Karma Kandara Resort - High Cliff Tea With A View

Karma Kandara Resort

Imagine this...a luxury resort which is perched on a steep cliff and has a great sea views. An infinity pool facing the crystal blue ocean at Bali's southernmost tip. Feel the gentle sea breezes sweeping your face while the warm sun touching your skin. That's exactly what I saw and felt while attending Karma Kandara invitation to experience their signature Karma High Cliff Tea. Yes, I've heard many stories or read enough reviews that Karma Kandara is one of the resorts in Bali with best scenery. I have not had the chance to prove it until last week.

best table is reserved only for you

Karma Kandara is a resort that features 70 luxury private villas and half of them are privately owned. Surrounded by a lush natural environment, you would hear birds chirping or even lucky to come face to face with long tailed macaques. I met about a dozen of these monkeys in one of the bridges. Di Mare which means "the ocean" is one of 3 dining outlets in this resort. They recently launched Karma High Cliff Tea which available every afternoon between 3 pm to 5 pm.

Karma High Cliff Tea

sushi

High Tea is a meal eaten in the late afternoon or early evening, typically consisting of a cooked dish, bread & butter, and tea.

Traditionally, high tea menu consists of sandwiches and scones. But Karma Kandara jazz it up by adding muffin, brownies, biscuit, sushi and even Vietnamese spring rolls with tangy, sweet and spicy sauce. I'd say it's pretty interesting. My favourite delicacies were baguette sandwich with fresh salmon; mango & tuna sushi; Sablé (round shortbread biscuits); and not to forget the dark chocolate brownies which has a 'melt in your mouth' texture . Believe me, it was so good that I'm craving a slice of brownies as I'm writing this. While other items tasted quite good, I'm sure they could do better.

perfectly smooth cappuccino

my typical working day :)

I have an confession, my family and friends often say that I have a kinda weird eating habit. I usually start with a few bites of sweet food then munch some salty food to balance the taste before back to sweet food again and keep switching until I feel full and will end it with salty food. I was pleased to find out that they serve both sweet and savoury tidbits. Even better, Julia Lorenti, the event manager of Karma Kandara told me that she eats in a similar way. Hey, I'm not so weird after all :)

view from Di Mare restaurant

monkeys on the bridge

inclinator to the beach

And while you're here, don't miss to visit their internationally renowned beachfront venue, Karma Beach Bali (previously was Namos beach). Exclusively, the inclinator will take guests to the stunning beach and passing some limestone cliff. Such a exhilarating ride indeed. Regularly host some of the hottest events in the island, not surprising that it was recently named amongst the 'Worlds 50 Best Beach Bars' by CNN Travel.

beautiful beach awaits you

Karma Beach Club

a sunset wedding at Karma beach

with Julia Lorenti

Thank you Karma Kandara for inviting me and the mind blowing experience. Special thanks to Julia Lorenti for the wonderful hospitality. We surely had a great afternoon :)

I was invited as a guest. But opinions, happy tummy and the dancing taste buds are all mine.


Karma Kandara Resort
Jalan Villa Kandara
Banjar Wijaya Kusuma
Ungasan - Bali
Phone: +62 361 8482202
Reservation: res@karmaresorts.com

Alaska: The White Pass Scenic Railway

Skagway, June 2012

"All aboard!...All aboard!"

I excitedly board the train and sat by the window as the train conductor loudly called all the passengers. With its whistle shrieking, the train started moving slowly and I felt the butterflies in my stomach flutter. I knew it would be one memorable journey.

Choo chooooo!

my cruise ship dock in Skagway

welcome to Skagway

Skagway was the third city that I visited after Ketchikan and Juneau during my Alaska cruise. A little story about Skaway, in 1887 Captain William Moore and his son ventured up the Chilkoot Inlet and built a small cabin at the mouth of the Skagway River. Previously unexplored and uninhabited, this piece of land, named Skagway "land of the North Wind" by nearby tribes.

Before arriving in Skagway, I was actually having a hard time to decide which shore excursions to do. I was torn among Ghost & Good Time Girls walking tour, private helicopter tour, horseback riding and train journey. In the end, I chose the scenic railway because I always have a soft spot for trains specially vintage steam trains. 'Built in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush, this narrow gauge railroad climbs nearly 3000 feet, providing breathtaking views of waterfalls and glaciers that line this historic and awe inspiring train route.' As soon as I read this introduction on the brochure, I was taken.

inside the train

The 3 hours journey started with passing through dense forest, some waterfalls and streams. The railroads then starting to climb and I was stunned to see the jaw-dropping scenery outside my window.  Rocky mountain, valleys, canyon, forest, streams and snowy mountain peaks; all in one frame. It's hard for me to describe how beautiful it was. I was feeling too vivacious to sit still, so I walked toward the sliding door and standing outside the carriage. I knew it was dangerous, I could easily have toppled and fell into the canyon. But I wanted to breath the fresh unpolluted air besides to get a better view.

can you spot the railway in that mountain?

view from my window

Within a few minutes I was shivering because it started to drizzle with some strong winds. Yes, it was during summer but in Alaska the temperature is still considered low, sometimes even falling below 6 C. And of course I was only wearing a thin jacket over my shirt because the silly me refused to believe the weather forecast.

old railway bridge

passing through the bridge

into the tunnel

stunning scenery

serene

snow walls

pretty cold out here

choo chooooo

one last selfie in Alaska before back to the cruise :D

So that's basically some landscapes that I enjoyed during the White Pass Scenic Railway. Gorgeous, aren't they? Even though it's quite pricey, I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who visits Skagway. It's really one priceless travel experience for me. A splurge but worth every single cents :)