Killing me softly...

Nothing like a trip to Hong Kong to make me grateful I live in Singapore...

My remaning lifespan would probably be shortened by half if I had to move there...

The Travel Bug: Where to go? (Part 2)

The perennial question for us: Where to go next?

A fellow well-travelled friend referred me to this list some time ago: Hillman Wonders, which she has been slowly moving down from #1. I don't really agree with all the choices, because some questionable places are on it, and there are quite a few missing ones that I think are more deserving. Still, its an excellent list to use as a guide and to pick out a shortlist of places to go.

When I was bored one day, I couldn't resist doing some analysis on it. Findings:

1. Of the 100 Wonders, there are 35 in Europe, 25 in Asia, 17 in Africa & Middle East, 11 in North America, 8 in South America, and 4 in the rest of the world.

2. I have been to only 28 of the Wonders, and most of these are either in Europe or Asia. I'm really tempted to redo the Europe ones though, because I visited those at a time when digital cameras were rare... and anyway, I love Europe!

3. I may never see all the Wonders. Especially since many of them are linked to nature-related events/items or in a category I deem as "more difficult" to accomplish.

4. I should be ashamed that I have not been to China at all for leisure, what with 7 of the Wonders located there and especially given its proximity to Singapore.

5. A 10 day trip to Egypt can cover 6 of the Wonders (including the #1 spot), and increase my "been to" percentage to 34%.

Conclusion on where to go: Isnt it obvious?

The Travel Bug: Where to go? (Part 1)

So how do people decide where they want to go to for a holiday? Some of the common reasons include:

1. Visiting friends & family (free accommodation!)
2. Going for an event (eg wedding)
3. Watched a drama/movie/TV (eg LOTR -> NZ, Winter Sonata -> Korea)
4. Running away from the cold/hot climate in winter/summer
5. Activity based holiday (eg beach bumming, snorkeling, skiing, hiking)
6. Saw a friend's photos and was envious
7. Another friend wants to go there




Note: I am of course referring to holidays where only adults are involved. Having kids brings in a whole different dimension and people in that category are automatically excluded from the normal thought processes that singles / SINKs / DINKs have.

For *Shinta and I, other than trips we take for reasons #1 and #2 above, we usually waver between going to Japan (*Shinta's choice) or Europe (my choice). Usually Japan wins because i) I like going Japan as well, and ii) its just nice for a 9 day trip (the usual optimisation of leave days). Occasionally, we may be swayed by #6 and #7, resulting in our trips to places like Maldives and New Zealand.

However, having been to Japan about 5 times in the last 4 years, I have now put my foot down and will be objecting to any Japan trips that are not made for a specific purpose such as:
1) Skiing or snowboarding
2) Seeing the Sakura
3) Watching a concert of my fav Jap singer (probably impossible though...)

The above of course, still give us a lot of flexibility to go there as long as we can find a valid "excuse"... but at least it makes sure we take into consideration other destinations as well!

The Travel Bug: Snorkeling Photography - Lessons a newbie just learnt

Some things I discovered on my first proper underwater photography trip... (previous trips using a disposable film camera does not count!)

Lesson 1: Image enhancement is key

Despite using the "underwater snapshot" settings, photos taken still end up with a terribly bluish tinge that hides all the wonderful colours of the coral. Using the "auto-levels" adjustment in Photoshop helps to remove this and reveals the wonderful natural browns, greens, yellows, purples, whites and blues of the coral hiding underneath.

Photo 1A - Original
Photo 1B - With image enhancement
Here's another example of how what appeared to be a terrible photo was saved...

Photo 1C - Original
Photo 1D - With image enhancement
Lesson 2: Image enhancement can only do so much for "blues"

Because Photoshop is adjusting to remove the over-skewed blue in the picture and balance the colours, its quite reasonable to guess that it means the "real blues" will be affected especially if the image was originally quite blue intensive. Photo 2A has a lot more blue sea in it that Photo 1A does. Hence after image enhancement, you can tell that while the other colours are not too far off, the blue looks a little weird.

Photo 2A - Original from camera
Photo 2B - With image enhancement
By the way, if you look closely at the left side of the photo, you can see a bit of the reef shark that kept circling us at high speed, making it impossible to get a good photo of it.

Lesson 3: Go up close to get the best natural colour balance

As you can see quite clearly when comparing the 2 shots, going up close reduces the amount of distance/water between the lens and the subject, and so the colour reproduction is much better and more accurate.

Photo 3A - Original, taken up close to object
Photo 3B - Original, taken from further distance with zoom
A bit of photoshop enhancement improves both photos, but since there's a lot less that has to be done for Photo 3A, the post-adjustment photo is better as well.

Photo 3C - Photo 3A with image enhancement
Photo 3D - Photo 3B with image enhancement
This is of course the best shot of all!

Photo 3E - Original, taken really close

Lesson 4: Plankton makes shots appear grainy

It's a little difficult to demonstrate this, but basically your photo will not be as clear as photographs taken above water. Reason is simple: Plankton. Similar to Lesson 3, the less distance (ie water) you put in between the camera and the subject, the less plankton.

Photo 4A - Original, taken up close
Photo 4B - Photo 4A with image enhancement
Photo 4C - Original, above water

Lesson 5: You have to know where to look

This photo is one of a sleeping reef shark. Amazing isn't it? It was hidden in a little alcove, and a less experienced snorkeler would have just passed by it without knowing it was there.

Photo 5A - Original
Luckily we had a guide with us and not only did he know where sharks like to hang out, he was also able to dive down pretty far to check out these hidden spots for us. No credit to me for the shark photo, it was taken by him!

Lesson 6: Fish can be friendly!

These fish were really really friendly and came very very close within touching distance of us. I was at some point a little scared of them! This of course makes for some great shots, if only I could get the whole fish in the frame. Just have to try many times!

Photo 6A - Original, not cropped, with camera totally zoomed out

Lesson 7: Don't forget to zoom out

I was originally trying so hard to take a "profile pic" aka "mug shot" of the fishes, that I forgot to zoom out and look at them as a whole.

Photo 7A - Original
I still like some of the mug shots though!

Lesson 8: Underwater has lots of potential for interesting shots

I was actually trying to take a photo of the coral, and had already half-pressed the shutter to focus. Bubbles suddenly appeared so I waited a little for it to fill the frame before pressing down fully. I like this shot!

Photo 8A - With image enhancement to remove blue tinge

So that's the key 8 lessons I learnt on my first proper underwater photography trip. Something to keep in mind also, is that the sea is not calm when you're floating around in it... So its not like taking a photo while you're on land, you are going to be constantly bobbing around. A fast shutter speed is definitely important so that your shots at least appear focused. No matter how much post production enhancements you do, its not really possible to make a very blurry shot look sharp.

The other question is whether or not to wear a life-jacket while snorkeling. Putting aside the issue of whether or not you're a strong swimmer, I found it easier to "not move" and take a photo when I was wearing one. But wearing one means that you are unable to dive down to be closer to the coral (less distance between camera and subject!) and you also can't take close ups or check nooks and crannies where fishes might be hiding... So in the end its really your personal preference, but safety must always come first!

Oh if anyone can tell me how to clean an oily-from-lots-of-sunblock waterproof camera, I would be very grateful. Thanks!

The Travel Bug: Life in the Maldives...

Daily Schedule

9.00am Rise & shine!

9.30am Breakfast


10.30am Laze at bar/chalet with a good book or magazine


1.00pm Lunch


2.00pm Visit spa / "cooking" class / continue lounge on swing or deck chair at private beach


4.30pm Snorkelling / Stingray feeding / Turtle feeding



5.30pm Rest at bar with cold drink in hand


6.30pm Night snorkelling / Night fishing



8.30pm Dinner


10.00pm Lounge in chalet


12.00pm Sleep

Repeat x4

The Travel Bug: Sun, Sea, Sand & Surf (Club Med, Bintan)

Things I Love About Club Med Bintan

1. Enjoy the sea breeze

A simple worry-free 45min boat ride, with none of the hassle of flying (security, liquids, sharp objects, early arrival before departing etc).

2. Transport provided

Ferry, transfer and hotel are all included. Meet and greet service by their friendly GOs and GEs (guests are known as GMs). They also take care of boarding tickets, land transportation, luggage to room and all. If you're lucky and not going at peak time, you can get an early check in (10am) and late check out (1pm). Just nice for taking the first ferry in, and the late afternoon ferry out. If you have a big group, there is likely to be a group of GOs standing at the reception with cold towels and drinks to welcome you. Or loud happy music with clapping and cheery well-wishes and reminders to "come back next week" when you leave.

3. Everything's included

Leave your credit card in the room. Payment is only needed for the spa, external golf course and the shops. If you want you can get a special in-house card so that it can all be charged to the room. Otherwise, everything including sports activities, food are all included. It's really such a relief and different mindset to wander around wallet-less and not worry or think twice before ordering some food or drink.

4. Stuff yourself silly

International buffet spread which changes every meal. Snacks and mid-day meals available from the restaurant. Drinks and basic alcohol are free flow at the various bars, including the one by the beach. Try not too get yourself drunk too early in the day and miss out on the activities available. The GO's are a friendly bunch and will join you at your table if they see empty spaces. Large groups (10?) will get "VIP" treatment and have a table reserved.

5. Beach & Pool

Choose between the rows of deck chairs laid out on the private soft sandy beach, or the ones around the 2 infinity pools. "Ride" the waves by floating in the clear blue waters (borrow a lifejacket for extra buoyancy/safety), or build a sandcastle with the fine white sand. Or pretend to be swimming in the pool while checking out the lifeguards. If you brought your kite along, you can fly it at one end of the beach. The extremely helpful GOs will show you how to get it into the air and its really amazing how high it can go!

6. Sports activities

Huge selection of activities all included in the packages, with tuition included for some of them. Try your hand at sailing, windsurfing or kayaking. Or borrow a ball to play beach volleyball in the sand. If you have the guts, try hanging upside down (without screaming) while swinging on the trapeze, or do a back flip when dismounting. See how good a hunter you would have made at the archery range. Or borrow racquets/balls for tennis, squash, basketball, badminton at the sports center. If you really must, check out the gym or yoga classes, or vent your frustration at the golf range by seeing how far you can drive. Table tennis and pool tables are also available near the main bar / swimming pool.

7. Organised activities

There are programmes and competitions throughout the day, although you're likely to be too busy doing your own thing. In the evenings, around 9pm there's usually a major event/show at the mini-amphitheatre (eg fashion show, air guitar performance...). Usually performed by the GOs, but if you're game, the GMs and kids also have a special section to take part! This is followed by a 30-45min dancing/performance kind of thing by the GOs at the main bar. Just follow their lead, shake your hair loose and dance along. Just a casual fun event. Around 10pm, sometimes there's karaoke (good selection of English and Korean songs) or the disco will start.

8. SPA

If you're like me and don't exercise at all throughout the year, you'll probably be aching away after all the sports activities there are there. Take a breather and relax at the spa (extra charges apply). The spa can't be considered "cheap" at about $150 for a 2 hour massage (already including special offers), but it was an excellent way to end off the trip before catching the late afternoon ferry back. Book in advance!