October 22, 2025

WOW!!! PALAU is the tropical Paradise I have been dreaming about! This is trip just reached a new level of OMG!!

Our Ship was tendered right off the Palau Pacific Resort and we had use of their dock and lovely facilities for the 3 days we were here.

I went on the best snorkeling trip of my life, to date, with this fun group of ten. The operator was Fish n Fins and our main guide Anna, from Germany, was amazing! So knowledgeable and passionate about her job. First class tour, thank you Ben so much for organizing!

L circling R: Lori, Scott, Delia, Ben,Phil, Kim, Lynn, Bosco, Me & Christy

It was as gorgeous below the water as on top. I borrowed these photos from various freinds since I don't have an underwater camera - thanks David, Sherrie, Brent and Lyn. The CLAMS so cool and colorful, brilliant corals, Blue starfish, turtles and white and black tip SHARKS! I didn't see these jelly fish but had to include, so spectacular! There is an area called jelly fish lake.

To top it all off, the most gorgeous sunset as we headed back to the ship!

By Pat Patrick July 6, 2026
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.
By Pat Patrick July 4, 2026
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)
By Pat Patrick July 2, 2026
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.