Perhentian Islands, Malaysia Travel Guide

Visiting the Perhentian Islands is like taking a step into an exotic and rare paradise, and it is the ideal place to reconnect with yourself and nature. For a long time, Perhentians have been a popular Malaysia beach destination but were once a break in the long journey between Malaysia and Bangkok.

Perhentian Kecil is the busier and rowdier of the two islands. This small island fills up very quickly during the busy season. Perhentian Kecil is divided into two beaches: Coral Bay and Long Beach. Long Beach is the island’s primary destination with more accommodation, more nightlife, and nicer beaches. Coral Bay is more relaxed and offers lower prices for food and accommodation. Coral Bay is a great place to be for glorious sunsets while Long Beach is the perfect place for socializing.

The other island is Perhentian Besar, sometimes called “the big island”. This island appeals more to couples, families, and those travelers on a slightly higher budget. Perhentian Besar is more relaxed and quieter than Perhentian Kecil. There are many luxury bungalows operating like small resorts on this island and the accommodations include air conditioning and private bathrooms. Teluk Dalam is one of the three main beach areas on this island and it is a secluded stretch of white and clean sand. Love Beach is a rocky stretch of sand and is more of a gathering place for those looking to socialize.

Your tour of the Perhentian Islands starts on the Peninsular Malaysia northern coast – the two islands are located here. The islands are joined together in pristine white beaches, and there are no roads to get from one place to the next. If you want to visit other parts of the island, you can hire water taxis or take the pathways through jungles.

The Perhentian Marine Park is home to some of the world’s best diving. The park is protected nationally, so activities like fishing, jet skiing, and waterskiing are prohibited in the immediate area. These clear and quiet waters are the ideal place for you to photograph some of the sea life and snorkel through coral reefs.

Once you are out of the water, your sightseeing of the Perhentian Islands will reveal a relaxing and simple lifestyle waiting for you. Several accommodations are on the beach, so you can walk straight from the water into your accommodation. Go for a hike in the jungle or stretch out on the sand with friends and family. Remember to return to the shoreline in time to see as the sun go down. This is one of the most stunning scenes you will ever see.

Paper book versus e-book – which one is the better travel-buddy?

A brief history
The history of books started around 6000 years ago when the Egyptians delivered written messages using papyrus rolls. Some time later, the Greeks came up with the idea of writing on parchment. People wrote on wood panels and wax tablets but every piece of written communication was a unique copy, written by hand. It was laborious and tedious. Until one Johan zu Gutenberg revolutionized the book market by inventing moveable type in Europe in 1450, making books less expensive and more available.

People started reading, the number of illiterates decreased and soon entertaining reads were in high demand as well.

The first e-book was the US Declaration of Independence in 1971. Soon after, handbooks and manuals were given out on CDs. When e-Ink appeared on the screen in 2007, the e-book started its triumphant progress.

The mobile book
Deciding between a paper and an e-book is a personal preference. Studies have shown, that the e-books practicability increased the average daily reading time from 35 minutes to 45 minutes, whereas most people prefer to read e-books in bed and paper books on the sofa or in the bathroom. Unsurprisingly, reading is most holidaymakers favourite activity. However, they still are very fond of paper books, especially when it comes to travel guides.

Pros paper book
Fans of paper books will always mention the irresistible feeling of opening a book, smelling the paper and feeling the pages slide through their fingers, heralding the adventure to come. The same goes for entering a bookshop, filled with unimaginable knowledge and millions of lives. Some books have artfully designed covers and pages which only work on paper. You can also add your personal touch to a paper book and fill it with your own memories by using a postcard as a bookmark, for example. Reading a paper book simply satisfies the need for experiencing something beautiful with all your senses. It draws your attention away from a screen for a change and makes you focus on one single thing. When it comes to travelling, most hostels and hotels offer books for a book swap which makes for social interaction and adds a certain cozy feel to a temporary home. And on the practical side, paper books don´t need electricity!

Pros e-book
An e-book on the other hand is light and small, you can carry it in almost any bag, which is obviously a massive advantage when on the road. It makes no sound and brings its own light, priceless features when sleeping in a dorm! You can fit hundreds and hundreds of books into a single e-reader and most of them will be significantly cheaper than the paper version. If you can´t find the right book for your mood you can choose any story from a whole world of books right where you are, that is, if your e-reader is connected to the internet. E-readers usually come with dictionaries and search tools and you can select the font size for additional convenience. They will set a bookmark for you so you don´t have to go through the pages trying to find the right chapter again. And if you feel sneaky, it is a lot easier to hide your current read from your surroundings, at least in theory.

If you still feel undecided, there is nothing to be worried about! The great new is, most books are still available as paper and electronic version.

5 Great Things to Do in Iceland

Iceland is not only the land of midnight sun, but also a place for geysers, fjords, Icelandic horses, snow and many more. They inculcate Icelandic flavors in every adventure they offer to their tourists, and the locals are one of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet in your life. Visiting Iceland should be on top of your bucket list and make sure to visit the country once in your lifetime. Friends of mine who own an Edmonton Roofing company have made Iceland one of their go to vacation destinations. To give you more reasons to love Iceland here are 5 great things to do when you’re in Iceland.

Horseback Riding
The most notable animal in the whole country would be the Icelandic horses. These horses have short legs but don’t be deceived because these short-legged creature is highly dependable, muscular and long-lived. People treat them with utmost importance to preserve the unique characteristics and avoid diseases, that’s why once one of these horses are transported out of Iceland, they make sure it will not return anymore. If you want to experience riding these fascinating creatures, try booking one of their horse riding tours.

Geyser
There are many geysers in Iceland, and one of the famous activities tourists do is see these impressive water eruptions directly from a hole in the surface of the Earth. Geysers are not a common site to every country so make sure you visit one of these, the most famous and the mother of all geysers is the Great Geysir. Unfortunately, it had stopped erupting water after an earthquake in 2000, instead, you may visit Strokkur, a fast-becoming tourist attraction in Iceland because of its non-stop eruption. You will have the pleasure of seeing it every 5 to 10 minutes, however, extra caution should be observed since the water from the geyser is boiling hot.

Whale Watching
Over the years, Iceland has become the whale watching capital of Europe. There are twenty three species of whale that are seen in the waters of Iceland, and the most common of these are the Minke whales that are seen all year round. If you’re rather lucky, you may see the bigger cetaceans like, Sperm whales, Humpback whales, or the rare, Blue Whale. Aside from whales, you are also in for a treat because dolphins are also spotted during whale watching tours.

Blue Lagoon

One of the must-do things when you visit Iceland is to experience their traditional geothermal spa in the popular Blue Lagoon. It is such a treat for tourists since it is just located near the airport so if you’re flight gets cancelled or delayed, grab a ride to this spa and relieve the stress by dipping in their warm waters. This mineral-rich waters are said to help those who are suffering from psoriasis and other skin diseases. The warm waters are renewed every two days and is supplied by the nearby geothermal power plant.

Aurora Borealis
One of the most beautiful cosmic wonder that will astonish anyone regardless of your age and belief is the Aurora Borealis, or most commonly known as the Northern Lights. Countries high above the northern hemisphere are blessed to see this dancing lights, and majority of the tourists that visit Iceland are Northern Light seekers. It’s not every night though that you can get to see it, so you have to be patient and bring in your lucky charm so that you’ll get to be fortunate enough to see it. Between the months of September and April are the best months, and the night has to be clear from obscuring clouds and the solar activity must be high for you to witness this phenomenon firsthand. By its sheer magnificence, one can be left breathless in awe.

Work-Life Balance Tips For Hard-Working Parents

While it is true that most parents have a commute to work that is not too far away from their home, there are some parents out there who have to travel long distances. Due to the fact that employers are becoming more global pretty much every single day, work travel has become a very common occurence. Traveling for business can have a lot of positive effects on a person. However, that doesn’t mean that traveling for business doesn’t have its disadvantages. You see, maintaining a healthy work-life balance is not always an easy task. This is especially true if you are a parent. That being said, whether you are a parent in the military, or you are just traveling for business, work travel can be a really tough task for both you and your spouse.

With this in mind, it is very important for you to find a way to help your children cope during business trips. You can do this by staying in touch with your loved ones throughout the entire trip. One of the most important steps to making your business trip work is to convict yourself that all that work travel that you do is really worth it. As the working parent that you are, it is very important for you to be committed to the work, as well as to believe that the advantages of traveling for work outweigh the disadvantages. That being said, here are some work-life balance tips that every hard-working parent should know!

Preparing Your Family For a Business Trip

Before you actually hit the road, it is very important for you to let your loved ones know when and where you are going. Also, tell your kids why you need to take that trip. It is also very important for you and your spouse to be on the same page, because someone has to stay at home and take care of kids, right?

Staying Connected With Your Family

There are many different ways you can stay connected with your loved ones while you are on the road despite the distance. For example, you can use your phone to take photos of yourself and share them with your family back home. You can also use your phone to send a text message to your loved ones and let them know that you are okay. And don’t forget to use video calls to connect with your loved ones while you are on the road, okay?

Top 3 Tips For Traveling With Parents

Is there anything better than seeing the world with your loved ones? A nice and relaxed vacation is one of the best gifts that you could ever give to your parents. For many people out there, the earliest travel memories can be traced back to traveling with their loved ones as kids. But, things are very different nowadays. You see, now we are all full-grown adults, which means that we have the ability to travel the world in a swagger of independence.

However, there are some people out there who still enjoy traveling with their parents every now and then, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. When you are traveling with your parents, you need to take special care of them, and it is your duty to ensure that their travel experience goes as smoothly as it can possibly go. With this in mind, if you are planning on going on a road trip with your parents, here are some tips that should help you have the best travel experience that you could possibly have. Enjoy the trip!


Respect Your Parents’ Preferences

Before you actually plan out your entire trip, it is very important for you to talk to your parents and take their opinions very seriously. Ask them about where they want to go, what things they want to see, and what fun things they want to do. After all, you want to make the trip as pleasant as possible for your parents, don’t you? So, if you want to go for a trek, but your parents are not physically ready for it, don’t embarrass them. Instead, be sensitive and plan out a more sedate activity.

Visit Elderly Friendly Places

Try to find hotels that are elderly friendly. By doing this, you will make your parents very happy, because you will show them that you actually care about them. And when it comes to planning out the tourist attractions that you want to visit, make sure that those places are easily accessible for everybody.

Enjoy the Trip

Make sure to never forget the main purpose of your trip. You want to establish a great connection between yourself and your parents, and you want to sort out all those misunderstandings that keep bothering you every single day. So, just be at peace and enjoy the time that you got to spend with your parents, because it will not last forever, you know?