On the third day too we had a nice breakfast, stuffed ourselves with waffles and mango, and then headed to White Beach for the water sports included in our package. The place where you actually board the boat is quite a way in from White Beach, but since all the water sports operators are clustered around White Beach, you have to gather there first. We joined up with people from the other hotels who had come on the same package, moved to the jetty, and headed out to sea by boat. I found out later that the Shangri-La resort has a similar water sports plan too, and while the content is much the same, it seems to run about 20-30% more expensive than the operators on White Beach. The price gap is not that big, so if you would rather not bother, booking through the hotel looks like a fine option as well.
A native chicken in the street
Walking along the road, you see a lot of houses keeping chickens.
Boats for sea fishing and snorkelling
On the way to the jetty I bought a hat too, worried about my face getting burned. We took the boat and travelled a good while to a spot where the waves were calm, then did some sea fishing. There are tons of fish in the water, but I did not land a single one. Is there some knack to it, I wonder.
Cloudy sky
Maybe because it was the rainy season, the third day was overcast. We had played plenty on the second day so I did not mind much, and in fact for water sports the sunlight was not harsh, which suited us just fine. Right after the fishing we went snorkelling, and it was so much fun. Scuba diving is supposed to be fun too, but snorkelling was pretty good as well. You cannot go that deep, so there is no risk of damaging the coral, and there were plenty of fish, so it was more than enjoyable. It felt like stepping into an aquarium packed with fish. I will skip the detailed photos.
Lunch
With the snorkelling done, the morning schedule was over. We moved near White Beach for lunch, and the food that came out was mostly seafood. The crab looked perfectly fine from the outside, but it was the worst-tasting crab of my life. I even wondered if it had gone off..
Fried shrimp
This one was at least reasonably edible.
Boats
There was a jetty right in front of the restaurant. Lots of people were enjoying the water.
Sailing
After lunch we went sailing on a yacht in the afternoon. It had originally been on the second day schedule, but since we spent the second day at the pool it was pushed back to the third day. At first I wondered how much fun riding a yacht could possibly be, but it was really fast, and the hull rocking on the waves was as much fun as a rollercoaster. Racing along, cutting through clear green water you can see straight through to the bottom, was a huge thrill. It is not expensive either, so I would happily do it again next time.
The beach
On the way back to the hotel after the sailing, I took a shot of the White Beach scenery. There were a lot of yachts.
Heart mark
Back at the hotel, while hanging around the pool, I came across what felt like a secret spot. There is a heart mark there, though I have no idea what it means. My guess is that it is for proposals or events.
Gazebo
This is the gazebo in front of the heart mark – quiet, with a nice atmosphere.
Water sports facilities
This is the Shangri-La hotel jetty for water sports. The waves were a bit strong that day.
Loft villas
The Shangri-La hotel has a lot of loft villas. The private villas seem to be for families, and the deluxe rooms are large but I could not see what else was special about them, whereas the loft villas are something I would definitely want to try if I visit again. The tropical night sky is so beautiful that it would make the trip even more special.