I recently read a BLOG that compared Oriental Village to Disneyland, but not really in a flattering way. It seemed offensive to me, because I’ve always enjoyed the ‘village’. I’ve usually been there with friends or a group and that often makes these kinds of outings more festive, so maybe I missed something. So I […]
Herbwalk Langkawi
Having spent some time in Langkawi, I’ve witnessed the picking of certain leaves, the collecting of certain white flowers for eye ailments or for bathing babies, and the use of large leaves wrapped around skin wounds. As a hospital worker trained in the ‘latest, greatest man-made drugs’, I find this fascinating. Considering Langkawi has not […]
Teratai Reflexology
Overwhelming spa choices within a small community always make me apprehensive, because they can’t possibly all be good. I usual prefer to cut to the chase by taking word-of-mouth recommendations from a good source and so far my sources haven’t led me astray. But most recently, Teratai Reflexology was recommended as the place to go […]
De Cut Salon, A Cut Above
Moving from California to Singapore brought me adventure, but also far away from my beloved San Francisco hairstylist. It also gave new meaning to big hair. There is nothing like tropical humidity to make even the most refined person appear slightly unkempt. And starting a new job looking like a Chia Pet is not a good […]
Ambong-Ambong Rainforest Retreat
Earlier this year I was planning a visit to Negara National Park, but when I looked for accommodations, all I found were ‘tree huts’. Maybe I had an outdated guidebook, but although I try to be adventurous, the thought of spending the night in an advertised tree hut sounded uncomfortable at the time. So when […]
La Pari-Pari, a Fairy’s Tale
Hearing the words ‘Boutique Hotel’, I always conjured an image of the elite and with that comes an elite price tag. But with my semi-princess travels in the last 5 years, I realized that often the smaller the hotel the better the service and it’s much more personal experience. And the prices vary from reasonable […]
Dev’s Adventure Tours: Cycling Adventure!
I’ve grown to appreciate ‘guided’ tours more in recent years. Maybe I’ve gotten lazy or finally realized that I can often learn more from legitimate ‘tour’ operators. Of course, that can sometimes be tricky. But I’ve been fortunate to meet up with a few passionate and knowledgeable guides in Langkawi. I’d often seen Dev’s Adventure […]