Flores island hopping

Hi all!

Island hopping in Labuan Bajo area in Flores was the main reason for the short escape from Singapore. I specifically chose this tour operator (even though it was slightly pricier) for its boat safety and the service quality. And I think every penny was worth it. We started the day pretty early (about 5 am) and headed to Padar island for a short hike to get this beautiful view. I also started to understand why the tour combined this activity with snorkelling. It was HOT! The heat and the sun was super harsh and a mix of dry and humid, totally different from Singapore.

Seriously, just look at how pretty this place is.

After that, it was back to the boat to chase some manta rays at the manta point. Even though I didn’t get into the water because I can’t swim, it was a funny experience witnessing my boat mates chasing the manta cluelessly. Here’s them floating about after failing to see the manta the first time around. Eventually, a rope was thrown to them in the waters and they had to hold on to it as we went in search for the manta. I did see the manta’s head poking from the sea waters, which was really clear.

After everyone saw the manta rays, we headed to the pink beach. This was the main reason I was glad to choose this operator. They brought us to the longest pink beach in the area that had nobody because it was off the main boat route. Here, you can do some slight snorkelling to see baby turtles and sharks (if you’re lucky). But it’s a pretty safe zone for snorkelling. I also saw a squad of squid from the bridge (below) as we were walking over to the beach. The water is actually that clear and pretty (there’s no editing done to this picture)!

The pink from the beach comes from the red corals that has eroded over time due to the waves. The sand here is actually some of the finest and softest sand I’ve felt. You literally sink slightly as you take each step forward. But it’s really fun. It was here I also started to understand why people enjoy beach holidays. Something I usually scorn. This location was sooo pretty I felt slightly sad to leave.

After the pink beach, we headed over to Komodo island. It was noon by the time we arrived, so we did a mild hike, except for a short portion that was slightly tougher because it was very sandy and my shoes didn’t have a good grip on the steep slope. I also experienced my first sun burnt here. That’s how harsh the sun was, considering I don’t burn even without sun screen and being out in the sun for a long time. 

The view from the top of the island, which is where the komodos usually hang in the morning when it is cooler.

There’s this small white patch on the ground in the picture below, and that’s where the komodo have mark its sun bathing spot.

Our one and only komodo that we saw. Male, 26 years old, he was resting next to their water basin. He was just lying there and everyone was pretty calm. But when he suddenly stood to walk to a shadier spot, everyone literally scampered away, yet trying to capture its movement at the same time.

After lunch at komodo island, it was down to Taka Makassar, a crescent beach located in the middle of the sea. At first everyone had to swim a good distance to reach the beach. But after the boat got closer slowly, me and my friend who were the only one left on board could actually walk over. But it was super crowded, so I didn’t head over. Plus I’m really short, so the water would probably reach up to my neck (based on the water level against my taller friend that eventually went in for a dip).

Corals from the boat.

The crescent beach from afar.

The last place for this tour was Kanawa island, a private island open to the public for free. The sand on the beach here was not as nice as the pink beach (more pebble-like), but the waters was still pretty clear. I even saw 2 starfish that was found in the shallower waters.

This marks the end of my first short beach getaway. It was fun and relaxing. Though getting on and off the boat is slightly intense because of how slippery and high the dock is to the boat. So the locals always had to pull us up, in particular when we arrived back onto Labuan Bajo, just in time for the sunset. Till the next post, bye!

Crab holes!

Hi all!

It’s been pretty dreary in Singapore with periodic showers throughout the day as we enter into the monsoon season. Even as I write this post, it is pouring right outside my window. To take a break from studying, I headed to Pasir Ris Park for some cycling a few weeks back. It has been a while since I’ve headed to a beach. But as I cycled through the park, I was glad to have stumbled upon this small (but pretty) beach with its blue skies, green grass, almost no crowd and twig/leaves/what-not free sand.

Most importantly, I could see some semblance of a blue colour gradient effect in the waters! Pretty surprising considering this is Singapore we’re talking about. We don’t really boast of idyllic beaches like those in the Langkawi, Phuket and the list goes on.

Cycling along the path away from the beach, I could see people training parrots on the grass patch and kelongs (offshore platforms for rearing fish) in the distance.

 

Right at the end of the cycling path would be this vast beach-flat (?). I’m not exactly sure what is the term for it but all I can associate with it is a mudflat. But it’s not even remotely close to a mudflat so let’s just go with beach-flat ;). Anyway, I spent most of my time here just watching little crabs scrambling out of their crab-holes and scrambling back in with the slightest human movement. It was quite entertaining and therapeutic and at the end of the day as my camera battery died, I went home feeling quite at peace with myself.

Bye.

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Nostalgic

Here are two photos taken some time back when I was playing around with the filters from my phone. The beach was clear of people but a few moments later,

a group of family appeared near the water edge, building sandcastles and swimming in the sea.

It reminded me of my childhood years when I used to head to the beach every weekend or so. We would set up a tent, laze about under the shade provided by the short (lol) coconut tree, play the swings, build a sandcastle or frolick in the waters. At the end of the day, we would always buy an ice-cream from the ice-cream uncle’s cart before heading home. Those were the days when ice-cream was cut into a small block and placed between two waffle biscuits. We had to finish it quickly to avoid subjecting our hands to an ice-cream mask that was sure to “sweet-ify” our hands and attract ants.