Top 10 Photos of 2016

2016 was another good year for photography with a number of great shots to choose from. 70% of my photos in the top 10 were taken with my iphone 5s as I made the transition from carrying around my bulky DSLR to using the convenience of the iphone. The iphone camera produces best results outdoors in the natural light and a few of my top 10 were taken in those precise conditions.

#10

We stayed at Laman Sentosa Boutique Hotel Kuantan in October and had a great time there. The children went for a dip in the pool and I naturally looked for photograph opportunities. The abstract image I came up with is a view of falling water. There was a little waterfall at the pool so I walked behind it, took some videos and pictures, and was delighted to come up with this highly artistic shot! (iphone)

#9

I love being at the beach. Sometimes it is a simple image that can endure long in the memory, like this birds eye view of seashells taken at Batu Hitam, Kuantan. (DSLR)

#8

It was indoors with artificial lighting, which is not my preference for good iphone photography, but it is the content and not the quality that gets this one into the Top 10. My wife and her four sisters are the subject for this shot that I captured crouching down and to the right of centre. Sometimes a change from the regular angle makes a difference. We were in Kuching attending our cousin's wedding on this occasion. (iphone)

#7

Welcome to Pavilion shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! As you can see from this viewpoint I shot, it was all decked out in lavish Christmas decorative elements when we went there in December 2016. The two-tier carousel was provided by Swarovski and contained a world-first 3 million crystals, embedded in the floor, horses and everywhere. We queued for a long time and were grateful that we did because it was a great ride! (DSLR)

#6

One of my favourite photos of the year! My two girls with their favourite aunty. Aunty Urai determined to do a photoshoot with them before she went back to Kuching, and we took a load of really lovely photos. For some reason, I am drawn to this one above the others. I just think it's very cute! (iphone)

#5

The only tussle with in-flight photography is ensuring the camera focuses on the outside landscape and not on the plane window. Once it does that properly, you are good to shoot some fantastic images. This picture is part of the Kuala Lumpur landscape just minutes after take-off from KLIA during our short hop back to Kuantan. (iphone)

#4

I love this atmospheric shot which is full of texture. It takes me right back to the moment it was shot! There was a storm brewing up and the humid heat had turned into a cooler breeze with spots of rain. I like the fact that there are people walking on the beach, sandwiched in between the fierce storm clouds and the plants in the foreground. I literally spent about 10 minutes out on the beach snapping photos of the weather system before I had to take cover. (iphone)

#3

The sunrise on our 6:30am flight from Kuantan to KLIA. It is thrilling watching the sunrise and sunset on an airplane. You get a whole different view to the one from the ground. On this particular morning, there was a splendid mixture of grey, silver and white wispy clouds punctured by the blazing yellows, oranges and reds of the rising sun. It was just a 30-minute hop but I spent near enough the whole half hour snapping pictures out the window. (iphone)

#2

This lady has featured prominently in almost all of my yearly Top 10 photos. It's easy to see why. Florina is a natural model and the camera loves her. More perfect settings at the beach half an hour down the road from Kuantan. Storm clouds beginning to whip up, lots of natural light, and slightly cooler-than-usual temperatures. Florina and I wanted to make the most of these favourable conditions and I took a couple of dozen pictures and videos in a 10-minute spell. There were a lot of good results but this one was as close to perfect as I have ever taken with my iphone. Thanks to my sister Florina for her flash and eager modelling skills! (iphone)

#1

So my top photo of 2016 is this magnificent family photo (Malaysian side) we took at the Riverside Majestic Hotel in Kuching near the end of 2016. Since we all live in various parts of Malaysia, it is always a highlight when we are all together once or twice a year. We had booked 3 rooms to accommodate us all, but upon check-in, we learned that the hotel had overbooked and didn't have enough rooms for us all, so out of the goodness of their hearts, they gave us the one and only PENTHOUSE in the entire hotel! You can imagine, we ran around in a state of joyful panic exploring every inch of the two-floor suite we were given! Taking a family photo in the grand living room was at the top of our list and this was taken right before we attended the wedding ceremony of our cousin. It is not the sharpest due to the low light, but it sure is our overwhelming favourite!

That's a wrap for 2016. Looking forward for more photography adventures in 2017!

Pelindung Pantai (Pelindung Beach)

Pelindung Pantai

We are so lucky in Kuantan to have long stretches of beach. We had a picnic with some friends at Pelindung Pantai the other week, which is 1-2km further up the coast from Teluk Chempedak.

We entered off Jalan Beserah and drove a zigzag route through Pelindung Maju until after 5 minutes or so we reached the beach. Lovely smooth sands with a sprinkling of small seashells, Pelindung Pantai sees fishermen going out to sea in their boats early in the morning.

Top 10 things Malaysia has Given Me

September 16th is Malaysia Day and is not to be confused with Merdeka Day (Aug 31st). Merdeka Day celebrates Malaya's independence from British rule in 1957. Malaysia Day acknowledges the merging of Sarawak and Sabah with Malaya, becoming Malaysia.

People here may go on holidays either in or out of the country, particularly if it coincides with a school holiday week. Or, people flock to the nearest shopping mall to spend the day, and money, on discounts!

Today I decided to spend some time thinking what Malaysia has given me and why I'm so thankful to be living here. So here is my 

Top 10 things Malaysia has Given Me:

1. A beautiful wife and family

Horne family photo in Kuantan, May 2014

First and foremost, the reason why this Englishman is here in Malaysia today, is my beautiful wife. After meeting my Malaysian beauty on the island of Borneo, we soon engaged and married a year later. In addition to being the woman I love, she is a great help to my cause as a local Malaysian.

2. 4 sisters-in-law

My wife with her 4 sisters at home in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

Get that! Not only has Malaysia given me a gorgeous wife, but the family extends to four fantastic sisters-in-law (though I hate the 'in-law' part. I refer to them as simply 'sisters'). How lucky can one guy be?

3. A family company

Our company logo

Malaysia has given us our own family company. We registered Horne Learning Services through Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM, or Malaysia Companies Commission), and in no time we had our own business. We are able to work from home, giving us the pleasure of being with and raising our children simultaneously. Our website can be found at HLS English Classes Kuantan

4. Long-term visa with permission to work

The Kuantan, Pahang Immigration has over the years relaxed its policies and has allowed me to receive a 4-year visa with permission to work. This is a huge blessing for me which I am ever grateful for. Long gone are the days where I had to go to Singapore every 3 months to get a new stamp in my passport. I am now working towards receiving PR (Permanent Residency) in Malaysia.

5. A love of hotels

Meeting the Chief Minister of Pahang at Vistana Hotel Kuantan in February 2014

Through my blog and living in Kuantan, I have developed quite a love of hotels, which has seen us stay inside most of the notable hotels in Kuantan, and some of the smaller ones. We have often stayed there for free in exchange for positive blog reviews, while also taking the opportunity of combining our English classes with the hotel industry. We have gained many new friends in hotels in Kuantan and KL which has enhanced our lives dramatically.

6. An appreciation of health

In my hospital bed with dehydration and food poisoning at HTAA Kuantan

Malaysia has given me a more vivid awareness and appreciation of my health. Coming down with food poisoning has taught me to be extra careful what I eat and making sure it's clean and safe before consumption. Severe dehydration has alerted me to the need for drinking PLENTY of water and electrolytes, and also taking rehydration salts from time to time. 

I have also started regular workouts at the local gym, to increase my health, strength and blood circulation. It feels fabulous to work out and eat right!

Looking and feeling better at the gym

Living in this hot and humid climate has created a much greater importance to looking after my health. Coupled with my long-overdue dentist appointments to correct a number of problems at extremely low prices, Malaysia has definitely brought about an improved sense of good health.

7. A new outlook on life

with friends in Ipoh, Malaysia, May 2004

Malaysia has reinvigorated me. It has given me a whole new outlook on life. It is a combination of living a different culture, adapting to a new climate, appreciating the appearance of the sun every single day, interacting with really friendly people, serving others and experiencing new opportunities. Thank you for these wonderful things, Malaysia!

8. Nasi Lemak et al.

A gorgeous helping of nasi lemak

Mmmm, nasi lemak. The greatest food ever! And nasi kukus. And roti jala. And mango sticky rice. And a whole list of other brilliant foods. Malaysia boleh!

9. Beautiful beaches

Teluk Chempedak beach, Kuantan

Malaysia has given me a beautiful beach just 15 minutes drive down the road. Teluk Chempedak beach is the most popular place in Kuantan. I love going there and walking across the bridge through monkey territory to the next beach. What a luxury this is!

10. Astro

Astro is the Malaysian equivalent of Sky TV in England. Man, I get to watch more EPL football in Malaysia than I ever did in England. There are 14 channels dedicated to sports, with additional channels on top of that for special sporting events (ie. FIFA World Cup, Olympics etc). Malaysia has spoilt me!

Holiday Villa Beach Resort & Spa, Cherating, Malaysia

Pulled up the Maps & Navigation app on my phone as we passed the industrial estate of Gebeng on our journey from Kuantan to our destination: Holiday Villa Cherating.

The app showed we were just 20 minutes away, making it roughly a 40-minute drive from Kuantan town. Holiday Villa Beach Resort & Spa Cherating lies just before The Legend Resort on the right hand side of the road, as travelling from Kuantan.

The entrance to Holiday Villa Beach Resort & Spa Cherating

Entering the lobby at Holiday Villa Cherating

The warm and inviting lobby

View of the lobby taken from an adjacent waiting room

We were really impressed with the warm and inviting lobby and waiting area with smooth wooden furniture and neatly decorated walls, with a range of books, magazines and newspapers to browse through.

Our chalet

We were soon escorted to our chalet. A very comfortable sofa in the living area awaited us as we relaxed for a while upon arrival. The bed was fantastic! We had one of the most comfortable nights sleep we have had when compared to any hotel in Kuantan. The one piece of advice I would give is to take some mosquito repellent as there were one or two mosquitos flying around while we were sleeping.

My wife sitting on our chalet porch

The living area of our chalet

Bathroom featuring toilet and shower

Mirror and sink with a nice big rubbish bin!

The bed, with Leah busy chatting on the phone!

After a little rest, my wife indulged herself at the spa with a facial. Eastern Pavilion is attached to the main resort where spa treatment is available and separate chalets are located with private pools!

Beautiful scenery at Eastern Pavilion

We also took some time to look around the resort to discover what was there and appreciate more of this stunning scenery

Took this lovely family photo amidst the nature at Holiday Villa Cherating

Swimming pool

And of course, the main attraction is the location: right on the beach front!

Putting my feet up at the beach

Chillin' out at Cherating

Plenty of activities to do at Cherating!

Here is the Beach Restaurant where we had our dinner and breakfast the next day. The food was good. Very thankful to Mr. Leslie, the Hotel Manager, for the free dinner! A plus point is 24-hour room service delivered from this restaurant.

The hotel arranged for us to go and see some turtles laying eggs at a nearby beach. We drove about 15 minutes into Terengganu along the highway where we met a 'Pak Su' at an Esso station. We followed him to the beach around the corner where we met a large group of other people. This was at 9pm so it was dark, the moon and stars shining brightly in the night sky. We had a trek along the shore before we arrived at the nesting site.

Initially our guides divided us into groups of 10 to go and see the egg laying, but it soon became a free-for-all with no order. It was quite disappointing really as those at the front were not moving away. Eventually my wife and I had to ask people to let others come and see too. Far too many people!

Finally, I have to say thank you to Rina (pictured below) who assisted us with our reservation and everything else we needed (including towels in our room!) during our stay.

We really enjoyed our stay at Holiday Villa Cherating. Very satisfied with the beautiful surroundings, the beach, and the comfortable bed!