back to one day!
Thanks Shane!!! Shane you are so right... I am going to print it out and put it up with the other pictures!!!!!!!!! I still have some free wall space at home... I'm sure I'm going to find the perfect place for it ;)
another blog bu tthis one is pretty special - i can't keep up with you guys!
i dived in Gili trawangan over 12 years ago and the island looks a lot smarter now!
congrats We love the Gilis, we had a great time there as well, and now we just want to say: CONGRATULATIONS LESLIE!!!, you're so brave!!. The pics are amazing, and I agree with The Travel Camel, that pic of the 3 of you deserves a nice place in your home!
:D That was an experience as I did my advance there one year ago ;) Love the place the staff and everything.... It was so perfect.... And diving together as a family makes more value of it!!! Thank you my love!!!!!
Thanks! Thanks a lot for all your very nice comments...indeed, it was a week to remember! Ali, when are you publishing yours...can't wait for your stunning pics! Next diving in 17 days...in a new country, can't wait too!
alternative tour Excellent underwater experience as seen from the pictures. Diving is something unforgettable, filled with all the colors in your pupils, something like walking on a rainbow:) Tnx guys...
It's paradise because it's a secret! It doesn't bother me if you share my view or not, my point is that why go around promoting it to people you don't know, you don't have a business there, you just like to show off were you've been and how remote it is and how well travelled you are. You say I have a narrow view, but ask anyone who visited Thailand 20 years ago or even 10 and they'll tell you that the place has been destroyed. I accept your point what does it matter if families go there, well I think if there skipping India because they can't cope without comforts then that tells you what they expect when their there and what it will turn in too based on there demands. You say the world is evolving, true, and so we should also evolve to understand whats going wrong and think outside the box to try preserve the last unspoilt islands of the world before its to late. Thats what the native peolpe of the Adamans want, beach 7 is protected to a degree as in your not allowed on the beach after 6pm and they have alot of eco accomadation, but rich Indians come over buy land and build according to the level of tourism. The local tribes that live in villages don't like all the outsiders comming in and littering and driving up the price of things because they can't compete with the wealthy Indian land owners. When I was there I really got that empression and we decided to do something about all the rubbish us westerners create, so we organised beach cleaning parties and had a boat come from port blair to collect the litter and take to a recycling plant. I agree that its a great thing in modern times parents are more adventurous with where they travel with their children and its great when you see kids travelling around in filthy places in India because I think the kid will grow up to be a more well rounded human being and then in turn will be more appreciative and respectful of such places as the Andamans. The problem is that people who are needy when it comes to comforts are the biggest consumers and they don't care about what becomes of all the rubbish or have the presence of mind to take it in to there own hands to organise massive amounts of rubbish to be recycled in a difficult place like India, where without such aniciative, your rubbish gets thrown into the jungle! The locals loved what we were doing and a local friend told us the whole island was talking about us and that we were really improving the relationship between locals and travellers. All those involved were travellers who were sick and tired of watching paradise being destroyed and we also done the same on the main land in case your wondering, now I put it to you, can you see regular holidaymakers flying directly in, taking on such responsibilities on their vacation, I think not! and they didn't, so who is going to, not the businessmen they were emptying their bins in the jungle and beach fringes. The other thing is remember were you are, it took us a lot of work and several failed attempts to accually recycle the mountains of rubbish we collected, they were trying to pull the wool over are eyes and just take are money. Finally as I said about The locals wanting it to remain protected, for example; its a restricted area, not allowed on beach 7 after 6pm, supposedly your not allowed to build on beach 7, but how long will this last with all the promotion its getting and all the tourism comming. Now supposedly against the law, barefoot has built massive accommadation on the beach no. 7, all well be it quite hidden, but where does it end now they have shown everyone else that the authorities have a price. So how will it differ to Thailand when there finished and so why are you speaking on behalf of holidaymakers, saying why can't we go, what I say is why bother if your going to turn it into Thailand anyway, with one difference no matter how rich it gets, the rubbish will be thrown in the jungle, the food and alcohol will be sub standard because 'this is India'... Look at Goa its been wealthy for a long time yet the quality never goes up, so why promote and ruin another place and travel through dirty places to get there just to turn it in to somewhere that already exists, but is never up to that standard expected of those who destroy it. Evolve? if only we all could!! The problem with profit and gain is that somebody gets left behind, but in this case nobody wins, the rich accommadation owners get profit from all the holidaymakers who pay way over the odds and tip for everything cause they think their getting a good deal, so they don't bargain like your expected to in India. This means the Indian's think that's an acceptable amount to demand from all foreigners and are prepared to do anything for this profit, but thats not the problem the problem is that holidaymakers are very demanding consumers and the medievil place can't keep up so they just hide the litter problem in the bushes. Why travellers are better suited to preserving the last such place is simple; they have simpler wants, refill water bottles instead of creating a massive pile of plastic, willing to come up with and follow through on attacking the litter problem head on and bargain with sales men until they get the price they know it should be, instead of turning the place into an over-inflated poor quality dump! So who wins? the businessmen with all the profit will live on the same island dump as everyone else! The only thing satisfied will be their greed. I'm not saying don't go there, heaven forbid, I was saying don't promote it because it doesn't benefit anyone; not you, not the people you promote to, not the original inhabitants and certainly not the enviroment. Like you said "secret door to paradise", why not let people find it of their own accord, no matter who they are, its more rewarding that way and it attracts more respectful people by average that's why its paradise because it's a secret, no need to shout it from the highest mountain, with the biggest loud-speaker and smuggest ego.
This blog is just short of 10 years old. We have now move to South Africa.
Why South Africa? Simple, great wine, great food, great golf and even more amazing diving! I will for once continue to blog from time to time about home. After all, this is just my fourth continent after having grow up in Europe, lived in Asia for twenty years, and even spent a full year living the life of Buenos Aires.
Come to visit....there is so much to do here! ... full info
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