Topless sunbathers at Port Dickson beach

Actually I was going to talk about honeymoon lingerie but the article on topless sunbathers on our own shores cut the queue.

The image below is real. It was taken at Port Dickson, a seaside beach town an hour's drive south of Kuala Lumpur.

According to The Star, the four women were spotted at Pantai Saujana beach at about 3pm recently.

People were shocked. But the women did not look bothered at all.

An eyewitness claimed that the women even removed their bikini bottoms when they were done with their swimming and came back to the beach.

Eventually they became irritated and left as the crowd grew to stare.

By the way, if you are thinking about doing that, you can forget it because here in Malaysia going topless in public is not allowed.


Image courtesy of The Star.

Malaysia has 3 beaches on CNN's World's 100 Best Beaches

What a glorious morning this is! Blue skies and bright sunshine and on a Sunday too!

Malaysia is like this most of the time if you're wondering about the weather here. Humid, yes. Haze, not right now, but great to be outdoors most days - perhaps to a beach?

25. Sun Island Beach, Maldives

Speaking of the beach, three beaches in Malaysia made it to CNN's updated list of the World's 100 Best Beaches. Better yet, all three are in the top 50.

Coming in at..

49. Tanjung Rhu, Langkawi, Malaysia

49. Tanjung Rhu, Langkawi, Malaysia

CNN says:
Most tourists on Langkawi flock to Pantai Cenang beach, but the quieter Tanjung Rhu has an earthy beauty and serene atmosphere. The long beach area is surrounded by ancient limestone caves, rippling waterways and dense mangroves.

Highlight: The Four Seasons Resort offers boat tours around the mangrove forests.

If you are planning your next island holiday or a Malaysian holiday, here is CNN's 10 best islands for a Malaysia holiday to check out.


At
21. Juara Beach, Tioman Island, Malaysia

CNN says:
Less developed and less polished than Thailand, Tioman Island's Juara Beach brings an all-natural, quiet vibe to the beach experience. This isn't the place for parties or nightlife, unless you like your parties hushed and your nightlife nonhuman.

Worth knowing: Various travelers report sand flies on the beach.


And at
13. Pulau Perhentian Kecil, Malaysia

Now will you look at that! Yep, that's right here in Malaysia.

13. Pulau Perhentian Kecil, Malaysia

CNN says:
Malaysia's Perhentian Islands are to beach bums what Kobe beef is to carnivores; once you've experienced it, nothing else quite matches up.

The two main islands are the backpacker-happy Pulau Perhentian Kecil (Small Perhentian Island), and Pulau Perhentian Besar (Big Perhentian Island), which has slightly more expensive accommodations.

Highlight: The blue waters off Pulau Perhentian Kecil invariably contain turtles and small sharks.


I'm sure you'd want to know which beach tops the list of the World's best beach. It's

1. Grande Anse Beach, La Digue Island, Seychelles

CNN says:
Secluded and easy to skip because it takes some effort to get here, Grand Anse on La Digue is the archetypal beach, the benchmark against which others must be judged. It's a must, especially if you're a surfer.

Worth knowing: The waves can be boisterous and there's not much shade.


Hey Rurousha, the Boulders Beach in Cape Town comes in at #22!

CNN says:
Boulders Beach is home to 3,000 jackass penguins, which are often spotted waddling in and out of the sea. The best place to see the penguins is from a viewing boardwalk constructed on nearby Foxy Beach.

And another one in South Africa, coming in at

78. Jeffreys Bay, South Africa

CNN says:
Jeffreys Bay's legendary breaks attract top surfers to the annual Billabong Pro ASP World Tour surfing event. Nearby lagoons make ideal venues for boardsailing and canoeing. The Seekoei River Nature Reserve, a haven for rare birds, is nearby.

Highlight: Migrating whales pass by the bay to give birth every season.


You're scoring another one too for Japan..

58. Akajima, Okinawa, Japan

CNN says:
The islet of Akajima is popular among Japanese day-trippers during summer, but foreign travelers are a rare sight. It retains a sequestered charm even during peak season. The beaches are spotless, usually dotted with just a handful of surfers.

Highlight: Further inland, a quaint Ryukyuan heritage house is open to visitors.


Ai Shiang, Bondi Beach makes the cut too.

44. Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia

CNN says:
For an iconic all-round great city beach you can't miss with Bondi. The wide curving crescent of white sand can get incredibly busy, but that's only because the surfing is gnarly, the sands are clean and the nearby eateries are fantastic.

Highlight: After a day in the sun you can chase down the day with a meal at Bondi Trattoria, one of the best Italian restaurants in the city.

Here's another..

88. Byron Bay, Australia

CNN says:
Pubs, cafes and bookshops host buskers, musicians, artists and drift-ins who walk the streets barefoot and bleary eyed. There's a lingering scent of the Flower Power generation, while surfers wait for perfect waves.

Highlight: Every year, the Byron Bay Bluesfest attracts some of the biggest names in world music, and with it, thousands of Sydneysiders.


PandaB, Fiji is also on the list. So is one in Hawaii..

46. Natadola Beach, Fiji

CNN says:
Probably Fiji's finest beach, Natadola Beach is one of the few places in the country that's good for swimming 24 hours a day. A luxury resort backs onto the beach and attracts vendors selling coconuts and beach fashion accessories, so you'll need to put distance between you and the resort if you like solitude.

70. Punalu'u, Hawaii, United States

CNN says:
No sugary sands and idyllic swimming conditions, but you will find a dramatic black basalt shore and might spot green and hawksbill turtles, as well as dolphins and whale sharks, if you snorkel off this Big Island beach.

Highlight: Getting here involves a 20-minute trek through a wooded dirt trail, underlining the remote and undeveloped beach.


Alright, here's the list of World's 100 Best Beaches for your holiday-planning. Happy holidays!



Image source: CNN

Dock from Japan washes up on Oregon beach

We have read about messages in bottles that get washed ashore. Something as small as a bottle is believable that it can float across the oceans to reach a shore on the other side. What about something as huge as a dock? Not possible? Read on..

A huge dock unmoored during last year's Japanese tsunami washed up on an Oregon beach this week which is having the authorities debating on how to remove it as well as who will be bearing the cost.


According to The Star article, the catastrophe swept an estimated 5 million tons of debris out to sea, but most of it sank. Japan has estimated that as much as 1.5 million tons of debris could still be afloat.

The 66-foot-(20-metre-) long dock is made mostly of concrete and metal, with a small metal plaque with Japanese writing attached. It washed up early on Tuesday morning on scenic Agate Beach, just north of Newport, Oregon, about 110 miles (177 km) southwest of Portland.

The dock tested negative for radiation, which was a concern because of the major radiation release at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant following March 2011's 9.0 magnitude earthquake which caused a tsunami that killed nearly 16,000 people and left over 3,000 missing on Japan's main island of Honshu.

From soccer balls and buoys to building materials, they have floated across the Pacific and washed up on shores across the U.S. West Coast.


Source: The Star..Dock from Japanese tsunami washes up on Oregon beach

Port Dickson can be a great holiday destination too

Many of us travel the world in search of new sights, new tastes, new holiday experiences forgetting that some of the best of these can be found in our very own land. Life is like that. The grass is always greener on the other side.

While on a trip to Port Dickson, my friends and I visited a number of hotels and resorts along that stretch along the beach. Most of these places are impressive with their own private beach; outstanding spa and pool facilities that are on par with some of KL's best, probably the world too, I suspect; chalets by the sea reminiscent of those you see on Bora Bora brochures; sunsets that promise a romantic evening ahead.

They even have rooms as refreshing as the one in the image below found at an Outer Banks rentals website. The room is a delightful, bright and airy ocean-front room.

Island of Penang, Pearl of the Orient

As you can see from the image below, Penang is quite devoid of steel buildings. Picture was taken last December. Woke up early and the view form my hotel room looked so peaceful outside so thought I would take a picture to capture the moment.

The tall building on the left is Komtar (Kompleks Tengku Abdul Rahman) and is the tallest building on the island of Penang.

Here is another Penang exclusive, the tram that services Penang Hill. The service is currently taken down for upgrading and supposed to be operational again in time for the Chinese New Year or thereabouts (in Feb).

Penang is a charming idyllic island, great for a holiday with its lovely beaches, colonial setting, historical sites and abundance of great Penang food.