Throwback Travel: Villingili, Maldives '11

The Maldives, a string of green atolls fringed by soft-white beaches, tall palm trees and turquoise waters, has a reputation for being one of the must-go-island in the world. With an average elevation of less than five feet above sea level and a peak elevation of eight feet, the immense Indiana Ocean is slowly swallowing up these magical islands, burying one of the world's treasure deep down in the sea.

After bugging my mother for centuries, gathering facts about the sinkage of Maldives, I was finally able to persuade her to bring us to the heavenly island in 2011. There was no direct flight to Maldives from Hong Kong, so we had to transit in Malaysia after a 3 hour flight and then off to Male, Maldives for another four hours. Just as I thought I could finally rest and take a soothing bath, my mother decided to surprise me with another plane ticket. Oh yays! Another plane ride. And let me tell you, that was not JUST a plane ride, it was one of those i-think-i'm-gonna-die kind of plane ride.

It doesn't look that scary in pictures but I wasn't exaggerating when I said it was one of those i-think-i'm-gonna-die kind of plane ride. The propellers made a lot of noise throughout the whole flight, and since the aircraft was so light in weight, the turbulence we encountered were so much more terrifying.

After an hour of non-stop talking with my sister (obviously to distract myself from the noises and turbulence), we finally landed at Gan International Airport on Addu Atoll. We were then escorted to the nearby jetty, where we took a five-minute speedboat ride to Villingili. Villingili is the only resort island of Seenu Atoll, meaning the the whole resort has the whole island by itself. The resort we stayed at was Shangri-La's Villingili & Spa. Shangri-La hotels & resorts are known for providing a state of great comfort and extravagant living. And I can say this is probably by far my favourite among the other Shangri-La hotels I've stayed at.

Landing late after a long day of flying and packing, I collapsed in bed once I stepped into the room. I set my alarm for an early wake up the next morning, hoping to make use of every single seconds I have in Maldives.

The next morning, I woke up to this gorgeous skyline. I couldn't help but take a couple pictures of this beautiful scenery of my room. The room I stayed in was called the Water Villa.  It was built on stilts in the resort's lagoon and is connected to the island by a timber walkway. Each room has its own private "stairs" that lead you directly to the ocean and of course, a hammock that hangs over the water!

Apart from having the most amazing outdoor view, the water villa also includes an exquisite bathroom with an oval bathtub, indoor & open air showers and vanity counters. Three different ways to take a shower... Nothing can ever top that one eh? Shangri-La also provided L'Occitane toiletries, which had definitely made my shower a hundred times better throughout my stay.

Oh and did I mention each one of us had our own bicycle for transportation? Since the water villa is located at the side of the island, every time we wanted to go to the beach or dining room, we would have to cycle along the wooden pavement to get there. For all those peeps that don't know how to ride a bike, don't worry, you could always request a buggy to pick you up.

Speaking of the dining room, this is how it looks. Beautiful, isn't it?

As relaxing as it is, kids might find it really boring to go to the beach every day, thus Shangri-La also offers a variety of recreation for both adults and children. My family and I were there during Easter, which explains why the following pictures and activities are so easterly.

If you're thinking of a little getaway trip, the Maldives is no doubt the place to go for. Not only is it a beautiful place to be at but it is also sinking, and girl if you don't visit Maldives soon, it will be gone soon.

Have you been to the Maldives? Which resort did you stay at?

Narnia In Hawaii

I've always longed for the day where I have the power to simply walk through my boring wardrobe and enter the so call magical land, Narnia. Especially now that school has started, I feel like the urge of having this power has gotten stronger every day.

As much as I pray for the existence of Narnia, let's be real, it's impossible. BUT it is possible to find places similar to Narnia in Hawaii. Perks of living in 808 state!

"Most of us, I suppose, have a secret country but for most of us it is only an imaginary country. Edmund and Lucy were luckier than other people in that respect." 

- C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

2014 Round Up

As cliché as it sounds, 2014 has been one hell of a roller coaster ride. I wouldn't say it was the best year of my life but it was definitely something else.

365 days ago, I was on the street half drunk whilst counting down for 2014; 365 days later, I am sitting on my bed, writing this blog post with 3 adorable dogs lying next to me. (If you'd ask me, probably the best way to start the year) Crazy huh? How things could change so much in a year.

Change is a scary thing. It's always scary to step out of your comfort zone and do something different. But that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. I started off the year as a person that based her happiness entirely on others, a person that didn't really know the true meaning of happiness. I had 2 terrible heartbreaks in 2014 and I can ensure you, they were the most horrible thing I have encountered ever in my entire life. Five months ago, I lost someone that I really loved. It was hard, really hard. I couldn't eat, couldn't work, couldn't do anything at all. He made everything so easy and that hurt me even more. I tried everything to take the pain away. I drank and partied almost every day but it was useless. Yes, these things might be able to numb your pain for a while, but that's it. A while. What about the minute you wake up? What about the day after tomorrow? That pain you're feeling right now will always be here waiting for you. In the past few months, I figured the only way to truly get over someone and be happy again is to understand your feelings; understand the core of the pain. Don't be afraid to admit you're hurt. Don't be embarrassed to ask for help. Try to comprehend the reasons behind your feelings. Be brave and face whatever's hurting you. It's okay to curl up into a ball and cry. Nobody says it's going to be easy. Take as long time as you need but always, always remember that things will eventually be okay.

"Until you heal the wounds of your past, you are going to bleed. You can bandage the bleeding with food, with alcohol, with drugs, with work, with cigarettes, with sex; But eventually, it will all ooze through and stain your life. You must find the strength to open the wounds, Stick your hand inside, pull out the core of the pain that is holding you in your past, the memories and make peace with them." - Iyanla Vanzan

As much as I would like to rant about the heartbreak, I wish to end this insane year with a smile, so here is the happy side of my 2014.

• Finished my amazing freshman year in Hawaii 
• Interned at a vet clinic for 2 months
• Helped the veterinary desexed 2 of my dogs
• Started the first half of my sophomore year in the University of Rhode Island
• Saw snow for the first time
• Met a ton of new friends in Rhode Island
• Been to a total of 6 states (California, Utah, New York, Rhode Island, Hawaii, Massachusetts)
• Went to Japan and Bali 
• Started this blog
• And finally, survived 2014

Choosing Happiness

Choosing happiness is not as simple as choosing what flavour ice cream to buy. It is not just like "okay, this is the one I'll pick." It is not only about having a change in your perspective but also making a plan and setting your goals; knowing what are you need, what are the things that will help you or cure your unhappiness - and telling yourself what you should do yo get what you want. And, of course, for you plans not to be wasted, you have to pout them into actions; if you have told yourself tomorrow you'll talk to your old friends or write them letters or you'll go to your favourite coffee shop or fast food chain or somewhere else with someone, do it, with all your heart and your mind believing that you'll really be happy. 

Happiness, you don't just choose it, if you don't work for it, you won't get it. 

- Jerico Silvers

Throwback Travel: Phuket '13

Ugh why didn't I start blogging a year before, I would have had so many travel posts by now! But I guess that's okay, we got throwback thursday now right? Whoever invented that, props to you! *wink*

"Passengers, please fasten your seat belts. We are about to arrive at the Phuket International Airport."  I quickly finished my lunch meal (Yes! Lunch was provided!) and buckled up. I was lucky I got the window seat because the aerial view was absolutely stunning. The sun was shining brightly on the Andaman Sea, making it sparkle as we flew across it. With a bit of your imagination, the whole view actually looked like little green chess pieces floating on a dark turquoise board, absolutely gorgeous.

I've been to Thailand a little more than ten times now and I can assure you, Thailand is one of those places where you would never get bored of. I discovered so much more about this incredible country every time I came back.

The hotel we stayed in was the Millennium Resort Patong Phuket. It is a five star resort, and according to their website description, is "located in the heart of Patong and tucked within the fashionable Jungceylon shopping centre - Phuket's trendy shopping hub." Well, what more could I say? Best resort ever! Oh, and did I mention we got a 5-day package for around 600USD INCLUDING AIR TICKETS (From Hong Kong to Phuket)? SCORE.

Random stranger photobombing, but oh wells, everyone's having fun!

Speaking of fun, what's more fun than traveling with all your besties at the same time! From taking tuk-tuks to shopping in a local supermarket to having a traditional Thai massage to watching a lady-boy show, everything was extra fun with them around me.

Nope. Totally not lusting for a Phuket getaway in this cold brutal Rhode Island winter right now. The thing I like about Thailand is that you could always experience different culture about the country. Bangkok is more of the city side of Thailand while Phuket is the relaxation side of it. You could always "island hop" (if there's even such a word) - go to different islands by speedy boats or planes.

My friends and I went to this tiny island called Racha Yai Island (Raya) on the second day. It was a 45 minute speedy boat ride from the west of Phuket, which was kind of bad if you get seasick easily like me. Just take some motion sickness pills an hour before your journey and you'll be fine though! Racha Yai Island is approximately 20km (or 12.4 miles for my American readers) south of Phuket and is known as one of the most excellent diving or snorkelling day trip destinations. See for yourself!

Beautiful, isn't it? If you want to stay overnight or even spend a week at Racha Yai, be sure to check out Trip Advisor's resort recommendations! It has listed out all the possible resorts and hotels you could find at this magical island.

Next and final stop, Patong. I don't even know where to start. We left a whole day for Patong Beach because we knew it was going to be one hella CRAZY day. Well, as a mad water lover, I obviously went directly to the water sports 'centre'. 'Centre' because it wasn't really a centre but more of a sheltered spot with people offering great deals for various water activities. With around 1500 baht ($45 USD), we got to jet ski, parasail and ride on the banana boat. As much fun as they are, do keep in mind water sports here carry some degree of risk - operators are seldom insured and an increasingly common scam is people blackmailing tourists for damages to the equipment that were already there. Yet, other than that, everything was wonderful about Patong. 

I can safely say this was probably one of my favourite trips I have had so far; such a bummer we only got to stay for 5 days though. There's still so much stuff to do in Phuket! (Take out my travel notebook) Like, experience Phuket's nightlife (I heard it's insane!), hike across Khao Sok National Park, and of course, watch a Thai boxing tournament. 

But for now, goodbye Phuket, I'd be back soon. 

"Don't live the same year 75 times and call it a life. Get out of your comfort zone. Explore the world. Meet new people. Befriend animals. Take pictures with them. Sit on the wet salty sand. Have a photoshoot with your friends once in a while. Who cares what others think about you. It's your life. It's time to start living it."

What about you? What's your favourite #ThrowbackTravel?