Stokes Hill Wharf

Today I took a small boat to go and visit one of our Vessels near shore. It was actually my first trip out of Darwin by sea. It is great since it gave me a new perspective. I departed from Stokes Hill Wharf which is a place that is very popular with the tourists and locals alike. Housed under the roof of the building you see in the picture (the roof actually says ‘Welcome To Darwin’) are a good quantity of restaurants and is a popular spot to watch the sunset while having a bite and a drink. I have been to some fancy restaurants but the best Barramundi I was given to experience remains at Stokes Hill Wharf for a few quids and in a plastic plate with plastic forks and knives.

Trikora Beach

Trikora beach is populated by a few fishermen's villages. A few huts on the land but mostly many kelongs. Kelongs are floating platform built out of wood (supposedely without nails) and are anchored in the water for fishing purposes. They can also be moved wherever the fishermen want to be and they can of coursed house their whole extensive families. There was only one on Saturday but this morning a floating village had suddenly appeared in front of the beach.

Bintan, Indonesia

An hour away from Singapore by ferry boat lay the Riau Islands. Undevelopped Karimun on the West, industrial Batam in the center and touristical Bintan on the East. The Northern part has been mostly developped to cater to Singaporean tourists as a weekend gateway and the long resort stretch is separated from the rest of the Island by guards, fences and all the security arsenal. Exclusive hotels like the Banyan Tree or Club Med all are within this stretch. Instead, we chose to go to the 'real' Bintan and we did not regret it. Far away from the hordes of tourists we found ourselves enjoying empty beaches. The water was just at a perfect temperature and very calm. A real relaxing Saturday on Trikora beach.

Melaka

In preparation of the long week-end we made our way to Melaka where we also spent the night. We had been there a few years back and were impressed this time by the developments that took place in just over four years. It is nice to see that many of those really are to embellish the city that has a great tourist potential. Its location is also very strategic and that surely is what made the Portuguese followed by the Dutch, the British and the Japanese fight to take control of this city over the centuries. What remains of each of these invaders is of historical importance and should be preserved. Some sights give Melaka its own identity like the Dutch Stadhuys Square and surrounding red quarter pictured above.