Ten islands to visit in Malaysia

Blog: velvet escape's blog - 17 January 2012

By: velvet

Lang tengah island

Malaysia is known the world over for its cultural diversity, expansive tropical forests, mouthwatering cuisine and yes, its glorious beaches. I’ve had the privilege of visiting many Malaysian islands to laze on the blinding white sands, swim in the crystal-clear water and say ‘hi’ to the amazing marine life. Malaysia comprises two parts: Peninsular Malaysia (or West Malaysia) which is the southernmost stretch of the Asian continent, and the states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo (the world’s third largest island), often referred to collectively as East Malaysia. Though the mainland of both West and East Malaysia have beautiful sandy beaches, the best beaches and coral reefs can be found on the many islands off the coast. The largest islands, Penang and Langkawi, offer a lot more than just beaches. Here’s my list of ten fabulous islands in Malaysia, categorised by (level of) activity.

The Most Beautiful Vacation Spots and Where To Find Them

JULY 12, 2012 by DAVID M. in FIND

Whether it’s the blue waters of Cancun or the mountains in Big Bear, we all enjoy spending time on vacation. While the average American spends an average of 3% of their annual income on vacations, not all of us take one each year. Of the people who don’t take vacations, their most common excuse is that they are trying to find the money, bad planning or work as a reason why they didn’t take one. No matter when you finally are able to save up for a vacation, the most important question that you will ask is where to go on vacation? No matter where you choose, we can all agree that a vacation should be special and relaxing. To make your decision easier, we have shown you where to find the most beautiful vacation spots in the world.
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Pamukkale

Pamakkale’s English translation is “Cotton Castle” and is located in Southern Turkey within the Denizli Providence. The picture below is of the carbonate mineral “shelves” created by water flowing over the edge.

Photo Credit: eleephotography on Flikr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/47096398@N08/5864262845/

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The world's greatest comfort foods

By Eva Sandoval 14 August, 2012

Mmm -- a delicious world of tried-and-tested pick-me-ups.

It's a It's a cold, rainy winter day and thanks to a splash-happy Prius driver, you're soaked through to the marrow. Your company just laid off half of its task force. And look -- new wrinkles. Will this head cold ever go away? You got dumped, you got dumped, you got dumped ...

What to do now? Stuff your face, of course.

While the causes of misery might vary, one thing's for sure -- when life turns sour, most of us go for something sweet. Or savory. Or homemade.

Treats that might be gentle on our stomach, treats that might be bad for our teeth, treats that somehow, through the simple act of tasting them, instantly make us feel better.

To qualify as a true comfort food, a dish must fulfill at least two of three requirements; it has restorative properties, it has sentimental appeal, and it’s insanely delicious.

Here’s our roundup of 10 of the world's best culinary remedies for human suffering. Get your hankies out, folks -- it’s gonna be a rough ride.

The Most Enticing and Magnificent Sinkhole Ever!

Sinkholes are common where the rock below the land surface is limestone or other 

carbonate rock,salt beds or rocks that can naturally be dissolved by circulating ground 

water. As the rock dissolves, spaces and caverns develop underground. Sinkholes may 

vary in size from 1 to 600 meters both in diameter and depth.

Sinkholes can also be devastating. They can swallow anything, big or small.  But this 

one in Oman has become a tourist attraction. While similar holes engulf residential 

streets or open up in front of despairing home owners, the Bimmah sinkhole has 

long been attracting tourists eager for a picturesque swim.

Stunning: A concrete stairway leads to the base of the picturesque Bimmah sinkhole in Oman,
which is several times more beautiful than many others of its type

World's Scary and Strange Phenomena

There are are some happenings which are beyond our control, and somehow are difficult to explain. Some of them are the different phenomena of the world. Perhaps, you already noticed some of them, but you are only unaware of what they are. I will introduce you some...

Light Pillars

Light pillars appear as eerily upright luminous columns in the sky, beacons cast into the air above without an apparent source.These are visible when light reflects just right off of ice crystals from either the sun (as in the two top images above) or from artificial ground sources such as street or park lights. Despite their appearance as near-solid columns of light,the effect is entirely created by our own relative viewpoint.