whereisannenow

Karimunjava, Indonesia Who said tropical paradise? Bounty beaches, beautiful sunsets, and front row location where the sand from the bed gets into your bed because you are literary staying on the beach. Karimunjava is a precious little pearl of an island located a couple of hour’s boat ride from Jepara in Java, Indonesia. Karimunjava is an archipelago of 27 islands and while visiting, do yourself the favor and go visit a few. One of my favorite memories of this place was one night at our homestay when a thunderstorm hit the horizon. I and my travel companion were sitting in the oceans lovely warm water and watching as many as five lightings strike the surface of the ocean on the horizon. We spent a few hours sitting in the shallow water drinking tea and being entertained. It was amazing. The Island. This area is a national marine park. The main island(s) are of two small islands tugged together only separated by a small bridge. Karimunjava and Kemujan Islands. The s...

I have traveled the world a bit. I’ve seen things, observed things and tried many things. Some I liked some I didn’t. Couchsurfing has been an experience. I have couched surfed in a few countries. The majority of my couch surfing experiences have been good, some have been extraordinarily good and some have been experiences I would happily not have had. All of them have created memories though. I have chosen to share three of my best experiences with you and three of my worst. One thing I did learn from my trips is how important it is to make sure you are on the same page as your host. Are we going to party? How much time should we spend together? Are you expecting something in return (read sex), Buckle up and enjoy the ride? View from a host in Wellington, NZ 1. My very first Couchsurfing experience – perfect first time! My sister and I had decided to try that couch surfing thing that so many people had recommended us. I created a profile and filled out the stuff. I must ...

Diving has always been one of my favorite activities when going traveling. It is fun and beautiful and you get to discover such a different world when you are under the sea. A world of treasures and wonders... and so unlike the one above. Below I've gathered 7 of my favorite diving spots in South East Asia and Australia that I would recommend to everyone.  Enjoy 1. Coral Garden, Langkawi The most famous spot for diving around Langkawi is the Pulau Payar Marine Park. Located around an hour ferry ride south of Langkawi leaving the Kuah Jetty. I did two dives here. The main attraction is the Coral Garden. This dive-site is a shallow site with the coral-reef at around 10 meters depth. But don’t feel cheated. The rocks are covered with beautiful soft corals in clear white, blue and purple colors. You will also encounter plenty of the branching tree corals, anemones hiding schools of clownfish and huge sea fans. There is a great variety of plant and animal wildlife with many of t...

Did you, like me, fall in love with Dan Browns books about Robert Langdon and his pursuit for truth and discovering of the religious aspects in the Da Vinci Code and later Angels and Demons then check out my Christmas Special for a half marathon around the city of Rome in the hunt for cardinal’s sacrificing places from the book. I don’t know if you have a Robert Langdon in your life to take you on this trip and tell you all the fascinating facts about Christianity, religion, Illuminati, the Vatican and all the conspiracies surrounding topics but if not, bring Angels and Demons in paper-bag and head to Rome. If you, like me, want to get the real vibe and experience of Roma, there is only one way to get around, walking…put on some comfortable shoes with good support and start walking. It is a lovely walk. Dazzling Rome is a vibrant, pulsating city and if you go in the peak season you will have to fight your way through millions of tourists to get to some of these marks. The firs...