Somedays, it feels like we live in paradise. Movies are filmed here, books are written here, couples honeymoon here, and starlets escape here. It really can feel like paradise on earth. But then, I get stuck in a traffic jam breathing the exhaust of a tourist bus sitting next to burning trash by the side of the road watching a stray dog root through it, and it doesn’t feel so glamorous.
However, for our anniversary this year, we did find a piece a paradise nearby. We escaped to a tiny island just a half hour boat ride away. But it felt like another world. As soon as we stepped off the boat, and powder soft sand of the white shores touched my toes, I felt relaxation wash over me. We splurged to stay at a hotel right on the beach, with 2 infinity pools overlooking the bay. It’s only your fourth anniversary once, right?! [Confession, it was $40/night with breakfast included, and my parents paid for part of it.] We checked in and immediately hit the pools. So refreshing. Because it was the tourist low season, the hotel wasn’t even half full, so we enjoyed the pool to ourselves. And then we booked the ocean side massages, and I thought we were in heaven. Could this place get any better?!?
The next day, we arranged a snorkeling trip. We were going by boat to 3 popular spots, one of which was known for manta rays. My husband was psyched. Me, not so much [more on that in another post]. But it was incredible. We definitely saw and swam with the manta rays. We saw fish of all shapes and sizes. The coral looked like we were viewing it in HD, vibrant with texture and colors. It was fantastic.
We continued our island anniversary weekend on motorbike, driving around the tiny island, to the edges of cliffs and over rickety bridges. We found untouched coves of beach and ate at restaurants overlooking the surf. It was magical. This island, while still considered part of our own, manages to have an identity of it’s own. It’s simpler and smaller, and the pace more lazy and more laid-back. It was only a weekend, and I can’t wait to get back.
An American Mom in Asia 
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