Shopping in Singapore, Leisurely in Langkawi and our first SQ experience

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Sands Hotel - hard to capture it. On the way back we wandered into the huge shopping mall attached to it. Much to my financial detriment I noticed a Juicy Couture shop! I gather JC ran into huge financial problems a few years ago and closed their outlets in the USA and started operating online only. This was devastating - I like tracksuits for wearing at home - it is cold in Canberra. I don't like ugly sporty things and I hate leggings. I have been wearing JC trakkies for years and here was a real live shop again! Needless to say I left with a couple

 

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Some of the outside displays in Gardens by the Bay (OK we are more into statues than vegetation).

 

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Inside the air conditioned Flower dome

 

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and the Cloud Forest one

 

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Keeping to the Africa theme - a display outside

 

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On Friday it was off to Langkawi with Silk Air. We went to the Silverkris lounge in terminal 2. Big lounge and very busy. Quite a wide selection of food for breakfast.

Fortunately we left the lounge in plenty of time as we still had to go through a security check and then transfer to the plane by bus (A320). I really liked the Silkair uniform - will try and sneak a picture on the way back. Hot towels at the beginning and end of the very quick flight and a choice of breakfast.

 

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The one thing I really wanted to do was the Eagle and Mangrove swamp tour. We elected for a private tour with the resident naturalist Mr Abdullah. He was the most amazing man and has been working with various people on environmental issues. Apparently a lot of the pollution in the waters around here drifts from Southern Thailand. He and someone from the Thai Embassy picked up 100 pieces of rubbish from the beach and 60 pieces had only Thai writing on it, 20 were ambiguous - Thai plus another language. The workers are out twice a day picking up rubbish from the beach - while a lot is the normal branches etc there were an awful lot of plastic bottles and general junk. We are talking about 30 to 40 bags twice a day being removed!

The other thing he did some years ago was move the four seasons to using people with 4 stroke engines and to impose a speed limit. FS was the first hotel here to use a speed limit. 2 Stroke engines leave an oily film on the water and the wake from the high speed boats damage the mangroves. Unfortunately most boats speed (time is money...). They have also limited monkey and eagle feeding to one boat in 5.

A few years ago there was charcoal burning in the area and total pollution and the eagles all moved over to the airport to feed and they lost 80% of the population. They stopped charcoal burning and once the waters cleaned up they enticed the Eagles back with feeding using chicken skins, which caused a new set of problems. Now feeding is limited and population back to normal (400).

 

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Low tide. Apparently the fish climbs a tree when the water comes in.

 

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Eagles - such a beautiful copper colour

 

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of course I always love the furry things.

 

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The Monitors were good too.

 

[Quickstatus]

of course I always love the furry things.

They have a nasty bite

 

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1532237[/URL]]They have a nasty bite

Most furry things do

 

[Pushka]

All the MrP's in the family hate monkeys 'in the wild' after a rather aggressive mob of them in Monkey Forest in Ubud.

 

[love_the_life]

Really interesting FM; how is the resort itself?

 

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1532281[/URL]]Really interesting FM; how is the resort itself?

absolutely wonderful photos to come - we are being a bit lazy and I spend much of my time on the day bed looking at the sea and reading. The staff are awesome and can't do enough for you. Weather is patchy - warm as anything and half cloud half sun most days but some almost scary squalls blow through!

We are doing a trip to the Seven wells waterfall tomorrow, but hopefully in the afternoon will post some photos of our "room" and some of the restaurants and meals.

My major fear is I won't fit into my new dress by the time we get back to Singapore

 

[love_the_life]

Sounds like you are doing it hard :mrgreen:

 

[cmon0005]

Langkawi is an amazing place, we have been there once per year for the past 3 years with a fourth visit coming. Lovely pictures you have taken, out of curiosity what camera did you use?

 

[LadyC]

Some great photos FM

 

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As promised some photos of our accommodation - general resort ones later. The resort is basically very long. There are a number (20?) of beach villas strung along the beach - you walk directly onto it Behind also strung in a long curve are two storey buildings very pretty with 1 or 2 rooms upstairs and the same downstairs. Some I think are supposed to have sea views, but I think with the lush growth of trees since the resort was built it would be pretty minimal.

The Beach Villas are around 200m2 each and are surrounded by reflecting pools with a plunge pool in the front, as well as daybed, outside table and chairs, a hammock and lounges.

These photos are of the bathroom wing and your personal massage room. It can be turned into a kids bedroom if needed, although 2 bedroom family villas also exist. The second photo shows the outdoor shower - there is an indoor one as well.