December 28, 2025
Christmas Eve we explored this magical place underwater. It was a little drizzly in the morning, so we only had the Plouard Family from Normandy, France to share our Viator snorkeling excursion. We saw so much wild life - it was a fabulous day! We saw Manta Ray Momma, Blacktip Reef Sharks, Stingray, Spotted Eagle Rays, Long Nose Emperor Fish and so many more!
Below photos from our guide's family Motu (small coral/ volcanic island). It was our lunch spot and one side is ocean other lagoon. Our Guides ( cousins) made it a fun excursion. Would highly recommend them. Their family on the Motucooked a delicious lunch for us and then we toured their hydroponic green house gardens, (they grow & sell to hotels) greens, veggies, herbs and flowers.
Fun day in the waters of Tioman Island, Malaysia snorkeling with friends. Life is good! It was nothing fancy, a boat & captain, who spoke minimal English and barely interacted with us, for roughly 7 hours. We started the outing spotting a group of dolphins and was quickly at anchor drop 1 of 6. The distances between the 6 snorkel spots was minimal, which gave us lots of time in the water (at least 45 minutes, at each spot) with an added stop for a lunch break at local restaurants. Even the restaurants were fast and efficient, definitely used to catering to the boat crowd.
Wishing everyone a Happy 4th of July! Here on the Odyssey we celebrated in the SE Asia Sea on our way to Tioman Island, Malaysia . We have such a talented and dedicated group of residents here, they put together a fun hour of things to celebrate and embrace a lot of what we collectively love about the USA. Even our residents from other countries - Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany , etc. joined in the fun! ( I lent my flag below for decorations)
Vihara Avalokiteshvara Graha or Guan Yin Temple is near 500 Lohan, so we also toured the grounds of this large Temple complex. It's dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy and is one the tallest brass statues of her in SE Asia. She is just over 55' tall, coated in 22 carat gold and is surrounded by scenic dragon fruit plantations. The tile work is intricate and textured with great details. The whole place is very tranquil and calming for meditation and prayer.