Friday, December 19, 2008

Grand Californian Honeymoon (+Vegas & Grand Canyon)

Possible the best trip in my life so far, it's our Grand Californian Voyage. (+Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon) 20 days of pure bliss across San francisco, Point Reyes, Napa, Tahoe, Yosemite, Sequoia, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Death Valley, Vegas, Grand Canyon, L.A., Disney Theme parks, Solvang, San Simeon, Big Sur, Carmel and the Monterey Peninsula. From shopping at the outlets (watch her go) to roughing it out in nature (in our trusty rental car mostly), fine dining to thrill rides, livin it large at 5 star premium view resorts to experiencing cheap motels... I think we did it all. Biggest splurge in my life, but oh well - it's our honeymoon, so it's worth it. Too many photos to choose from, the least i could show are these 23. Ok, time to go work my butt off to pay the credit card bills... ...

View of the San Francisco City Skyline from our Hotel at Fisherman's Wharf


Point Reyes Lighthouse - too much fog for an afternoon


Domaine Chandon, Fall Foliage and Golden leaves - NICE!


First Class views at Emerald Bay in South Lake Tahoe



View of Half Dome from Sentinel Bridge



Amazing scenery at Yosemite - Gotta see it yourself, photos mean nothing



Same goes for Hume lake, Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park



A Sequoia Tree - BIG BIG BIG



Hard earned view after trek near Morro Rock



Santa Barbara County Courthouse, Imagine being tried in all that History



Devil's Golf Course - Surreal Landscape in Death Valley


It's Paris, NO, it's ViVaaa Las Vegas!

Venice, NO, ViVaaa Las Vegas!

Mother of all Canyons, the lazy way to name it is to just use 'Grand'

Dusk at Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills

Going space-age at Disney concert Hall, L.A.

Still the Happiest Place on Earth - Disneyland!

The Magic never ends - "It's a small World after all"

Water World show set, Universal Studios Hollywood

Touristy Solvang - "More Danish than Denmark"

Elephant Seals lazing around at Piedra Blancas

Spectacular coastline scenery at Big Sur

Point Lobos - 'The Greatest meeting of Land and Water in the World'

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Visit Indonesia 2008: Dream Island Bali

Dream Island Bali- every bit as lovely as the travel literature says. Touristy, yes, but nevertheless beautiful and the locals here are some of the most friendly and accomodating around - from farmers to merchants to service staff, most are always smiling and eager to show their lengedary Balinese hospitality. I'll be back, soon i hope.


Sunset over Uluwatu- Watch out for those monkeys!

My favourite Balinese temple - Uluwatu

Photographer's favourite: Terraced padi fields at Tegalalang

Susut, a real Balinese village - Padi field green & blue Sky blue

Tanah Lot- The Legendary break-up temple

Restaurant with a view- "that's where our rice comes from!"

Taman Ayun: One of many evocative temples in Bali

Local Guide San: "Kuta is not Bali!"

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Visit Indonesia 2008: Beautiful Central Java

To many Singaporeans, a holiday in Indonesia means a short holiday in Bali, or possibly a weekend in Bintan or Batam. For so long, we've been missing out lots on what our neighbour is able to offer us, as i have have just found out from this most recent trip to central Java. Other than the famous UNESCO heritage sites of Prambanan and Borobudur, Central Java has some of the most beautiful pastoral scenery i've ever seen in all my years of travelling- A mix of padi fields and other crops set amidst the backdrop of lush tropical jungle and the occasional volcano, it looks a lot more natural then the endless palm plantations in many other parts of South East Asia. Of particular mention is Dieng Plateau, with its dramatic mountains and valleys of terraced fields, cool and crisp mountain air, and ancient hindu temples, it is truly deserving of its name- 'Abode of the Gods'.

Beautiful local restaurant at Solo

First look at Gunung Merapi, one of the most active volcanoes in the world

Sun rising from between Merbabu and Merapi

Telaga Warna - Reminds me of JiuZhaiGou

The magnificent Borobudur Temple Complex - Built 100years befor Angkor

Misty Morning at Borobudur

My personal favourite - Prambanan Temple Complex

Padi Fields near Yogyakarta with Merapi smoking in the background