EE & S Adventures

At low tide I (Eric) thought it would be fun to put on my old running shoes and walk out into the ocean to see the outer reef at close hand.  This was on the eastern side of the islands, the western side dropped off more sharply and was the go to side for snorkelling.  However on the east side at low tide you could walk out for half a kilometer without getting more than chest deep in the ocean. On the reef there seemed to be a lot of dead coral however in a few places marine life was making a comeback.  I did my best to stay on the sand and off the delicate coral but this required a bit of careful navigation.  There were a few fish around including small sharks but no where near the massive numbers I saw when snorkelling on the other side of the islands. The view from the reef was interesting.  It's a bit odd standing in the middle of the ocean looking around at the land in the distance.  There was a light surf breaking on the reef but not much of the wave action made i

If you've been reading this blog you will probably realise we aren't the kind of family that generally stays at luxury resorts.  Accommodation is usually a means to an end, that end being visiting an exciting city or natural wonder.  However there is a time and a place for luxury and getting near the end of a 12 month holiday where we have been on the go constantly was the time.  And Niyama Island Resort in the Maldives was the place. Until November the Maldives wasn't even on our travel itinerary.  After our Westerdam cruise we had a gap of a bit over three weeks before we were due to fly home to Australia from Kuala Lumpur.  Originally we had many ideas - China, Japan, Cambodia, Indonesia and even Nepal but suddenly the idea of a luxury resort stay in the Maldives sprung up from a search for interesting Asian destinations.  A bit of further searching and we found good airline deals and some great resort packages and with just a few weeks to spare we were all booked.

Our time on Hong Kong was purposely short, we did not want to get enmeshed in any violence. Fortunately there did not appear to be any happening while we were there. No stoppages, no protests, no delays on public or air transport. No sign of discontented people even.... The highlight for me was the city lights in the evening.  The streets were bustling and fun. I enjoyed the city skyline and buildings we saw. Samuel liked the cat we saw which fiercely guarded the wares in its shop. Samuel and I ate a lovely Hong Kong lunch of curried noodles and for dinner we tried guess what - that quintessentially Hong Kong food: maccas. What a shame.....  Eric had gone for a run and wanted to show Samuel and I the park he found and the pier from which we were to get a last glimpse of our ship. It was fun to go through the park, especially when we came across some cats - Samuel was delighted. The park also had flamingos and a network of pretty gardens. Also there were hardly any people

Cruising on Westerdam with Holland America Line was very different to cruising with Liberty of the Seas.  Royal Caribbean generally caters for a (much) younger crowd, particularly on their Caribbean trips.  While Westerdam's SE Asia cruise was definitely targeting the retiree market and, as such, the ships fitout didn't have anywhere near as much for the younger (under 60) demographic to do (no mini golf, waterslides, running track and onboard splash park for example).  To be fair the gym was well utilised and sometimes I had to wait for a treadmill when going on my daily run.  I did get two chances to run in port at Da Nang and Halong Bay and it's amazing how much more enjoyable it is running outdoors (even on a main road near a container port). The kids club on the voyage was almost deserted.  Some days Sam was the only person attending and we were told there was only about a dozen kids onboard.  Sam still enjoyed himself, choosing to stay in the club a few times when w