Up from the lighthouse you have an amazing view of Koh Rong Samloem. This island is still as pristine as it was hundreds of years ago and well worth the trip!

Welcome To Paradise.

Just 45 minuted by speedboat from the mainland lie Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem. While Koh Rong already has the reputation of a backpacker-party-island, Koh Rong Samloem is still quite unspoilt. Thanks to the lease agreements, which last just for a short period of time (unlike the ones on Koh Rong), larger hotel chains stay away and the beaches are dominated by smaller bungalow facilities.

You’ll find four beaches on Koh Rong Samloem: Saracan Bay, M’Pei Bay, Lazy Beach and Sunset Beach.

Beach #1 On Koh Rong Samloem: Saracan Bay.

Saracan Bay is the main beach on which not only most resorts have settles, but also the main docking station for boats from Sihanoukville is located. One lies on the norther, one on the southern part of the beach. From fairly cheap non-aircon-bungalows to high class villas, everyone will find the right spot. The beach here is white as snow and soft as silk, the water radiates in all shades from turquoise to blue with wonderful 27° Celsius and the vegetation is still as untouched as is was hundreds of years ago. What more could one want?! Unfortunately you’ll still come across people who don’t appreciate the value of such a paradise. When walking up and down,  you’ll see certain sections where trash piles up. This is where the hotel managers are challenged, because the resort staff should clean their respective section. This was one of the reason why we chose to stay at Sol Beach Resort. The real winner though was the amazing bungalow with a complete glass front, which gave us an amazing view right after waking up in the morning (detailed review will follow asap). The food here was not a winner (especially not if you’re vegetarian), but the surrounding resorts are a great alternative.

Tip: Once you step across the southern docking point of Saracan Bay, trash actually piles up quite a bit, so we wouldn’t recommend booking a hotel down here. Unfortunately the hotel managers here don’t seem to care much for the environment.

This is the view we had from our bungalow at Sol Beach Resort on Koh Rong Samloem. Not bad huh?

The beach front bungalows at Sol Beach Resort on Koh Rong Samloem are really amazing thanks to their full glass front.

This was right in front of GreenBlue Resort on Koh Rong Samloem. The hammocks right above the water are great when the tide comes in.

Beach #2 On Koh Rong Samloem: M’Pei Bay.

The second beach, M’Pei Bay, lies on the northern end of the island. You’ll come across several smaller resorts, as well as a docking stations for boats here. Also, it’s where one of the two fishing villages of the islands can be found. M’Pei Bay is the second largest beach on the island, yet still pretty laid back. You can hike here from Saracan Bay – back and forth it’ll take you about 5 hours, but the best way to get here is definitely by boat.

Beach #3 On Koh Rong Samloem: Sunset Bay.

The third player is Sunset Bay, which is also the only beach we didn’t visit. As Lazy Beach, it lies on the western side of Koh Rong Samloem and is more relaxed with only three backpacker resorts and a dive shop.

Beach #4 On Koh Rong Samloem: Lazy Beach.

Last but not least: Lazy Beach. Our personal island highlight. With just one very basic resort, you won’t come across any masses of people. The 20 minute walk through the jungle from Saracan Bay keeps more crowds away. If you do decide to take on the trip, you won’t regret it: Lazy Beach offers delicious food and drinks and the combination with one of the most beautiful sunsets you’ll ever get to see will leave you speechless.

Once you come out of the jungle, you’ll already get a sense of what live looks like at Lazy Beach.

White sand, beautiful water and almost no people is what you’ll come across at Lazy Beach on Koh Rong Samloem.

The sunset at Lazy Beach was truly one of the most amazing ones we’ve come across.

Résumé Of Our Week On Koh Rong Samloem.

You can spend an unforgettable holiday on Koh Rong Samloem. Due to the lack of roads and the presence of only smaller resorts, the island is yet still a fairly unknown spot with the same charm as many islands of Thailand had two decades ago. Those who were here, will tell others and we’re sure that this will mean further changes in the next couple of years. But let’s hope that Koh Rong Samloem will not become another victim of mass tourism, but that it’ll continue being this pristine little island it is now.

A Few Tips If You Come To Koh Rong Samloem.

• Be sure to calculate enough time for the crossing, because depending on which company you go with, you’ll either stop at Koh Rong to let of/let on people before or after. Boats take off at Serendipity Beach Pier in Sihanoukville and here you’ll get all the relevant infos on which boat goes where and when.
• There are no banks and therefore no ATM machines on Koh Rong Samloem. Be sure to bring enough cash, because some resorts don’t take credit cards. Prices are really expensive too. Calculate at least double that what you’d pay on the main land – or even better, calculate with European prices.
• Be sure to bring enough insect repellant and a torch for the nightly walks along the beach(es) or jungle.
• Definitely check out the lighthouse on the island. Depending on where you start, the trip will take you between 1 1/2 – 2 hours each direction. We’ll write more about this later on.

February.

Oman: The year started off with a visit to a country new to us. We only had 8 full days in Oman, yet we managed quite well: We spent a few days in Muscat and then we were off on a 4×4 road trip through Jebel Akhdar. Our travel here made such an impression that we’ll return again in February 2015.

Sabres in Muscat, Oman.

Australia: Australia is my second home. I don’t know how many times I’ve been Down Under, but two hands are definitely not enough to count. Part of our family lives in the most amazing city Sydney, which makes things a lot easier. It’s been almost 5 years since my last visit, so it was long overdue. Plus it was my starting point for my two months time-out.

Sydney, Wellington and Vienna – my three favourite cities (to live in), with Sydney on top.

March.

United Arab Emirates: Due to a personal matter, I had to interrupt my time-out for a few days and fly back home. After only 48 hours in Vienna, my journey started again with a 3 day stop-over in Dubai.

The Dubai Marina is is an artificial canal city, built along a stretch of the Persian Gulf shoreline.

New Zealand: A visit to New Zealand has been a dream of mine since I listened to my uncle’s stories. He travelled through NZ for more than 4 months many years ago. And ever since I saw the first part of the LOTR trilogy, it was clear that I had to see this beautiful country for myself. It only took 12 years for me to finally do so. And it was the most amazing one-month road trip I could ever imagine…

Every single stop on my New Zealand road trip was a highlight, yet Milford Track – with a cruise at Milford Sound at the end – was an adventure I will never forget.

May.

Italy: Trapani in Sicily is an important fishing port and the main gateway to the nearby Aegadian Islands. And it was our travel destination last May.

Much of Trapani’s economy still depends on the sea. Fishing and canning are the main local industries.

June.

Italy: Austria lies in the Central Europe, which is very convenient – especially if you’re a travel addict and have 4 days to spare. South Tyrol (the area around Antholzer Lake to be exact) was on our agenda for a long weekend. This meant that we’d go on a road trip through the Austrian Alps, which was something we’ve wanted to do for a long time as well.

The landscape around Austria’s highest mountain – the Grossglockner – even blew us Austrians away…

July.

Bangladesh: Bangladesh is definitely one of the most intriguing places one could ever visit. And also one of the most adventurous! It was our second trip within three years and we can honestly say that Bangladesh has become one of our favourite travel destinations, with Dhaka as an exciting city as a gateway.

Our human hands are unique. Only we can grasp, hold, move, and manipulate objects with them. Hands are essential for any kind of work. Here you can see the hands of a blind woman begging in the streets of Dhaka. It almost feels like she knows how much money has just been given her…

Thailand: Bangkok was just a stop-over point, but if it’s on the list, then we spend at least a couple of days here. Thailand’s capital city is one of our favourite for exploring markets … and as you know, markets are our favourite shooting place, therefore it was a real paradise.

Khlong Toei Market is Bangkok’s biggest fresh market and you will find almost anything you need here.

August.

China: Good old China is a must at least once every year. Visiting the Honghe Hani rice terraces in Yunnan and the Guoliang Tunnel Road in Henan were two travel highlights of the year.

A local Chinese smoking a pipe in the old town of Xinjie, Henan Province.

The Netherlands: Travelling to Amsterdam for the Canal Pride was something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. And therefore, it was yet another first in 2014. The spirit and energy you could feel in the city – not only during Pride week – is something I’ll think about for many years to come.

The Prinsengracht in Amsterdam is one of the most well-known Gracht’s and the heart of the Canal Pride Parade.

October.

Hong Kong: Futuristic architecture, a breathtaking skyline, amazing cuisine combined with traditional Chinese culture is what describes Hong Kong best. To name just a few of the things we did here: By accident stepping into the centre of the Umbrella Movement, drinking a few cocktails at one of Hong Kong’s most well-known rooftop bars, exploring the several wet markets around the city and finding the balance between tradition and modernity. Loved it!

Hong Kong is a colourful city full of culture, tradition and trendiness.

China: Three days in Guangzhou are definitely not enough, since we’re talking about the third largest city in China, yet time was limited and therefore we made the most out of it.

Chinese men playing a game of Mahjong in the streets of Guangzhou.

December.

France: It was yet again a long weekend that brought us to Paris at the beginning of December. One might think that 36 hours is not a long time, but if you’re on a mission and know where to go, you’ll see more than you thought you could.

Paris is a city for every season. Here with its landmark the Eiffel Tower.

Bangladesh is not a major tourist destination (thank God), therefore finding good accommodation can be an issue. Keep in mind that all the prices mentioned below are the “Ramadan prices“. During this time of the year, people stay with their families and don’t go on vacation. Prices are up to 50% cheaper than regularly.

Dhaka.

Hotel 71.

Out starting point was the capital city, Dhaka. We arrived at around 2pm, so this still a good time to look for a hotel. Yet we recommend to always pre-book the first night just to have a bit of a breather.

We booked ourselves into “Hotel 71” (Address: Kaizuddin Tower, 176, Shaheed Syed Nazrul Islam Sarani, Dhaka). The hotel is not far from the Grand Mosque, with great infrastructure in the area. The rooms are clean, spacious and have excellent Wi-Fi connection (very important for a travel photographer). The reception guys speak good English and help out with any kind of information you need.During our trip, we stayed there three times in total and were happy with our rooms.

Costs per night per room: Approx. 30,00 US$ (with A/C)

Fars Hotels & Resorts Limited.

Nearby, we spotted another nice place called “Fars Hotels & Resorts Limited” (Address: 212, Shahid Syed Nazrul Islam Sharani, Purana Paltan, S S. Nazrul Islam Sharani, Dhaka). We went to check it out for our next visit and it looked really nice as well. Biggest bonus: This place even has a rooftop swimming pool, which can honestly be a life savour at 45° Celsius in the summer!

Both two places are budget friendly with Western standard and if you’re “lucky”, you might even come across another fellow traveller in the lobby…

Costs per night per room: Approx. 50,00 US$ (with A/C)

Chittagong.

Ambassador Residency.

There is the stretch of hotels right near the train station, but we opted for something more quiet called “Ambassador Residency” (Address: Road No 2, Chittagong). Also because out fellow Bangladeshi friend recommended it. This hotel offers clean & spacious rooms with big bathrooms and very reliable Wi-Fi connection. Overall, we were happy with this place. Don’t expect to meet any other travellers here though, because it’s a bit out of the way.

Costs per night per room: Approx. 50,00 US$ (with A/C)

Ambassador Residency in Chittaong, Bangladesh.

Cox’s Bazar.

Nilima Resort Hotel.

Cox’s Barar war the next place we visited. we checked ourselves into the “Nilima Resort Hotel” (Address: Sughanda Point Rd, Cox’s Bazar). Arriving at Cox’s Bazar was a bit of a disappointment at first, since most of the hotels are not located right on the beach. Only after we drive along the beach for a while, we came across this place. It’s as good as it gets here. There are some others along the beach as well, but the majority of hotels are further inland. But from Nilima Resort Hotel you can start exploring the area and get your evening beach stroll without having to go far. The rooms have small balconies and decent Wi-Fi connection. The owner is very helpful and the price is negotiable. It’s clearly not the poshest place to stay at, but pretty cheap and we didn’t spend much time in the the room anyway.

Costs per night per room: Approx. 20,00 US$ (with A/C)

Nilima Resort Hotel in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

Mermaid Eco Resort.

30km further out of the city is a lovely place with bungalow accommodation called “Mermaid Eco Resort” (Address: Marine Drive, Pechardwip, Cox’s Bazar). It’s a nice spot if you want get away from it all, there is no Wi-Fi and you depend on them with everything. We will consider this place for our next visit to Cox’s Bazaar and then we’ll come prepared.

Costs per night per room: Approx. 50,00 US$ (with A/C)

Sreemangal.

Nishorgo Lichibari Ecoresort.

Sreemangal lies in the East of Bangladesh, located near the Indian border. The area is well-known for its tea plantations. We stayed in a little hotel called “Nishorgo Lichibari Ecoresort” (Address: House 13/B, Road 54, Gulshan 1212). It’s a bit outside of Sreemangal, near the tea gardens and in a small village where you can either walk around or rent a bicycle from the hotel. Overall this is a good place to stay at, with bungalow accommodation or rooms (with Wi-Fi) in the main house, an English-speaking owner who will pick you up from the train station when you call him, as well as great food (only available with pre-ordering).

Costs per night per room: Between 15,00 US$ and 30,00 US$

Nishorgo Lichibari Ecoresort in Sreemangal, Bangladesh.

Sylhet.

Hiltown Hotel.

From the train station we headed straight to “Hiltown Hotel” (Address: VIP Road, Telihaor, Sylhet). As we had only one day in Sylhet and didn’t stay overnight, we had our lunch here and were really impressed. We came across a modern, cool and air-conditioned restaurant with amazing food, good Wi-Fi and very friendly staff. We almost felt under-dressed because we simply didn’t expect such a restaurant in Sylhet. Afterwards we had a look at the newly refurbished rooms. Definitely a fantastic place to spend the night, which we unfortunately were not able to due to our overnight train to Dhaka.

Costs per night per room: Approx. 50,00 US$

Location.

Rating: 4 out of 5

I have to admit that the location of the Soho House Berlin is not the most ideal (in my opinion). It’s a bit of a walk to the next metro line, which will take you to all the top sights in Berlin… But on the contrary you have the Hackescher Markt nearby, which makes up for a lot. Personally I think that this is one of the best shopping areas of Berlin. Lots of cute shops and cafés to hang out at.

• Address: Torstraße 1, 10119 Berlin, Germany
• Tel.: +49 30 40 50 440
• Website: sohohouseberlin.de

Comfort Level.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Oh my God, what can I say? The Soho House Berlin has it all:

Lobby: The lobby is very appealing with two counters (check-in on the right & the club members counter to the left) and a nice lounge area in the centre. Computers in the back as well as a garden.

Rooms: The rooms are absolutely amazing! 65 bedrooms are situated over 6 floors and come in six different categories: Tiny, Small, Medium, Big, Large and Extra Large. I booked myself into a “Big Room” and was not disappointed: 75 m2, King size bed, free standing bathtub, oversize armchairs, huge flat-screen TV, steam bath, floor heating, a traditional vintage record player, Bose iPod docking station  and selection of custom vinyl LP’s and an amazing view of the Alexanderplatz. All rooms are equipped with Cowshed therapeutic products – with which I’m completely in love!

Club/Restaurant: The stunning central bar immediately stands out on the Club Floor. The House Kitchen is located on one end of the room, while the seating area is on the other end, featured with a mixture of oversized sofas, banquette seating and comfortable chairs. Two fireplaces sit on either side of the bar, while the rest of the room is decorated with warm chandelier lighting.

Above the Club Floor you’ll come across the Rooftop, which is especially stunning in the warmer months. Still you could go for a dip in the heated pool, tiled with green stone and surrounded by timber decking.

Big Plus:

• All hotel guests have access to free Wi-Fi and Wireless printing facilities.

A little downer:

• There’s no real parking area in front of the hotel, so you have to walk towards the street to catch a cab. And there is no door man.

Food & Drinks.

Rating: 5 out of 5

The breakfast, lunches and dinners are delicious and I really enjoyed the easygoing, homelike atmosphere of the Club Floor. The music & mood changes according to the time of the day. And they do it in such a great way, that you really feel like it’s a different location.

Tip:

• Try the Hugo – it’s so delicious!

Service & Hospitality.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Super friendly staff that is courteous, open, casual and well informed about the cities activities and sights. No matter what time of the day, someone will be there for you to make you feel like a million dollars.

Only one minor issue: I was woken up in the middle of the night because a staff member wanted to bring me a water bottle. Even though I told the guy that he got the wrong room, it happened again the next night. And then they wanted to charge me for the water when checking-out, but immediately apologized for it…

Price Range.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Yes, the Soho House Berlin is expensive, yes. But it’s very much worth it and you truly get what you pay for. And it also depends which room category you prefer.

Here’s a quick overview of the most important prices:

Sleeping.

• 1 night per room (depending on room type & day): 170,00 – 650,00 €

Food & Drinks.

• Breakfast Buffet (includes pastries, cereal, jam, honey, butter, yoghurt, fruits, berries, cured meats & cheese): 12,00 €
• Café Latte: 3,00 €
• Smoothie: 5,00 €
• Cocktails: 9.00 €
• Cheeseburger: 15,00 €

Overall Feedback & Impression.

Rating: 4.6 out of 5

This exclusive hotel in Berlin is the address for globe-trotting coolhunters who want to combine power-brunching with decadent downtime; it combines casual luxury with Berlin’s raw glamour. Definitely my hotel of choice in the German capital.

… sorry for the photo quality, but since taking photos is not allowed (sucks bad time!), I could only take very few shots with my iPhone (except the ones from my room).

Soho House Berlin | Outside view of the hotel located on Taborstrasse.

Soho House Berlin | “Big Room” | King size bed, large TV screen, sound system, free-standing bath tub and much more…

Soho House Berlin | “Big Room” | King size bed, large TV screen, sound system, free-standing bath tub and much more…

Soho House Berlin | View out of my room to the Berlin TV Tower.

Soho House Berlin | Breakfast Area | Super cozy with lounge chairs, warm lights and a great variety of yummy food.

Soho House Berlin | Dining Area | Bar, lounge furniture & fireplace.

Location.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Imagine the series ‘Lost’; white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, dozens of palm trees, jungle forest, (almost) no people, wild animals (monkeys, boars, lizards) and the feeling of being lost. All that’s missing at Cubadak Resort is a crazy white bald dude like Lock and black smoke…

Cubadak is the only resort on the island, sharing it only with one little fishing village on the other side.

• Address: Pulau Cubadak, Padang, Indonesia
• Website: cubadak-paradisovillage

Comfort Level.

Rating: 5 out of 5

If I could, I’d give 10 points when it comes to the comfort level at Cubadak Resort! The bungalows are so roomy and comfortable, it’s hard to top that. A great balcony with comfy chairs, a spacious and western bathroom, a cute little working & living room area, plus a queen size bed on the second floor make up the perfect setting. A+!

Big Plus:

• Cubadak Resort only has 15 bungalows (plus one family bungalow and one above the water). This means, that you’ll never have more that approx. 40 people on the islands and with three different beaches, that’s pretty good.

Negative:

• Plastic bags on the beach. The beach is amazing, really. Yet at the far end of it (which was right in front of our bungalow), quite a lot of plastic bags & bottles lied around – not enough to ask them why they don’t clean up but enough for us to notice. They’re not from the resort (everything is very clean there) but the ocean just washes up all sorts of stuff from time to time. It looked like someone hadn’t cleaned up in a while…

My recommendation would be to have one staff member run up and down the beach once a day to collect all the rubbish that the ocean washes up. This shouldn’t take longer that one hour per day (at the maximum) and would make a big difference.

Food & Drinks.

Rating: 5 out of 5

It’s better not to come here if you’re on a diet. You won’t last a day without tasting the delicious food at Cubadak Resort.

This is really the part where Western influence kicks-in. The know-how of combining traditional Indonesian cuisine with Western style dishes is mastered to perfection. You’ll always get a great variety of vegetables, meat & fish, as well as some amazing desert like fresh lemon tart or home-made banana ice cream (dinner only). Yummy! Some of the best food I’ve had in Indonesia!

Tip:

• Try the home-made Sambal sauce – it’s so delicious!

Service & Hospitality.

Rating: 2 out of 5

If you stay at Cubadak Resort for more than 3 nights, a free pick-up service from Padang airport is included. This is definitely a good choice, since the drive to the dock takes about 2 hours, followed by a 15-minute boat ride to the island.

At first, you’re treated like a king/queen and the owners are very welcoming and open; yet day after day, you’ll realise that the vibes on the island aren’t all that good. Especially if you’re not one of those clients who buy alcoholic drinks or spend extra money on something.

Big Plus:

• Scuba Diving Possibility (1 dive US$ 45 / equipment for one day US$ 27) – Try the night dive, it’s definitely the most exciting diving in the area.

Price Range.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Cubadak Resort is expensive … far too expensive for my taste.

The biggest benefit is the fact that Cubadak Resort has the island to itself. This is clearly the only reason why I’d pay such an amount of money anyway, because everything else (nice bungalows, fantastic food, etc.) can be found elsewhere too. Don’t get me wrong, everything was perfect and in general I can’t complain, yet the impression of greed running through the resort – from the owners only – makes up 1 out of 5 points.

Negative Examples:

• For US$ 110 per person, per night, I’d really think that at least a couple of soft drinks would be included. Nope. Definitely a big downer, because cravings for an ice cold Coke from time to time really do arise. If you do intent to spoil yourself a little, be aware that with 195ml you won’t get far (price list below).

My recommendation would be to have the mini bar filled with 1 Coke and 1 other soft drink and have these drinks free of charge for every day. This would make a great difference in the impression guest get.

• WiFi is not for free. Ok, so I definitely agree that it’s not a bad thing to have a couple of days without the internet. Nothing can be so important that it can’t wait. But when you’re staying 10 days or longer, one might start thinking that a quick e-mail check wouldn’t be a bad thing. We were told that there is an internet line, yet it’s very slow and expensive. Fair enough, I understand this 100%, yet (again) for US$ 110 per person per night; I’d expect to at least have some sort of access for free (also because the owners are on the internet pretty much all the time…).

My recommendation would be to have one hour of internet connection per bungalow per day for free. This way, no one can complain and the owners don’t have to worry about rapidly increasing costs.

• We know our way around Indonesia & Sumatra especially. We’ve been here many times and therefore also know some locals in the area around Padang. We got in touch with our friend Niki to arrange a boat trip (one entire day), since we also wanted to see a little bit of the area. Seems like the owners of Cubadak Resort were not amused about this. Right after arriving back at the resort, they came up to us and asked us what we did, where we were and how we liked it … fair enough, but then they started chatting in Bahasa Indonesia with Niki and of course we couldn’t understand a word. They immediately wanted to know what he had charged us. He told them (1.2 million Ruppees = approx. 100.00 US$) and they asked how he was able to make a business like this – no wonder, have a look at the prices of Cubadak’s boat excursions below – and he told them that this was only because we were friends.

My recommendation would be to get over yourselves! Just because there are other resorts in the area, doesn’t mean that they’re going to steal your customers. We didn’t check into a prison when arriving at Cubadak, and in all my years of travelling, I have never experiences a place where friends are not welcome and you’re not ‘allowed’ to step outside the premises!

Fact: Only about 1 hour away from Cubadak Resort you’ll find places on deserted islands for less that US$ 30 per night – yet the comfort level can’t be compared and you’ll feel more like Robinson Cruiso (also because you need to bring your own food). Still, alternatives around the area can be found…

Here’s a quick overview of the most important prices:

Sleeping.

• 1 night per person (including breakfast, lunch & dinner but without drinks – except coffee and tea): US$ 110.00

Food & Drinks.

• Soft Drink – 195ml (Coke, etc.): US$ 4.00
• Beer: US$ 4.00
• Coffee: US$ 2.50
• Cocktail: US$ 11.00

Internet.

• Per Hour: US$ 4.00

Boat Trip (I’d suggest you sit down now).

• Per Hour: US$ 80.00
• Half Day: US$ 350.00

Overall Feedback & Impression.

Rating: 3.8 out of 5

Cubadak Resort is a great spot on a paradise island without having to travel for a week to get there. The bungalows, food and the location are really perfect – not one thing I could say about this. For short-term visitors, my rating would probably be higher, but since we stayed here long-term, I need to be honest. It’s the little things that count, and at Cubadak, a lot of little things are not up to the standard they should. The owners clearly try to keep their guest from getting in contact with any locals who don’t live on the island (at least this is the impression I got over those 10 days). Why? I’d say business reasons only! (Unfortunately) It’s all about money. Well, all in all lots of small things turn to big ones, therefore I can only give 3.8 out of 5 points.

Cubadak Paradiso Village Beach Resort in West Sumatra, Indonesia. With a maximum of 15 bungalows, Cubadak is a great spot to rest and refill your batteries.

Cubadak Paradiso Village Beach Resort in West Sumatra, Indonesia. This is the view of the dock up from the mountain.

Cubadak Paradiso Village Beach Resort in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Again the view from the mountain – this is the “Family Villa” which can also be used as a “Honeymoon Villa” a bit away from the other bungalows.

Cubadak Paradiso Village Beach Resort in West Sumatra, Indonesia. The view up from the mountain is pretty stunning. Here you can see the mainland of West Sumatra.

Cubadak Paradiso Village Beach Resort in West Sumatra, Indonesia. The hike up the mountain is a real highlight, because you’ll feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere.

Cubadak Paradiso Village Beach Resort in West Sumatra, Indonesia. This is the view from the dock … paradise ahoi!

Cubadak Paradiso Village Beach Resort in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Another view form the dock; sea turtles can be seen all around the resort.

Cubadak Paradiso Village Beach Resort in West Sumatra, Indonesia. We organised our own boat trip and the owners were not amused about that…

Cubadak Paradiso Village Beach Resort in West Sumatra, Indonesia. If someone asked me where paradise is, my answer would be simple: West Sumatra!

Cubadak Paradiso Village Beach Resort in West Sumatra, Indonesia. This is the nicest rainbow I have ever seen … especially with this paradise as a surrounding.