Postcard Perfect

All Fired Up
Originally uploaded by Parikrama.

Eclectic.. Mesmerizing.. Dramatic.. Tranquil.. errr Whatever!!

I tried hard to come up with a decent piece to go with the collection of photographs listed in this post, but mid-way through the write-up I gave up. I guess, I am not equipped with the literary finesse to do justice to the imagery. So I will spare you the usual set of cliché’s & instead would just leave my pictures to do all the talking.These were taken more than 3 yrs back during a short trip to Sibu Island - Cabanas, Malaysia.

It's one of the most un-spoilt stretch of beach that I have been to, absolutely untouched by urban milieu of Souvenir Shops, Restaurants, Traffic, & most importantly, of Crowds. Nature at its barest bare, with just the beach & a self-sufficient Resort offering the most basic amenities of air-conditioned Chalets & un-interrupted supply of hot water in the shower. For me, these are the two things to look for when I travel, other services are just frills that are totally unnecessary .

For those who swear by "Liquid Diet" during such outings, therez an open-air Mini-Bar located smack down on the white sandy beach. It takes life of its own during the evenings. With soothing jazz tunes being played in the bar , one can sip on to a wide variety of exotic cocktails while witnessing the last ray of lights disappearing over the horizon. We were there for 2 nights, on the 2nd nite dinner was followed by "bonfire" by the sea. One can just pick some booze off the bar , walk down the beach & settle down on the sands by the fire. It was a memorable experience watching the flames reach up the night sky. The crackling sounds of the embers , soothing beat of the lashing waves & music wafting from the near by Mini-bar transcends an ordinary setting into something truly magical.

Coming back to the pictures, I was lucky enough to witness two of the most spectacular sunrises of my life (Not that I have witnessed many!!) . To be quite honest, I had not planned to take any pics so early in the morning. I wasn't aware that one can witness a sunrise off the coast of Sibu. That morning when I woke up,I was drawn to the early morning light reflecting off the window panes. Out of curiosity I opened the front door & was literally dumb-stuck at the sight unfolding in front of my very own eyes. All of the chalets open-up to sea-view & are just few hundreds of feet away from the shore. Without so much of a thought, I just splashed some water on my face, picked my camera & made a mad dash to the beach. Choosing a good vantage point was not much of a problem, there is this pier which is almost on verge of being washed into the sea. The only useful purpose that it serves now is to offer an excellent backdrop for pictures & I sure milked it for all its worth !! It popped up in almost every alternate frame I snapped over the two days. And yes, I almost managed to ram straight into it while kayaking with a friend, but then that story isn't half interesting as the pics which I would like to share with you guys. Besides, this post is now meandering aimlessly,so without further ado, you guyz can check out the remaining set of pics in my flickr folder.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/parikrama_sg/sets/282611/.

Happy Viewing.

If you want information about how to get there, room rates etc etc, then U can check out the resort website

http://www.sibuislandcabanas.com/

P.S. : With this I have exhausted all of my picture archives. This year has been a real struggle, I haven't traveled much in recent times, & the pictures I have taken in last 12 months have been pretty disappointing to put it rather mildly. Aaarrg.. seems like I can't end a blog without whining !!