Through the Lenses

Olympus Stylus Tough-8000

2009-10-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

Tough-8000 is a brand new model from Olympus this year with a shockproof, waterproof, freezeproof, crushproof, and shakeproof body. I was quite impressed by the review, and got one in Akihabara, the electronic world in Tokyo. It's always convenient to have a digital camera with a smaller body. I like the fact that I can drop it, take it 10 meters under the water, or even accidentally step on it. Having a toddler who's always curious what I do with my camera, I'm not afraid to let her play with this one. I doubt she'll break Tough-8000. Best of all, it takes stunning pictures.

I'm very happy with the shutter speed of its action mode when you half-press the shutter button before the shot. With the fast shutter speed, you can capture really special moments. I took this one at Tokyo Sea Life Park when Nick was throwing Evania up in the air. They were having such a happy moment. It was so beautiful with the blue sky in the background. I just couldn't resist snapping away.

By the Stained Glass Door

2009-10-25T20:48:00.001-07:00

I took this photo of my little girl at Ishiya Chocolate Factory in Sapporo. She was drawn to this beautiful stained glass door situated near the entrance, and stood there for quite a long time. Perfect photo opportunity for me. I took a couple of them with flash. Flash kills the natural light coming through the glass. It was difficult to take photos without flash under the low light setting, but because she didn't move much, I was able to snap a few without flash. This one turned out to be one of the best.

Ramen Noodle Bar in Sapporo

2009-10-19T21:19:00.000-07:00

Becoming a favourite place for us to get a bite on the run during this trip, the numerous Ramen noodle places dotting the Sapporo city center offer not only convenience but more importantly a variety of mouth watering selection of the local noodle dishes that have become world famous.

Anyone traveling with a toddler knows the best place to eat on the go is somewhere that’s spacious, noisy, and informal. While this Ramen noodle joint we came upon when strolling around in Sapporo lack the former two qualities, it more than made up for it with its authenticity, charm and a fabulous noodle selection. Tucked in nicely off the main road in the hub of the city, this typical Japanese noodle house appeared to cater to a mixture of the working crowd and the travelers. The tables were set close to one another, providing an intimate if not so private setting. The noodle bar was situated right at the center of the restaurant, and much like a Sushi bar, all the food preparation was performed in view of the customers.

The noodle dishes seem to have a strong seafood theme, with almost every dish containing some type of seafood ingredient. Menu with pictures adorned the wall, showing dishes ranging from giant scallop and tofu to cooked pork and egg with miso base. The price was reasonable, with the most expensive being the giant scallop noodle, priced at about 1500 Yen.

We selected a fried Ramen noodle dish with squid, shrimp, and vegetable, and the house special scallop dish. The fried noodle dish (seen in the photo above) was wonderfully flavoured with just the right amount of salt, and the squid tasted quite tender. In case you're wondering what the black objects are in the noodle, they are black fungus, a type of edible jelly fungus, widely used in Asian cooking. Yeah, I know it sounds yucky, but it tastes yummy. The main attraction still belonged to the house special scallop noodle. Those jumbo scallops at first appeared to be some sort of large oyster mushroom, but one bite was enough to mark this dish a must-have for future visits. In addition to the exotic flavour of scallop in such size, it was cooked slowly in the soup base so the soup embodied so much of its texture and flair. I regret not having photographed it. As you could imagine that it was a huge challenge minding my little one in such a setting.

However, we were much rewarded for our little find, leaving us another regret that we could not pack up this little piece of delight and bring it back home with us.

First Day in Japan

2009-10-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

First day in Japan was a bit rough. JAL lost one of our suitcases with all of Nick's and my clothes in it. Jet lagged, we were up about, hoping to find a department store to buy a few essential things. We came upon this big intersection in downtown core without a single soul on the street. Hum...where are all the people? Oh...we were away too early. Two hours later, this same intersection was full of traffic and pedestrians coming and going all directions.

We were told ESTA was a big department store right by JR station, where we could find things we need. We waited around for its business hours. Ten o'clock came, and it finally opened. To our surprise, the first 3 floors were all electronics including cameras, cell phones, ipods, laptops, and LCD TVs. Each floor was comparable to a single Future Shop here. What caught my eye was the price of PS3 seen in the photo below.

With the currency exchange rate, it's only around $100 CAD, a lot lower than the going price in North America. There has to be a catch here, written in plain Japanese except that we don't understand a word of it. Someone please tell me what's on the price tag.

Booking Hotels for Japan

2009-09-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

When Nick and I decided that Japan would be our next travel destination, I was excited about all the planning ahead of me. Little did I know what the real challenge would be. I had a difficult time finding the right hotels for my family.

There are very few good English online reservation engines for Japanese hotels out there. The one I would recommend to most people is Rakuten. It's easy to use, and the search results are comprehensive. Not only can you sort the results by price (most people do), but you can sort them by user rankings. However, I didn't find a good package suit for my family.

The other one I came across is Jalan.net. It provided more packages within the same hotel than Rakuten. The only downside is that it's all in Japanese. I did find an English how-to guide on Jalan.net. It was helpful, but not sufficient. It is a basic guide on how to fill out the online search form; however, the search result is of course in Japanese. The only information I could make out was the total cost. I wasn't willing to jeopardize my family's vacation stay simply based on the dollar amount. I eventually had my Japanese friend help me with booking a hotel in Sapporo. I noticed something quite interesting from booking with Jalan.net. You actually do not pay in advance. Once you make your reservation, you'll receive an email from Jalan to confirm your stay, and that's it. You won't even have to provide your credit card information. The site is operated based on trust. I know it's a bit foreign to North Americans. Believe it or not, that's how things work in Japan.

If you are willing to take a bit of risks, you can try Priceline.com, where not only can you bid on hotels, you can also bid on flights and car rentals. The risk is that you don't know which hotel you'll end up with in advance. If you are traveling with families especially with children, this is probably not the best option for you. Hence, I opted out this option.

I also compared a couple of popular ones that most people use here in Canada like Expedia.ca and Hotels.ca. For the similar packages from the same hotel, the prices are a little higher on these sites. If you are price sensitive, these are not your best bets.

Of course, it doesn't matter which online reservation engine you use, the best way to find out about a particular hotel is to read reviews by real travelers. Before I make a reservation, I always go to TripAdvisor to find out what others say about the hotel.

Things to keep in mind when making a reservation:

Most prices are quoted per person per night.

Hotel taxes and charges are included in the price.

Every hotel has its own cancellation policy. You should always check with the hotel.

I'll do another post on the hotels we stay for our trip, and let you know how they turn out.

My Little Precious

2009-09-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

Here's what's kept me busy in the last little while.

Evania, 16 months, enjoys summer and loves the water park. There she was in her pink bikini, soaking up the sun.

What's new?

2009-09-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

I have not written anything for a while, but instead have focused on caring for my little girl. I am, however, excited to be back blogging on my other two passions in life, travel and photography. I have been taking photos mostly of my daughter, as you can imagine. I will share some ideas and experiences on that subject in some upcoming posts.

I am going on a trip to Japan with my family, through the region of Sapporo and Tokyo area. This poses both as an enormous opportunity and challenge from an amateur photographer's viewpoint. Opportunity owing to the raw exotic beauty of rural and coastal landscape of Japan, presenting a intriguing canvas for capturing some unique shots. Challenge because there will certainly be a bevy of subjects worthy of pursuing yet finite amount of time at disposal.

Circular Polarizer Filter for Landscape Photos

2007-08-08T15:48:00.000-07:00

I always look for ways to improve my photographic skills, and recently I came across Travel to the Edge with Art Wolf. It's an excellent site for travel photographers at all levels. I spent hours on it just going through the tips and techniques section. There's so much information to absorb. I felt like a little girl in a candy store :p.

One of the tips from Art is to use circular polarizer filter when taking landscape shots on a sunny day. Here are two photos I took of post Gay Pride Parade party at English Bay last Sunday. One was taken with filter, and one without filter.

Why circular polarizer filter and when? Basically, circular polarizer filter blocks certain amount of light coming from the sun, darkens the blue sky and creates a contrast in your photo. In the second photo, the blue sky appears to be light blue, and the white clouds do not pop out catching your eyes. However, you can see a striking contrast between the blue sky and the white clouds in the first photo. To maximize the effect, use the filter on a bright sunny day when the sun is high in the sky.

Where to buy and how much? Most electronic stores do not carry accessories such as filters. You can find them at camera specialty stores. Here in Vancouver, Lens and Shutter carry a variety of filters. A good circular polarizer filter normally costs around $50. I also looked around online like CameraWorld.com; however, the ones they carry are quite average. I'd rather spend a bit more on a quality filter that will go a long way.

Roadside Surprise

2007-06-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

Having lived on Vancouver Island for nearly a decade, I have seen a lot of live animals off the road. Deers and bald eagles are common sighting, but I had never seen a black bear on the side of the road before our trip to Tofino.

We spotted this black bear just outside of Ucluelet, a small town south of Tofino. The bear probably just came out of hibernation, hungry and determined, causing a scene on the only through road to Port Alberni. A few cars stopped including us, hoping to catch his prominent presence on camera. I grabbed my camera and stepped out of the car. Nick thought I was crazy as the bear turned around and looked at me right in the eye. I was no more than 20 feet away from him, and probably wouldn't have a chance to get away if he decided to come after me. I was determined to get a good shot of him. Nothing could stop me at that moment.

A Little African House on the Coast

2007-06-23T08:50:00.000-07:00

I've been absent from blogging for a little while due to personal commitment. It feels good to be back to my normal routine. Let's pick up where it was left off.

What you see here is African Beach House Nick and I stayed at in Tofino. I searched for Tofino accommodations online, and very few nice accommodations came up within our price range. At the very last minute, I booked a cabin from African Beach House after obtaining the details from the owner over the phone. The owner sounded very friendly and trusting, and didn't even take any deposit or credit card information for our reservation.

After a 3 and 1/2 hours drive from Nanaimo ferry terminal, we finally arrived at African Beach House Bed & Breakfast. At first sight, "Oh god, we're staying at a run-down house..." thinking to myself. The owner came out immediately to greet us. His welcoming presence made us at ease. He led us to the cabin located behind the house you see in the photo. The self contained cabin was built with solid wood, fully equipped with kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedroom upstairs loft. Inside the cabin was tastefully decorated with an African influence. The entire property was surrounded with ancient cedar trees, providing tranquil ambiance during our stay. The best of all is its location. it's right across from North Chesterman Beach, easy beach access for morning walks or sunset watch.

I have to say it was quite pleasant to find such a hidden gem along west coast Pacific Rim. We would definitely stay there again.

Finding Waves on the West Coast - Part 2

2007-05-23T23:54:00.000-07:00

It was a sunny but rather windy day when we woke up in our little log cabin Bed and Breakfast, and Nick was more than ready to do some surfing. He signed up a surf lesson by himself (I was still recovering from a shoulder injury) with Surf Sister, a well-known local surf school, and they were kind enough to take on a few "brothers" among their students for the day.

Once suit up and hitting the sand with their boards, they were taught the basics techniques and moves. Everything seemed easy enough (from my point view). Nick was doing well at first, hopping onto the board and even managing to stay up there for more than a few seconds. As the wind picked up and the wave got higher, he looked a bit fatigued, especially when attempting to hop onto the board. I managed to take some shots of him during the few seconds while he was on the board.

Didn't he look like he knew what he was doing even though he wasn't quite doing the "Blue Crush" out there? He later told me it was one of the most liberating and satisfying activities he's ever done (probably not as exciting as body-checking people into the boards in hockey). Well, not very fun for me as I was freezing my butt off even with layers of clothes while trying to get a few shots of him.

Finding Waves on the West Coast - Part 1

2007-05-15T23:00:00.000-07:00

Having lived on the west coast of BC for years, it is a bit surprising that Nick has never been to the west coastal side of Vancouver Island, the very tip of Pacific Rim National Park. It had been years since I went there, so I was just as excited when we set out for a weekend trip to Tofino.

It was a glorious day for highway driving, and we took full advantage of such a nice break in weather as we drove through lovely Parksville and pass the town of Port Alberni. Upon arriving Tofino sometime in the early evening, we dropped off our stuff and went straight to the famous Long Beach.

The sunset on the vast beach was one of the most striking scenes. The current swept up a steady wall of sea water over the shallow beach, and scores of evening surfers appeared and disappeared on the horizon as we looked on. As we watched the magnificent sun set, Nick anxiously waited for the beginning of the next day when he would take his first surfing lesson in his life.

Tips for Shooting Better Action Photos

2007-05-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

I recently contributed an article to Brave New Traveler on tips for shooting better action photos. It's a brief guideline I use when taking action shots. Be sure to check it out as you may find some of the tips come in handy at the urgent moment.

How to Buy a Digital Camera

2007-05-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

My brother has been shopping for a digital camera for a while and still hasn't bought one yet. I asked him what type of digital camera he's looking for. "Well...a quality one" he replied. Well, I guess he doesn't really know what exactly he's looking for. So, I thought this would be a good topic to talk about - how to buy a digital camera based on your own needs.

Everyone has different needs when purchasing a digital camera. You have to prioritize them before you start looking. Here's how I prioritize my own needs:

1. Budget
This is the most important step because what you want is to find the best one within a specific price range. It's always easier to compare cameras once you set the budget. You probably wouldn't get a professional digital SLR cameras just because they're better than the point-and-shoot ones, would you? Once you determine how much you are willing to spend on a camera, you'll have a basic idea of what type of cameras are affordable to you on the market.

2. Zoom
Zoom is a pivotal function in a camera, and it can make a huge difference in your photo shoot. Most digital cameras these days come with 3x optical zoom, which is equivalent to 35-105mm range. It allows you to shoot decent photos within a reasonable range. But I prefer ultra zoom, at least 10x optical equivalent to 38-380mm. With 38-380mm range, you wouldn't have to worry about getting the front seat at your favorite concerts or your kids graduation. A couple of good ones with ultra zoom on the market are Olympus SP-510 Ultra Zoom with 10x optical zoom, and Canon PowerShot S3 ISwith 12x optical zoom.

3. Image Resolution
Image resolution is defined by the number of pixels of the image. The more pixels, the higher resolution and the bigger photos can be developed. Most digital cameras come with 6 mega pixels or above. You should invest in a digital camera with higher image resolution if you want to blow up some of your amazing photos.

4. LCD and Body
Most point-and-shoot cameras are compact and small in body, and I find them hard to handle. I prefer to use the ones with a heavier body and a bigger LCD, which provide you with better grip and larger viewing area. You also shoot better images with heavier body since your hands wouldn't shake easily.

These are the basic needs I look at and how I prioritize them. I'm leaving the technical talks to the experts. It's always a good idea to read consumer product reviews, but product technical reviews done by an independent third party is more helpful. It helps you determine a few brands and models before talking to the sales person. It saves you time and energy in the whole buying process. The one I regularly reference is Imaging Resource, who provide complete full reviews on all models by all manufacturers.

Guest Contributor on Travel Happy

2007-04-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

I've written about Travel Happy in my previous post. It's a very informative personal travel guide to South East Asia. I was asked by Chris Mitchell, the author of Travel Happy to contribute a piece of article. I was gladly obliged. It was quite flattering to be a guest contributor on such a well established site. I wrote a piece on tips of booking tours in Phuket based on my personal experience, and it was published today. You may find them useful if you are traveling to Phuket and planning to take a tour in the near future.

Speaking of guest contributors, I found another good travel blog a couple of days ago that also welcomes contributors, Brave New Traveler. It publishes news, views and opinions of today's savvy travelers, and definitely does not lack rich contents. Be sure to explore it.

5 Reasons Why I Travel

2007-04-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

Dave from Go Backpacking tagged me in his post, 5 Reasons Why I Travel. Thanks Dave. I have plenty of reasons and excuses when it comes to travel. Here are my top five:

1. Travel Partner
I have the best travel partner one could ask for, my husband Nick. We've been together for almost eight years, and have traveled to a lot of places. He's fun, energetic, adventurous, and terrible with directions (sorry Nick). I'm detail oriented and just can't go anywhere without my camera and a map. But we do have something in common, loving outdoors, and we make a great team on the road. It's always more fun to travel with someone you enjoy the company, isn't it?

2. No Cooking
Well, when you're out on the road, it means NO MORE home cooking :P. Yeah babe! Don't get me wrong, I love working in my little kitchen after my regular job, but it's nice to get a break. It doesn't matter if I get fine dining or street vendor food, as long as I don't have to cook myself, I'll enjoy almost anything including "exotic Thai foods". I'm sure some of you share the same.

3. Get Lost
I love that I could just lose sense of time for days or even weeks. No more project deadlines, team meetings, and chit chat with my PM. Just get lost on a secluded beach or emerge in a foreign culture. Enjoy every minute of it.

4. Smile, you're on camera
Yes, photography is a big part of my travel and one of the reasons I travel. I'm just a weekend armature photographer. To be able to capture the people, the scenery and the moments and share them on Through the Lenses really get my addiction out of the way.

5. People
Meeting all kinds of people on our journey has been my best enjoyment. We met a couple from Germany in their 70's on Karon Beach, Phuket last year. We were on our honeymoon, and they were there to celebrate their 50th anniversary. They're just a happy and fun couple without any worries. Meeting people like them makes me reflect on my own life and look forward to my golden years with Nick. For now, I look forward to our 1st anniversary.

That's my 5 reasons to travel. What are yours? Tagging Eileen from Texas RV Travel Blog, Sheila from Family Travel, Donna from Socal Mom, and Nia from Go to Portugal, maybe they would like to share theirs.

A Night with the Four Course

2007-04-24T08:50:00.000-07:00

In my previous post, I talked about the Cedar Room and its unique wood structure exterior and interior characteristics on our little excursion to Tigh Na Mara Resort on Vancouver Island. It is however the fabulous seafood that attracted people from all over the world.

It was the Sunday night during the Easter long weekend. We just came from a wedding in Victoria, and were rather looking forward to having a nice quiet meal. The menu was simple, just a couple pages. I have always preferred dining establishments that have a simplistic menu, based on my opinion that if a restaurant claim to do well in too many things, then they really can’t excel in anything. Nick ordered a simple Steak off the menu, straight up rare. I ordered their four course menu, which came highly recommended by the server. I am a seafood fan, and every item on this four course meal except the desert are all seafood oriented. The first course was fresh steamed clam from a local cove, cooked in fresh garlic, cracked pepper, parsley and white wine. It set a high standard for the rest of the meal, as it was done in perfection with just the right amount and mix of spices and alcohol to induce a flavor so intoxicating that it left us anxious to see what coming up could possibly outshine this first course. We were certainly not disappointed by the second course, sautéed warm tiger prawn salad. I have had seafood salad before, in Thailand. This dish was quite different from the Thai dish, for it had a sweet and sour foundation that was derived from the watercress and spicy chili garlic vinaigrette. Once we had our appetite teased, it was finally time for the main course, Fresh local halibut baked with Dungeness Crab Mascarpone and Basil, wild rice and Pea Saute. There is nothing quite as enticing as seafood caught the same day, and it was baked to perfection and artfully garnished by the chef. We topped the meal off with a little In-House made raspberry cheesecake, which completed a wonderful meal that left us with a new appreciation for not just the abundance of our local seafood source, but the creativity and dedication of the local kitchens that literally made us craving for more.

The Cedar Room

2007-04-19T10:12:00.000-07:00

When thinking of a refreshing getaway at a resort, Parksville is usually not the place that pops to mind. Make no mistake though; this little town located in the middle of Vancouver Island, just north of Victoria, has captured the imagination of the many pleasantly surprised visitors, much like yours truly. This time we made a weekend trip to Tigh-Na-Mara Resort, a well known spa resort on Vancouver Island.

It was a typical west coast April evening, rainy and cool. After we checked in late afternoon, we went to the Cedar Room, a fine dining establishment that has a reputation as one of the most authentic seafood restaurant on the island. The exterior of the dining room is rather unassuming, except a huge piece of cedar plaque that bears the name of the restaurant. Once inside though, the center of the focus is on the wine cellar through the glass walls. The hotel lobby adjacent to the restaurant is featured by a gas fireplace and a river rock covered pillar surrounded by a network of cedar beams hanging over the dining area.

The photo above outlines the well lit hotel lobby. Stay tuned on our stay and dining experience at Tigh-Na-Mara Resort.

Lunch at Bengal Lounge

2007-04-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned the Fairmont Empress Hotel in my previous posts. It's classified as 5-star hotel; however, there's been a mixed review on tripAdvisor.com. Based on individual travelers' reviews from TripAdvirsor, the 5-star Fairmont Empress is more like an average hotel, rated 3.5 out of 5 taking into consideration of room, service, value, cleanness, and pool. While some were very happy with their stays, others weren't very enthusiastic about it.

I've never had the opportunity to stay there, so I cannot really comment on the hotel in those aspects. However, I was impressed by the Bengal Lounge where we enjoyed a traditional Indian curry lunch buffet. The setting was adults oriented, suitable for business meetings, romantic dinners, and even semi-formal family and friends gatherings. One feels just as comfortable, dressed up in business attire, reading the paper and drinking martini at the bar, or taking your family out (at least the grown up ones) for a Sunday brunch.

We learned from our server that most decors in the restaurant were originally imported from India. I was particularly impressed with the majestic pillars and the wall mounted Bengal tiger skin seen in the photo above. They remind me of a British colonial style dining room from a time long past. Overall, it was an unique and fun experience, and I gave it a high rating for. However, I would definitely take the English "High Tea" at the Empress next time, served with an amazing variety of fancy and fattening pantries. Probably a better fit for the English style city, eh?

Spring Visit to the City of Garden

2007-04-15T00:27:00.000-07:00

I lived in Victoria for almost seven years. I live in Vancouver now, but I go back to Victoria once in a while just for a visit. Now I appreciate the city and the people more, and am discovering it from a different perspective.

Victoria is known as a city for "the nearly dead and the newly wed". It's true that it's retirees' heaven, and young couples' new world. It attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world every year. I'm lucky that I live still considerably close to it. Just hop on BC Ferries from Vancouver, I'm there.

The photo you see here was taken over Easter weekend at the popular Victoria Inner Harbour, in front of a number of century old buildings, including BC Parliament Buildings, the Fairmont Empress Hotel, and Royal London Wax Museum. As you lazily stroll along the causeway of Inner Harbour, you get a great view of a fleet of sail boats docked peacefully in the water. This is definitely a destination stop not to be missed.

Afternoon Tea at Fairmont Empress

2007-04-13T00:03:00.000-07:00

Fairmont Empress in Victoria often dominates travelers' photo composition, but it's most known for its British style afternoon tea. It is a tradition that has lasted almost a century, and is popular among the locals. It'll be an unique experience for you to take home.

This year they're featuring once-in-a-lifetime package, Dine & Discover - The Titanic Exhibition. The whole package includes one night accommodation at the Empress and two tickets to the special exhibition at Royal BC Museum. It's only available for the next six months up until October 14th. You can book the whole package right here. So if you are planning to visit Victoria this summer, be sure to check it out.

BC Parliament Buildings

2007-04-12T08:10:00.000-07:00

I spent my Easter long weekend in Victoria, BC, and will share my mini vacation with you in the next few posts. What you see here is British Columbia Parliament Buildings, where BC government body assembles and makes legislative decisions.

The buildings were constructed more than 100 years ago, and are full of history. I highly recommend the public tour provided by the Legislative Tour Office. The guided tour, FREE of charge, runs approximately one hour, Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm. It runs more frequent during the Summer months from May to August. Group bookings are also offered and can be booked online. You can find more detailed information here.

Happy Faces in Phuket Town

2007-04-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do in Phuket Town is exploring street vendors in the market. These two boys are waiting for Thai Glass Noodle Salad. I couldn't help noticing the expression on their faces, and joined in, ordered a Thai Papaya Salad. For an instance, I was brought back to my own childhood, and might have had the similar thrill on my own face too.

Thai & European Food & What?

2007-04-01T15:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a sign you may find amusing. While waiting around at Chalong Bay to take the speed boat to get to Racha Island, Nick spotted this sign off the road. At the first look, I didn't really notice anything different until I looked at it closely, thinking if it was a mis usage. Guess not.

Soaking up the Sun

2007-03-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

It's been raining 20 days for the past 22 days here in Vancouver. It just doesn't seem to be an end to this depressing weather. I wish I were below the equator right now, sunbathing on golden sand beaches and drinking fresh coconut juice. Wouldn't that be nice? This photo was taken by my husband, Nick, on Surin Beach, about 15 km north of popular Patong Beach. It's not a very populated beach. We didn't see many tourists out there. It's just a perfect place to get some quiet time to yourself. Look at Nick! He was just soaking up the sun and taking everything in with his lens.