Koh Ngai (Koh Hai)

Koh Ngai (also known as Koh Hai) is located 13 kilometers south of Koh Lanta, Thailand. It is one of the Koh Lanta group of islands that makes up the Koh Lanta National Marine Park. A small, triangular island less than 5 square kilometers in size, Koh Ngai has a forested interior and offers white sandy beaches along clear water with corals which encircles the entire island making it a perfect place for snorkeling. Koh Ngai is a secluded island and accessible only by boat.

Long-tail boat to take us to the island

Arriving at the island

Our huts

Rinsing our feet by scooping water with coconut shells

A swing with perfect views

I think this kayak paddle is a bit too large for Naimah.

Discoveries along the beach and in the water…

…including almost completely transparent jellyfish (that Gabriel was kind enough to collect for us).

Storm clouds rolling in

Looks like Gabriel is building a dam for the storm

Fresh grilled seafood BBQs

Writing in our journals…

…and researching the next location.

Phi Phi Leh

Phi Phi Leh is just offshore from Phi Phi Don in Thailand. It is a beautiful island with very high sheer cliff faces dropping vertically into the water.

The main features of this island are the limestone caves, the most famous being Viking Cave with its bird's nest gatherers, who risk their lives to climb thin stalks of bamboo to reach golden nests made from bird saliva. Cruising around the limestone island monoliths of Krabi, it is common to see thin stalks of bamboo inside caves many hundreds of feet up in the cliff faces.

This particular type of bird's nest is made by the Fork-tailed Swift and is regarded, especially by the Chinese, as the food of kings only eaten on special occasions. It is also regarded as an elixir of life giving the eater strength and vitality.

Bird's nests can fetch over 1,000 dollars per kilogram. In Thailand, you can find many restaurants specializing in cooking this delicacy in the form of bird's nest soup and many drinks sold in local shops contain the famous Fork-tailed Swift's bird nest.

Videos of the gorgeous water around Phi Phi Leh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jgGg85xPvNA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Wo9gkSunv3c

Koh Yao Yai

Far removed from the hustle and bustle of holiday destinations such as Krabi and Phuket, Koh Yao is a charming area of outstanding natural beauty consisting of a cluster of small islands close to Phuket in scenic Phang Nga Bay, Thailand.

An amazing variety of Thai dishes including delicious grilled squid kebobs.

Heading back to the mainland while the clouds roll in.

Koh Phi Phi Leh

Koh Phi Phi Leh is an island of the Phi Phi archipelago, in the Andaman Sea. It belongs to the Krabi province of Thailand.

Maya Bay is popular for diving, and has become even more popular after the movie The Beach was filmed there. The beach at Maya Bay is magnificent and therefore very popular with tourists. As a result, there are tons of long-tail boats moored along the beach.

According to the Lonely Planet's Thailand guidebook, the 2004 tsunami dramatically improved the look of Maya Bay. This was due to the fact that the high waves had cleaned up the beach and removed all of the landscaping the Fox movie production team had added.

Blackcomb

Whistler Blackcomb is a major ski resort located 125 km north of Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada.

Spanning the distance between Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, the world record-breaking PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola is a breathtaking, 4.4-kilometer journey.

Taking a break from hiking

11th annual Harvest Soup Contest

Local restaurants showcase their best harvest soup

The Four Seasons Resort took the Harvest Soup Contest crown this year, running out of its hearty liquid gold (a Thai Rock Shrimp and butternut squash savory delight) before the event even finished.

Eating Okonomiyaki (aka “Jeggs”) – a Japanese savory pancake containing a variety of ingredients

Captain Gabriel

Gabriel had a superhero party on Saturday night. While he was out of the house in the afternoon, we decided to surprise him by creating a Captain America shield out of a recycled, plastic sushi tray.

Run for the Cure

Over $30 million raised for breast cancer research, education and advocacy.