We took our March break in Phuket this year. The Le Meridien is a great stop; outside of the hustle and bustle of Phuket but still accessible with a great private beach.
The waves would kick up some mornings, making for some great shots. Config: Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 28-300mm f/2.8 USM.
A contrast to a calm sunset.
It was early and I was enjoying a coffee on the balcony. I turned on my iPad’s wi-fi and noticed a new signal ‘Samax’. Odd. I looked out over the beach and saw this.
Turns out it is easy to find a ship, thanks to websites like this.
You can read a fascinating account of how this yacht survived the 2005 tsunami here.
This was the rest of my view that morning.
My last. A beautiful shoreline.
The pink caught my eye.
The stairs lead to … ?
A wonderful trip.
The Belize reef system is 30+ KMs off the shore. Each day we would get in a boat and travel to either a dive or snorkelling destination, depending on your preference. As our boys are too young to scuba, we snorkelled a number of times. After the first snorkel, they would take us to a small island for snacks and a quick break before heading out again. The island was beautiful, with white sand beaches and clear blue water. Very Caribbean.
On our first trip out, a pelican kept hovering around. He was not afraid of us, and let me get very close (At one point I was arms length). A majestic bird.
It is fascinating watching him take off.
It felt like you blinked and he was away. These frames were taken over a few seconds.
On the Lapa Rios website it talks about the beach and the fact that it is not a highlight .. in other words, you are not going there to hang out at a beach cabana. On our first day (they did not warn us), we went down late in the day (it is a hard 10 minute walk – as Lapa Rios is on the top of a hill) and arrived at high tide.
The waves were random, it would appear calm like this and then a big one would come in. The ground was rocky and the boys took a bit of a beating (falling in the surf lead to a few significant scratches). I personally didn’t like the power of the surf and the under tow.
So in the end, we spent the time walking the beach and found a few coconuts. I was convinced to go to work on one and after 15 very long minutes, finally broke it open where we tried the coconut milk and the meat. A definite first.
Over the next few days, we learned that the best time to hit the beach is during low tide. It is the time when the boys took a surf lesson (very cool) and where we joined the guide for a starfish hunt. During low tide, the beach is very welcoming with little crabs everywhere.
You also get to see what lays under the aggressive surf. Wear shoes.
Amazing to see the camouflage. Spot the crab.
We spent a few hours hunting for starfish. Simply lift a rock and your would find 10.
The resort is a way up the hill.
In the end, they should have mentioned low tide. Once we found that out, the beach took on a whole new level of enjoyment.
Michael Weening: a few pictures 