caves Archives - Splinter's Paradise

Day 149: The Sawa-I-Lau cave

May 24, 2014

Today, my destination is the enchanting Sawa-I-Lau cave nestled in the Yasawa Archipelago—a captivating underwater cavern. Rising at the crack of dawn, 7:45 am marked the countdown to breakfast, just 15 minutes away. Swiftly, I made a pit stop at the bathroom and slipped into my swim trunks in eager anticipation of the day’s adventure post-meal. However, my tranquility was disrupted by the lively banter of Fijian voices in the dorm around 6 am. One audacious soul even dared to engage in a phone call, their voices refusing to heed the calls for hushed tones, a truly irksome…

by Maarten

Day 133: Abel Tasman National Park, part I

May 8, 2014

Today, my itinerary includes exploring caves and captivating sacred springs within Abel Tasman National Park. I rose early at 7 am as the two women in my dorm needed to depart. The initial lady, who had snored loudly yet elegantly the previous night, left in silence. However, the other, Birgit, attempted to be discreet but wasn’t successful. Her frequent entrances into the dorm, a total of 20 times, were quite disruptive. Once she finally left, I managed to catch some more sleep and woke up around 9 am. I indulged in a lengthy and refreshing shower, enjoying the solitude of…

by Maarten

Day 8: Kuala Lumpur: The Batu Caves and the Menara tower

January 3, 2014

I coordinated with Michaela to depart the hostel at 8:30 am for the Batu Caves, and later in the evening, I planned to visit the Menara Tower. On that day, a German named Elio, employed at a software company handling diverse projects, joined us. Leaving the hostel, we headed to KL Sentral. Kuala Lumpur’s mass rapid transit system struck me as amusing, reminiscent of children’s toys. To pass through the gates, you use these small blue plastic toy coins. Additionally, changing lines requires a new card or coin, which I found a bit inefficient. An interesting cultural note: public…

by Maarten