Four Points by Sheraton Penang

The new Four Points by Sheraton Penang hotel is near my home, and I've been watching its construction over the last few months. Located in the old Tanjung Bungah Beach Hotel building, the kids and I have been fascinated to see it stripped down to a bare bones structure, including removing all the old windows, and gradually rebuilt into vibrantly colored holiday accommodations. The prominently displayed sign for "The Best Brew" intrigued one of my friends enough that she did a little research and reported that a Chief Beer Officer hand selects craft beers to serve at Four Points hotels. So, when I was invited to attend the Opening Ceremony, I jumped at the chance to get a closer look at the place.



The beach is just outside the hotel.

Location, Location, Location

One of the best attributes of the Four Points by Sheraton Penang is its location. Visitors travel to Penang for its beaches, historic area, and a little shopping. This hotel is conveniently located to all these activities.

Historic George Town is located 20 minutes in one direction, and the National Park where you can do a jungle trek to Monkey Beach is 20 minutes in the opposite direction. The big shopping malls, Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon, are less than a 10-minute drive away. Upscale Straits Quay Marina Mall and Convention Centre with its abundance of restaurants and the Penang Performing Arts Centre are merely 2 km from the hotel. TESCO and Viva Food Haven hawker center are less than a 1 km walk. Believe me. I live right by this hotel, so I know how long it takes to get places.

The beach right outside the hotel is quieter than other beaches on the island and perfect for relaxing. Four Points by Sheraton Penang is the only hotel on this little stretch. Unlike the busier Batu Ferringhi tourist area, it is not overrun with massage shacks, water sports activities, buggies, and novice horse riders. Shade trees along the hotel property line offer some sun protection for young children and others trying to avoid getting a tan. You can walk to the tiny island during low tide without even getting your feet wet.

Go for a Swim

Interestingly, many people like Penang's beaches, but they don't like to actually get in the water. Four Points by Sheraton Penang has a pool by the beach area with a separate wading area shallow enough for young children to splash and play. Lounge chairs invite you to lay back, close your eyes, and let everyday worries fade away...unless you are supervising kids. In that case, keep your eyes open.

Four Points by Sheraton Penang Pool Area

Enjoy the Air-Conditioned Comfort

When you've had enough of the sun, heat and humidity, come inside to The Best Brew. Cozy chairs let you enjoy the view and sip a beer while sitting in air-conditioned comfort. Have fun at the pool table if you start getting bored enjoying the beach life.

The Best Brew has great views of the beach.

Offerings at The Best Brew start at RM10+

Are you Hungry?

The Best Brew also offers snacks, burgers, sandwiches and other hawker delights starting at RM15+. It's open from noon until late in the night.

All-day dining at The Eatery

The hotel's other restaurant, The Eatery, offers all-day dining from a breakfast buffet starting at 6:30AM to a la carte lunches and dinners until midnight. They offer pastas, salads, burgers as well as local favourites. I recently met a group of friends having dinner with their youngsters at The Eatery. While sitting outside, they lingered over their meal and drinks while parents took turns watching the kids on the nearby beach. What a lovely way to spend the evening! When it was time to pay the bill, hubby remembered that our Starwood Preferred Guest card gave us a 20% discount.

On the day of the Opening Ceremony, Four Points by Sheraton Penang had a scrumptious lunch buffet with plentiful offerings. The buffet was just for the auspicious occasion, but the deliciousness of each dish makes me think they would do well cooking for special events taking place in their ballroom and meeting rooms.

So much deliciousness to choose from

Spend the Night

After checking in at the breezy, open air lobby, you'll be handed the keys to one of 220 guestrooms and suites. All of them are newly furnished with a stylish, contemporary design. Each room has an LED flat-screen TV, free internet access, and complimentary bottled water. Free Wi-Fi is available in the public areas. Suites have a separate living area and pantry perfect for families and long-stay travelers. Book an Oceanfront room if you want to enjoy the beautiful view of the Straits of Malacca.

The Four Points by Sheraton Penang is part of the Starwood Hotels and Resorts group. You can use or earn Starwood points during your stay here.

Open air lobby greets you.

Opening Ceremony Events

I've never attended the opening ceremony of a business in Penang, and it was quite a festive occasion. Everyone moved outside when loud drumming announced the start of a fabulous Dragon Dance on Stilts performance. You could hear the intake of breath from the crowd whenever the dragon made a big leap from one rod to another. This was followed by ceremonial events in the lobby and welcoming talks plus a Q&A session in the ballroom.

Dragon Dance on Stilts

Madame Elsie Chuah of Plenitude Berhad,
Charles Abbot, Regional VP - SE Asia for Starwood Hotels,
and Kurt Vieren, General Manager of Four Points Penang

Opening Remarks by Madame Elsie Chuah of Plenitude Berhad

Special Introductory Offer

Four Points by Sheraton Penang is offering a special introductory rate of RM199++ per night in a Deluxe Room for stays between now until March 31, 2014. This introductory offer includes double SPG Starpoints, 20% off food and beverages, and complimentary in-room Wi-Fi access.

Webpage: www.fourpoints.com/penang

Phone +60 4 371 8888

Little India Preps for Deepavali

Little India is bustling right before Deepavali

Happy Deepavali! The Little India section of George Town, Penang is always a vibrant and bustling feast for the senses. In the week leading up to the Deepavali (also called "Diwali") celebration, everything is amped up a bit. The crowds are bigger, the stores are busier, and the Bollywood music blares from large speakers out on the sidewalk. Most stores have open fronts, and their merchandise displays extend on to the street. As you stroll through Little India, it's easy to see what everyone has to offer without having to stop to poke your head through a door.

Deepavali is a five day "festival of lights" and quite important in the Hindu religion. Traditionally, a row of lamps is lit to signify good's victory over evil, and people celebrate by shooting off fireworks to ward of harmful spirits, wearing new clothes, and sharing sweets with each other. As I write this, firecrackers have been going off all night on the streets below my home.

Delicious sweets from Sri Ananda Bahwan

Last Monday, I dropped the kids off at school a mere 12 hours after our return from our trip to China and Tibet. In the school parking lot, I ran into a friend who invited me out sari shopping in Little India that morning. Hmmm.. go back home to unpack and do grocery shopping or hang with my friends to go shopping? The decision was not difficult.




Dosai and Saris
Note that the Dosai is almost as long as the table.

Our first stop was Woodlands Vegetarian on Penang Street to fill up on Paper Dosai, a paper-thin pancake made of fermented rice batter and black lentils, served with masala potatoes. To say that my friend ordered the Large size would be an understatement. Afterwards, we headed down the block to Maya Silk Centre to check out their sari cloth collection. As Mr. Rajan pulled out one beautifully embroidered silk after another, we quickly became overwhelmed by the selection. His shop was quite busy that week finishing orders for Deepavali, but by next week, he could make our custom saris in as little as an hour. Thankfully, he could also hide Velcro and hooks in the folds of the fabric so we wouldn't have to rely on our Indian friends to come over and dress us whenever we wanted to wear it. After mulling over the vast selection, we decided to come back post-Deepavali to figure out what we wanted.

A little shop on the corner of Penang Street and Market Street

On Thursday, I found myself back in Little India for a walking tour with Teresa from the Penang Heritage Trust and organized by Spiral Synergy. Teresa was part of the committee instrumental in getting part of George Town named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I had no idea that they were rejected 8 times before getting the recognition. I commend them for persevering and bringing the charms of George Town to the attention of the world.

Indian Treats from Thali NR Sweets on Penang Street

This day began with a traditional Indian breakfast at Sri Ananda Bahwan or SAB as it is affectionately called. While the open kitchen has become a trendy concept with swanky restaurants,  SAB has had an open kitchen for a long time. With griddles positioned at the front of the restaurant, people walking by on the sidewalk can easily be lured in by watching the cooks spread out elongated ovals of dosai batter or flip Roti Canai dough around in the air to stretch it out.

Making delicious Dosai and Roti Canai by the sidewalk

Afterwards, we headed to a small beauty centre to watch a demonstration of threading and henna art. Threading involves removing unwanted hair by twisting thread around each wayward strand and yanking it out. According to Teresa, it's better than using tweezers. In either case, ouch! Although, I will admit that it's rather a bargain at US$1.70 a visit. Henna tattoos are created by squeezing natural dye from the henna plant out of a small cone and onto the skin. After leaving it on for a few hours (careful of smudging), you wash it off and have a temporary design that will fade away over the course of a few weeks.

Applying henna to make a temporary tattoo.
The finger in the background has the color after the dye is washed off.

Then, it was off to visit a sari shop. It turns out I was headed back to Maya Silk Centre. We learned how to tell "art silk" with a polyester blend apart from real silk. Let's just say that setting fire to a store's merchandise might put you on the bad side of the shop's owner. I think I may have also found a gorgeous georgette which is much more affordable than silk, US$30 versus US$100, that I may have made into a custom sari for myself. Most of the tour group could have easily spent the rest of the morning shopping for saris and Punjabi suits, but Teresa pushed us out of the store so that we could stay on schedule.
 


Gorgeous silk sari cloth with Swarovski crystals and gold thread

Our next stop was a spice shop further down on Penang Street called Mohamed Meera Sahib. The savory smell of curries mingled with other spices wafted out onto the street. Early in the morning, this store was packed with customers. I could barely move. Tubs of powdered spices sat at an angle along one side while sacks of lentils, dal, cinnamon and star anise sat around the scale. On the shelves, I saw tin after tin of Ghee and solid chunks of Gula Melaka palm sugar. It smelled heavenly in there. Teresa scooped up handfuls of each item and told us how they were used. Some were even in the breakfast we had dined on that morning.



Spices are historically an important part of George Town's heritage


After we exited, we turned left to head down Market Street towards a lovely shop where ladies can find all sorts of accessories to dress up their outfit, hair, and faces. Stick-on Bindi dots above the nose can signify a woman's married status if it's big or just a beauty mark if it's small.  I was particularly drawn towards the stacks of golden bangles and the elaborate necklaces. So pretty!

A variety of adornments in this shop

 

A streetside flower stall a few doors down was making garlands with fresh flowers from the Cameron Highlands. Some blooms were their natural colors while others had been dyed a brilliant hue. Hindus purchase these flowers and take them to the temple or one of the nearby altars as an offering.

Lush garlands are used as offerings at Hindu temples and altars.

We made it to Queen Street's Sri Mariamman Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in Penang, just in time for a blessing before it closed at noon. I've always wanted to go in and look around but have been a little intimidated by my worry that I would ignorantly do something offensive. With our guide, Teresa, there, I wasn't worried and listened carefully to her explanations of the various statues inside the temple. At the end, she received a blessing from the Hindu priest.

A blessing on your head

With all the scents of street food floating through the air, it was hard to ignore the rumbling in our stomachs. We sat ourselves down on a plastic stool at a streetside table and watched a man prepare Teh Tarik, "Pulled Tea." To quickly cool hot tea, streams of the sweet, milky brew are poured back and forth between two cups, starting with them close together and then pulling one higher and higher into the air. Veggie Samosas from the stall across the street provided some yummy noshing, too. Teresa also recommended the buffet style Nasi Kandar meals at Restoran Tajuddin Hussain on Queen Street near the temple as being an important combination of hygienic, frequently replenished, and tasty.

Making Teh Tarik "Pulled Tea"

 

 

Veggie Samosas, only US$0.33 a piece

With my hunger sated, I peeled of from the tour and made my way back to the car. Even though it was only noon, the streets of Little India were packed with people. What I had mistaken for a pedestrians only street was actually open for vehicular traffic, and cars slowly made their way down the road with the crowds parting before them. This part of town is certainly busy during the festive Deepavali season.

People were eager to buy a new outfit for Deepavali. Perhaps a Punjabi Suit?

The rest of Penang is happy to share in the Deepavali celebration, too. It's not just limited to Little India. Shopping malls and office buildings will decorate the floor with a kolum, an intricate design made of colored rice, that is also known by the name "rangoli." They are sacred welcoming areas for Hindu deities and are meant to bring good luck.

Rangoli at Straits Quay



A closer look at the colored rice kernels of the rangoli

Here's wishing you a very Happy Deepavali!

 

 

 

Related Posts:

The Street of Religious Harmony

Strolling down Armenian Street

 

 

This post is part of Travel Photo Thursday on Budget Travelers Sandbox. Check it out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.

 





Flying over the Himalayas

I am rarely so happy to get on a plane. Sure, I enjoyed my time in Tibet, but as the plane door closes and the cabin begins to pressurize, I slowly feel the altitude sickness seep away. My headache clears, and breathing no longer requires conscious effort. It turns out that living beachside on a tropical island is great for many reasons, but preparing the body for the elevation of Lhasa, Tibet is not one of them. As the plane climbs out of the valley and into the air, I marvel at the Himalayas spread out before me.

At first, the snow-capped mountains are far off in the distance. Long after the other passengers on the China Eastern flight have closed their window shades and turned to books and iPads, I cannot help staring outside and trying to shield my eyes from the sun's bright glare. Thoughts of James Hilton's Lost Horizon and World War II tales of hazardous flights over The Hump flit through my brain even if we're nowhere near where these took place. We turn northeast, and I give up any hope of glimpsing Mount Everest out the window.

The peaks start reaching higher and higher into the sky as the cloud cover begins.

Some towering mountains manage to reach above the clouds beckoning us closer for a better look.

But not too close, I silently pray. Signs of life appear in a valley below. It must be so isolated in that town. I have no idea where we are and wish the plane had a TV with a route tracker displayed.

Unexpected sights reveal themselves such as twin mountaintop lakes. Is that what they are? Why aren't they frozen and covered in snow?

The mountain range spreads out below me, as far as the eye can see. For centuries, the Himalayas have captured the public's imagination. It deserves all the attention it gets.

Pinch me. I can't believe I'm here. I'm flying over the Himalayas.


This post is part of "Travel Photo Thursday" on Budget Travelers Sandbox and "Oh the Places I've Been" on The Tablescaper. Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.

The Sunshine Award

It's time to pull the curtain aside and reveal a little more about the woman behind the blog. I'm sure all of you picture me as an omniscient, glamorous, jet-setting, housewife of mystery... or not. Ahem... If you've been reading my blog, you probably know a little about me. I have a family, I'm from Texas, and I'm living in Malaysia. I love to travel.

Thanks to Brittany Ruth over at The Rococo Roamer, you'll learn a little more about me. Brittany tagged me for The Sunshine Award for bloggers who "positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere."

The Rules

Acknowledge the blogger who nominated you.

Share 11 random facts about yourself.

Answer 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.

List bloggers.

Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate and let them know they have been nominated. 

11 Random Facts

1. Because of my mother-in-law, Christmas doesn't seem right if the vinegary smell of German Red Cabbage cooking on the stove does not permeate the air.
2. In high school, I was an extra in the movie A Tiger's Tale starring C. Thomas Howell, Ann Margaret, and Kelli Preston. You can clearly see me for about 3 seconds.
3. No, I cannot speak Chinese, even if I look like I should.
4. I like my chocolate with a cocoa content of about 65% and have a ridiculous assortment in my fridge at any point in time.
5. One of my favorite quotes: "For me, parenting is like dieting. Every day, I wake up filled with resolve and good intentions, perfection in view, and every day, I somehow stray from the path. The difference is with dieting, I usually make it to lunch..." by Marion Winik in The Lunchbox Chronicles.
6. I've always been a bookworm. My first memory of reading was when I figured out that "r" + "ice" is "rice". Is it a coincidence that my mom served rice at every meal and that I attended Rice University years later?
7. I rode a bicycle-built-for-two for the first time last week.
8. I've been married for almost half my life.
9. My list of what I want to be when I grow up is longer than when I was a child.
10. My sister passed away after a 19-month battle with brain cancer. She was 17, and I was 19. I still miss her but am grateful for the few months she was in remission.
11. The lessons I most want to pass on to my children are "Be kind," "Be thankful," and "Remain hopeful."
     

11 Questions Asked of Me

1. What is the first concert you ever attended?
I vaguely recall going to an Air Supply concert at Six Flags Astroworld because it was free, and I was already there that day. Then, there was that Tony Orlando and Dawn dinner show in Las Vegas when I was a kid. I remember the Wedge Salad more than the performance.

My first "real" concert where I actively wanted to go was ZZ Top's Eliminator Tour at the Houston Astrodome with Joan Jett as the opening act. My friend lived next door to Frank Beard (the drummer and the only one in the trio who does NOT have a beard), and he had offered her parents free tickets.  I remember wearing a headband around my forehead and leg warmers. We stopped by his room at the old Shamrock Hotel to pick up the tickets for floor seats, and my hearing has never been the same since.

 2. Do you have a pet?  What is it? No pets. Three crazy kids is all I can handle. Before we became parents, I gave hubby a Tamagotchi virtual pet and told him that we could discuss having kids if he managed to keep it alive.  

 3. Name a mini goal of yours and a long term goal that you have or will be working on.

Mini goal: Learn how to bake bread with a good, crisp crust like the kind you get at a French boulangerie.

Long term goal: Keeping my marriage as happy as it is now and has been over the last 2 decades. I want to be that cute, little, old Asian lady next to the tall, white-haired, elderly man, holding hands on the park bench. Our first dance at our wedding was The Beatles' "When I'm Sixty-Four." We're still headed in that direction.

 4. Coolest place you've ever traveled to?

Last week's trip to Tibet. TIBET!!

 5. If you had no limits, what would be your dream job?

Baker and cake decorator. I enjoy it but take so stinking long to make a cake that I'd have to charge hundreds of dollars to make it worth my time. In Texas, I baked cookies for the Mobile Loaves and Fishes organization which feeds homeless people so that I could use my powers for good instead of evil.

 6. What are the top three qualities you look for in a friend?

• Not a zombie. I like my brains just where they are.
• Does not judge me for my love of cupcakes and all things sugar-related.
• Likes my family. We are a package deal.

7. What are you obsessed with right now?
As always, chocolate.

 8. If you could learn to play a new instrument, speak a new language, or instantly fix one of your flaws, what would you choose?

To quote Jerry Seinfeld: "I never get enough sleep. I stay up late at night, cause I’m Night Guy. Night Guy wants to stay up late. ‘What about getting up after five hours sleep?’, oh that’s Morning Guy’s problem. That’s not my problem, I’m Night Guy. I stay up as late as I want. So you get up in the morning, you’re exhausted, groggy… oooh I hate that Night Guy! See, Night Guy always screws Morning Guy. There’s nothing Morning Guy can do."

I'd instantly make Night Michele give a hoot about Morning Michele.

 9. What is something you regret that you wish you could change, or do you live your life with no regrets?

I wished I didn't study so hard in high school and had more fun.

 10. What is a new hobby you've been wanting to try out?

Stand up Paddleboard. I tried it in Hawaii and loved it. We thought about getting one for Penang since we live on the beach but did not think that it would fit in the elevator.

 11. What is something readers don't know about you?

I once played basketball while riding a donkey.

 

11 Questions for my Nominees

1. What are you obsessed with right now?
2. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
3. Have you ever been camping? Did you like it? Does that count as 2 questions? Three?
4. What souvenir did you buy on your last trip?
5. What was the last sporting event that you watched?
6. What do you think of when you hear the world "Malaysia" (except for this blog)?
7. What is your dream trip destination?
8. If you were not allowed to work and had sufficient money, what would you do with yourself?
9. If you absolutely had to work but had no limits, what is your dream job?
10. What's the last new thing you tried?
11. Would you rather read a book or watch TV?

My Nominees

Here are my nominees for those who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere. Play along if you have time and the inclination.

• The Chronicles of Ellie Bellie Bear
• More Kids than Suitcases
• Rebecca, Who Always Spoke Loudly
• Wild Tales of... 
• Penang Momma

Was it just a Childhood Dream?

Looking down from Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park to the waters we had traveled the night before.

I was only halfway listening to my son, then just 6 years old, as I impatiently waited for him to put on his shoes so we could walk to school. Perhaps you are familiar with that feeling of knowing that you could do it faster for your kid, but you're trying to teach them self-reliance. He was chattering away and not really concentrating at the task at hand.

"The boat was really big. I was eating a hamburger and looked out the window and saw a whale! Then, we went to a log cabin and went to sleep. We went upstairs, not downstairs, and had pancakes for breakfast..."

"That's a great dream, buddy," I said. "Now hurry up and finish putting on your shoes."

"It wasn't a dream!" he retorted.

"What in the world are you talking about?"

"Don't you remember?" he asked me.

I still had no clue. After some more questioning, it finally clicked! He was talking about our international ferry ride from Victoria, British Columbia to Port Angeles, Washington State and our stay at Elwha Ranch Bed & Breakfast in Olympic National Park. It sounded so magical through the eyes of a little boy.

Photo from another ferry ride earlier that day from Vancouver to Vancouver Island.

What amazed me the most is that we had taken the trip two years earlier when he was only 4-years-old. This was the first time he mentioned it. We had not been reminiscing about it recently or been looking at photos. It was just so special that it stuck out in his mind, although I had no idea at the moment that it was happening.

My boy is now 10-years-old. I brought up this story the other day, remarking at how incredulous I was that he'd remembered a trip so well even though he was young when we did it.

"Yeah," he said, "I still remember what I was drinking when I saw the whale."

"Really?" I couldn't believe it.

"Chocolate milk."

To all of you parents out there who include your preschooler in your travels, you may also be surprised one day at just how much they remember.

The next morning on Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park

Not realizing what a great time my boy was having, I seem to have taken zero photos of one of his best memories. At least it lives on in his heart.


Related Post:
U.S. National Park Week: Part 1


This post is part of "Travel Photo Thursday" on Budget Travelers Sandbox, Friday Postcards on Walking On Travels, and "Oh the Places I've Been!" on The Tablescaper. Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.

Reality versus Expectations on The Great Barrier Reef

"The Great Barrier Reef! The Great Barrier Reef! We're going to the Great Barrier Reef!" my heart sang out as I began planning our trip to Green Island, off the coast of Cairns, Queensland.

To say that I was giddy with excitement would be an understatement. I think I have too many images from Finding Nemo floating around in my brain. Perhaps, I thought I'd stick my face in the water and hear mermaids singing "Under the Sea" to me. At the very least, I expected something on par with jumping into a Great Barrier Reef tank on display at an aquarium with a dense population of aquatic life. (Sidenote: If I ever plan an African safari trip, someone please knock me on the head and remind me that expecting a real life version of the opening credits of The Lion King is unrealistic.)

Basically, I was setting myself up for a big letdown. When something has the word "Great" in its name, you expect it to be really rocking awesome. I set the bar so high that I think the reef never had a chance. So, this isn't the blog post that I'd thought I'd write when we set out for the trip. If anything, it's like me running the game tape over and over in my mind trying to figure out why we came away with an outing that could be described as "a good day" as opposed to "mind blowing, life changing, and the greatest experience of my life."

Embracing our Limitations
My daughter and I get horribly seasick. While I was eager to get in some good snorkeling on the reef, I knew that spending all day on a boat or even a floating platform on the Outer Reef was not for us. I wanted to be on terra firma  to settle my stomach. My super skinny boy gets cold in the water easily. When we were in Maui, he'd get chilly despite wearing a wetsuit. Hence, I knew that we'd be spending a good part of the day out of the water to warm up.

"If you are a nonswimmer, choose a Reef cruise that visits a coral cay, because a cay slopes gradually into shallow water and the surrounding coral."

- Frommer's Australia

 

Based on all this, I zeroed in on taking a boat from the Cairns Reef fleet Terminal to Green Island. We could spend the day on firm, dry land and walk into the water from the beach to see some fish.

I also booked a 1-hour snorkel tour that would take us into deeper water 1.5 kilometers off the island for better viewing. Guests can book up to three 1-hour snorkel boat tours, but I thought one was enough for my family.

Great Adventures Cruise
I bought our daytrip to the Great Barrier Reef from Great Adventures which offers packages for both Green Island as well as continuing out to a platform on the Outer Reef. They were very easy to work with and had excellent customer service. We chose the earliest departure time and the latest return time to get the maximum 7 hours on the island. You can spend as little as 2.5 hours there.

As we checked in at the Reef Fleet Terminal, I noticed a sign saying that the conditions at the Outer Reef that day were choppy and rough. That made me glad I decided to only go as far as Green Island. The outbound catamaran was big and stable. The attentive crew offered cups of ice to anyone who looked remotely seasick. Seasickness bags were at every seat, and pills were for sale if you needed them. My girl and I had on accupressure bands on our wrists as a more holistic way of addressing our problem. I was also sucking on ginger candies. (Can you tell I was worried?) Videos played on the big screen TVs showing you how to use snorkeling gear and advertising some of the add-on options on the island like the SeaWalker experience which looks like wearing an old-timey diving helmet.

The ride out took 45 minutes. I walked off feeling just fine and not the least bit ill.

Cancelling the Snorkel Tour... sniff, sniff
The first thing we did when we arrived at Green Island was to confirm our snorkel tour later in the day. The blokes behind the counter discouraged us from going, especially if we were prone to seasickness. Although we had not noticed the rough waters while on the catamaran, it would have been easily felt on the small snorkeling boat. Also, the water visibility was rated as poor to mediocre that day. If we canceled right then, they'd refund our prepaid money. If we went out on the boat and were dissatisfied, too bad.  We decided to cancel... sniff, sniff.

Glass Bottom Boat Tour
At least we could still see the reef on the Glass Bottom Boat tour. We had been assigned a time to be out on the pier when we checked in at the Reef Fleet Terminal. Once we got there, we climbed on board the small boat and took off. While we never got very far from the pier or island, we saw some incredible sights. I think this came closest to fulfilling my reef fantasies. Giant clams! Schools of colorful fish! Real, living coral! It was wonderful (albeit very green-tinged), and I wanted to jump right in.

Peering downwards from the Glass Bottom Boat to gaze at the Great Barrier Reef.
Snapping photos through the glass didn't work out so well. So, no pics for you to view.

The guide was great at describing and explaining what we were passing over. At one point, he threw chunks of bread overboard. The fish started jumping, and seagulls swooped down to snag a few chunks of doughy goodness.

Fish and Fowl

Swimming and Snorkeling from the beach
There are two beaches on Green Island, and the main one is manned by Surf Lifesaving Queensland Lifeguards. All of us put on our snorkeling gear and swam out together. While we saw plenty of sea grass and even a sea turtle swimming past, there was not much coral and only a few fish. I was glad I did not spend the money on renting an underwater camera.

After a bit, the kids had enough and returned to the beach to play in the sand and splash in the shallow water. We were greatly amused watching a large Japanese tour group make multiple attempts to take a photo of everyone jumping up from the water at the same time. It involved much yelling and throwing of arms up into the air.

I thought about swimming out to where the glass bottom boats were. The signs on the beach said to stay between the flags. I figured that if I stayed between the flags but went a mile out, I'd still be okay. Right? Thankfully, I quickly came to my senses. I am not a Half Ironman Triathlete like my friend who I bet could have totally made it out there. Plus, being run over by a glass bottom boat is not my ideal ending to an Australian trip.

One nice feature was the large, rectangular frames of PVC pipe anchored off shore. I could swim out and snorkel, then go over to the PVC frame to hang on and rest for a bit before continuing. My younger son swam out there to join me and thought that just holding on to the frame and sticking his snorkel mask-covered face in the water was fun.

Snapshot from the beach. My 2 boys are in shallow water.
Snorkelers are towards the middle, and the corner of the PVC frame is at the back.

Other Island Activities
Even though we were there for 7 hours, we did not get around to doing everything on the island. There was a little place called Marineland Melanesia that looked interesting and purports to have what was once the world's longest crocodile along with croc shows twice daily. Walking between the beaches satisfied our urge to stroll along the interpretive Eco Island trails. It takes 45 minutes to go all the way around, so we probably did just 5% of it. Given a choice between the ocean and the pool, we chose the ocean. Even though we did not take advantage of all these activities, I think they make Green Island a good choice for families where not every person wants to spend all their time snorkeling. You can even just hang out at the dayspa and get a massage! Check out Bubs on the Move, for an overnight trip report to Green Island from a local's perspective.

Don't worry. The crocs are nowhere near the water you are swimming in.

A very small part of the rainforest Eco Island Walk complete with educational signs

Watch the SCUBA divers practice or just go for a swim at the pool.

Time for Tucker
If you spend 7 hours on an island swimming and playing, you will need to eat at some point. There were numerous options from a sit down restaurant to a pool bar to an ice cream stand. We chose one of the quick service counters for our lunch and sat at an outdoor table under a large canopy to enjoy our meal.

Bye bye, Green Island
At the end of the day, we clambored on the 4:30 p.m. catamaran for our return trip to Cairns. This one was smaller than the first catamaran but still stable enough to ward off motion sickness for me. We reached the Reef Fleet Terminal just under an hour later and strolled past the Esplanade to our hotel.

Our return boat

Would I do it again?
So, that was my one and only experience on the Great Barrier Reef. As I said, it was a good day, but not the great experience I had hoped for. Hubby ranks snorkeling here #3 behind going off Maui's Ka'anapali Beach and off Racha Yai near Phuket, Thailand. I think part of my regret is that I keep reading reports that the Great Barrier Reef is in decline, and that you need to go NOW! If I ever go back, it will probably be in at least a decade as I have many other sites to see higher on my list. I admit that my limitations greatly affected my choice to go to Green Island, but I probably would have had a worse experience if I was vomiting everywhere.

I really think I would have come away happier if we had been able to do the snorkel boat tour. However, one thing that I've learned in my travels is that you can't control nature. In my dream trip fantasy, we would stay on one of the Outer Reef Islands like the Whitsundays and do short snorkel trips from there.

Have you visited the Great Barrier Reef? I truly want to know what you thought about it.

What's your favorite snorkeling spot?

Well, I'm off to go and pop Finding Nemo into the DVD player and dream of what could have been.

Related Posts:
A Visit to Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park
To Kuranda by Cable, Back Down by Rail
Snorkeling at Thailiand's Racha Yai Island


This post is part of Travel Photo Thursdays on Budget Travellers Sandbox and "Oh the Places I've Been" on The Tablescaper. Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration (or bring you back down to Earth advice).

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To Kuranda by Cableway, Back Down by Rail

Cairns, Australia turned out to be a fun, family trip. After our morning at Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, we next headed up through the Queensland tropical rainforest to the mountain village of Kuranda. One of the best parts was getting there and back. It was a Transportation Vacation! To get up, we took the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway which gave us soaring views over the tree canopy. Our journey back down to Cairns was via the Kuranda Scenic Railway with fabulous views of Barron Gorge.

Departing on the Skyrail Cableway from Cairns with the Coral Sea in the distance

We walked from Tjapukai next door to the Caravonica Terminal to board the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. From there, it's a 7 kilometer ride over Barron Gorge National Park to Kuranda taking about 90 minutes. Don't worry! You (and your children's tiny bladders) aren't trapped in this steel and glass bubble the whole time. The cableway makes two stops on the way so that you can disembark and explore the lush rainforest. Only about 30 minutes is in the air while the remainder is spent walking among the flora and fauna of the area.

As we passed over the McAlister Range, the Coral Sea and the coastline disappeared behind us. It took us 10 minutes to reach Red Peak Station, and the family enjoyed the view of the vast forest below us. At Red Peak, we got off to take a stroll around the 175 meter boardwalk trail. The trees towering over us are so different than the ones in the Malaysian tropical rainforest. My son especially liked a fern that had attached itself halfway up a tree trunk and surrounded it like an upturned skirt. You may even come face-to-face with a cassowary if you're lucky or unlucky, depending on how you view a close encounter with this large, fierce bird. At the very least, you can examine the cassowary droppings on display at the station.

Hint: Read this BEFORE you encounter a cassowary.

After getting back on the Cableway, we once again found ourselves sailing far above the trees that eventually part to reveal dramatic Barron Gorge. This portion of the trip takes about 14 minutes. At Barron Falls Station, you can walk down to a few viewing platforms to enjoy gazing at the falls at your leisure. These powerful falls were harnessed to generate hydroelectric energy back in the 1930s. This stop has about 400 meters of easy trails as well as the Rainforest Interpretation Center. It's not big, but the interactive exhibits were informative and interesting.  Then, it's back in the cablecar for the 10 minute journey to the final stop, Kuranda Terminal.



Heading over the Barron River to Kuranda Terminal

From the terminal, it was a short, uphill walk to Kuranda which calls itself the "Village in the Rainforest." There was so much to do up there! If we had a whole day, we may have enjoyed the walking trails, Koala Gardens, Birdworld, riverboat tours, Rainforestation Nature Park or the Butterfly Sanctuary. However, we only had a few hours until our train departed for our return to Cairns.

First off, we needed lunch as our tummies were growling. The main street of Kuranda has a wide selection of eateries, and we decided on the outside deck of the aptly named Kuranda Rainforest View Restaurant.

We didn't get to the aviary, but we did see a wild cockatoo at lunch.

Afterwards, we had about an hour to stroll up and down the street window shopping at all the arts and crafts galleries, jewelry stores, and little stores. It's no surprise what kind of place caught my kids' eyes. We had time for some sweets and treats before heading to the train.

Kuranda Candy Kitchen

The narrow-gauge Kuranda Scenic Railway departs Kuranda twice a day at 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. We had reservations for the later time and definitely did not want to arrive to see the train pulling out of the station. It takes about 90 minutes to reach Freshwater Station where we got off or 2 hours to get all the way to Cairns. A range of class options are available with the fancier ones offering a dedicated hostess and refreshments. We settled for the budget Heritage Class which was just fine.



Waiting for the All Aboard call

The train makes a brief stop so that everyone can get off for a look at Barron Falls. I thought the view at this angle was quite stunning and much better than from the cableway station on the opposite side. A weir at the top of the falls intercepts some of the water and channels it to a hydroelectric power station, decreasing the volume of water that would have otherwise cascaded down the rocky slope.

Barron Falls cascades down 260 meters to the bottom of Barron Gorge.

As we listened to the clickety-clack of the wheels on the rails, a commentary on the speakers told us about the history of the railway and the area landmarks. We also received a souvenir guide with more information and a map. I will admit that the recently purchased candy also provided some amusement during the ride.

The main engine pays tribute to the Aboriginal dreamtime legend surrounding Barron Gorge and Barron River. The story tells us of Buda-dji, the Carpet Snake who carved out the river and its tributaries. This famous snake is depicted on the engine in traditional Aboriginal artwork.

Buda-dji the Carpet Snake winds down the side of the engine.

As we made our way down from the Tablelands, we had plenty of time to gaze out the windows that were open to let in air. We passed by smaller waterfalls, saw steep ravines and traversed trestle bridges. Near the end, I was quite excited to see a wallaby hop across the tracks. All my Aussie friends are amused that the rest of the world loves kangaroos and wallabies so much, but I thought seeing this animal topped off our outing nicely.

Enjoying the passing landscape

We had gone to Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef, so spending an excellent day learning about Aboriginal culture and then riding both cablecars and train carriages was an unexpected bonus. I highly recommend it!

IF YOU GO:

• Package tours including Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, the Skyrail Cableway, and the Kuranda Scenic Railway are easy to find. You can do it early online at a discount or at one of the many tour operators with storefronts in the touristy part of Cairns or at your hotel once you get there. They are available both with our without transfers from your hotel.
• If you drive yourself, keep in mind that the Skyrail Caravonica Terminal in Cairns and the Kuranda Railway Station in Cairns are about 15 minutes away from each other by car. You will need a way to get back to where you parked your car if a transfer is not included in your ticket.
• You can also go the opposite way taking the Kuranda Railway up (2 morning departures) and the Skyrail Cableway back down. However, you may not have time to do everything at Tjapukai. 

Related Posts:
A Visit to Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park
Why My Kids Love the Sydney Opera House
The Allure of Uluru (Ayers Rock)
It's the Great Penguin, Charlie Brown (Kangaroo Island)


This post is part of "Travel Photo Thursday" on Budget Travelers Sandbox, "Oh, The Places I've Been!" at The Tablescaper, and Sunday Traveler at Ice Cream and Permafrost. Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.