Maldives

[starmed]

adel & Wu
thanks for the valuable advices...

hmmm...shall consider abt Wu's suggestion...haha.. come to think of it, Adel is rather right to say if I can handle singapore waters..then other places should be no prob.... btw anyone of u saw any sharks in singapore waters?

 

[ryo]

Hi Starstar,

kekekkee..... don't think there's any shark in Singapore water. There must be a lot of food(fishes) for them, then sharks will exist in Singapore water. however there are crocodiles(salt water ones) reported alone Kranji area though...

Don't worry so much lah.....kekeke... we just want you to take care and be aware of all the details during diving. At the same time, leisure diving(not deep diving hor) is still one of the safer sports in the world.

Tahiti should have some diving school.... hmmmmm...just a hint..

 

[adelene]

Hi wu & starstar,

I usually don't surf web during weekends.
What Wu said is real scary. Fortunately, I nv met any of those centre. I'll phobia of diving learning from those centre. Should blacklist them, isn't it? which dive centre is it, the one in rendang? My max dive record is 4 dives a day, but ok since last time still young mah!

Yah! Got what u means. Sure is nice to relax and enjoy ur trip. BTW, where have u been diving?

Starstar,
no, unfortunately have not seen a shark in local water. If I can see it under singapore visiblity, Ha! HA! Pray for me. Think will be one of his prey that day. OW in Singapore usu go to Pulau Hantu. Now the water is very slabby due to the reclaimation project near the island. Visibility can be down to one arm length. Need to check with local dive centre again, if you are interested. For your own safety.

 

[ryo]

Hi Adel,

Yes, fortunately most dive centre are Ok lah, not really fantastic but still good enough. The one I went to in Maldives is more strict(in terms of safety and price wise

... ), then those in Malaysia very flexible. kekeke...
Yes, in redang. I think it's still ok for certified diver, but learning, nah.... go for those located in Singapore such as....
I learn from Wakiki Dive centre in Singapore. John, the instructor is pretty good, strict enough! Dive with Eric b4, from Scuba people, a very knowledgable and friendly instructor as well.

Wha...4 dives a day ah... tired leh. I know what you meant.. young mah, energetic mah

Now whenever I go for a trip, I always limit to 1 dive a day. Really relaxing, but off course must be a rather long trip lah.

Dive in Maldives recently(July 05), Redang (Aug 04 and Aug 02), ceritified in Tioman (2001).

Maybe will try Sipadan or Lang tengah/Perhentian next year

Cheer!

 

[starmed]

Wu
Sipadan..think one of my colleague went therre before to dive...wah... the pics she took was beautiful...

many marine life...

Thanks for the advices...

will keep them in mind when I have enough courage to step into waters...

 

[adelene]

Sipadan no regrets, MUST GO. Much better than Lang tengah and Perhentian. I'm looking forwards to go there.

But of cos Perhentian oso good lah! water and beaches are better than rendang.

Lang Tengah heard it is best in Penisular Malaysia.

 

[ryo]

Hi Starstar & Adel,

Ya, I think so too. Well, sipadan is still one of the top spots for diving, worldwide. It's a pity that all resort on Sipadan was closed, no more unlimited shore dive. Can only stay in the nearby island. However, it does help to save Sipadan marine lives though, since there's no more direct pollution from those island resort.
Secondly, not sure whether are there anymore routine patrol by the Malaysian Navy, to make sure it's safe.

Now, I'm very choosy liao, after enjoying the Maldives trip. Now want to stay in the normal resort in Malaysia har...maybe cannot tahan...kekekee...too pampered by the Maldivian liao.

Yes, I also heard that Perhentian and Lang Tengah is much better than Redang. Any resort to recommend?

 

[adelene]

Sounds restricted to visit sipadan. Hmm....Safe?

I thot I might be pampered by the Maldivians, but get over it during my latest dives in rendang. Hee!!!

I went to P. Perhentian 3 yrs ago. Flora Bay, the dive centre is good. It operated under a resort called Flora Bay Beach resort. But it was full when I was there. Foods is fantastics too. I stayed at CoralView resort, located on the other side of the Kecil island (away from Flora Bay), which own a sandy white beach. Very nice place too, but I nv tried the food. Dive centre there looks so-so only. Can check out the web for both resorts. As for Lang Tengah, stay on mainland. Dive by boats.

 

[ryo]

Too many things happened to Sipadan.

Remember just a few years back a group of terrorist from Philiphines abducted agroup of tourist from Sipadan back to philiphines. One hostage was killed during the gun battles with the army. Big news then.

Malaysia and indonesia fight in court to the ownership of sipadan. Malaysia won, and navy started patrolling sipadan area. Not sure whether they're any more troops around the area, as the terrorist in philliphine are still very active, and they are really very heavily armed ones.

Hey Adel, it's Redang lah..not Rendang. You like Rendang burger very much is it? kekekee... Kidding lah.. Last time I always say Rendang, ganna "swan" by my friends too.. Kekekek..
I still can't get over Maldives leh..... anyway, it's only less than 3 mths sinces I left Maldives.

Got your advice liao. Will like to visit perhentian in near future, maybe next year. Er.. which agency do you usually book from? I always book from pink anchorage. ANy other alternatives?

Cheers!

 

[adelene]

Ooops! Hee... Din realize my mistake until u pointed it out. Yalor... Over redang laguana food suck. So every night eat Ramily Burger at the resort next to Redang. Hence, everything is rendang... rendang... rendang.... kekekekeee...

I understand. I book at Pin Anchorage last time, but will book through the dive centre directly for my next time. Can get diver lounge from them mah!

 

[starmed]

adel
wah...laguna's food that bad?

anyway ramily burger also very nice..

I like it alot... those they sell in singapore during fun fair are gross... fake ones... tried once n *yucks*... dun taste like the real thing...

btw if u need any help in your prep, can email me.;p

Wu
wah..u've been counting down the number of days since u left there..keke.. I lost count liao..;p jus hoping to go back there if got chance...

dun see it in near future..

 

[ryo]

Hello Adel, Starstar

Laguna food Ok lah.. but everyday same. "Mai Hiam" lah. kekeke....

Better than last time army food when there used to be cook by active cooks personal. I think for Starstar, now the food in army very good isn't it? free somemore... kekekeke....
Just that lots of ppl at laguna, then it's buffet you know, then a lot of Singaporean, malaysian then it turns out to be like fighting a war when taking food, and the queue is super long, from 1st floor queue until 2nd flr.
The next time I go there, I'll opt out full board, be like those "Ang Mo", eat downstairs at their restaurant.
Off course Ramly burger is nice as well. yummmmmy!!!

Now, I got collegues planning to go Maldives, that's why it kept bringing back all my memories.....

I'm currently having enough Hilton points to stay 1 night free in Hilton Maldives, so off course I'll still go back there in near future though. Maybe go back in 2007, get more points and then 2009 will then be 2 nights free.... Kekekek..

I heard, Shangari-la is opening a new resort in Maldives, opening in mid 2006. this will be one of the newest resort in Maldives. Anyone got any info? esp. price wise?

 

[adelene]

I'm referring to Laguna buffet food. COs I went for the full board package. The first meal, we went for one round and after that, for the rest I oso take the salad and the fruit. Then go for Ramly burger at night and Kopitiam.
It is the worst dive resort food I ever had. But still can eat lah, when I very very hungry.

Will listen to Wu's advise, go for the "Ang Mo" style next time.

Starstar,
SIN Ramly burger not that nice. Dun know why.
Sure. Thank you.

Wu,
*ENVY* Free stay in Hilton. I oso wanna go back, but to another island. Not so soon unless I strike 4D. Hee! Hee! Hee!
Totally no clue to that piece of news.

 

[ryo]

Adel,

Same same here lah... every month end buy some big sweep ticket, then everytime throw the ticket away in the beginning of the month.
Need to have such kind of cash to go Maldives.

I must spent USD4000 in order to have a night free leh.... hmmmm.. not sure when can I strike big sweep again.

Just check on the SQ fares to Maldives, wha... return is S$600, then plus another S$233 for tax/fuel surcharge, per pax. Crazy man... July I only pay S$398+161 only.

Anyway, when is the last time you went to Redang Laguna? That bad meh the food? I went last year Okie leh.. comparable with some of the lower class Hotel restaurant food leh.

Eh.. which resort in Maldives that you've went too har? Got any pics to share? How long and how much you spent there har?

Cheers!

 

[starmed]

Adel
yeah yeah... I wanna see pics too... which resort u went?

Wu
of course better than last time lah... SAF food now all catering one leh... SFI or NTUC... sure it's better than last time where the cook does the cooking n usu are NSF cooks... sometimes also got worms in the veggie one... neber wash properly...

 

[adelene]

Hee! Paiseh! I seldom buy 4D. Big sweep how to buy, I oso don't know. That's why very hard to strike lah! I went Rendang Laguna end Aug this year only.
I was at Full Moon Resort in Maldives, very near to Male. Spent about $5K for 2 pax (7D5N) include 4 dives each. and trip to Male and island hopping. What i enjoy most is I know new friends there. Met one Singaporean who works there, and the bartender who treats us drinks and the live bands who sung great songs for us. Very wonderful!!! Just like home. It wasn't until now (2yrs later) that I realized that there isn't any TV in the room. Good, right? Physically proven that I wasn't TV addicted (My bf think I am). Until now, we still keep contacted with the singaporean. COOL!
I dun have Maldives photo with me now, but can share rendang photo! Interested, give me your email.

 

[starmed]

Adel
keke..u make the same mistake again... great my email is [email protected] Thanks gal!!

 

[adelene]

What mistake? uh... Uh... PM you liao!

 

[starmed]

Adel
Wu says u like rendang isit??? keke.. yup got your PM...I'll go take a look when back home

 

[adelene]

No lah! Cannot help myself. Type too fast liao mah!
Why wu don't like rendang meh? He must be patient mah, old lady like that. Hee! Hee! Hee!

 

[ryo]

Hahaha.... I like rendang also lah. Feel like eating rendang burger now in Redang..Kekeke...

Please share you photos with me as well. CheerS!

[email protected]

Wha....can work in Maldives want ah... anyway work as what har? DM ? Any job opening? kekekekee....

Cheers!

 

[adelene]

Sure. Why not! u got mail.
His company sent him to Maldives for half-a-yr to train the resorts staffs on pest control. Relax job and have to travel from islands to islands. *ENVY*
U can apply to be a DM in Maldives as well. Just send your profile to the dive centres and see if they are interested. Terms and conditions applied. Think the period is long (mayb 2yrs) so you might need to quit your job.

 

[starmed]

Adel
saw the pics...

wah..very nice place leh...feel like going there now...

btw there also alot of ang mohs one har?

 

[adelene]

Thank you.

Ohh....

Not as many as in Maldives, but quite a number. Some of them nude on the beach. In terms of ratios, more asians.

Wu,
Can share your Hilton Maldives photo? Seen that Hilton maldive is very beautiful.

I found out last night that I'd lost a number of my maldives photo in the process of transferring, esp my favourite group photo. *SAD*
Hope I can get it back.

 

[ryo]

Hello Starstar,

Why....go Ang Mo cannot go ah...kekeke... As usual lah.. they will occupied all the sun tan area, chairs etc.... read books whole day. It's their lifestyle. Asian will be pretty Kia Su...queue up damn early for Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Hi Adel,

will share the photo with you, so I'll sent the invitation to your "that" email right?

Anyway, where you lost your photos? During computer transferring ah?

 

[adelene]

Wu,

Haha! That's very true abt asians cos we live in fast-paced environment mah! Everything is fast and quick. Your PC too slow you'll complain, rite?

Thank for sharing. Lots of photos, still viewing them. Why the vertical photo are placed like that? I strained my neck liao! How? hahahh!
Nice photos leh! you stay in both King Beach or sunset water villa or you have both? Your package must be very expensive? I think more than Starstar. How much you spent?

Sigh... Lost my photo through computer transfer loh! Din realise it until now. Hope still have backup.

Starstar,
Forget to ask how much you spent for your Maldives trip oso?

 

[starmed]

Adel
We spent $6k on air tics n all expenses in the resorts include room charges... stayed there for 6N... keke..think we spend more on spa cos we didn't go scuba dive... n i dun know how to lah..

u planning to go there again for HM?

 

[ryo]

Hi Adel,

Work also fast-paced, tour also fast paced, cannot lah.... I'm learning to go slow when go to resort, but still faster than Ang mo lah..kekeke..

Not alot of photo lah...it's only some of them only. I combine with my friend, together at least 1500 photos... kekeke.. Using his DSLR with a couple of micro HDD.

I still got at least 8 hrs of video taken as well. kekekekeeee

I spent around S$8k 2 person, 7 nights total, 4 nts beach villa, then 3 nts sunset water villa. When we there, they physcho us to upgrade to the sunset water villa. We upgrade 2 nts, then later they give us 1 nt free... kekekee...

How can transfer be lost? how you transfer, frm where to where?

 

[adelene]

WOW!! 1500 photos is a lot leh! Lots of hard work leh!

I encountered problems downloading the files from my x-drive to PC. Check that all my folders are in the PC, hence thot everything is downloaded. but it wasn't.

 

[adelene]

starstar,
One of my shortlist. dun know which island to go, any recommendation?

 

[starmed]

Adel
keke... I haven been to Maldives many times... so can't really tell ya where is nice... but to me, the whole place is just fantastic!!!

 

[adelene]

Wu,

Your photos are great! Feel like going there now!

starstar,
Many times to Maldives. No wonder your hb wanna go somewhere else lah!

 

[starmed]

Adel
keke..think u got me wrong...not many times...;p

 

[adelene]

uh? paiseh! Dun understand?

 

[missylan]

Wu/starstar,
Beside water sport, what can we do? island hopping to see what? Hahaha... leaving SIN on 6th Oct. Shld have left 1 week before but no choice postponed.

 

[starmed]

missylan
u can visit the Male town... go take the submarine ride...etc... wah...leaving soon leh...

enjoy your trip!!!

adel
haha..only been to there once... how I wish it's many times there... anyway, me now looking ard for deals to Perth. The SIA promo only till nov... sigh... u got any good 'lobangs'?

 

[adelene]

missylan,
Island-hopping they bring you to other islands like small fishing village, another resort island or small island where you can enjoy some time there. Can go kayaking, snorkelling, play beach volleyball, etc.

starstar,
I'm gng to self drive in Tasmania end of the month. Flight incl tax $1110 Qanta. maybe you can try.

 

[starmed]

Adel
your flight cost $1110 is for two pax or one?? U going Tasmania? think it's a great place.... very beautiful scenery... u'll be staying in farms or motels??

 

[adelene]

*SAD* I wish the amt is for two, but the price is only for single. Yap! going tasmania. Still planning the itinerary. Any suggestion?

 

[adelene]

*SAD* I wish the amt is for two, but the price is only for single. Now, fuel surcharge expensive. Tax I paid for Australia is $374 (Half of the flight charge). Yap! going tasmania. Still planning the itinerary. Any suggestion?

 

[starmed]

Adel
no idea leh...but I can help ya look ard see what's nice there...

haven been there before so can't really help ya.

 

[adelene]

No Problem. Got into Tasmania thread and got some info there. Thanks.

 

[missylan]

thanx all... at the airport... flying soon!

 

[starmed]

Adel
just wanna check wif u... how much u paid for your airport taxes n surcharges? I checked the SIA to perth..it's like $592 for two pax... quite alot leh...

 

[adelene]

Surcharge and fuel charge I paid for Tasmania is $374 per pax. (Half the price of my air ticket which is $736.)
It is like that in Austalia

 

[starmed]

thanks adel..i'll look around first...not booking now anyway,

wait till dec then book..

wonder how's missylan doing? must be enjoying herself in Maldives...

 

[ryo]

Missylan? should be enjoying to her fullest lah... kekeke..I though she should be back anytime now isn't it? Can't wait to see her pics in Maldives....

Why are we working and she's playing with the fine sand and clear blue water, and enjoying the nice scenery there...

.... Kekekeke......

Shangari-la opening a new resort in Maldives, opening early 2007...Look out.. maybe got cheap early bird rate...and further more, Singapore dollars might be stronger by then...thus can save more.. kekeKekeke....

 

[starmed]

wow...Wu thanks for the good news...;p hmmm..I'll be waiting eagerly for the opening...

 

[missylan]

Hi all,
I am back. Cannot delined that the view and the water is beautiful! But 6 nites there are too long. Holiday Tours package is 5days and 3 nites, to me extension of 1 more nite is more than enough. The last 2 nites are very boring. We can only swim, eat, watch TV & suntan in the island. Unless you took an excursion, some to me is boring. Maybe depends on your resort's way of excursion. They have the submarine trip, island hopping to 3 islands, snorkling trip to romantic island, flight photoshot, night fishing and think I might miss out 1 more. We joined the submarine trip onli. To us, that is something interesting!

Was quite disappointed as Taj Coral's villa isn't really what I expected. Haha... should have went to Hilton for the Sunset Villa for 3 nites.

Hmm... we dined at the island 6 nites for slightly over USD700. The lunch buffet is USD20 each and dinner is USD25 each. One bottle of coke is USD3. Big size mineral water is USD5. Being to LasVegas and Tokyo, Maldives has the highest expense rate! Hahaha...

Hey, we aren't really enjoying ourselves for the last few nites. But we did enjoyed dining in our room. Keke... I am back with suntan and turned mocha in colour rather than my usual nude tone.

As for the watersports, we took up an package bringing us for a small island to snorkle like for 45mins, to canoe and there is an paddling boat. We paddled out further abit and was asked to return. Hai...
If we are to return, we will try Hilton next time. If honeymooner wanna nicer and more romantic resort, I might advice them to opt Taj Coral out.

 

[missylan]

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/missylan/album?.dir=/b192