Author: Carlotta

Komodo: Angel Island Resort

Nestled on Pulau Bidadari (Angel Island) and hidden away from the rest of the world, Angel Island Resort is a beautiful all inclusive exclusive 5 star dive resort in Komodo National Park. The island is about 20 minutes by boat from Labuan Bajo. The resort provides pick up and drop off by private boat.

This is where Dom and I worked last year. It was one of my best experiences.

THE RESORT

The two British owners have literally put their hearts and souls into building this resort from scratch.

There is nothing else on the island except for the lush vegetation Mother Nature provided. It is the perfect setting for a “get away from everything” vacation. Ten luxury bungalows are set amongst a beautiful hibiscus garden and secluded from one another offering a great deal of privacy.

The resort was built respecting the natural flora and topography of the island. No trees were cut to adjust the building. It is all hidden away, it can hardly be seen from the sea.

ENJOYING THE RESORT

The private beach is the perfect place to enjoy hot sunshine and to take a swim in the swimming pool like ocean. The main beach is blessed with a splendid house reef just on the doorstep. Many of Angel Island guests spend hours snorkeling in the crystal clear waters. There are many different species of fish to be spotted. Clown fish, Angel Fish, Cuttle fish, Morey Eel, just to name a few.

There are beautiful views from the hills of the island just behind the resort. Sometimes Bertie, the pet water buffalo, can be spotted munching on the grass or simply amusing himself.

Sunsets from this island are probably the best ones I have ever seen in my life. Literally bleeding with intense colours and shades. From red to orange to yellow, purple and pink. Never have I seen so many different shades and hues together. The perfect ending to a beautiful day in paradise.

THE RESTAURANT

The restaurant offers magnificent views of the ocean and surrounding mountains. The extended menu gives guests the choice of a huge variety of traditional Indonesian and Western dishes.

My all time favourite is Beef Rendang, a traditional rich and spicy Indonesian curry original from Sumatra. Beef is marinated in local spices and then slowly cooked for hours into the curry sauce which is a mix of garlic, ginger, chilli, lemongrass and many other spices.

It melts in the mouth with an explosion of flavours. Simply mouthwatering. No one can leave Indonesia without trying this amazing dish.

SCUBA DIVING FROM ANGEL ISLAND RESORT

From Angel Island Resort the boat leaves daily at 8am. It is a pleasant boat ride through the National Park’s islands before getting to the dive sites. It takes between 1.5 hours to 2 hours depending on the dive sites and sea condition.

There is great opportunity to take photos of the stunning landscape and possible encounters with Dolphins along the way.

Click here for more info about scuba diving in Komodo.

THE STAFF

What makes the resort even more special is its staff. The owners employ local staff from the nearby areas. They are absolutely fantastic, smiley and helpful from the moment you set foot on to the island.

They are well mannered and polite. They will do their best to accommodate the guests needs and requests. Each one of them always sporting a beautiful heartwarming bright smile that will stay with you for a long time.

In my opinion, Indonesians have the best smile in the wold. It comes from their heart.

HOW TO BOOK

You can contact the resort directly through their website.

WHEN TO GO

The resort is open from beginning of March till mid January.

HOW TO GET THERE

Fly to Labuan Bajo from Bali with Garuda airline, Lion Air and Wings Air

03/06/2015
Komodo National Park

Last year Dom and I had the opportunity to work in Komodo National Park. It is a stunning place, the best place I worked so far.

KOMODO NATIONAL PARK

The 29 mostly uninhabited volcanic islands of Komodo National Park present a very dramatic landscape. It is a pleasure for the eyes. Savannah and sporadic trees cover the tall rugged hillsides. The hills drop down to the strikingly white beaches contrasting with the surrounding green mangroves.

Komodo National Park lies off Flores Island, between the provinces of East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara. The dry climate and lack of rain for most of the year make cause this area to be much more rugged compared with the rest of Indonesia.

This area is nicknamed “the dry tropics”. From April to November, the rainfall is almost non-existent. This particular climate makes for totally unique settings.

Apart from a few fishing villages and communities, the Komodo Dragons are the most notorious inhabitants of the National Park. They are found on the two larger islands, Komodo and Rinca. Every year, a large number of intrepid tourists from all over the world is attracted by these aggressive and rather ugly huge lizards. As a fact, they are the largest lizards in the world.

The National Park was founded in 1980, initially to protect the Dragons. Later on the Government. also aimed to protect the abundant marine life by forbidding fishing within the Park. In 1991 Komodo National Park became a UNESCO World Heritage.

SCUBA DIVING

Nowadays, scuba diving is considered the main tourist attraction of Komodo National Park. Dive shops are literally growing overnight in Labuan Bajo. Komodo is home to some of the best scuba diving in the world. It offers many different dive sites and an abundance of marine life that is not common in any other area.

Many of the dive sites can be dived on day trips. Others are too far and can only be dived from liveaboards. Many species can be seen. From Sharks to Mantas to schooling Jacks, Barracudas, Sweetlips, Batfish and tiny critters just to name a few. There are many possible encounters when scuba diving in Komodo.

DIVING CONDITIONS

The conditions in Komodo can be very extreme and challenging. Some of the dive sites are not suitable for beginners or inexperienced divers due to the very strong currents. However, strong currents are what make the marine life here so unique.

Soft corals have a close relationship with strong currents, for they need this environment to grow. Big fish love strong currents too. It is their favourite playground. If there were no strong currents Komodo National Park would not be what it is!

Strong currents here are due to two factors. A rather shallow sea bottom (maximum depth reaches approximately 90 mt.) and the position of Komodo and Rinca islands create a long narrow channel between them. These two agents cause strong tidal currents, for there is a great amount of water channelled through this small passage at falling and rising tides. Of course, they are not strong all the time. Sometimes you might go to a dive site and find ripping washing machine currents, then go back another day to the same site and there will be no currents!

Some dives can be an adrenaline burst full of excitement. It needs to be said that sharks and Mantas are huge fans of strong currents. Komodo is blessed with good visibility most of the time.

DIVE SITES

The many dive sites are located in the North, Middle and South of the National Park. The South area is mainly dived by liveaboards due to the long distance from the mainland. However, the best dive sites are located in the North and Middle and they are easily reachable on a day trip. Every dive site has something special to offer but some are more special than others.

North:

Crystal Rock, Castle Rock and Cauldron are not to be missed. They are all advanced dives due to strong currents. Big chances to encounter big fish! Giant Trevally, White Tip and Grey Reef Sharks and occasionally Mantas.

Middle:

Batu Bolong – advanced dive, on a lucky day you might spot the magnificent Napoleon Wrasse and White Tip Sharks.

White Sands and Airstrip for Mantas, Tatawa Besar and Siaba Kecil for a fun-filled drift dive hovering above a pristine colourful coral garden, Waenilu for critters lovers. These are all dives suitable for beginners as well as experienced divers depending on the day conditions.

WHEN TO VISIT

We were in Komodo from June till the end of December. The conditions were good all the time. Mantas populate the waters from October to June.

Visibility from March to November reaches 25-30+ meters. During the rainy season December to March, it can drop to 7-10 meters.

Water temperatures range between 25-29C.

The busiest months are July, August, October and November.

HOW TO GET THERE AND WHERE TO STAY

Labuan Bajo is the gateway to Komodo National Park.

It is easily reachable with daily flights from Bali (Garuda airline, Lion Air and Wings Air).

The town is in continuous growth and a new airport was opened in June 2014. Works are still going on at the airport to make it an international hub.

The area is expecting a great number of tourists coming. Labuan Bajo offers a good choice of accommodations ranging from backpackers to high-end.

For divers that want to enjoy more peace and experience exclusive Komodo, Angel Island is the perfect destination.

Angel Island Resort on Pulau Bidadari

There are two other private island resorts:

Komodo Resort on Pulau Sebayur

AIRLINES

Garuda airline

Lion Air and Wings Air

Have you ever dived in Komodo? Share your experience in the comments if you did!

19/05/2015
The Eternal City
If you go on a trip to Italy, you must visit Rome.

Rome, the Eternal City – La Citta’ Eterna. I finally visited Rome properly last year. It is a beautiful City, a living landmark.

There is history at every corner. It is like living in a movie.

Rome is very easy to visit by foot. The main tourist attractions are within walking distance from one another.

The Colosseum, Fori Romani, Piazza di Spagna, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Campo de’ Fiori, Fontana di Trevi, Piazza S.Pietro and all the beautiful Cathedrals.

If you visit Rome you will not be disappointed with food and wine either. Roman people love eating and drinking, the quality of restaurants in Rome is very good. It is very common to find small trattorie with tasty home cooked style food. However, the City Center is famous for high quality expensive restaurants especially in the area of Piazza Navona and Pantheon.

Rome is a City that lives by day and by night. Italians enjoy late dinners, you will not find people eating dinner before 8pm.

We really enjoyed Rome. Best time to visit is spring an late summer/early autumn. The temperatures are cool and it makes it easier to walk around.

Rome is full of bars and restaurants with outside patios, the weather during these times of the year is perfect to enjoy a meal with a glass or two of wine, sitting outside while people watching.

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02/04/2015
Koh Mak: Pure Bliss

Thailand is a beautiful country but unfortunately most of its tropical beaches and islands have been over saturated with tourists and tourists facilities.

Almost everywhere, there are now many resorts, tons of restaurants and bar and lots of party places.

A couple weeks ago, I found a place I did not think would still exist in Thailand. It is a small almost virgin island in the Gulf of Thailand, only few kilometers away from the crowded Koh Chang.

Koh Mak is one of the few places still untouched by mass tourism. It is the perfect place for those who are looking for some relaxing time, away from the crowds and surrounded by nature.

The island is predominantly flat land with vast plantations of coconut and rubber trees. It is a beautiful sight.

There are few small roads and very few vehicles circulating on the island. The transports of choice are motorbikes and bicycles. There are of course few cars as well but the number is kept to a minimum. The locals want to keep the island green with a low level of carbon.

The island is privately owned by two local families. They want to try keep it as natural as they can. They don’t want it to get one of those crowded tourists destinations.

There are 24 resorts at the moment, ranging from basic beach bungalows to high end modern resorts. There will probably more to be built in the near future, but the owners want to keep only 20% of the land for tourism businesses and the rest for agriculture.

Every resort has a bar and restaurant. Outside the resorts, there are very few restaurants that offer mainly local food and some Western options. There are very few bars around. Koh Mak is not a party place, so if you are looking for late nights and hard parties, this is not the island for you. You’d better visiting the neighboring Koh Chang.

The beaches are beautiful and almost deserted.

Electricity is generally good on the island even if some frequent power cuts should be expected. The power station is basically few large trucks with generators inside! Wifi is available at the resorts and 3G also works well almost everywhere on the island.

Accommodation

We stayed at Island Hut on Ao Khao Beach. It is a beautiful budget resort set among a lush tropical garden. They have beach front bungalows and garden bungalows. We stayed in a garden bungalows at 350 Baht a night.

Simple wooden structure with own private bathroom, fan, mosquito net and a porch with hammock, two deck chairs and a small table. We were only few steps away from the beach.

The restaurant area is very appealing and it is favoured by a gentle cool sea breeze all day and night. The kitchen is open from 7.30am to 4.00pm and from 6.00pm to 9.00pm.

We had most of our meals here. The food was always fresh and very tasty. They offer a wide range of Thai dishes starting at as little as 40 Baht and also some western dishes starting from 150 Baht.

Some days they also have fresh fish of the day for dinner, fried or steamed with different sauces.Prices between 150-350 Baht depending on size.

We stayed here for 10 days and had a very good relaxing time.

Activities

You can rent a motorbike or bicycle to explore the island. The roads are small and there is very limited traffic so it is easy to get around.

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving are the other most popular activities.

You can get in contact with Koh Mak Divers to arrange your trips. Steve the owner is a very friendly and knowledgeable man in his field. He’s been on the island for almost 20 years.

Alternative Foods

The few times we had dinner outside the resort, we ate at Koh Mak Rooftop .

They make one of the best Pizza away from Italy. Crispy and fluffy base and delicious topping without using tons of cheese like many places abroad always do.

Prices are very reasonable too starting from 170 Baht for a simple tomato and cheese pizza. Extra meat is 3o Baht per item and extra vegetable 20 Baht per item. Definitely must try.

30/03/2015
4 Best Eateries in Siem Reap
Siem Reap is not just the gateway to Angkor Wat. It is also a great place for foodies.

That’s it if you love food Siem Reap offers a wide choice of food and cuisines for every taste and budget. From local Cambodian specialities to pizza, French Cuisine, Indian, Grill, Sushi etc….

There are thousands of restaurants and bars located in the central area of the Old Market and the new Night Market. Every street and every small alley is covered with restaurants.

While we were in Siem Reap, we visited several of these restaurants. I like to eat different foods, variety is very important. I am indeed a foodie, I love food.

Here are 4 great restaurants in Siem Reap.

1. New Leaf Book Cafe

This is not just a great cafe where you can enjoy a great breakfast (including bacon, eggs and hash browns) and deliciously tasty local Cambodian food. It is also a bookshop and event space.

It is a great concept because it is a non-profit restaurant. They invest their profits on educational programs in Siem Reap Province. You are dining for a good cause. I recommend the full Breakfast (2 eggs any style, crispy bacon, hash brown, mushrooms, grilled tomato and homemade toast) or one of the local fresh salads.

Dom loved the full breakfast, I tried the Mango Salad and the Minced Pork Salad. They were both very delicious, fresh and a mix of flavoursome local herbs.

Prices are very reasonable. Every time the bill came to a total of approx $10 for two people. They have a good variety of vegetarian options.

2. Tangram Garden

This is a great spot away from the tourist area. They have private dining gazebos set in beautiful tropical gardens. The menu offers a selection of Khmer dishes and a selection of Western Grill dishes. They also have vegetarian options.

We opted for the Grilled New Zealand Beef Fillet with red wine sauce, mash potato, crunchy vegetables and garden salad. It was absolutely superb. The meat was grilled to perfection, tender and juicy. The mash potato was fluffy and delicate on the palate and the vegetable and garden salad added a touch of freshness to the richness of the red wine sauce.

The meal was accompanied by a glass of rich red wine. It was a great dining experience, a little bit over our budget but totally worth it. The bill was approx $22 for two people.

3. The Indian

This is a great Indian restaurant in the heart of bursting Siem Reap Tourist area, near the Old Market. The menu is extensive offering a wide choice of curries and other favourite Indian delicacies. Plenty of vegetarian choices as well.

We visited this restaurant three times during our stay, we loved the food so much. Twice we opted for two vegetarian options to share (Lentil Curry and Spinach & Potato in creamy sauce one time and Chick Peas curry and Spinach & Potato in a creamy sauce the other time), steamed Basmati rice, plain Naan Bread. One time we chose the Mutton set menu with Mutton curry, fried vegetables, yoghurt and mint sauce, steamed rice and Naan Bread.

We enjoyed every time but the vegetarian options were tastier. Prices are very reasonable and they have cheap drought beer. The bill came to approx $12 for two people every time.

4. Lim Kim Cheng

This restaurant is as local as it gets. It is right in the Old Market and it offers local Khmer dishes at a cheap price. The menu is basically a book with pictures of the dishes they offer.

Try the Khmer curry or the fresh mango salad with shrimps. The waiting time can be a little long at dinner since it is one of the cheapest places to dine in the tourist area, but if you go after 8pm most of the people have already eaten. No problem at lunchtime.

We ate here twice and both times the bill was less than $10 for two people.

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29/03/2015
Tomb Rider in Angkor Wat
The world’s largest archaeological Religious site.

It is pretty incredible that it was built over a thousand years ago. It is all made of huge, heavy blocks of sandstone.

It attracts about 2.5 million visitors a year which makes it on average about 5,000 people a day coming from all over the world! These are impressive numbers indeed.

A couple weeks ago we were among those thousand visitors trooping up to the lost city of Angkor Wat. Our dedicated tuk tuk driver picked us up at 5 am so that we could see the sunrise.

The whole visit was magical. We only visited the main temples: Bayon, Ta Prohm and Angkor Wat.

Finally I made it through the over 200 pictures I took. I was taking shots of everything, from every angle. I could have competed with one of the eager Japanese tourist. I manage to pick about sixty photos that were really worth it. However, these photos do not do justice to the majesty of the temples of Angkor Wat.

Interesting facts on the building https://www.ehow.com/about_5381819_angkor-wat-made-out.html

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21/03/2015