phu quoc & saigon

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Anamu

hover over each image/dots for the story

… a few weeks later and we finally have photos from our trip to Vietnam! It was our second time there (remember our early honeymoon?) so we mixed in some beach time with city culture.

Most of the trip was spent at Mango Bay Eco Resort, in Phu Quoc. It was a complete 180 from our experience in Con Dao in that even though they both boast an eco-friendly environments, Mango Bay was bare bones. No A/C, no phone in the room for room service, outdoor toilet, and unfortunately really crappy bed and pillows. However, the setting was gorgeous and it still felt indulgent with it’s own grown-up summer camp vibe. We ate, lounged, and ate some more but my favorite part was spending the day out on the water while Joe and other guests snorkeled. I stayed on board due to my recent LASIK surgery so instead of swimming with the fish, I was invited to join the guides in catching them instead. I did pretty well – four total! The water was beautiful and warm and that night I went to sleep still feeling the rocking of the boat. Luckily it was more soothing than it sounds.

After three nights in Phu Quoc we headed to Ho Chi Minh City, or as tried and true locals still call it, Saigon. My first impression was “wow, it looks like a mini Europe but with all Vietnamese people!”. The French influence and architecture is still very much present in the old districts as are the wide streets lined with trees – a rare sight in South East Asia. When Joe and I hopped onto motor bikes with our guides for a night tour we were instantly impressed with the ease of getting around. Everyone was so relaxed about riding motorbikes and most of all courteous. I’m sure locals might think differently (or even other tourists visiting SEA for the first time) but now coming from KL where people (mostly male) drive their bikes at crazy speeds and seem to always try to hit you, Saigon felt more like a pleasant bike ride in the park. There were so many more women on the road, even ones dressed up in fancy work clothes. It’s just the norm and it’s awesome.

The biggest treat was the next day when our guide took us to the building where an American helicopter evacuated people during the fall of Saigon. It was crazy to think of the iconic image and then look up/down and realize that we were standing on top of history. The location isn’t advertised to tourists nor is it generally open to the public so if you want in, give Bao a call.

We had to catch our flight home that afternoon so with other cultural spots to see, the day was jam packed but well worth it. It was our first time hiring a guide during holiday and I don’t think it will be the last. We did it mainly because we had less than 24 hours in the city and expected that there would be a lot to see. And unlike traveling in Europe where we’re more familiar with the history, culture, and where cities tend to be easier to navigate, we’ve realized that we need a little extra help in this part of the world. Ubud, Bali is next for a long weekend so we’ll see how we do there!

Have you ever traveled with a guide? What was your experience?

weekend, we <3 you {kk}

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Anamu

Hi guys, I hope you had a great weekend.

Things got so hectic that I wasn’t able to do a Friday post but if you follow me on Instagram, you know that we snuck away to Kota Kinabalu, in Sabah, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo.

We’re on a mission to take advantage of living in Southeast Asia before we wake up from this dream and realize that it’s too late to explore it all. So, we’re trying to do and see as much as we can during the weekends while still enjoying our home in KL. Not the worst challenge in the world, right? Game on!

Kota Kinabalu, or KK as locals call it, is the capital city of Sabah. Because of that I expected a big city like KL but to my delight, the downtown area where we stayed was really small, walkable, and best of all, right by the ocean. We’ve heard amazing things about hiking Mount Kinabalu but since we only had two full days there we decided that we’d save the jungle trekking for another trip and enjoy the islands.

And enjoy we did! There are five islands just off of the mainland and with one main jetty to book a water taxi from, it was super easy to get to and from any of them. A fifteen minute ride on a speed boat took us to Pulau Sapi, or Sapi Island. Most of the people there were part of package deals that include a catered BBQ so with all of them crowded by the main beach, Joe and I set off to find a place of solitude elsewhere on the tiny Island.
Our first attempt at following a designated trail was a miss so we decided to try something different. Instead of walking through the jungle we made our way through the rocky shores around the southwestern part of the island. It was easy to do but we were definitely thankful to have our Ring Cozies on since we had to climb up and over some really rough rocks (yes – had to plug Ring Cozy since it works SO well!).

All was good until Joe pointed out a cool prickly aloe-type plant growing out of a rock wall. I looked, said “wow”, and then my eyes instantly went to a GIANT lizard right underneath it! I’m talking 6ft long, prehistoric, big bodied, long-tongue looking lizard. I flipped out and ran into the water. It took Joe about ten seconds to see it because when I screamed “lizard!” he thought that I meant a small one like we’re used to seeing – that’s how well camouflaged that thing was. Once Joe saw it too, we were both outta there and he said that I should have yelled “GODZILLA!” instead.

Godzilla was immediately forgotten as soon as we walked a few more feet and found a slice of heaven. Aside from a woman who swam up from her privately chartered boat for a bit, we had a little stretch of sand all to ourselves. We joked about all the suckers we left behind on the crowded main beach. But, it wasn’t total perfection. There were jellyfish particles in the water that stung like a really bad case of razor burn when I swam for too long, so I stuck to beach-side lounging.

When it was time to leave I was on high lizard-alert and while we didn’t see the big one we first saw, we saw another one in the water just beneath the rocks we were climbing (eeekkk!!!). Joe took some photos as I pleaded “okay hunny, I think you got the shot. Let’s gooooo!”. It was only after that, on our return back to the main beach, that we saw an old rusted sign on the ground that read “AWAS” which means “BEWARE” in Bahasa Malay. Whomever put that sign there probably knows about the Godzilla family that stalks the shores…

At the end of the day were lucky that we got to enjoy that gorgeous little private beach without any real problems. Otherwise, we could have ended up being the suckers who left the main beach! Totally worth it. During lunch at another island, Pulau Mamutik, we Googled ‘the lizards of Sapi’ and learned that the ones we saw were Monitor Lizards. I think we’ll stick with calling them Godzilla.

crazy for kayu

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Anamu

Kayu handbags

I’m so excited to finally share some photos of my shoot for KAYU – gorgeous bags with a mission.

I met KAYU’s founder, Jamie Lim, via Twitter and as luck would have it she’s originally from Malaysia. She was in town over the holidays to visit family and take care of business (her clutches are hand made in South East Asia) so we were able to meet in person and collaborate for her Spring look book photos and graphic design. We hit it off immediately and I was in total awe of her designs. She has somehow accomplished making the traditional artistry of weaving look completely modern and sexy. And as if good looks weren’t enough, a portion of sales is donated to perform sight-restoring surgeries in India and to purchase backpacks and school supplies for children in Cambodia. Win-win.

I had a blast walking around KL together with only a bag full of clutches and a determination to “get the shot” despite the hot day and hungry mosquitoes. Felt like quite the urban-jungle warriors at the end of the day!

I can’t finish writing this post without mentioning the stall owners at Chow Kit Market. They thought we were nuts every time we asked “can I put this bag here and take a photo?”. Sure, crazy ladies…go right ahead. The strange looks were totally worth it as my fave shot is the trio of clutches on the Durian scale. It doesn’t get any more Malaysian than that.

Shop KAYU at kayudesign.com and Shopbop.com

con dao vietnam

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Anamu

My my was it tough to pick just a handful of photos for this post! We had the most amazing time at Six Senses in Con Dao. We’re usually the type to check into a hotel and return only after a day of exploring but this time we were total resort dwellers. Between relaxing in our villa, swimming in the warm ocean, and eating yummy local cuisine, there really wasn’t much reason to leave. And to be fair, we were on a small island so the choice was made even easier. We did venture out for a snorkeling trip that was followed by the most incredible fruit picnic on a tiny secluded beach. I kept pinching myself because it all looked like something out of a magazine spread. It was the type of setting that dream holidays are made of.

The resort lived up to its scenery too. Everything was eco-conscious and the staff was beyond friendly and hospitable. Every villa is given a butler so if you need anything you call just one person. Ours was Nghia and I knew we had come to service-heaven when after turn-down on the first night I found a lens cloth cleaner for my glasses and a jar of detergent soap; Nghia had noticed that I was wearing glasses (and that they were dirty) and had caught a comment that Joe and I made about getting a stain on his clothes. How impressive is that? We hardly called on Nghia for things but I can imagine that families really get their monies worth with all of the details that the butlers can take care of for you.

We’re already scheming our return because it truly did feel like a slice of heaven. Everything – the service, the scenery, the vibe – was perfect. Places and experiences like this is why we moved to South East Asia. Thanks for the reminder, Six Senses Con Dao.

colors, patterns, and textures, oh my! {singapore)

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Anamu

Singapore has incredible modern architecture but of course, I also found a ton of inspiration in an older part of town called the Arab Corner (I think that’s it, please correct me if I’m wrong). The neighborhood’s pride is evident by the impeccable upkeep of their old shop houses, vibrant colors, and collection of traditional fabric stores and cafes mixed in with new indie boutiques and bars. I loved seeing bits of the local art community, too. From artists at work in a tiny gallery to graphic murals on the street, it’s amazing how much art can bring a street or neighborhood to life. If you’re lucky enough to be there during Ramadan as we were, be sure to take advantage of the food stalls in front of the mosque. Devotees lined up to buy their post-sundown meals but there were plenty of tourists like us taking advantage of the offerings. We weren’t sure if it was acceptable to eat in front of others who were fasting so we tucked into a side alley and chowed down in semi-privacy. It’s a good thing that the streets in Singapore are so sparkly clean ;)