Through the Lenses

How to Create Your Own Panoramic Photo

2010-03-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

Throughout my limited travels, I often take lots of nice scenic photos that eventually end up in the digital storage. From time to time, I look through them, wishing that I had an ultra wide angle capturing the beautiful scene in front of my eyes. Maybe it's time to invest in a fisheye lens. However, an economic solution is to create my own panoramic photo without spending a dime.

I recently read an article from Photo Life, a high quality photo magazine, on photo merging technique from its February/March issue. It highlights tips and guidelines on creating a true panoramic photo from several similar scenic shots. I tried them, and absolutely loved them. Here we go. I'm going to share what I've done and the steps I took with you. Hope you'll find them useful in your own photo creation. I used Photoshop CS4 photo editing software. You probably can achieve the same results using older version of Photoshop or other photo editing software.

Step 1: Open all images to be merged. Browse to File > Automate > Photomerge, and click on Add Open Images. There're a few different layouts you can play with. Choose Auto for optimal results. This step may take a while to complete depending on how many images you're merging. I used the images of Tokyo Tower I took during my trip to Tokyo last year.

Step 2: Convert the resulting image to Smart Object. Browse to Layer > Smart Object > Convert to Smart Object. During this step, all the image layers generated by Photoshop are merged into one.

Step 3: Straighten object lines. Some objects in the resulting image are not exactly at the right angle due to different focal lengths used in the merging shots. To straighten them, Edit > Transform > Warp to bring up Warp tool that allows you to adjust object lines up, down, left and right. The best way to do it properly is using Grid view (View > Show > Grid) to see your horizontal and vertical lines as reference point. This step may be time consuming; however, if all your shots were taken at the same focal length on a tripod, you may not have to do much here.

Step 4: Crop image for final editing. Once you're happy with the image, you can crop it to the desired ratio. There you have it. Here's the final panoramic photo of Tokyo Tower view.

Olympus Stylus Tough-8000

2009-10-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

Tough-8000 is a brand new model from Olympus this year with a shockproof, waterproof, freezeproof, crushproof, and shakeproof body. I was quite impressed by the review, and got one in Akihabara, the electronic world in Tokyo. It's always convenient to have a digital camera with a smaller body. I like the fact that I can drop it, take it 10 meters under the water, or even accidentally step on it. Having a toddler who's always curious what I do with my camera, I'm not afraid to let her play with this one. I doubt she'll break Tough-8000. Best of all, it takes stunning pictures.

I'm very happy with the shutter speed of its action mode when you half-press the shutter button before the shot. With the fast shutter speed, you can capture really special moments. I took this one at Tokyo Sea Life Park when Nick was throwing Evania up in the air. They were having such a happy moment. It was so beautiful with the blue sky in the background. I just couldn't resist snapping away.

By the Stained Glass Door

2009-10-25T20:48:00.001-07:00

I took this photo of my little girl at Ishiya Chocolate Factory in Sapporo. She was drawn to this beautiful stained glass door situated near the entrance, and stood there for quite a long time. Perfect photo opportunity for me. I took a couple of them with flash. Flash kills the natural light coming through the glass. It was difficult to take photos without flash under the low light setting, but because she didn't move much, I was able to snap a few without flash. This one turned out to be one of the best.

Ramen Noodle Bar in Sapporo

2009-10-19T21:19:00.000-07:00

Becoming a favourite place for us to get a bite on the run during this trip, the numerous Ramen noodle places dotting the Sapporo city center offer not only convenience but more importantly a variety of mouth watering selection of the local noodle dishes that have become world famous.

Anyone traveling with a toddler knows the best place to eat on the go is somewhere that’s spacious, noisy, and informal. While this Ramen noodle joint we came upon when strolling around in Sapporo lack the former two qualities, it more than made up for it with its authenticity, charm and a fabulous noodle selection. Tucked in nicely off the main road in the hub of the city, this typical Japanese noodle house appeared to cater to a mixture of the working crowd and the travelers. The tables were set close to one another, providing an intimate if not so private setting. The noodle bar was situated right at the center of the restaurant, and much like a Sushi bar, all the food preparation was performed in view of the customers.

The noodle dishes seem to have a strong seafood theme, with almost every dish containing some type of seafood ingredient. Menu with pictures adorned the wall, showing dishes ranging from giant scallop and tofu to cooked pork and egg with miso base. The price was reasonable, with the most expensive being the giant scallop noodle, priced at about 1500 Yen.

We selected a fried Ramen noodle dish with squid, shrimp, and vegetable, and the house special scallop dish. The fried noodle dish (seen in the photo above) was wonderfully flavoured with just the right amount of salt, and the squid tasted quite tender. In case you're wondering what the black objects are in the noodle, they are black fungus, a type of edible jelly fungus, widely used in Asian cooking. Yeah, I know it sounds yucky, but it tastes yummy. The main attraction still belonged to the house special scallop noodle. Those jumbo scallops at first appeared to be some sort of large oyster mushroom, but one bite was enough to mark this dish a must-have for future visits. In addition to the exotic flavour of scallop in such size, it was cooked slowly in the soup base so the soup embodied so much of its texture and flair. I regret not having photographed it. As you could imagine that it was a huge challenge minding my little one in such a setting.

However, we were much rewarded for our little find, leaving us another regret that we could not pack up this little piece of delight and bring it back home with us.

First Day in Japan

2009-10-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

First day in Japan was a bit rough. JAL lost one of our suitcases with all of Nick's and my clothes in it. Jet lagged, we were up about, hoping to find a department store to buy a few essential things. We came upon this big intersection in downtown core without a single soul on the street. Hum...where are all the people? Oh...we were away too early. Two hours later, this same intersection was full of traffic and pedestrians coming and going all directions.

We were told ESTA was a big department store right by JR station, where we could find things we need. We waited around for its business hours. Ten o'clock came, and it finally opened. To our surprise, the first 3 floors were all electronics including cameras, cell phones, ipods, laptops, and LCD TVs. Each floor was comparable to a single Future Shop here. What caught my eye was the price of PS3 seen in the photo below.

With the currency exchange rate, it's only around $100 CAD, a lot lower than the going price in North America. There has to be a catch here, written in plain Japanese except that we don't understand a word of it. Someone please tell me what's on the price tag.

Booking Hotels for Japan

2009-09-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

When Nick and I decided that Japan would be our next travel destination, I was excited about all the planning ahead of me. Little did I know what the real challenge would be. I had a difficult time finding the right hotels for my family.

There are very few good English online reservation engines for Japanese hotels out there. The one I would recommend to most people is Rakuten. It's easy to use, and the search results are comprehensive. Not only can you sort the results by price (most people do), but you can sort them by user rankings. However, I didn't find a good package suit for my family.

The other one I came across is Jalan.net. It provided more packages within the same hotel than Rakuten. The only downside is that it's all in Japanese. I did find an English how-to guide on Jalan.net. It was helpful, but not sufficient. It is a basic guide on how to fill out the online search form; however, the search result is of course in Japanese. The only information I could make out was the total cost. I wasn't willing to jeopardize my family's vacation stay simply based on the dollar amount. I eventually had my Japanese friend help me with booking a hotel in Sapporo. I noticed something quite interesting from booking with Jalan.net. You actually do not pay in advance. Once you make your reservation, you'll receive an email from Jalan to confirm your stay, and that's it. You won't even have to provide your credit card information. The site is operated based on trust. I know it's a bit foreign to North Americans. Believe it or not, that's how things work in Japan.

If you are willing to take a bit of risks, you can try Priceline.com, where not only can you bid on hotels, you can also bid on flights and car rentals. The risk is that you don't know which hotel you'll end up with in advance. If you are traveling with families especially with children, this is probably not the best option for you. Hence, I opted out this option.

I also compared a couple of popular ones that most people use here in Canada like Expedia.ca and Hotels.ca. For the similar packages from the same hotel, the prices are a little higher on these sites. If you are price sensitive, these are not your best bets.

Of course, it doesn't matter which online reservation engine you use, the best way to find out about a particular hotel is to read reviews by real travelers. Before I make a reservation, I always go to TripAdvisor to find out what others say about the hotel.

Things to keep in mind when making a reservation:

Most prices are quoted per person per night.

Hotel taxes and charges are included in the price.

Every hotel has its own cancellation policy. You should always check with the hotel.

I'll do another post on the hotels we stay for our trip, and let you know how they turn out.

My Little Precious

2009-09-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

Here's what's kept me busy in the last little while.

Evania, 16 months, enjoys summer and loves the water park. There she was in her pink bikini, soaking up the sun.

What's new?

2009-09-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

I have not written anything for a while, but instead have focused on caring for my little girl. I am, however, excited to be back blogging on my other two passions in life, travel and photography. I have been taking photos mostly of my daughter, as you can imagine. I will share some ideas and experiences on that subject in some upcoming posts.

I am going on a trip to Japan with my family, through the region of Sapporo and Tokyo area. This poses both as an enormous opportunity and challenge from an amateur photographer's viewpoint. Opportunity owing to the raw exotic beauty of rural and coastal landscape of Japan, presenting a intriguing canvas for capturing some unique shots. Challenge because there will certainly be a bevy of subjects worthy of pursuing yet finite amount of time at disposal.

Circular Polarizer Filter for Landscape Photos

2007-08-08T15:48:00.000-07:00

I always look for ways to improve my photographic skills, and recently I came across Travel to the Edge with Art Wolf. It's an excellent site for travel photographers at all levels. I spent hours on it just going through the tips and techniques section. There's so much information to absorb. I felt like a little girl in a candy store :p.

One of the tips from Art is to use circular polarizer filter when taking landscape shots on a sunny day. Here are two photos I took of post Gay Pride Parade party at English Bay last Sunday. One was taken with filter, and one without filter.

Why circular polarizer filter and when? Basically, circular polarizer filter blocks certain amount of light coming from the sun, darkens the blue sky and creates a contrast in your photo. In the second photo, the blue sky appears to be light blue, and the white clouds do not pop out catching your eyes. However, you can see a striking contrast between the blue sky and the white clouds in the first photo. To maximize the effect, use the filter on a bright sunny day when the sun is high in the sky.

Where to buy and how much? Most electronic stores do not carry accessories such as filters. You can find them at camera specialty stores. Here in Vancouver, Lens and Shutter carry a variety of filters. A good circular polarizer filter normally costs around $50. I also looked around online like CameraWorld.com; however, the ones they carry are quite average. I'd rather spend a bit more on a quality filter that will go a long way.

Roadside Surprise

2007-06-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

Having lived on Vancouver Island for nearly a decade, I have seen a lot of live animals off the road. Deers and bald eagles are common sighting, but I had never seen a black bear on the side of the road before our trip to Tofino.

We spotted this black bear just outside of Ucluelet, a small town south of Tofino. The bear probably just came out of hibernation, hungry and determined, causing a scene on the only through road to Port Alberni. A few cars stopped including us, hoping to catch his prominent presence on camera. I grabbed my camera and stepped out of the car. Nick thought I was crazy as the bear turned around and looked at me right in the eye. I was no more than 20 feet away from him, and probably wouldn't have a chance to get away if he decided to come after me. I was determined to get a good shot of him. Nothing could stop me at that moment.

A Little African House on the Coast

2007-06-23T08:50:00.000-07:00

I've been absent from blogging for a little while due to personal commitment. It feels good to be back to my normal routine. Let's pick up where it was left off.

What you see here is African Beach House Nick and I stayed at in Tofino. I searched for Tofino accommodations online, and very few nice accommodations came up within our price range. At the very last minute, I booked a cabin from African Beach House after obtaining the details from the owner over the phone. The owner sounded very friendly and trusting, and didn't even take any deposit or credit card information for our reservation.

After a 3 and 1/2 hours drive from Nanaimo ferry terminal, we finally arrived at African Beach House Bed & Breakfast. At first sight, "Oh god, we're staying at a run-down house..." thinking to myself. The owner came out immediately to greet us. His welcoming presence made us at ease. He led us to the cabin located behind the house you see in the photo. The self contained cabin was built with solid wood, fully equipped with kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedroom upstairs loft. Inside the cabin was tastefully decorated with an African influence. The entire property was surrounded with ancient cedar trees, providing tranquil ambiance during our stay. The best of all is its location. it's right across from North Chesterman Beach, easy beach access for morning walks or sunset watch.

I have to say it was quite pleasant to find such a hidden gem along west coast Pacific Rim. We would definitely stay there again.

Finding Waves on the West Coast - Part 2

2007-05-23T23:54:00.000-07:00

It was a sunny but rather windy day when we woke up in our little log cabin Bed and Breakfast, and Nick was more than ready to do some surfing. He signed up a surf lesson by himself (I was still recovering from a shoulder injury) with Surf Sister, a well-known local surf school, and they were kind enough to take on a few "brothers" among their students for the day.

Once suit up and hitting the sand with their boards, they were taught the basics techniques and moves. Everything seemed easy enough (from my point view). Nick was doing well at first, hopping onto the board and even managing to stay up there for more than a few seconds. As the wind picked up and the wave got higher, he looked a bit fatigued, especially when attempting to hop onto the board. I managed to take some shots of him during the few seconds while he was on the board.

Didn't he look like he knew what he was doing even though he wasn't quite doing the "Blue Crush" out there? He later told me it was one of the most liberating and satisfying activities he's ever done (probably not as exciting as body-checking people into the boards in hockey). Well, not very fun for me as I was freezing my butt off even with layers of clothes while trying to get a few shots of him.

Finding Waves on the West Coast - Part 1

2007-05-15T23:00:00.000-07:00

Having lived on the west coast of BC for years, it is a bit surprising that Nick has never been to the west coastal side of Vancouver Island, the very tip of Pacific Rim National Park. It had been years since I went there, so I was just as excited when we set out for a weekend trip to Tofino.

It was a glorious day for highway driving, and we took full advantage of such a nice break in weather as we drove through lovely Parksville and pass the town of Port Alberni. Upon arriving Tofino sometime in the early evening, we dropped off our stuff and went straight to the famous Long Beach.

The sunset on the vast beach was one of the most striking scenes. The current swept up a steady wall of sea water over the shallow beach, and scores of evening surfers appeared and disappeared on the horizon as we looked on. As we watched the magnificent sun set, Nick anxiously waited for the beginning of the next day when he would take his first surfing lesson in his life.

Tips for Shooting Better Action Photos

2007-05-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

I recently contributed an article to Brave New Traveler on tips for shooting better action photos. It's a brief guideline I use when taking action shots. Be sure to check it out as you may find some of the tips come in handy at the urgent moment.

How to Buy a Digital Camera

2007-05-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

My brother has been shopping for a digital camera for a while and still hasn't bought one yet. I asked him what type of digital camera he's looking for. "Well...a quality one" he replied. Well, I guess he doesn't really know what exactly he's looking for. So, I thought this would be a good topic to talk about - how to buy a digital camera based on your own needs.

Everyone has different needs when purchasing a digital camera. You have to prioritize them before you start looking. Here's how I prioritize my own needs:

1. Budget
This is the most important step because what you want is to find the best one within a specific price range. It's always easier to compare cameras once you set the budget. You probably wouldn't get a professional digital SLR cameras just because they're better than the point-and-shoot ones, would you? Once you determine how much you are willing to spend on a camera, you'll have a basic idea of what type of cameras are affordable to you on the market.

2. Zoom
Zoom is a pivotal function in a camera, and it can make a huge difference in your photo shoot. Most digital cameras these days come with 3x optical zoom, which is equivalent to 35-105mm range. It allows you to shoot decent photos within a reasonable range. But I prefer ultra zoom, at least 10x optical equivalent to 38-380mm. With 38-380mm range, you wouldn't have to worry about getting the front seat at your favorite concerts or your kids graduation. A couple of good ones with ultra zoom on the market are Olympus SP-510 Ultra Zoom with 10x optical zoom, and Canon PowerShot S3 ISwith 12x optical zoom.

3. Image Resolution
Image resolution is defined by the number of pixels of the image. The more pixels, the higher resolution and the bigger photos can be developed. Most digital cameras come with 6 mega pixels or above. You should invest in a digital camera with higher image resolution if you want to blow up some of your amazing photos.

4. LCD and Body
Most point-and-shoot cameras are compact and small in body, and I find them hard to handle. I prefer to use the ones with a heavier body and a bigger LCD, which provide you with better grip and larger viewing area. You also shoot better images with heavier body since your hands wouldn't shake easily.

These are the basic needs I look at and how I prioritize them. I'm leaving the technical talks to the experts. It's always a good idea to read consumer product reviews, but product technical reviews done by an independent third party is more helpful. It helps you determine a few brands and models before talking to the sales person. It saves you time and energy in the whole buying process. The one I regularly reference is Imaging Resource, who provide complete full reviews on all models by all manufacturers.

Guest Contributor on Travel Happy

2007-04-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

I've written about Travel Happy in my previous post. It's a very informative personal travel guide to South East Asia. I was asked by Chris Mitchell, the author of Travel Happy to contribute a piece of article. I was gladly obliged. It was quite flattering to be a guest contributor on such a well established site. I wrote a piece on tips of booking tours in Phuket based on my personal experience, and it was published today. You may find them useful if you are traveling to Phuket and planning to take a tour in the near future.

Speaking of guest contributors, I found another good travel blog a couple of days ago that also welcomes contributors, Brave New Traveler. It publishes news, views and opinions of today's savvy travelers, and definitely does not lack rich contents. Be sure to explore it.

5 Reasons Why I Travel

2007-04-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

Dave from Go Backpacking tagged me in his post, 5 Reasons Why I Travel. Thanks Dave. I have plenty of reasons and excuses when it comes to travel. Here are my top five:

1. Travel Partner
I have the best travel partner one could ask for, my husband Nick. We've been together for almost eight years, and have traveled to a lot of places. He's fun, energetic, adventurous, and terrible with directions (sorry Nick). I'm detail oriented and just can't go anywhere without my camera and a map. But we do have something in common, loving outdoors, and we make a great team on the road. It's always more fun to travel with someone you enjoy the company, isn't it?

2. No Cooking
Well, when you're out on the road, it means NO MORE home cooking :P. Yeah babe! Don't get me wrong, I love working in my little kitchen after my regular job, but it's nice to get a break. It doesn't matter if I get fine dining or street vendor food, as long as I don't have to cook myself, I'll enjoy almost anything including "exotic Thai foods". I'm sure some of you share the same.

3. Get Lost
I love that I could just lose sense of time for days or even weeks. No more project deadlines, team meetings, and chit chat with my PM. Just get lost on a secluded beach or emerge in a foreign culture. Enjoy every minute of it.

4. Smile, you're on camera
Yes, photography is a big part of my travel and one of the reasons I travel. I'm just a weekend armature photographer. To be able to capture the people, the scenery and the moments and share them on Through the Lenses really get my addiction out of the way.

5. People
Meeting all kinds of people on our journey has been my best enjoyment. We met a couple from Germany in their 70's on Karon Beach, Phuket last year. We were on our honeymoon, and they were there to celebrate their 50th anniversary. They're just a happy and fun couple without any worries. Meeting people like them makes me reflect on my own life and look forward to my golden years with Nick. For now, I look forward to our 1st anniversary.

That's my 5 reasons to travel. What are yours? Tagging Eileen from Texas RV Travel Blog, Sheila from Family Travel, Donna from Socal Mom, and Nia from Go to Portugal, maybe they would like to share theirs.

A Night with the Four Course

2007-04-24T08:50:00.000-07:00

In my previous post, I talked about the Cedar Room and its unique wood structure exterior and interior characteristics on our little excursion to Tigh Na Mara Resort on Vancouver Island. It is however the fabulous seafood that attracted people from all over the world.

It was the Sunday night during the Easter long weekend. We just came from a wedding in Victoria, and were rather looking forward to having a nice quiet meal. The menu was simple, just a couple pages. I have always preferred dining establishments that have a simplistic menu, based on my opinion that if a restaurant claim to do well in too many things, then they really can’t excel in anything. Nick ordered a simple Steak off the menu, straight up rare. I ordered their four course menu, which came highly recommended by the server. I am a seafood fan, and every item on this four course meal except the desert are all seafood oriented. The first course was fresh steamed clam from a local cove, cooked in fresh garlic, cracked pepper, parsley and white wine. It set a high standard for the rest of the meal, as it was done in perfection with just the right amount and mix of spices and alcohol to induce a flavor so intoxicating that it left us anxious to see what coming up could possibly outshine this first course. We were certainly not disappointed by the second course, sautéed warm tiger prawn salad. I have had seafood salad before, in Thailand. This dish was quite different from the Thai dish, for it had a sweet and sour foundation that was derived from the watercress and spicy chili garlic vinaigrette. Once we had our appetite teased, it was finally time for the main course, Fresh local halibut baked with Dungeness Crab Mascarpone and Basil, wild rice and Pea Saute. There is nothing quite as enticing as seafood caught the same day, and it was baked to perfection and artfully garnished by the chef. We topped the meal off with a little In-House made raspberry cheesecake, which completed a wonderful meal that left us with a new appreciation for not just the abundance of our local seafood source, but the creativity and dedication of the local kitchens that literally made us craving for more.

The Cedar Room

2007-04-19T10:12:00.000-07:00

When thinking of a refreshing getaway at a resort, Parksville is usually not the place that pops to mind. Make no mistake though; this little town located in the middle of Vancouver Island, just north of Victoria, has captured the imagination of the many pleasantly surprised visitors, much like yours truly. This time we made a weekend trip to Tigh-Na-Mara Resort, a well known spa resort on Vancouver Island.

It was a typical west coast April evening, rainy and cool. After we checked in late afternoon, we went to the Cedar Room, a fine dining establishment that has a reputation as one of the most authentic seafood restaurant on the island. The exterior of the dining room is rather unassuming, except a huge piece of cedar plaque that bears the name of the restaurant. Once inside though, the center of the focus is on the wine cellar through the glass walls. The hotel lobby adjacent to the restaurant is featured by a gas fireplace and a river rock covered pillar surrounded by a network of cedar beams hanging over the dining area.

The photo above outlines the well lit hotel lobby. Stay tuned on our stay and dining experience at Tigh-Na-Mara Resort.

Lunch at Bengal Lounge

2007-04-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned the Fairmont Empress Hotel in my previous posts. It's classified as 5-star hotel; however, there's been a mixed review on tripAdvisor.com. Based on individual travelers' reviews from TripAdvirsor, the 5-star Fairmont Empress is more like an average hotel, rated 3.5 out of 5 taking into consideration of room, service, value, cleanness, and pool. While some were very happy with their stays, others weren't very enthusiastic about it.

I've never had the opportunity to stay there, so I cannot really comment on the hotel in those aspects. However, I was impressed by the Bengal Lounge where we enjoyed a traditional Indian curry lunch buffet. The setting was adults oriented, suitable for business meetings, romantic dinners, and even semi-formal family and friends gatherings. One feels just as comfortable, dressed up in business attire, reading the paper and drinking martini at the bar, or taking your family out (at least the grown up ones) for a Sunday brunch.

We learned from our server that most decors in the restaurant were originally imported from India. I was particularly impressed with the majestic pillars and the wall mounted Bengal tiger skin seen in the photo above. They remind me of a British colonial style dining room from a time long past. Overall, it was an unique and fun experience, and I gave it a high rating for. However, I would definitely take the English "High Tea" at the Empress next time, served with an amazing variety of fancy and fattening pantries. Probably a better fit for the English style city, eh?

Spring Visit to the City of Garden

2007-04-15T00:27:00.000-07:00

I lived in Victoria for almost seven years. I live in Vancouver now, but I go back to Victoria once in a while just for a visit. Now I appreciate the city and the people more, and am discovering it from a different perspective.

Victoria is known as a city for "the nearly dead and the newly wed". It's true that it's retirees' heaven, and young couples' new world. It attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world every year. I'm lucky that I live still considerably close to it. Just hop on BC Ferries from Vancouver, I'm there.

The photo you see here was taken over Easter weekend at the popular Victoria Inner Harbour, in front of a number of century old buildings, including BC Parliament Buildings, the Fairmont Empress Hotel, and Royal London Wax Museum. As you lazily stroll along the causeway of Inner Harbour, you get a great view of a fleet of sail boats docked peacefully in the water. This is definitely a destination stop not to be missed.

Afternoon Tea at Fairmont Empress

2007-04-13T00:03:00.000-07:00

Fairmont Empress in Victoria often dominates travelers' photo composition, but it's most known for its British style afternoon tea. It is a tradition that has lasted almost a century, and is popular among the locals. It'll be an unique experience for you to take home.

This year they're featuring once-in-a-lifetime package, Dine & Discover - The Titanic Exhibition. The whole package includes one night accommodation at the Empress and two tickets to the special exhibition at Royal BC Museum. It's only available for the next six months up until October 14th. You can book the whole package right here. So if you are planning to visit Victoria this summer, be sure to check it out.

BC Parliament Buildings

2007-04-12T08:10:00.000-07:00

I spent my Easter long weekend in Victoria, BC, and will share my mini vacation with you in the next few posts. What you see here is British Columbia Parliament Buildings, where BC government body assembles and makes legislative decisions.

The buildings were constructed more than 100 years ago, and are full of history. I highly recommend the public tour provided by the Legislative Tour Office. The guided tour, FREE of charge, runs approximately one hour, Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm. It runs more frequent during the Summer months from May to August. Group bookings are also offered and can be booked online. You can find more detailed information here.

Happy Faces in Phuket Town

2007-04-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do in Phuket Town is exploring street vendors in the market. These two boys are waiting for Thai Glass Noodle Salad. I couldn't help noticing the expression on their faces, and joined in, ordered a Thai Papaya Salad. For an instance, I was brought back to my own childhood, and might have had the similar thrill on my own face too.

Thai & European Food & What?

2007-04-01T15:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a sign you may find amusing. While waiting around at Chalong Bay to take the speed boat to get to Racha Island, Nick spotted this sign off the road. At the first look, I didn't really notice anything different until I looked at it closely, thinking if it was a mis usage. Guess not.

Soaking up the Sun

2007-03-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

It's been raining 20 days for the past 22 days here in Vancouver. It just doesn't seem to be an end to this depressing weather. I wish I were below the equator right now, sunbathing on golden sand beaches and drinking fresh coconut juice. Wouldn't that be nice? This photo was taken by my husband, Nick, on Surin Beach, about 15 km north of popular Patong Beach. It's not a very populated beach. We didn't see many tourists out there. It's just a perfect place to get some quiet time to yourself. Look at Nick! He was just soaking up the sun and taking everything in with his lens.

A Dizzy Display for Your Senses

2007-03-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

If you like good quality knock offs, make sure to stop over at MBK Center in Bangkok, one of the biggest malls in Asia. Brand name knock offs like these perfumes are all over the mall. I was blown away by its display of perfumes at this store. You can also easily find Diesel watches, Gucci bags, and Billabong beach wear. Almost anything you desire. It is truly shoppers' heaven.

A Frolic in A Birthday Suit

2007-03-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

I took this photo on Kamala Beach, 20 minutes north of the popular Patong Beach. Kamala got hit severely by Tsunami in 2004. There were still some debris left on the beach when we were there last October. Restaurants and hotels were being renovated around the beach. There didn't seem to be much going on except for a few sun bathers hunkered down on the beach. We were just walking through the beach, trying to take everything in. This little boy caught my eye. He seemed to determine to have a good time with his mother. The surrounding didn't really bother him at all.

Monk's Grill at Whistler Upper Village

2007-03-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

There is no lack of fine dining restaurants at Whistler. One of them is Monk's Grill situated at the Upper Village on Blackcomb side. It provides a vibrant dining atmosphere appealing to couples and outing groups. The restaurant is renowned for a wide selection of wine, steaks and seafoods. Check out their menu here. Be sure to make a reservation during the peak ski seasons. Nick made the reservation online during our last stay up there. Waiting for a table is the last thing you want to do after a hard day of skiing.

Dining at Whistler Village

2007-03-10T11:30:00.000-08:00

It's fun to ski and snowboard through Whistler alpine mountains, but it can be expensive to eat there. One of the cheap eats is the Old Spaghetti Factory at Whistler Village. It provides a casual family setting, good quantity of Italian food. Every entree comes with minestrone soup or green salad, freshly baked sourdough bread, hot tea or coffee, and ice cream as desert. Price ranges from $10 to $15. After a hard day of skiing, hot seafood fettuccine sounds like the perfect choice, doesn't it? However, be prepared to wait to get a sitting during the dining hours. It is a quite popular place among travelers. If you are looking for more dining options, Whistler Blackcomb also has an online dining directory for the Village, which has a complete list of restaurants including the price range.

Shoulder Injury

2007-03-02T08:44:00.000-08:00

My dear readers and fellow bloggers, I'm afraid that I will not be posting any new photos or articles for the next little while due to a dislocated shoulder injury from snowboarding. I'm done for the rest of the ski season. Kiss the alpine mountain good-bye 2007, but I'm not done with blogging. I'll write soon once I gain some mobility back. To the skiing and snowboarding lovers out there, have a great and safe season! It just keeps getting better and better at Whistler - home of 2010 Winter Olympics.

Adara Whistler Hotel

2007-02-21T08:46:00.000-08:00

After spending the New Year's Eve at Whistler Blackcomb and enjoying every minute of it, Nick suggested that we celebrate my big birthday up there. He found a great accommodation deal with Adara Hotel on Last Minute Hotel Deals provided by Whistler Blackcomb. If you are traveling to the ski hills next few weeks, and planning to stay there for a few days, be sure to check out those deals. You never know what hidden treasures you may find there.

We checked in this little boutique hotel after a day of snowboarding on Whistler. Adara is the first designer boutique hotel at Whistler. The hotel itself isn't large, but is "supremely comfortable and elegantly sculpted into a bold, contemporary design" - Small Luxury Hotels of the World. I particularly loved the warm and rustic design elements in the hotel lobby. The designer red lounge chairs with the live gas fireplace and big river rocks make you feel homey and at ease instantly.

A View From A Seaside Lounge

2007-02-09T07:31:00.000-08:00

This picture captures the very spirit of Racha Island, the sense of exclusiveness, comfort and playful luxury. This is the outdoor lounge situated right on the beach near the main lobby. The maple wood structure provided the perfect photo frame. The cloudless blue sky blends right into the layers of the sea down below, just the perfect back drop for the inviting wood and wicker furnitures.

Waiting for the Sunset

2007-02-08T07:56:00.000-08:00

This photo was taken at the Racha Resort where Nick and I spent our honeymoon. We were just enjoying the sunset while most visitors had gone back to their villas to get ready for dinner. I thought that was the most beautiful time of the day. It's not that I don't enjoy blue sky with sunshine, I just love sunset more. No words can describe the intense fiery colors at sunset. So I'd rather snap it with my camera and remember it forever.

ADIDAP - All Day I Dream About Photography

2007-02-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

One of my passion is photography, and when I came across a good photography site, I like to share it with my readers. ADIDAP - All Day I Dream About Photography is a good place to get photography ideas, tips and resources. Techniques such as selective color effect in black and white photos and transforming an image to a painting are commonly adopted by professional photographers, and they do wonders to your photographs. Antoine Khater, the author of ADIDAP, provided step-by-step tutorials on how to add those effects to your photos using Photoshop. Give them a try and see how you like them.

Exotic Thai Food

2007-02-06T10:20:00.000-08:00

We came across these exotic Thai food at a local night market in Phuket Town. It was right before supper time, and my appetite was instantly boosted when I saw these "tasty" creatures :p. Not only did I have to snap a few photos of them, but I also tried those oily crunchy legs and heads...NOoooo, I'm just kidding.

Travel Forum Search Engine

2007-02-02T11:55:00.000-08:00

I was quite excited to have discovered that Chris Michelle's article on my blog was posted on San Francisco Chronicle's Website. Chris is an British writer for TravelHappy.info mentioned in my previous post. His articles on travel guides and tips are frequently posted on SFGate.com. His Travel Discussion Forums Search Engine was published there today. He compiled top 10 travel forums, and provided a google search engine on his site. Now with TravelHappy Travel Forum Search, you won't have to spend hours visiting 10 different travel forums to find the answers you need. One stop meets all your needs. I just tried it myself, searching for Phi Phi Island. All threads on Phi Phi Island topic from those 10 travel forums came up instantly. It worked really well. I wish I had found a similar search engine before my honeymoon. It would have saved me tons of time. What a brilliant idea, Chris! Cheers!

Travel Guide to South East Asia

2007-01-30T21:33:00.000-08:00

I stumbled upon TravelHappy while browsing MyBlogLog directory a few days ago. I got blown away by the amount of travel information and the extended travel tips provided there. Whether you're a backpacker to Thailand, a first timer to Japan, or an adventurer to Cambodia, you'll find some juicy stuff on TravelHappy. Go check it out.

Spring Skiing at Whistler Blackcomb

2007-01-19T22:33:00.000-08:00

If you are a ski/snowboard enthusiast, you've gotta check out this video tour of Whistler Blackcomb. They've got record breaking snow this season. We've been up there a few times, and the snow is truly the best this year.

I took this photo at the peak of Symphony, which just became accessible to public this season. Symphony Express, the high-speed quad chair lift provides access to acres of previously inaccessible high alpine terrain. Ski lovers used to hike 40 minutes from the top of Harmony Express to Symphony to enjoy the spectacular undisturbed mountain. Now, it's accessible to everyone.

Snowboarding Sasquatch on Mt. Whistler

2007-01-18T10:30:00.000-08:00

Nick and I spent all day riding the thick powder up and down the trails at the Symphony bowel near the Whistler peak. That is when we ran into the big furry sasquatch hanging out near the top of the chair lift of the new Symphony high speed chair. Dressed up exactly like the evasive snowboarding sasquatch on the Kokanee beer commercial, this dude was just sitting there enjoying the spectacular view at the peak. I took out the camera, and snapped it away before he had a chance to slip down the mountain.

Rang Yai Island

2007-01-13T11:23:00.000-08:00

Among the many places we visited during our trip in Phuket, Rang Yai Island stood apart for its subdued beauty and tranquility. Also known as Pearl Island, Rang Yai is only 15 minutes speed boat ride away from the main island. Unlike other activity packed day trips, we decided to pick a tour with the most relaxed schedule, which means plenty of time to relax, swim, snorkel and just explore the island on our own. Unbelievably, we were the only visitors on the island that day, possible due to the fact it was near the tail end of the low tourism season. After a quick tour of the pearl farm, our guide led us to the beach basically just to roam around and do whatever we desired.
As Nick snorkeled, I found this huge squid washed up on the beach. I have never seen a squid besides in a restaurant or supermarket, so it was quite an exciting discovery for me. One of the guides picked it up, and when asked what their plan was for this unexpected guest, he said flatly, "we eat".

After lunch, we borrowed a couple of bicycles and set off on our own little expedition around the island. This lovely little island can be circumnavigated in just over 15 minutes. The path were damp and soggy in certain places due to the rain storms that hit sporadically throughout the morning, so we had to be careful not to get our bikes stuck in the mud. Peeking through the trees, we would spot stretches of white sandy beaches so secluded that we just had to stop and take a closer look.

True to the nature of their laid back attitude to life, the Thai guides on the island enjoy playing a relaxing game of mini golf. The tranquil setting of the sandy beach and the palm trees provided a stunning back drop for the golf game. We would remember this island for what it stands for, much like its alias, hidden jewels in this paradise.

Almighty Mt. Robson, BC

2007-01-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

We've had a lot of snow on the west coast this year, which is very uncommon and reminds of my first trip to Jasper National Park. Driving on the trans Canada highway through the BC rockies on the way between Vancouver and Jasper National Park, we came across the formidable Mt. Robson. It sits majestically like an impenetrable fortress on that crisp winter day. It's easy to be captivated by the sight of Mt. Robson as you drive on the long road winding through the BC rockies. The sky was overcast and air was cold, the snow from the previous nights still visible on the side of the road and the trees extending into the hills, all of which contributing to the eerie shade of light blue tone in this phone. It would take hours to wind our way pass Mt. Robson and into the Alberta Rocky mountains, where even more breathtaking mountains awaited us.

Cash, Traveler's Cheques, or Credit Cards

2007-01-11T16:15:00.000-08:00

One of the most common questions travelers ask on the online travel forum is whether they should bring cash, traveler's cheques or credit cards for their trips to Thailand. Here's my 2 cents based on my personal experience.

Cash - bad choice. In general, it's inconvenient to bring a large sum of cash when you travel. And you'll never get it back if it's lost or stolen. I only brought a small amount of cash with me for emergencies.

Traveler's Cheques - good choice for people who are conscious about exchange rates. All banks in Thailand accepts TC. TC offers away better rate than cash and credit cards. Credit card companies offer you the worst rate of the day and take a big chunk out of each transaction. That's how they make money. There's a service charge (about $1 CAD or 30-33 baht) to process each TC, so it's wise to get TC with large dominations like 100s. The main advantage of TC is high reliability of safe keeping of your cash. No one else can use it if it's lost. One tiny inconvenience is that you need present your passport at the time of transaction. I used TC for the first time while in Thailand, and now I'm a strong advocate of using TC.
Credit Cards - good for people who are not bothered by the low exchange rate. It's extremely convenient when you shop at department stores buying big items like jeweleries and digital cameras. I used it a couple of times at the duty free shops at the airport when I ran out of Baht.

Oh I almost forgot to mention bank cards. Yes, it's another option. You can use your bank card to take out Baht from ATM over there as long as your bank shares the same network as that of ATM, commonly Interac, Cirrus, or Maestro. The major downside of using ATM abroad is that you bear two service charges. One's from your bank, and the other is levied by the Thai bank. Your bank MAY or MAY not charge you a fee each time you use it. I say MAY because some banking plans come with a couple of free ATM usages. I bank with BMO, and my banking plan comes with two free ones every month. The fee charged by Canadian banks varies from bank to bank. Some charge up to $5 CAD, which I think is quite high. I don't know how much Thai bank charges (probably $1 or $2 CAD, my guess), you may be able to find out about it online.

Hope this helps. Happy travel!

Orchids in the Wild

2007-01-10T23:14:00.000-08:00

Snowbabie's Snowdrops inspired me to post this photo taken on Rang Yai Island, Phuket. Wild orchids are seen everywhere on the island, and are extremely easy to grow in the warm and high humidity weather. They grow almost everywhere, even off the tree trunks, like the one seen in this photo.

New Year's Eve Celebration, Whistler, BC

2007-01-03T22:47:00.000-08:00

It's been an eventful and memorable year for us, so what better way to send off 2006 than spending New Year's Eve up in Whistler, BC, the official winter party central. After spending the whole day on the slopes, we had dinner and ventured straight out in the village, which by then was already full of revelers in high party spirits for Whistler's First Night 2007 Celebration. The stone paved streets of whistler village looked inviting and lively on this night, illuminated by the glowing lights on trees throughout the place. People congregated here from the entire globe, with one common goal, to count down the hours and minutes with family and friends in this amazing paradise. After the performance by funk singer Zaki Ibrahim, DJ Grand Theft brought the party to a fever pitch with some hot mixes off tunes from the 90s, 80s and even some old school disco. We danced the night away under a light drift of snow that started earlier in the evening. We welcomed 2007 with a count down and great fireworks display. We will always remember this New Year's Eve, let's hope there's even more snow in 2007!

Christmas Lights, Inner Harbour, Victoria, BC

2006-12-28T11:02:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, and apologize that I haven't posted much lately. Here's a photo I'd like to share with everyone. This is the beautiful Victoria Inner Harbour on Christmas night. On the right is the Fairmont Empress Hotel. The mixture of all the light source provided a illuminating backdrop to the buildings and the boats captured in this photo. I took it with a tripod and manual mode with no flash at 1.3 second shutter speed.

Karona Resort and Spa, Karon, Phuket

2006-12-17T23:17:00.000-08:00

We had many choices when choosing our lodging arrangement for the Thailand trip for it was during the tail end of the low tourist season. October doesn’t offer the ideal weather condition, but as we found out, except for some sudden but short lasting rain storms, it was actually pretty much hot and sunny.

We decided to stay at Karon beach seen above, the second largest beach on Phuket island. It's a more couple oriented setting than a night life oriented at Patong beach. And in case if you really want to get some action from the hustling and busting, it's only 20 min away. This photo was taken from a nearby hill top hotel, outlining the whole beach.

We found Karona Resort & Spa from one of the Phuket tourism board web sites on a last minute deal. The hotel driver picked us up from the airport in a caravan, after a 45 minute ride south bound on the island roadway, we finally arrived at what was to be our little island oasis for the next couple of weeks. The hotel is perched up on a small hill right across the street from Karon beach. Almost all of the hotel guest rooms had an ocean view, ours was no exception, high up on the third floor with beautiful sea view from our suite. We instantly found comfort and ease at this little resort, and throughout our stay took full advantage of all the amenities and services it provides.

The swimming pool is situated just above the lobby and the restaurant, surrounded beautifully among lush tropical plants and coconut trees. There are miniature clay women with fresh flowers tucked behind their ears placed all around the pool, which adds to the ambiance a touch of color and liveliness. I call them the bare naked ladies.

Our favorite place was the spa located on the ground floor of the guest room building. We were frequent visitors there. We were greeted by the gracious host as soon as we entered the spa every time. After a treat of locally grown Chai tea, we would be led into a quite room with wooden spa bed and wonderfully smelling burning scented candles. We would slip into traditional Thai clothing and just let the spa staff took away all our stress. There are of course spa treatment readily available almost on every street corner, but if you want to be served only by certified professional staff, in a clean and well established environment, your best bets are usually the spa at your hotel. The photo shown was taken right after we had a Thai Massage, and let me tell you, it’s a must do while you are in Thailand.

After a traditional Siam massage and an exotic facial treatment with fresh fruits exact, we truly felt rejuvenated, and ready to get some more sunbathing again.

Quitting Time at Karon Beach, Phuket

2006-12-12T21:07:00.000-08:00

Seadoo Boat Operators Calling It a Day

Two Thai Locals Enjoying the Beer on the Beach

Traditional Long Tail Boat Cruising by on Its Way Home

It was one of those cloudy days in October. I was waiting to take some sunset shots. I didn't think that I would get any fantastic scenery shots, but I waited anyway. And I got these three shots. They're ordinary scenery shots, but the people and boats make up interesting composition. The first two show that two locals are finishing up the day and having a beer before getting ready to go home. A Thai long tail boat seen in the last photo cruises by before dusk, and I was quite happy with the colors of this photo.

Adored by Locals, Loved by Tourists

2006-12-11T22:21:00.000-08:00

Elephants are a huge part of South East Asian societies. They are loved and respected by everyone. It's easy to understand why, especially after the type of close encounters we had with the elephants during our trip. Our meeting with the 4 year old elephant shown in this picture was particularly unforgettable. We were treated to a fantastic show by this adorable elephant on our way to a white water rafting trip. After the show, while waiting for the other guests to return from their elephant ride in the jungle, we happened to see the elephant trainer giving our little star performer a much deserved shower. When the trainer saw us snapping pictures, he signaled us to come over and take over the shower hose from him. Obviously this is something we have never done before, and neither me or Nick knew what to expect. But to our surprise, the little elephant (not so little compared to everything else) hardly cared who was giving him a shower, he was having too much fun to notice! Once in while, the curious elephant would brush his trunk playfully against our faces, leaving us both a little startled and thrilled!

The elephant trekking tour up the hills of this Phuket roadside slope was something we wanted to do. We did not expect to feel what we felt when we first decided to do the trekk. I understand that these types of tours contribute significantly to the local tourism industry, but it's really difficult for us to really believe the animals are actually benefiting at all from the money their owners are bringing in.

Love is in the Air

2006-12-10T14:34:00.000-08:00

I'm not very good at people shots because I think it's the hardest thing to do. It's difficult to capture people in their most natural and unpretentious state. However, I thought this one did a decent job of presenting a moment of two people in love and mostly unaware of the photographer. Right before the sunset, most tourists have gone back to their lodges. Nick spotted this cute Thai couple on the beach. Based on their body language, we could tell love was the air. I immediately took out the camera and snapped away from the distance.

A Day at Karon Beach, Phuket, Thailand

2006-12-07T21:34:00.000-08:00

Just another day of sun tanning at Karon Beach, Phuket. I couldn't help taking a few shots while Nick was in the water. It was taken from the distance with an interchangeable Zuiko Digital 40-150mm f3.5-4.5 lens. I used sports mode, which allowed me to shoot at a fast shutter speed without blur. This is one of my favorite.

Snap, Tag, Sell

2006-12-07T13:07:00.000-08:00

Since a number of readers of my blog are fond of photography, I thought it was relevant to spread the words. As a Flickr member, you can tag "scoopt" to your pictures and sell them through Scoopt. Read the full article here or click on the post title.

Racha Video from Vanessa's Memories

2006-12-05T23:29:00.000-08:00

Vanessa from Singapore just got back from visiting Racha Island. She well documented her unique experience there in a video. If photos from my blog do not intrigue you, check out her blog. It was well done.

Monkey Cave, Phang Nga, Thailand

2006-12-05T12:39:00.000-08:00

Phuket is home to a wide range of wild lives both on shore and in the surrounding oceans. One group of animals we did not anticipate on seeing was monkeys. We stopped by these monkeys sanctuary on our way to a day of white water rafting in the mountains of Phang Nga.

The monkeys were visible as soon as we stepped out of the caravan, just outside the entrance to Suwankuha Temple (Monkey Cave). Upon closer look, there must be over two hundreds of these furry guys mingling about.

For those who want to get up close and personal with the monkeys, you can purchase a handful of bananas for some feeding fun. It’s not everyday you get a chance to feed a herd of wild monkeys in their own habitat without any cages or fences, and this proved to be too much temptation for Nick. With the bananas in hand, Nick approached the monkeys with much enthusiasm. All of the sudden, he was swarmed by a group of even more enthusiastic monkeys determined to get a piece of those delicious treats in his hand. There were tribe elders coming from their hiding places up in the hill, little cute ones playfully jumping around, and even mother monkeys with little babies hanging on to the mother. It wasn’t long until one of monkeys figured out where his blind spot is, and before you know it, he’s got Nick’s Bananas in his hand and more pandemonium ensues with monkeys all over focusing their attention squarely on the monkey with the loot.

It wasn’t what we expected to see, but it was truly amusing encounter that we will not soon forget.

The Racha Resort, Racha Island, Thailand

2006-12-02T00:37:00.000-08:00

We didn’t know about the Racha resort when we first researched our honeymoon destination earlier this year. In fact, if it wasn’t for a lack of availability at our original selection, Coral Island, off the coast of Phuket, Thailand, we would probably never have discovered this jewel hidden on the idyllic Racha Island, also just a short speed boat cruise away from Phuket.

Having been to Phuket before the Tsunami, and fallen in love with the island and its very hospitable people, it was an easy decision for us to go there for our honeymoon. Most of our 3-week trip was to be spent on Phuket Island, but we wanted to experience a romantic getaway to one of the many surrounding islands of Phuket. When a stay to Coral Island was not possible, we researched and found a little known resort called the Racha. By looking at the pictures posted on their website, we were completely captivated by its natural beauty.

We left Chalong Bay pier at the southern tip of Phuket for our 3-night short stay at the Racha. The resort staff greeted us at their tastefully decorated reception office located near Chalong Bay. As we would later experience, and indeed expect, everything was thoughtfully taken care of for us, down to the every small detail. Each and every staff at the resort accommodated us with such warm care and thoughtfulness that we truly felt welcome and at home.

Contrasting sharply from the hustling and bustling of the busy beaches of Phuket, Racha Island is a private beach with only one resort operator. No matter where you are on the island, you get the feeling that you are in paradise and the whole island is yours only to explore.

The resort is billed as a premier deluxe resort, offering a variety of activities accommodating a wide range of interests. Among all the available adventures, snorkeling off Siam Bay, northeast of the island was the most memorable. Unlike any beaches off Phuket, water off the coast of Racha is calm, crystal clear and full of breathtaking colorful tropical fish and exotic marine life. Just imagine swimming lazily in the warm Indian Ocean water, with hundreds of fish covering all spectrums of color moving elegantly all around you, some of them gently stroking your skin.

After a hard day of lounging around the magnificently situated swimming pool, snorkeling, diving or canoeing or even sailing, there are just as many services at the Racha to refresh and relax you. We took advantage of most of those services, including spa, fitness center and yoga.

One unique feature of this resort is its seamless integration with the island’s natural habitat. In fact, when the resort was being designed, the architect tried to save as many coconut trees as possible; all structures were designed to coexist with existing plants. Throughout our stay, we constantly came upon manmade structures with unconventional shapes to accommodate the native plants and vegetations. Like the picture seen here, holes were cut in the roof in order to keep the trees.

Any discussion of a Thai resort without mentioning its fine dining experience would do it grave injustice. The Racha, even though remote in location, somehow manages to churn out in its 3 restaurants some of the most authentic and mouth-watering food I have ever tasted. The daily brunch combines Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and French cuisine to overwhelm the guests with an amazing selection. To pick a favorite item off the brunch menu would be difficult, but we were blown away by the thin sliced assorted smoked meats, the cheese varieties and the fresh mango juice. Thailand is not known particularly for its coffee, but the Racha offers a dark, full bodied blend that left us wonder how we were ever going to get used to anything else after that.

We dined at each of the three restaurants at the Racha. Fire Grill is the most formal of the three. If you decide to go there, make sure to try the halibut wrapped in baked potato.

Earth Café has a romantic and comfortable setting. We had the most authentic Thai dishes there, and enjoyed the unforgettable performance by their lounge singers.

Sunset Beach restaurant is located at Ter Bay. It features daily fresh catch from local fishermen, and if you love seafood like me, you will not want to miss its famous seafood platter.

If quiet majestic beaches and first class services sound attractive, you simply must make a visit to this special island among the “Jewels of the Andaman Sea”. It will be an unforgettable experience.

Let's Talk Thai Food

2006-11-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

We are huge fans of Thai food. We took full advantage of the best Thailand has to offer during our stay.

There is a huge variety of cuisines to choose from across the various beaches on Phuket Island and inland at Phuket Town. We found that the best place to taste real authentic Thai food are some of the open air street side restaurants that congregate near most hotels and shopping centers. You can find bargain price seafood meals daily that features fresh catch from local fishermen. We tried a number of fish dishes, and none of them disappointed. Our favourite dish was steamed white or red snapper with lemon grass, which is served hot and spicy on a heated metal dish. There are also plenty of appetizers to keep you busy while you wait for the main course. As you could probably guess, most appetizers also feature seafood. Most people have tried Tom Yum soup (Sour and spicy Thai sea food soup); it’s also a favourite of the travellers there.

I have to say the one dish I kept going back to was spicy glass noodle salad which comes with either chicken, minced pork or seafood, and Nick’s favourite was Yum Squid (baby Squid salad). These restaurants offer a casual and authentic dining experience even for people with limited budget. If you are somewhat a daredevil, make sure you ask your server that you want your food nice and spicy, but watch out for the little green chilli peppers. They are deadly!

If you want a little bit more than the usual tourist dining experience, then get on a scooter, forget about the map and get lost, that’s the best way to stumble upon a local market or food fair that will absolutely blew your mind! That’s exactly how we discovered this amazing outdoor food court right in the center of Phuket Island. We were looking for a fruit vendor when we saw the food court, located discreetly among some office buildings and commercial shops. The first thing we noticed was the lack of English on all the signs and menus. We looked around the food court and saw all sorts of interesting food items, mostly vegetarian (we found out later that the locals were celebrating the Vegetarian Festival), such as Thai curry vegetable with rice, tofu with chilli pepper, Pad Thai (the really spicy version), and all sorts of mouth watering noodle dishes. Almost all of the diners at this place were locals working at the office building nearby, and indeed we found the food tend to be spicier than what are usually found at most hotel dining rooms.

After drooling over the displayed dishes, we decided on one of the kitchens that had some sample dishes on display. I somehow conveyed to him that we wanted some fried rice with vegetables and a Pad Thai. In no time, we had our food made and served to us, and oh boy, it was probably the most memorable meal we had during our trip! The vegetable was just spicy enough that I was able to eat it without calling an ambulance, and the Pad Thai had all the aroma and taste that will leave you beg for more.

Once in the heart of Phuket Town, one is treated to an exhilarating stroll through some of the most colourful and tasty show of street vendors, sidewalk stands and local dinning halls that jams the streets of this hustling and bustling civility. Your money will go a long way here, so be prepared to treat yourself to a barrage of little snacks as you venture out into the busy local streets. We certainly didn’t pass up on opportunity to try something new and exotic. There are the delicious steamed buns, fresh fruit shakes, papaya salads, dumplings, glass noodles, little rice cakes with coconuts icings, and the list goes on and on. After stuffing ourselves with everything we could get our hands on, we ventured into the fresh produce market. Walking among the streaming crowd that congregates daily at the local market, we took in the sights, sound, smell and taste of the streets.

Food is such a huge part of experience in Phuket. It’s really up to the traveller to decide what type of dining experience they want out of the trip, but whatever the case, Phuket has plenty to offer. Trust us, take the time to discover and you will be deliciously rewarded.

How to Shoot Perfect Sunset Pictures with Digital SLR

2006-11-27T21:49:00.000-08:00

Sunset is the most beautiful time of the day. However, sometimes your sunset pictures don't turn out as expected. There are techniques you can improve while shooting sunset scenary using a digital SLR camera. I found some helpful hints for shooting sunsets targeting Olympus Digital Camera users. However, the techniques apply to all digital SLR camera users. You should practice these techniques before going to your travel destination. You will see huge improvement on your scenic shots. Of course, patience and luck come in play sometimes.

I shot this one by an unknown beach in Phuket, Thailand. Nick and I were on a scooter ride around the island on our last day in Phuket, and stumbled upon this secluded lovely beach. It was a couple of hours before sunset. We decided to stay for the sunset. We climbed to the highest point of the surrounding rocks and waited for the perfect timing. And this is what I got after 7 or 8 shots. I love this shot because it highlights the dramatic colors of the sky. And the small island in the middle of the sea makes the composition quite interesting. It was shot in mannual mode, at f/3.5, 1/150th of a second.

Shopping in Bangkok, Thailand

2006-11-22T12:15:00.000-08:00

Bangkok always has the reputation of being one of the busiest shopping center in Asia. Based on what we saw and experienced, it is indeed well deserved of this reputation. We had limited amount of time, so we concentrated our shopping effort on MBK Center, which is located right in the city center and convenient to get to from our hotel. There are many more shopping plazas and night markets we simply didn't have time to visit. However, MBK's got everything you can think of. Inside the mall is eight stories full of shops, and shoppers from all over the world. There is really no need to go anywhere else. Picture seen here is a big billboard of Beckham inside the mall. Oh yeah, Thai people are big on soccer.

If you have time to bargain and has some basic knowledge about jewllery, do explore the dazzling selection of gold, silver, pearls and precious stones. They are readily available at all shopping centers and night markets. Be sure to ask for a certificate if the jeweller didn't provide one. Personally, we found that pearls are great bargains, especially sea pearls, which are considerable more expensive in North America. For people who are looking for an engagement ring or wedding bands, you're at the right place. Also for precious stone lovers, you're in heaven.

If you are looking for clothing and silk, there are plenty to choose from. What we discovered was that their fashion sense is very well up to date, and the price is incredablly affordable. We bought everything from T shirts, jackets, caps, footwear to silk scarves (Ladies, get lots of silk scarves, bed spreads, cushion covers. You're not gonna regret it). One thing you should do is to try on everything before you buy it. We found that clothing size is a bit smaller than North American sizes. Nick goes for large on T shirts and jackets. So you get the idea.

Thai people are very good at making hand crafts. You can find decent quality handycrafts made from such local materials as teakwood, mangowood and bamboo. Do not pass on the opportunities to bring back some hand-made teakwood vases, bamboo serving trays and dinner sets (the ones you only find at Pier 1 Import or Home Sense at imported prices).

Getting to Phuket Town,Thailand

2006-11-21T15:42:00.000-08:00

Beaches are nice, but Phuket Town is a very exciting place to explore. It's about 30 minutes by car from the beach. You can get there by local bus, tuk tuk(taxi), scooter, motorcycle, or private car.

We rode the bus once. It was an interesting experience, and we enjoyed it. It's very economic to travel by bus there. It costs less than 1 dollar(25 bhat) per person to Phuket Town from the beach and you can sightsee along the way. Its downside is slow and you have to wait for it by the street. It comes every half an hour. If you miss it, gotta hang around the beach for another half an hour. Image standing in the heat of 30 celsius plus humidity, hum..not very fun, or running for the bus in that kind of heat, which is what we did...huh..wishing we could jump into a pool after that run.

You can also take tuk-tuk to the town. Tuk-tuk is Thai version of taxi. It is essential to bargain before getting in a tuk-tuk. The price ranges from $10 to $20 one way from the beach depending on your bargain skills :p. A tuk-tuk sits 4-5 people, so if you have a group of people to share the cost with you, it's not bad at all.

We found the best way to travel across the island is to rent a scooter. It costs $5 a day plus gas only. You can ride it anywhere, stop and go anytime you want. We discovered a lot of interesting places while scootering around the island. We came across local eateries, night markets, elephant trekking, and sunset view points. And riding the scooter in and out of traffic like locals is A LOT of fun although we had some embarrasing moments, not to mention how I fell off the scooter at the gas station. Watching the chaotic traffic, you probably don't think there's much to the traffic rules. Well, not entirely true. There are rules to comply when it comes to ride a scooter. Drive on the left-hand side of the road; never drive in the opposite direction on a one-way street; bring your driver's license; wear a helmet. The last one applies to the drivers only. Yeah, I know. It doesn't make sense. Only are drivers required to wear a helmet in Thailand. Many foreign travellers get fined for breaking these rules. We witnessed a lot of them. Actually we are not an exception. We got caught just one block away from the bike rental for not wearing a helmet. If you think you can talk your way out of it, well, good luck! We tried. He took away Nick's driver's license. Nick had to go to the police station to pay for the fine in order to get his driver's license back. We learned our lesson :p

Phuket Town is best explored on foot. Once you get into the town, you'll be approached by friendly and persistent locals offering to take you and your friends around the town in a private car with A/C for about 3 dollars(100 baht). Do not go with it. I know it sounds like a bargain and you'll be attempted, but trust me, exploring it at your own pace is the best option. The town itself is small, easy to get around, so many things to see, and so much food to try, you don't want to miss any of it by being stuck in a car. Plus, you really do not know where the driver will take you. Why waste your precious time?

There's so much more about Phuket Town I want to talk about, but I guess I'll have to save that for later. Stay tuned. There will be more to come.

Being an Amature Photographer

2006-11-17T13:41:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, I think I might have been a photographer if I never made it to the programming world. I just love travelling and taking shots of just about anything. I used an Olympus E-500 digital SLR with a 14-45mm wide zoom lens and a 40-150mm telephoto lens for our honeymoon photos. I'm still new to using SLR cameras, but thanks to the beautiful scenery in Thailand. Some photos are amazing, left us with unforgettable memories of our trip.

Racha Island, Phuket, Thailand

2006-11-17T13:16:00.000-08:00

I finally managed to post the pictures taken at Racha Island online. Racha Island is located very south of Thailand, about 35 minute by speed boat from Phuket main island. The island is known for its excellent corals and marine life, so the best location for snorkling and scuba diving. The Racha Resort features 70 luxurious private villas, surrounded by turquoise blue water and white powder sandy beaches, an ideal location for a romantic getaway. We were just so thrilled to have discovered it and stayed there.

Always something to plan :P

2006-11-09T11:08:00.000-08:00

Well, what's next after a wedding? Honeymoon!!! We just got back from our honeymoon. We were in Thailand for THREE weeks. It was the best vacation both of us have ever had. Unbelieveable experience!! So much to tell and so much to remember. Tons of photos and videos were taken, and they will soon be uploaded once the best of the best is chosen and processed (by Photoshop wink* wink*).

Our Wedding Day

2006-09-08T00:46:00.000-07:00

My blog was loading a bit slow because of all the pictures posted here, so I took them off line and created a wedding photo album at Kodak EasyShare. You can still see how my big day went. Most of pictures were taken by Neil (my photographer). He was awsome. He and his wife worked so hard that day, and really made our big day memorable. Thanks Neil.

Wedding Photography

2006-06-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

Everything is important on the big day, but I think the most important is photography. I'm sure most people agree with me. Wedding photos capture the special precious moment that every bride's dreamed of in her entire life. My wedding photographer was recommended to me by a friend of mine. I like his style, unique and free. The special moment and people's smile all become alive in his photos. I am so....looking forward to my special moment.

Getting Closer to the Date

2006-06-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

Well, it is getting closer to the date, the date I become a married woman. "Married"...wow...it sounds so mature and bears a lot of responsibilities. Responsibilities to each other, families and friends. The more I think about this, the more nervous I get. I promised Nick that I won't be a run-away bride or fake my own kidnapping. My running shoes are kept away in the closet. Nothing's going to go wrong on the day. Everything will go just fine. The weather will be perfect (because it's an outdoor wedding). There will be perfect pictures, perfect flowers decor, perfect cake, and most importantly perfect people. It'll just be a perfect day for us. I'm so excited... :)

Links

2006-05-31T22:50:00.000-07:00

If you would like to exchange links with me, please drop me a line in the comment area. Here are some good links I thought relevant to my blog. Check them out.

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